THREE YEARS before she died, my mother sent me to live with the French ferryman and said I should not speak anymore. I could talk English or French, since she did not consider them speaking. What she meant was I should leave our language behind. She said it did not belong in the world anymore and would only get me hurt. It was losing your mother and your tongue at once. She gave me another warning. Stay out of it. Out of what? I asked. Everything. Listen. Walk to the side. Keep yourself. Go the other way.
