The Music of Dolphins Read online

  PRAISE FOR KAREN HESSE’S

  THE MUSIC OF DOLPHINS

  “As moving as a sonnet, as eloquently structured as a bell curve, this book poignantly explores the most profound of themes — what it means to be human…. A frequently dazzling novel.”

  — Publishers Weekly, starred review

  “This powerful exploration of how we become human and how the soul endures is a song of beauty and sorrow, haunting and unforgettable.”

  — School Library Journal, starred review

  “Her mind and spirit shaped by the dolphins who raised her, a feral child views herself and her human captors from a decidedly unusual angle in this poignant story…. A probing look at what makes us human, with an unforgettable protagonist.”

  — Kirkus Reviews

  “The book works largely because of Mila’s sharp observations, the stranger-in-a-strange-land scenario, and the incredible notion of the dolphin family, all of which will interest elementary and middle-school readers.”

  — Booklist

  “A profound study of being human and the ways in which inner communication unites and separates living beings … Mila’s rich voice makes her a lovely, lyrical character.”

  — Voice of Youth Advocates

  “The poetic evocation of Mila’s life among the waves and her longing for same compels and will entrance many a reader.”

  — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

  A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

  A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

  An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

  A Book Links Best Book of the Year

  A New York Public Library Children’s Title for Reading and Sharing

  To Randy.

  For twenty-five years you have kept me afloat.

  Contents

  Praise for Karen Hesse’s The Music of Dolphins

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-one

  Twenty-two

  Twenty-three

  Twenty-four

  Twenty-five

  Twenty-six

  Twenty-seven

  Twenty-eight

  Twenty-nine

  Thirty

  Thirty-one

  Thirty-two

  Thirty-three

  Thirty-four

  Thirty-five

  Thirty-six

  Thirty-seven

  Thirty-eight

  Thirty-nine

  Forty

  Forty-one

  Forty-two

  Forty-three

  Forty-four

  Forty-five

  Forty-six

  Forty-seven

  Forty-eight

  Forty-nine

  Fifty

  Fifty-one

  Fifty-two

  Fifty-three

  Fifty-four

  Fifty-five

  Fifty-six

  Fifty-seven

  Fifty-eight

  Fifty-nine

  Sixty

  Sixty-one

  Sixty-two

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also Available

  Copyright

  I swim out to them on the murmuring sea. As I reach them, their circle opens to let me in, then re-forms. The dolphins rise and blow, floating, one eye open, the other shut in half sleep.

  Joyful with the coming day, I splash and whistle at a milky sun. The dolphins wake and whistle too. They are suddenly and fully aware. The ocean fills with their sound. Flukes slapping. Quick calls rising and falling. We slide under and over each other, racing through the morning waves, riding the misty lid of the sea.

  Three gulls sit on the soft shoulder of a swell. So quiet, I come with my dolphin cousins, up from below, and scare the bobbing birds. The gulls rise, screaming mad. We laugh and laugh, bright beads of dolphin noise, while above the birds dip and cry.

  A cool wind tickles the swells and one free gull feather floats on the face of the sea. My dolphin cousin grabs it and darts below. Under she goes, then up again, faster, springing into the air. She passes the feather to the next cousin who takes her turn diving, running, playing with it. Their game spins me in the waves. The small hairs rise on my arms.

  While we play, the old ones search for something to eat. They flash their blinding sound into a school of silver fish. As my dolphin family swims, mouths open, through the thick school, I climb out of the sea.

  Standing on the small beach, the mangrove swamp at my back, I hear a sound over the rush and hiss of the tide, over the whistles and squeaks of my dolphin family feeding, over the splashing and tail slapping. I hear a sound pushing at the air. It beats like a giant heart. Airplane. I see it far-off, pressed against the roof of the sky. It growls a distant warning.

  I turn away to feed on molting crab, juicy roots, ribbons of salt weeds.

  The plane comes closer. The sound of it shakes my bones. My skin shivers, like an orca is coming.

  My dolphin mother senses danger, my smooth, beautiful mother with her wise eyes and her spotted flukes. I hear her; she calls me back to sea. I want to go to her. I am afraid of the plane. But I must find water to drink first and give my mother more time to eat. She does not eat enough because of me.

  I make my way through the wet and tangled roots of the mangrove, creeping toward the opposite side of the cay. I reach the long rocks where rain gathers in wide, deep pools. There is much water today. I cup my hands and drink. The water is cool with a hint of salt. When my hands can gather no more, I scoop the water into a shell, and when the shell brings nothing, I suck at what remains with my lips.

  While I drink, the plane flies close again. No longer is it a distant gleaming. It comes too near. It is not like other planes, more like an ugly fish with spinning fins on its back.

  Something drops from it. I try to hide. The wind from the plane makes my long hair fly. The mangrove pitches and roars. I am pounded by spinning air. The earth shakes and circles of sand rise around me. I sense the frantic whistle of my mother, but the sound is lost in the scream of the plane.

  And then a man jumps out. He comes after me. I slip deeper into the mangroves. But the man is too big, too fast.

  I cannot get away.

  Doctor Beck says, Where is the ear?

  I show a picture of the ear.

  Doctor Beck says, Good, Mila. Where is the eye?

  I show a picture of the eye.

  Doctor Beck says, Good, Mila. Where is the nose?

  I show a picture of the hair.

  Doctor Beck says, No, Mila.

  The nose is not in the hair. The nose is here. In front of the face.

  Doctor Beck shows a picture of the nose.

  Doctor Beck says, Where is the nose, Mila?

  I show a picture of the nose.

  Doctor Beck says, Good. Good, Mila.

  I like good.

  The helper is Sandy. Sandy says, I have a present for you, Mila.

  Sandy says, This present is to eat. This present is good fish.

  Do you want to eat this good fish, Mila?

  I say, No.

  The fish is not good. The fish is dead.

  Sandy is not happy. I like Sandy happy.

  Doctor
Beck says, What is this?

  Doctor Beck shows a picture.

  The picture talks. It says, Girl.

  Doctor Beck says, What is this, Mila?

  I say, Girl.

  Doctor Beck says, Good. Good, Mila. What is this?

  Doctor Beck shows a picture.

  The picture talks. It says, Boy.

  Doctor Beck says, What is this, Mila?

  I say, Boy.

  Doctor Beck shows a picture.

  The picture talks. It says, Dolphin.

  Doctor Beck says, What is this, Mila?

  I say, Dolphin. Dolphin! Good good dolphin!

  I like to see the picture of dolphin.

  Doctor Beck says, Very good, Mila. Tell me. What are you?

  A girl or a dolphin?

  I show a picture. The picture talks. It says, Dolphin.

  I say, Dolphin.

  Doctor Beck says, No, Mila.

  Doctor Beck shows a mirror.

  Doctor Beck is in the mirror. A girl is in the mirror.

  Doctor Beck says, Okay, Mila.

  Tell me, what are you? A girl or a dolphin?

  I look in the mirror. I look at the picture. The picture talks. It says, Girl.

  I say, Girl.

  Doctor Beck says, Yes. Girl.

  Good, Mila. You are a girl.

  Sandy is here. Sandy says, Look, Mila. I have a book. It is a fish book.

  I come to Sandy.

  Sandy says, Show me the tail of the fish, Mila.

  I am showing the fish tail.

  Sandy says, Good, Mila. Show me the big rocks.

  I am showing the big rocks.

  Sandy says, Good, Mila. Show me the sea?

  I say, Sandy come.

  Sandy says, No, Mila. Show me the sea in the book.

  I want to show Sandy the good sea.

  Sandy wants the picture in the book.

  I show the picture in the book. I make Sandy happy.

  I am going to see another girl.

  The girl is little.

  The girl is different, not like

  Doctor Beck and the others.

  The girl is different like me.

  I say my dolphin name to the girl.

  The girl looks at me.

  I say my dolphin name again.

  The girl makes a laugh.

  Doctor Beck and Sandy and the others like the laugh.

  Doctor Beck says to the girl, Shay. This is Mila.

  Doctor Beck says, Mila. This is Shay.

  I say the word Shay.

  Sandy writes in a book, Mila says Shay.

  Doctor Beck says, Shay is like you, Mila. Shay is learning to talk. You and Shay can work together. Who can show me a thing we wear?

  I show a picture of boots. I say, boots. I have boots. Doctor Beck says boots are for rain only. My ears like to hear boots all the time. I make my good boots to talk like the dolphin.

  Doctor Beck says, Good, Mila.

  Shay is not showing. Shay is not saying.

  Doctor Beck says, Who can tell me what you do with a fork?

  I show a picture of eating.

  I say, Eat.

  Doctor Beck says, Good, Mila.

  Shay is not showing. Shay is not saying.

  Doctor Beck says, Who can tell me what you do when you are cold?

  I am watching Shay.

  I am walking to Shay.

  I am showing Shay a gentle hand.

  Shay is a soft hair girl. Shay is a big eyes girl. Shay is a little little girl.

  I am looking in the face of Shay.

  Shay is not showing. Shay is not saying.

  But I am hearing Shay with no words.

  In the night, Doctor Beck comes into my room.

  Doctor Beck sees Sandy is sleeping in the chair.

  Doctor Beck says to Sandy, Go home. You need to sleep.

  I say, Sandy wants to stay.

  Doctor Beck says, No, Mila.

  Sandy wants to go home. We all need to go home sometimes.

  I say, I am not going home.

  Sandy is watching me.

  Doctor Beck is watching me.

  Doctor Beck says, Soon you will go home, Mila. Soon we will all move to a home together where we will eat and sleep and play.

  I am happy. I am touching the hand of Doctor Beck. I say, We go home to the sea.

  Doctor Beck says, No. Not to the sea.

  I am not understanding.

  Doctor Beck says, We go to a house.

  I say, A house in the sea.

  Doctor Beck says, No. Not in the sea, Mila. A house here, in Boston.

  I come to Sandy.

  Sandy makes gentle hands on me.

  I want to go with Sandy and Doctor Beck. But I want to go to the sea.

  Sandy says, Let me stay with Mila tonight, Doctor Beck.

  Doctor Beck says, Yes. Okay. If you want. Stay.

  I say, Another time we go to the sea, Doctor Beck. Yes?

  Doctor Beck is a tired face.

  Doctor Beck is a tired voice.

  Doctor Beck says, Another time, Mila.

  So good.

  I have Sandy when going to sleep. I have Sandy when waking up. I have Sandy to play all the time. Now I am not only.

  Doctor Beck comes. Doctor Beck tells Sandy to give me a swimsuit.

  Sandy says, Mila, you will like this.

  Sandy says, Here are pictures of a girl getting ready to swim.

  Here she is in her swimsuit. Do you want to swim like the girl?

  I say, Yes!

  I put on the swimsuit. The swimsuit is funny little skin clothes.

  I put on my good boots.

  I am ready.

  I say, Shay can swim too.

  We go to Shay and Doctor Troy.

  I show Shay the picture of the girl getting ready to swim.

  I say, Come, Shay.

  Shay is happy. Shay is holding my hand. Shay is coming to swim with me.

  Outside is good warm sun. No more cold.

  Outside is many things to see.

  Outside is good for to breathe.

  Good for to walk. Good for so many things to hear.

  Doctor Beck shows me to go inside a very big house.

  There is water in the house! I am hearing water! I say, Come fast, Shay!

  Shay cannot come fast. Only hop, hop, hop.

  I find the water myself. It is a bad smell. It is a bad taste. But it is water!

  I am jumping into the water with my clothes. I make dolphin talk. Squeak and whistle. I am laughing and splashing.

  Sound is everywhere. Inside me, outside me. Good water sound in the big room.

  I am moving fast and fast in the water. It makes my eyes to hurt but I am so happy to swim. I say, Come, Shay. Come in the water.

  Shay is putting hands over her ears.

  But Sandy comes in the water.

  I am going around and around.

  So quiet, I come behind Sandy.

  I make a big splash and Sandy drinks the water and coughs.

  I am laughing. The sound is going everywhere in the big room. I am hearing with good water ears every little sound.

  A boy is coming into the room.

  He is tall like Doctor Beck.

  Doctor Beck says, Hello, Justin.

  Doctor Beck is not looking at me. She is looking at the boy Justin. She is not touching the boy but she is with the boy. The boy is made very pretty. Good arms and legs. Hair is wet sand, like Doctor Beck.

  I come to the side and splash Doctor Beck and the boy. The boy snaps at me like the angry dolphin. The boy snaps at Doctor Beck.

  I laugh and laugh and swim away.

  The boy goes.

  I am splashing water on Sandy. I am so happy.

  I say, Doctor Beck, I can stay here and sleep here in the water room with Sandy all the time?

  Doctor Beck says, No. This is not a place to sleep, Mila. Only to swim. It is time to go back to the hospital. Come out of the water.

  I do not
want to go.

  Doctor Beck says, You can come here again, Mila. I promise.

  A promise is like a mother dolphin going away, then coming back with sweet fish for her baby. A promise is a good thing.

  Sandy shows a picture of the water room. She says, The place we went yesterday is called a pool. Sandy says, Tell me what a pool is, Mila.

  Doctor Beck and Sandy think I am a stupid fish.

  Sandy says, No one thinks you are a stupid fish. This is how humans learn.

  By using the words again and again.

  I say, A pool is a bad taste, bad eyes, bad nose place to swim.

  Sandy says, Good, Mila.

  Sandy says, Tell me what is the sea.

  I say, The sea is a big home where all the time is swimming and all the time is singing and all the time is touching in the big wet.

  Outside my room is standing Doctor Beck and the boy Justin. Justin says words to Doctor Beck. Justin has anger in his voice. Doctor Beck has anger too. But I am hearing another sound in Justin and Doctor Beck, something not anger.

  In my room Doctor Beck brings a machine.

  Doctor Beck says, This is a tape recorder.

  Doctor Beck touches a button and I hear whales.

  Whales!

  Whales! Whales! Whales! I am so happy to hear whales.

  My room is very small. I say, Doctor Beck, where are the whales?

  Sandy says, There are not any whales, Mila. Only their sound. The whale sound is in the tape machine.

  Whale sound is everywhere in my room. I am singing with the whales! I am talking with the whales.

  Sandy and Doctor Beck see me sing the whale song. Talk the whale talk.

  I am so happy.

  Justin is looking through the window into the room at me.

  I say, Come in and listen to the whales.

  Justin shakes his head, no. He walks away.

  Sandy says, My father is sick.

  This picture father, this word father, makes me think of big arms and a good smile.

  Sandy says, I will be away for a little time, Mila. I must go to my family.

  I say, What is family?

  Sandy says, Family is people you love and care for, people who love and care for you.

  I am thinking.

  I say, We are family.

  Sandy says, Yes. We are family. But I have another family. My other family has a sick father.

  I say, Does Doctor Beck have another family?

  Sandy says, Yes. Doctor Beck has her son, Justin. Justin is another family to Doctor Beck.