Still Falling for You [NH year 2020]

August - Cultures/Around the world

Manga/Anime: Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto/Studio Pierrot
Words: 3 550
Publish: 08/31/2020
Summary: "Diversity is not about how we differ. It is about embracing one another's uniqueness" - Ola Joseph

The only busy day in Javouhey is sunday. The market attracts tourists, inhabitants from the other surrounding villages or natives who can find tropical flowers and fruits locally produced, Hmong crafts, foods and a lot of other nice, colourful things.

However, the best period of time, which helps the economy based only on agriculture, during the year is in December.

Mind that there's no snow and it's not cold. It's completely different. It's hot and dry. A perfect climate for the festival, long-awaited both by excited villagers and amazed visitors.

The Hmong New Year's festival was what Naruto loved the most here. He felt less standing apart since foreigners and villagers would gather to celebrate the good spirits and the end of the harvest season. And during ten days, it would last until dawn.

At that time, always in her company, he wouldn't see his parents during the day. It wasn't interesting to listen to adults talking. However, the passing travellers, that was something else.

Curious by nature, Naruto would sip his cucumber juice, eat spring rolls and listen to what they had to tell about the world, or about the Amazon rainforest, as they'd drink beer.

For a little while, he wouldn't feel different. He could act like everybody else. He wouldn't endure the others' gazes on him.

But now, he can't allow himself to escape behind his parents' back to wander in the village anymore. And there won't be anybody at their meeting point anyway.

So many things changed. And that makes him nervous.

He feels like he's on unknown territory even though he lived here until his eighteenth birthday, before leaving for Cayenne. It's a three-hour trip from here to the capital and, given the dangerous roads, he would only go back to see his parents on rare occasions.

And just like that three years passed by. All his friends, and she, had grown up. Or rather, evolved. Their whole life changed. Most of them are now married, have children too.

Knowing that, Naruto doesn't know where to stand anymore.

Single, living in a tiny flat, his study of the leatherback sea turtle is what his life is about, digging a little bit more the gap between him and the Hmongs.

Despite that, he smiles. Well, tries to not grimace to his mother's coworkers who haven't seen him since he left. He inhales and exhales deeply. He fails to know what to do. He looks like a little boy who doesn't want to let go of his father's leg.

His sweaty hands rub his black trousers. He pulls on the while collar of his white, buttons-up shirt under his black vest. His costume looks like it wants to choke him today. Even though it fit him perfectly yesterday.