Another 250 words

This 1000 Words Wausau thing is definitely inspiring. So much so that I exceeded expectations and wrote another one this week. Unprecedented! Here's my second 250 words, which I officially sent off:

1000 Words Feb. Week 2

swish

metallic

jungle

crumple

just a pose

Did love begin in that way?

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Old ways love

 When I was 13, Mom started pushing me into the ball toss games at the New Year celebrations.

 “Mom! Do I have to?” I’d ask in English

 “Yes, Hlee, this is what we do. You never know, you might find your husband. It’s how I met your father. In the village, I started the ball toss a lot earlier than you are now,” she said in Hmong, almost singing the words instead of speaking. “By the time I was 16, I had your older brother and sisters.”

 I barely remembered my father, but whenever Mom talked about him, I’d see the vision of him crumpling in the jungle, hit by a communist bullet, as the rest of us ran for the Mekong River and safety.

 It was weird, standing in America, a few yards from Xai, tossing a tennis ball back and forth. His hair was shiny black in the auditorium lights, and the coins on his vest clinked together in a metallic melody. My skirt swished with each throw, and my hat felt like it was about to fall from my head.

 For me, it was just a pose. I didn’t really believe in the old ways. I was going to go to college, become a nurse. I loved Mom, and I knew what she did to bring us here. She got no respect for it. I wanted more for myself and for her.

 But now I have to wonder, did love begin in that way?