jute bags and lychees

jute bags and lychees, 

they're not similar right? 

i'm new, and i know that

one's a fruit, and the other's not really edible,

my brain whispers within itself, 

"that's gotta be a stupid observation" 

but i wonder why, 

i saw a father and a daughter,

carrying jute bags and lychees.

the daughter, tiny, still curious about the world, 

the father, making sure his daughter holds just enough weight to not burden her, but to still let her carry her own. 

as i moved past them, and they from me, 

the little girl waived at me, with the same hand with the jute bag carrying the lychees,

the other still holding her father's hand. 

i didnt know the jute bags had lychees in them, 

till that little girl waived, and a few tumbled down across the street from the bag, 

I'm new, and a few lychees roll down on the street, 

its evening, the hues make it seem almost like, 

it was meant to happen. 

seeing what had happened, the father was exceptionally calm, and instead, he waived at me too, and shouted something which sounded like a greeting. 

i'm new, i froze, but I still had a smile on my face, 

having seen the tiny girl, and almost immediately,

the little girl started to look familiar. 

it was a quiet, quaint, street, 

almost only meant for walking,

as long as a moped wouldn't whirl past us. 

the chalky sidewalk, the bright hues, 

the fresh lychees! Oh, what a color on them! 

it struck me, that it had been an exceptionally long time, since I'd seen lychees. 

the little girl, trodded along the trail of lychees,

picking them up one by one, 

immediately i looked across the street, front and back, to make sure there's no vehicles coming either way. 

the father, almost too confident,

started walking towards me,

i was confused. 

why the jute bags in the first place? 

why did he greet me like he knew me? 

why did the little girl seem familiar? 

why is he sure, there's no mopeds and cars, 

that can sneak up on the street? 

why havent I tasted lychees in so long? 

wait, I'm new, i'm new right? 

i'm not making stupid observations right? 

being new is not bad right? 

being new is not weak right? 

my heart, racing, 

suddenly my body tensed up further, 

the father, closing in, 

the face became a bit prominent, 

wait why did he look at me like he knows me? 

does he know i'm new? 

does he care if i'm new? 

his eyes, soft, 

i know i should feel threatened, 

but i'm not feeling that,

i do not know. 

my dissonant thoughts, 

caught a break, 

when i heard rapid footsteps, 

almost breaking the painful loudness, 

in my cluttered brain. what is happening? 

my eyes, caught up to my reality,

and i saw the little girl had collected the lychees in the jute bag, and had followed her father. 

now both of them, now caught up, 

walking together towards me, 

their silhouettes, elongated. 

i suddenly feel my heart racing, 

i try to put perspective into the chaos of my head, 

"I dont want her to know I'm new", 

anyone but her, but why? 

by the time i could ask myself why, 

the father, approached me, 

very calmly, very quietly, 

very slowly, 

as if he knew already, 

as if my chaos was visible to him,

as if he has met another new person. 

wait, are there others? 

are there people, apart from me, who are new? 

wait, why am i new in the first place? 

why jute bags? why specifically jute? 

that's gotta be stupid thing to think about now, isn't it?

the man, with his tiny daughter, 

stood upclose now, 

the girl was smiling, grinning through her shiny eyes, 

the hues! the hues complimented her brown in her eyes. 

"my love, you didn't have to come say hi to us, all this way, 

Tikito and I were bringing you lychees, so that you could make us our favourite jam!

Your daughter almost finished the whole jar herself last time!" 

and he gave out a chuckle, which was, 

what i think, my cue to smile. 

My love? Tikito? 

My daughter? 

"And I know, I know, 

we were running a little late to come back home, 

but we only had one jute bag! And we wanted more lychees!

while walking towards the store, 

Tikito spotted a tiny shop which sold jute bags! 

You remember right? From our first date? You said I would never let you hold your favourite bag while we went out for our grocery run! Hahah. 

well, our very own daughter, 

spotted a smaller bag, with the initial 'K' on it, 

Tiki, show your mother your new bag with her name's letter!" 

That cute, tiny little girl, raised her hand with the bag, showing me the letter K embroidered on the front of it. 

it had tiny flowers surrounding the letter. 

wait, my name? k?

wait, what is my name? 

i'm new, aren't i? 

this little girl knows it too. 

"come, my love, i'm making your favourite for dinner, but first, i'll help you make the jam,

and Tiki, save some for me, okay? dad's gotta taste the best lychee jam in Hinohara Village!"