Dirty Dancing

Chapter 1

May 17th

Langa Hasagawa leaned against the car window in the back passenger seat of his mother's car. Rows of trees would come and go in endless rows. With every bump the car made on the long narrow dirt road, Langa's face would squish harder against the glass of the window. Langa's mother would point out the scenery in an excited fashion, even though it consisted of just trees and a clear sky, not even tainted by a singular cloud. Just the sun, which shone brightly and made the weather perfect for tank tops and shorts, dotted the sky. However, Langa wore black jeans and a long sleeved white shirt, not being prepared for the drastic change in weather from chilly Canada to sunny Japan. His mom warned him that Japan would have warmer weather but he brushed it off, mainly because he didn't own many clothing items that would suit sunny weather.

Langa's mother was ecstatic to be back in her home country and she would tell Langa all of the memories and stories she made there. The stories would frequent even more the closer they got to her hometown. Ms. Hasagawa's parents owned a resort in the mountains that was frequented by wealthy individuals. The resort offered many luxurious activities such as swimming, croquet ball, and tea parties. They also hosted many shows that featured singers and magicians. Langa's mother would continuously tell Langa about the dancing and how breathtaking the dancing has always been. Langa and his mother were headed to stay at the Hasagawa resort.

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The car's tires finally came to a stop in front of their cabin. The cabin was beautifully formed by the weaving of white oak wood on the outside with deep cerulean blue glass stained windows. Langa was amazed at how refreshing everything felt, from the smell of the freshly cut grass to the way that the falling sun cast shadows against the glistening pond next to the cabin. It was already late into the evening so Langa and his mom decided to rest for the rest of the evening and start their 'vacation' tomorrow morning.

As Langa laid in his freshly cleaned linen sheets, he took in a deep breathing and remembered Canada and his father. As he released his breath, he closed his eyes and fell into a slumber. He might just be able to finally relax.

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May 18th

I fluttered my eyes open when I heard two voices chatting in the entrance to our cabin. Although the voices may be muffled, I can tell that it's a male's voice and a female's voice. I reluctantly remove my sheets and place my bare feet on the cold wooden floor. I stride towards the voices to see my mom talking to a man with orange hair and a bigger frame.

"Good Morning Langa" my mother chuckled while smoothing out my blue hair with her fingers. My cheeks flushed slightly forgetting that my bed head must have been outrageous. "This is Hiromi Higa. He has offered to help us take in our luggage and show us around the area."

I know that my mom probably knows this resort like the back of her hand since she used to run around the hiking trails, occasionally straying off path and getting lost along the way to somehow make it back to her parents before dinner. However, I also know that my mom could not refuse his offer to show her around because she can't say no and overthinks little things in her head.

"Hey little Hasagawa, your mom was telling me about you" the man, Hiromi Higa, said to me. I offered up a small smile and followed the two figures as they proceeded to walk out the door. They headed towards the car trunk to get out the luggage we left in there from the night before. We were tired yesterday and went to sleep before we unpacked but with the way the sun was lighting up the dewy grass now and the way you could hear cicadas and birds, I was fully awake and ready to look around now.

Hiromi pulled out an itinerary that listed events the resort had to offer this week. Hiromi and my mother looked over the piece of paper and planned out what events were their top choices and what time of the day it would be best to partake in those activities. I glanced at the paper and saw that they were offering a merengue class in a couple of hours. "What's a merengue?"