soon.”
“What’s going to happen now?” Hannah wanted to kno w, when a set of speakers on the other side of the field started to emit upbeat music.
“It’s time for the naa’ahóóhai ,” Yazzie replied.
She raised an eyebrow.
“The rodeo,” he translated enthusiastically, tilting his head at the field. “Oh, and there’s dancing on the lawn across the road.”
“That sounds like a safer option,” Ivy remarked drily.
Yazzie grinned. “Okay. Dancing it is then.”
As they all made their way to the other side of the road, Josh joined them out of nowhere, falling into step next to Hannah.
“Hey there,” she said with a slight smile. “That was one hell of a performance.”
“Thanks.” He beamed at her and joined her at the side of the make -shift dance floor.
As t he speakers lined up around the field started blaring out country music, Yaz grabbed Ivy’s hand. “Come on, let’s hit the dance floor!”
“Sure,” Ivy laughed.
Emily shot a glance at Amber. Apparently deciding it was time to pluck up some courage, she grabbed Amber’s hand and smiled at her. Amber’s cheeks filled with color. Without saying a word, she followed Emily into the crowd.
Nick looked around uncertainly. “ So Josh, how about me asking a Navajo girl to dance? Is that even allowed?”
Josh snickered. “Yeah, sure. We don’t completely hate palefaces, you know.”
“That sounds promising,” Ben commented with a grin.
“If you ask a girl to dance and she gives you some coins, she’s declining,” Josh explained. “If she accepts, it is custom to give her a few coins after the dance.”
This prompted both Nick and Ben to take off and try their luck.
“I don’t even have coins on me,” Hannah complained, fumbling through her pockets.
Josh had a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Sounds like you’re going to be busy.”
Hannah grinned. “Not necessarily. I can’t refuse the first guy asking me, but if he pays up enough for my impressive dancing skills, I can stave off suitors with those coins for the rest of the evening.”
“You want to dance?” Josh suddenly said, a smile playing on his lips. He extended his hand to her, a laugh in his voice but his eyes serious.
Oh. She totally hadn’t seen that coming. Hannah blushed, putting her hand in his. “Yes, of course,” she stammered.
At that exact moment, Josh’s dad appeared out of nowhere. “Hey, shiye .” He put an arm around his son’s shoulders. “I’m glad I found you. They need you.”
“What for?”
His dad started to explain something to him in Diné Bizaad. Josh let go of her hand with a sorry expression on his face.
“I have to assist Sani with something that can’t wait. I’ll see you for dinner at my parents’ place, okay?” he said.
“Oh. Okay, ” she replied flatly.
“Sorry,” Josh added, and then he was gone, following his father to wherever Sani was hanging out. Hannah stared blindly at the field. Emily and Amber were dancing together like there was no tomorrow, and for just a moment, she felt more lonely than ever.
When the sun had almost set, Hannah walked with her friends to the street where Josh’s family had their large, octagonal hoghan. They’d all been invited to dinner.
While the Navajo family was busy cooking on outdoor grills, Hannah’s eyes wandered to the smaller, hexagonal hoghan to the right of the main building. Of course, it could only belong to one person. She couldn’t contain her curiosity, so she left her friends sitting outside the sweatlodge and made her way to Josh’s private hoghan.
Gingerly , she stepped inside. Her gaze quietly touched the walls, the two burning candles on the floor giving off a soft light, illuminating the medicine wheel on the far wall. In the middle of the house, there was the typical fireplace – the center of every hoghan. To her right, some cupboards lined the walls. Four bookshelves had been attached to the wall opposite the entrance. And in
“What’s going to happen now?” Hannah wanted to kno w, when a set of speakers on the other side of the field started to emit upbeat music.
“It’s time for the naa’ahóóhai ,” Yazzie replied.
She raised an eyebrow.
“The rodeo,” he translated enthusiastically, tilting his head at the field. “Oh, and there’s dancing on the lawn across the road.”
“That sounds like a safer option,” Ivy remarked drily.
Yazzie grinned. “Okay. Dancing it is then.”
As they all made their way to the other side of the road, Josh joined them out of nowhere, falling into step next to Hannah.
“Hey there,” she said with a slight smile. “That was one hell of a performance.”
“Thanks.” He beamed at her and joined her at the side of the make -shift dance floor.
As t he speakers lined up around the field started blaring out country music, Yaz grabbed Ivy’s hand. “Come on, let’s hit the dance floor!”
“Sure,” Ivy laughed.
Emily shot a glance at Amber. Apparently deciding it was time to pluck up some courage, she grabbed Amber’s hand and smiled at her. Amber’s cheeks filled with color. Without saying a word, she followed Emily into the crowd.
Nick looked around uncertainly. “ So Josh, how about me asking a Navajo girl to dance? Is that even allowed?”
Josh snickered. “Yeah, sure. We don’t completely hate palefaces, you know.”
“That sounds promising,” Ben commented with a grin.
“If you ask a girl to dance and she gives you some coins, she’s declining,” Josh explained. “If she accepts, it is custom to give her a few coins after the dance.”
This prompted both Nick and Ben to take off and try their luck.
“I don’t even have coins on me,” Hannah complained, fumbling through her pockets.
Josh had a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Sounds like you’re going to be busy.”
Hannah grinned. “Not necessarily. I can’t refuse the first guy asking me, but if he pays up enough for my impressive dancing skills, I can stave off suitors with those coins for the rest of the evening.”
“You want to dance?” Josh suddenly said, a smile playing on his lips. He extended his hand to her, a laugh in his voice but his eyes serious.
Oh. She totally hadn’t seen that coming. Hannah blushed, putting her hand in his. “Yes, of course,” she stammered.
At that exact moment, Josh’s dad appeared out of nowhere. “Hey, shiye .” He put an arm around his son’s shoulders. “I’m glad I found you. They need you.”
“What for?”
His dad started to explain something to him in Diné Bizaad. Josh let go of her hand with a sorry expression on his face.
“I have to assist Sani with something that can’t wait. I’ll see you for dinner at my parents’ place, okay?” he said.
“Oh. Okay, ” she replied flatly.
“Sorry,” Josh added, and then he was gone, following his father to wherever Sani was hanging out. Hannah stared blindly at the field. Emily and Amber were dancing together like there was no tomorrow, and for just a moment, she felt more lonely than ever.
When the sun had almost set, Hannah walked with her friends to the street where Josh’s family had their large, octagonal hoghan. They’d all been invited to dinner.
While the Navajo family was busy cooking on outdoor grills, Hannah’s eyes wandered to the smaller, hexagonal hoghan to the right of the main building. Of course, it could only belong to one person. She couldn’t contain her curiosity, so she left her friends sitting outside the sweatlodge and made her way to Josh’s private hoghan.
Gingerly , she stepped inside. Her gaze quietly touched the walls, the two burning candles on the floor giving off a soft light, illuminating the medicine wheel on the far wall. In the middle of the house, there was the typical fireplace – the center of every hoghan. To her right, some cupboards lined the walls. Four bookshelves had been attached to the wall opposite the entrance. And in
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