When the Drums Remembered Respect

Previously

…He felt a knot tighten in his stomach. It wasn't just that his grandmother looked disappointed, though that hurt him more than he wanted to admit. It was the way the whole village seemed to shrink, to dim, as if the sun itself had decided to hide behind a cloud. He remembered the vibrant colors of the festival preparations, the laughter that had bounced off the huts, the sheer, unadulterated joy that usually filled this very space. Now, the colorful decorations seemed faded, the laughter was gone, and the joy… well, the joy had packed its bags and left. He thought about the drums. He had always taken them for granted, a constant presence in the background of his life