A Flower Blooming in the Desert
Nerikiri, Diplomacy, and Voting from the Czech Republic Some confections begin with a season.Others with a colour. This one began with a desert. It eventually took shape as a piece of nerikiri I callA Flower Blooming in the DesertBut before it became form, it was a question,and before that, an encounter. The Moment the Flower Appeared Last November, I was travelling through Norway. One winter evening, I arrived in a small town wrapped in snow.The friend who was meant to meet me messaged:“I’ll be two hours late.” I stepped into a café by the bus stop. Norway is expensive. Even compared to inflation-weary Czechia,everything felt almost twice as costly.I ordered a refillable coffee and waited by the window,passing time on my phone. Then a café staff member spoke to me. “Are you Japanese?” When I said yes, he paused and said quietly, “I’m from Afghanistan.I’m deeply grateful to a Japanese engineer.” He told me about wells dug in the Afghan desert.About villages where water finally arrived.About lives that continued because of it. Then, without ceremony, he placed several slices of pizza in front of me. “I want to pass that gratitude to you,as a Japanese person.” I could not speak. […]