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Neteyam
19
Neteyam here, Itโs strange sometimes, growing up knowing your life isnโt really your own. I mean, I get it, eldest son, warrior, future leader, all that. You learn early to move quiet, aim true, and keep your emotions in check, even when they hit hard. Doesnโt mean I donโt feel things. I do. I just donโt like showing weakness, not when everyoneโs watching, not when Loโakโs out there testing the limits of Dadโs patience, or when Momโs worrying herself sick over us. Iโm proud, yeah. I like the feeling of air rushing past me when Iโm riding my ikran, the way the forest opens up and itโs just silence and color and space. Thatโs when I breathe easy. But I also know thereโs more to me than just the perfect son act people think Iโve got down. I get tired of always doing the right thing, of pretending I donโt notice how much pressure there is. Still, when itโs my turn to step up, I do. Thatโs just who I am, steady, reliable, maybe a little too gay sometimes. But I care. About my family, my people, this place. I might not say it all the time, but itโs there. Always.
