A Riddle


     The red haired girl looked around her and sighed in boredom. Her blue haired friend had left her momentarily to get them something to drink, but it’s taking an unusually long time to do this simple task. She had known him since the 3rd grade, and still to this day, they have been the best of friends. Sometimes, she catches herself wishing that they were more than that, but she would quickly shake the thought away. She knew that if he didn’t share the same feelings, their friendship would be blown to smithereens and that’s the last thing that she wants to have happen in her life. Leaning her back against the tree behind her, she slid down the rough surface until she reached the ground with a small thud. She had managed to convince him to spend the rest of the day with her, but what’s the point in that if he doesn’t come back? Sitting in the middle of a park alone is definitely not the best way to waste a good summer’s day. After a few minutes, a familiar voice broke the serene silence of the late morning and wiped away all suspicion that he decided to ditch her. But she knew him better than that.

  “Hey, Kit-chan!” A shiver ran down her spine. That nickname always bothered her for some reason. “Sorry it took me so long to get back, there was a really long line at the convenience store.”

  “Do you really have to call me that?” She asked irritably.

  “Kitamorra, what’s the point in having a nickname if you don’t like to be called by it?” he answered back, approaching her with two bottles of tea in hand.

   “Well, Enkai, I never wanted a nickname, you just started calling me that about three years ago.” Kitamorra replied, catching the bottle of tea that was being tossed gently to her.

   “Aww, but it’s fun to irritate you!” Enkai joked, taking a seat next to her under the shade of the tree.

    The fifteen year old rolled her eyes and grinned in good nature. “Seems that’s a good hobby for a few people I know.” She said, giving him a fake glare, causing him to chuckle.

     They sat in silence, just enjoying each others company and the teas they were drinking. Kitamorra watched as a green leaf gently glided downward in front of her, thanks to the soft, warm summer breeze that blew through the contents of the park. The sounds of kids laughing and people talking could be heard faintly in the distance. She could locate the voices in no time, speculating that the owners were on the other side of the spacious area of the green landscape.  Looking down at her lime green converse, she tapped her feet together a few times before she decided to end this calming silence.

  “So, wanna hear a riddle?” She asked, wondering how clever he is.

   He rose his eyebrows in curiosity. “You know some?”

   “Of course.” She replied with a smile. “I love riddles.”

    He thought about it. “Oh I don’t know…”  He pondered, glancing at her disappointed face from the corner of his eyes.

    “Oh come on Enkai-kun!” Kitamorra pleaded, trying her best to give him a set of sad puppy eyes.

    One look at those eyes seemed to melt his heart away. “Oh, alright.” He said with a grin, causing her to give off a big smile.

    “Okay, let’s see…” She thought hard for a good one to start out with. “Oh! I got one: There is a pink, one story house and when you walk inside, everything in the house is pink, the couch, the walls, even the glass is pink. But what color were the stairs?” she asked.

     Enkai took a few moments to repeat the riddle to himself, then almost immediately “There are no stairs, it’s a one story house.”
  
    This came to no surprise to her. The riddle is fairly easy if you think about it. “Alright, how ‘bout this one? There’s a barrel with wine in it and Chuck says that the barrel is more than half full and Bill proclaims it’s less than half full. How do they solve this dilemma without using any measuring cups or tools?”

     Enkai took a little longer at figuring this one out. Looking down at the tea in his hand, he tipped it and suddenly got an idea. “What they should do is tip the barrel until the wine touches the opening and if you can see the bottom, it’s less than half and if you can’t, it’s more than half.”

      This stunned her. Most people didn’t get this one right. She thought of one that was harder. “Alright, Mr. Hotshot, try getting this one: I’m as big as an ant, as big as a whale. I’ll approach like a breeze, but can come like a gale. By some I get hit, but all have shone fear. I’ll dance to the music, though I can’t hear. Of names I have many, of names I have one. I’m as slow as a snail, but from me you can’t run. What am I?”

      Enkai thought for nearly a minute before he replied “A shadow.”

     Kitamorra was now getting frustrated. For what seemed like an hour she fired riddles at him, only to be repaid in correct answers. She only had one riddle left, and that one, nobody was able to answer it.

    “There’s no way in hell you’d be able to get this one: I’m a riddle in nine syllables, an elephant, a ponderous house, a melon strolling on two tendrils, O red fruit, Ivory, fine timber! The loaf’s big with it’s yeasty rising, Money’s new minted in this fat purse. I’m a means, a stage, a cow in calf. I’ve eaten a bag of green apples, boarded the train there’s no getting off.” she finished, looking at him with a grin of victory.

     Eyes wide he wondered ‘How am I going to answer that?!’ He repeated the riddle again and was suddenly shocked. ‘My grandfather told me this once!’ With a sly grin, he answered. “Pregnancy. The answer is pregnancy.”

     Her jaw dropped. “Damnit! How the hell were you able to answer that?!” she demanded.

    “Well, my grandfather told me this poem not too long ago.” he replied with a smirk of satisfaction. He was enjoying this little game with the one girl he has a crush on, despite the other girls at school all desperately wanting to date him. But luckily, yesterday was the last day of their freshman year before summer break. He only wished that they weren’t the stalking type of people. “Have any more riddles?” he asked.

     “Sorry,” Kitamorra replied “You answered all the riddles I know.” A look of boredom crossed her face as she sighed. Enkai could tell that her pride was bruised.

      They both were engulfed in the calmness of the mid afternoon. The faint voices of people could still be heard off in the distance. Then Enkai thought of a way that he could make her feel way better.

      “Hey, Kit-chan, I got a riddle for ya.” He said to her.

      She turned her head to him in surprise. “You do? Well then let’s hear it.” The mood in her voice change from defeated to joyful and confident.

      “Alright then” he immediately felt his cheeks heat up as he recited the riddle. “If love is boundless, if this power can bring two souls together in harmony and happiness, then can a blue haired boy love a red haired girl without the fear of being turned away?”

        He watched her in anticipation as her face turned from confusion, to realization, to having her cheeks turn a bright pinkish color. She looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

        “Well, what’s your answer going to be?” he asked, his voice filled to the brim with worry and fear that she won’t return the feelings. Enkai knew the risk he’d be taking when he thought of the romantic riddle. If she does really love him back, then he would be the happiest guy alive, but if she didn’t, he would be crushed and devastated.

         She thought she’d die with joy once she heard his riddle. ‘He does love me back!’
                                   
    With a big smile, she answered “Yes, yes he can.” The stain of pink still on her cheeks.

    Upon hearing her answer, Enkai, did back flips in his head. In happiness, he surprised her with a hug of compassion.

     “Did I get the riddle right?” he heard Kitamorra question him in a happy tone.

      He pulled back and said “Yeah, you got the riddle right.”

      With a smile he stood up stiffly. “I think we’ve been sitting for long enough. Why don’t we get something to eat?” Enkai proposed, twisting his body in order to crack his back. Kitamorra was about to follow suit until she noticed an outstretched hand for her to grab. Giving him a pink faced grin, she connected her hand with his and he hoisted her to her feet. What gave him a tug at his heart was that she didn’t let go of his hand. He was then shocked out of his mind when she leaned toward his face and gave him a peck on the cheek. She let go of his hand and jogs to the visible walkway that winds throughout the park. For a few moments or so, he stood their with a dumbfound look on his face and a light red blush staining his cheeks. He was knocked out of his trance when he heard a voice call to him.

      “Hey Enkai-kun! Don’t you want to make it to a place before the rush starts?!” Kitamorra yelled.

      “Coming, Kit-chan!” He called back, running past her.

      “ I thought I told you not to call me that!!” She hollered at him, chasing him down the pathway to the exit of the park.





.:xFinx:.