Basket of Cupcakes

Kiki busied herself setting up the chairs under the oak tree, enjoying the changing colours as dusk approached.

Warm shades of orange painted the horizon as the day made way for the coming night. On the highest point of the sky, stars had already begun to gleam thru the darker skies, flickering and shimmering as if boasting their splendour to the world. Kiki could not contain her excitement. Every so often, she would run to the clock to check the time to be sure not to miss the full moons full ascent. Mostly a minute had barely past, but Kiki was far from patient. She displayed enough patience in dealing with Claire and her gang of baboons at school, so home was definitely not a place that patience was practised. She left that for dad Ben.

She ran back in for the millionth time to check the clock. Ben was busy on the phone. It sounded like one of his clients. He ran a plumbing business which Kiki hated because most of Ben’s clients called in a panic and could be heard screaming so loud, that she often heard the whole conversation standing in the other room. She hated anyone that shouted at her dad.

This time it sounded like old hag Harriet from Ivy Street. Dad often said that she was the poison to Ivy Street. She had a burst geyser and needed someone to sort it out yesterday apparently. Ben did not fit her geyser but there wasn’t a single person that was available at that hour to entertain her demands, so naturally, she would call Ben, as though it was his sworn duty to obey her commands. Kiki could scream at the sound of her screeching over the phone. Ben ended the call with a sigh and a grunt. Glad that’s over with, thought Kiki. He immediately dialled another number. “Hello? Victoria? I’m so sorry to bother you at this time but I have been called out to on a work emergency and need you to watch Kiki for me? Are you perhaps free tonight? I know its short notice but I didn’t expect to be called out at this hour.

I’ve ordered supper; I hope you are okay with cheeseburgers”

Wait. What? Kiki started to panic. Of course, Victoria would agree. Every single time she babysat, she fussed over her dad and asked him over and over how he’s been managing since Ella left. You poor soul, she would say, call me if you need anything at all, with a wink that grossed both Ben and Kiki out. She will definitely be wearing some sort of nauseating perfume that would make birds fly off and flowers die. Most importantly, she will definitely not be eating her supper outside because, as much as nature hated Victoria, Victoria hated nature. Kiki was in a panic and did the only thing she could think off, throw a tantrum.

“I know you don’t like Victoria much, neither do I to be honest, but she is trustworthy and has never let me down once. I cannot leave you alone and if I don’t attend to Harriet’s geyser, she could ruin my name and we could definitely do with the extra money sweetheart.”

“That’s all you care about, Mrs. dummy Harriet and what she thinks. What about what I think? You were supposed to eat with me outside, our own picnic! Victoria hates the outdoors, I’ll be forced to sit inside and listen to her boring phone calls that go on for hours.”

“I promise we will have a Barbeque tomorrow evening dumpling. I also don’t want to leave you. I’m too exhausted to work but duty calls and someone needs to earn the bacon, you will understand when you’re bigger.”

Just then a hoot could be heard in the driveway with Celine Dion blaring on the car radio. Outside, Victoria’s yellow beetle could be seen.

“Well that was quick,” Said Ben as he grabbed his tools, gave Kiki a kiss while she stood still, frozen in anger with her hands crossed and rushed out the door. He briefly greeted Victoria who seemed to not want to let him go and jumped into his van and rode off. Kiki threw herself on the couch and switched the TV on, flipping through channels blankly. She heard Victoria walk in and could smell the cheeseburgers. Looks like the delivery guy met her just before she could come in. “Oh hi Kiki, it’s just me and you till your dad gets back. I’ve got yummy cheeseburgers here. Come eat darling.” She yelled from the kitchen as she was ruffling around the kitchen trying to locate plates.

“Yes I know what’s for Dinner, WE ordered it for OUR picnic!” Yelled Kiki in an annoyed tone from the TV room.

“What’s that dear? Picnic? Oh no, then you’d be eating bug burgers. Can’t have that!” Victoria called out in response. Oh, can one of her annoying friends call already so I don’t have to talk to her! Thought Kiki to herself. Even if she tried sneaking out, if there is one thing Victoria was, it was a multi-tasker, she could be holding the longest, deepest conversation, but the slightest thought of a step out the front door in her care, and she would sense it before Kiki slipped off the couch. It may have annoyed Kiki, but you can understand why Ben trusted her.

“Kiki, Victoria said handing her a plate,” she looked at the tv in confusion and back to Kiki, “Oh, you watch the news these days? Didn’t know kids your age cared much about news. I think it’s just so depressing. Don’t you want to watch a movie?” She asked in the sweetest tone she could muster. “I’m not hungry and …” Well, Kiki herself didn’t know she was watching the news, “Yes, I like to watch the news, so?”

“Oh, okay then munchkin, you go on while I make a call to aunty Jen. Eat your food dear” Kiki ignored her and waited for her to leave the room so she could change the channel. Thank goodness she left the cheeseburger back because Kiki was actually starving! Her mood changed from annoyance to deep sadness and regret the moment Victoria was heard happily cackling on the phone with Jen. I will never be able to save my mum. I miss her so so much! And at that thought, tears began to roll down her cheek and she buried her face in the cushions and cried.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself and hurry up! She jumped up in a startle. “Who said that?” She asked looking around. She heard a tap tap tap on the window, and the voice again. Open up! Are you deaf? They didn’t tell me you were deaf? Kiki rushed to the window. She really wasn’t sure if what she was seeing was at all real. There, standing on the window sill, was a creature with its back turned to her, shaking its fist at the moon, screaming, “How am I supposed to help this poor deaf hooman? You didn’t tell me it was deaf! That’s it, can’t help here!” It was about the height of a pencil. She would say a fairy but it was white and fuzzy. In fact, it was so white that is seemed to glow in the moonlight. You could say it looked much like an oversized bumblebee. As it was about to stomp off, it noticed the little girl staring at it thru the window.

It stopped and looked at her a bit surprised. It had the largest, bluest eyes she had ever seen and a tummy the colour of pink candy floss.

Each one of its fists was a different colour. Purple, yellow, blue and green. He wrapped at the window again. Kiki opened the window and the fairy thing flew in. “Get a move on little lady, we need you out there before the moonshine disappears.”