Kiwi and the Missing Magic

Chapter 1: Back to school

James, can you stop slurping your milk? Just because I’ve got my back turned doesn’t mean that I don’t know what you’re doing! said his mother.

Oh no! James quickly stopped lapping the milk from his bowl of cereal and sat up straight. How did that happen? One minute he was eating his cornflakes with a spoon and the next minute he had his head in the bowl, licking up the milk... like a cat. There was milk all over the table and he hadn’t even realised he was doing it.

Amy had her hand clasped over her mouth, trying not to explode into laughter. Her eyes were popping and her body wiggled. On the other chair, Kiwi had her paws over her head, also trying not to break into giggles. She purred softly.

Concentrating, James spooned the cornflakes into his mouth, frowning at his sister.

So, are you two ready for school after the long weekend? asked Mother.

Eh, not really, said Amy. I’ve got that maths test today.

You’ll do well, said mother. You studied hard.

Yeah, but I just couldn’t sleep! said Amy.

James winked. Their mum finished making her coffee and sat down at the table, her hands warming on the mug. What about you, James? Cat got your tongue?

That was too much! Amy exploded into laughter, James coughed on his cornflakes, and Kiwi leapt off the chair and ran out of the room.

Was it something I said? joked their mum, following Kiwi with her eyes.

Amy and James couldn’t stop giggling. If only she knew.

It was a strange day, back at school. Amy thought she did alright in the maths test, but she found it hard to concentrate in her other lessons. She caught herself daydreaming about Cat City and Inspector Furrball, Siam, Paws and Madame Purrfect. She wondered how Inspector Furrball and Madame Purrfect were doing now that they were back together. A romantic love story with cats! She could just imagine the inspector turning up at her house with a big box of Mrs Ebenry’s famous delights and whisking her off to the Catema to see Furrlight.

Amy found herself sniggering in class at such thoughts and each teacher asked her what was so funny. If only she could tell them the story – they would find it so cool. All of the girls and boys would be spellbound at the story. But she couldn’t tell. Kiwi would be in serious trouble. Nothing’s funny, she said to the teachers. Just remembering a TV programme from last night. Nothing funny at all, really.

School seemed less interesting after such an adventure. But, Amy guessed it would only be a matter of time before she could focus fully on everything again and stop thinking about the blue-lit city. One good thing was that her balance had improved – she wasn’t nearly as clumsy as she used to be. And she had started noticing the small details in things – the things that never really mattered much before.

For James the day was even stranger. In one class, one of the other boys started laughing at him and James realised he was licking his own hand! Imagine? In class! Spit on his hand?! Ah that has to stop, he thought. In another class he scratched himself behind his ear, over and over again. Dan joked that he had fleas. James realised he really had to focus.

Then there was football practice – even worse. Running for the ball felt weird. For some reason James kept imagining he had four legs and a tail. He kept thinking his tail would hit the other boys running behind him and then, when he realised he was imagining it, someone would tackle him and run off with the ball.

His confused games teacher was staring at him. James was usually one of the best players, but he was running as if he had two left feet. And he kept trying to turn and look at his back while running. When another boy tackled him, James actually hissed! The teacher assumed James hadn’t slept well the night before. He made a mental note to have a quiet chat with James sometime soon just to check he was okay.

James went home thinking he was going crazy. He guessed it would take a day or two to adjust to being home again, with just two feet and a tail-less body. Kiwi was going to find this story really funny. James smiled.

Chapter 2: What’s up with the flowers?

For the children, Saturday couldn’t arrive fast enough. By Friday, Amy and James had adjusted to being back home and back at school. Thankfully, James had stopped trying to lap up the milk in his cereal bowl and could play football without stumbling over an imaginary tail. Meanwhile, Amy had stopped daydreaming and wishing she was somewhere else, although she still thought that the world had become much more colourful all of a sudden, full of fine details she had never noticed before.

It was a bright, sunny summer day and the children were sitting in the garden with Kiwi, of course, chatting idly about various things when Amy noticed that some of the flowers were drooping. In fact, all around them, the once bright, dancing flower heads had wilted and their colours were fading. The grass sat idly by waiting for the flowers to bloom. Strangely, the garden appeared to be completely empty of bees. A robin sat on the fence watching, turning his head back and forth.

Where have all the bees gone? asked Amy.

Kiwi and James looked around.

It’s a bit weird, Kiwi, said Amy. There are usually a lot of bees. All buzzing around, making the flowers grow.

They’re usually blooming by now, said James, sniffing the flowers.

She’s right, chirped the robin, who had been listening carefully, but only Kiwi heard him.

Kiwi walked up and down, having the odd sniff. The flowers didn’t smell happy. Something was amiss. Where were all of the bees?

I think we need to find the beehive... where the bees live, said Kiwi. Maybe then we will find out what’s wrong.

Great idea, chimed Amy and James. Let’s go.

They found the beehive in the field just beyond the garden, up in a tree. The little robin flew behind them, watching.

Do we have to go up there? James, squinting in the sun, looked up at the towering tree. It was a really hot day.

Yeah, said Amy, a bit worried. They may get angry if we disturb them.

Good point, said Kiwi.

She sat down and thought. I’ll just call them.

Call them? The children looked at each other and sighed. Crazy idea, but hey, now that they had a talking cat, nothing seemed impossible any more. They sat down on the warm grass, wrapping their arms round their legs. Kiwi looked up at the nest.

Bees... hey bees... it’s Kiwi here... is anybody home?

There was silence. Nothing buzzed. Kiwi frowned. No buzzing was a bit weird. Perhaps none of the bees were there.

She tried again. BBbbbzzzz bbbbbbzzzzzz, hey bees, is anyone home? I just want some help and, as you’re intelligent insects, I thought you might be able to help me.

James grinned. That’s got to work.

Still there was silence.

Kiwi rubbed her whiskers with her paw. This is odd. Let’s look around.

The children got up and walked around the field with Kiwi, but they couldn’t spot any other beehives – there were no bees to be seen anywhere. Every patch of flowers they passed looked a bit lost and droopy.

Will all of the flowers die? asked Amy.

Not if I can help it, smiled Kiwi. The bees must be somewhere. We just have to find them.

They searched the field until they came to a fast-flowing stream. The light of the sun sent speckles of silver up and down the water. Look! said the black cat, nodding towards a swarm of bees hovering just above the stream.

What are they doing? asked James.

They crept a bit closer to the bees, Kiwi in the lead. Hey bees, she said. How are you doing on this nice, sunny day?

Bbbbbzzzz bbbbbbzzzzz zzzzz bbbbzzzzzzzz.

Can you speak English? asked Kiwi, giving her biggest smile.

BBBBzzzzzz yes, said the bees, all turning to face Kiwi. James gulped. What if they sting?

Maybe they are nice bees – if we don’t make them angry they should be ok, whispered Amy. She liked bees. They pollinated all of the flowers. Without bees surely the world would not be so bright a place. She tried not to look astonished that the bees were talking.

Hello bees, said Kiwi politely. I don’t know if you can help, but have you noticed that the flowers around here seem to be... well... not healthy? Is there something wrong with them?

The bees buzzed and looked at each other as they hovered in the air above the stream, their little wings whirring round and round. They looked at each other and then down. They didn’t know what to say.

Maybe we can help, offered Kiwi, nodding to Amy and James. Do the flowers have an illness?

The bees looked at each other