Nukume Dori
Ducks On Water
By Leareth
Nukume Dori
Ducks On Water
By Leareth
"Look, Subaru!"
"What is it, Hokuto-chan?"
Finger point to the middle of the lake. "Duckies!"
"Duckies?" Wide green eyes. "Where?"
Impatient point of finger. "There, silly! Two of them! On the lake!"
"I can’t see! You’re standing in front of me."
Squint. "Wait a sec. There’s more than two." Hand raised to shade eyes. "OooOOoooOOoH!!!!!!"
"What, what!" Tugging on a billowing white sleeve.
"DUCKLINGS!!!!"
"Where, where!"
"With the mommy and daddy duckies, of course!"
"I can’t see them!"
"That’s ‘cause they’re too far away, silly!"
Sad face.
"They’re sooooooooo cute!"
Determined face. Step forward.
"Subaru?"
Water lapping wooden sandals. Tiny hands raised into prayer position.
"On batarei ya sowaka . . ."
"Subaru?!"
". . . wayata shahta vajarei mahora . . ."
"What are you doing?!"
". . . vajarna dei so- I’m going to see the ducklings. Dei sowako un treiza . . ."
"Whaddya mean, ‘see the ducklings’?"
". . . tiraka on hanya . . ." Pause. "That doesn’t sound right. Hanya, um, hanaya, hayra, no that’s not it either. Hayra, shayra, bayra – that’s it! Bayra hakuso nama . . ."
"Hey, isn’t that that the walking on water spell??"
Smile. "Uh huh. Roshana yoka boturo . . . what’s the next part again? Oh, that’s right! Yoka boturo vajha pobu . . ."
"W-wait a sec! Subaru! You’re not going out on the water are you?! You can’t swim!"
"Shh, I can do this. Nobu on shudokan . . ."
"But, Subaru-!"
Eyes squeezed shut in intense childish concentration. One sandaled foot lifted up and stepped onto the surface of the lake with a little splish. "Waiii . . ." The other foot took a step onto the water. Green eyes round as saucers. "I did it!"
"Subaru!!!!"
Turn and wave. "I’ll be back! I’ll bring a duckling back for you to see, Hokuto-chan!"
"SUBARU!! Be careful!!"
"I will - wah!" Lost concentration, foot slipped, wet sock. "Oops. Uh, on batarei ya sowaka . . ."
Splish. Splish. Splish. Splish.
". . . wayata shahta vajarei . . . Wai, I can do this! Mahora vajarna dei sowako . . ."
Splish Splish. Splish. Splish.
" . . . un treiza tiraka on bayra hakuso nama . . ."
Splish. Splish. Splish.
"Quack?"
Big smile. "Duckies! Kawaii!"
"Quack!" Swim.
"Ehhhhh, stay there! Roshana yoka boturu . . ." splish, splish, splish ". . . vajha pobu . . ."
"Quack?" Swim, swim.
"Awww, matte yo!" Splishsplishsplish –
"QuackquackquackquackQUACK!!" Swimswimswimswim-
"Matte! Onegaiiiiiiiii!" Splishsplishsplishsplishsplish-
"QUACK!!!!!!!"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!"
SPLASH!!
"Quack?"
"SUBARUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Quack!"