Rose's Rush Hour.

Chapter Nine.

Inspector Martin grew all kinds of fruits; from berries to citrus to apples. After we said hello to his wife and picked Ed’s father’s toolbox from the shed, Ed wanted an orange so we went to the orchard. I, on the other hand, needed to use the loo so I thought I would have a lavatory break while she picked her fruit.

But then two little boys came running to us screaming, “Help! Help!”

I recognised them as children of Mr. And Mrs. Knight, who were Inspector Martin’s neighbours. They were dressed in identical clothes – light blue shirts, brown waistcoats and matching trousers, but one could tell them apart by their hair colour and face structure.

“Hello, children,” I greeted with a big smile. “What’s the matter?”

“Our kite got stuck in a tree and it’s too high up for us to reach,” the blond cried and quickly grabbed Ed’s wrist. “Come help us, mister!”

Before Ed could correct their presumption, they pulled her away and I followed them to the only mango tree in the orchard.

It stood tall and old, bearing no fruit. There was some sort of wooden contraption-like ladder built around the front that was embedded into the trunk. Three brackets that lead up to the first branch of the mango tree stuck out of the trunk and connected to vertical wooden beams. Inspector Martin must have built it for easier access to the tree, since the first branch was so high up.

However, it appeared quite ancient and rickety, probably on account of being subjected to termites and harsh weather over the years.

“That’s our kite, mister!” the blond pointed to the second branch of the tree, where the multicoloured kite was lodged within the branchlets and leaves. “Could you climb up and get it for us?”

“Alright first of all, I am not a mister but a miss,” Ed corrected. “Secondly, do you want to kill me?”

“You are not a miss,” said the other boy – a brunet.

“Am too, and look at that apparatus over there,” Ed said and gestured towards the structure. “It’s practically falling apart. One step on it, and I’ll fall right on my skull, and all the beams will pummel right into me.”

The boys gasped, shaken by her morbid description.

“But our kite!” the blond whined.

I made my way to the contraption. Whereas Ed tried to convince them that there was no hope, I pressed down the first bracket with my hands to check its sturdiness.

“Listen here, lads. Either accept that your kite is part of the tree now, or call a monkey to help you out because I don’t think anyone is willing to climb – Nkwanzi, what are you doing?”

Satisfied that the ladder was not that sturdy but sturdy enough, I turned around with a triumphant smile. “I will get the kite down for you boys.”

The boys were overjoyed. “Really?”

Ed glared at me. “Yes, really?”

I nodded in the affirmative.

The brunet pouted. “But misses aren’t supposed to climb trees.”

“Do you want your kite back or not?” I retorted, but in a playful tone.

“We want our kite back,” the boys replied at once, eyes sparkling with expectancy.

I grinned. “Then I will climb and get it for you.”

“Oho!” Ed exclaimed. “Excuse me, miss, but just because I am heavier than you, you think you’re light enough to climb that thing?”

“It will hold,” I stated with nonchalance, then turned to grab onto the short beams. They wiggled a bit, but I took no mind.