Page 13 of Kien's Kindred

“Beer, soda and candy it is.”

* * *

“ISPY, WITH MY LITTLEeyes, something purple.”

Nisha squinted as she peered out the front window of her truck. “Purple? Are you sure you know what the color purple looks like? I don’t see anything purple out there.”

She’d tried to teach him some road trip games, and I Spy was the only game he seemed to get. Their game of Hangman was laughable because she didn’t understand any of his references and he didn’t understand hers. They tried the Volkswagen game but one playful punch from him and her arm was still tender. So, I Spy it was since they were pointing out items on the road.

She spared him a quick look. His grin stretched from ear to ear. “Shall I tell you?”

His playfulness was...unexpected. It also left her with conflicting emotions. One part of her knew there could be nothing between them. Yesterday, her entire body had felt tied in knots. Her shoulders tense and her neck and back strained.

Today? Today, she was relaxed. Sitting beside him now felt comfortable and right.

“I spy, with my little eyes, something purple.” He sang it this time.

Nisha bit the inside of her cheek to stop from smiling. “I don’t think you know what purple looks like.”

He chuckled. “Does that mean this round goes to me?”

“Sure, whatever.”

“There’s a structure about five miles up the road that has purple window dressings.”

Nisha leaned closer to the steering wheel and peered out the window. There were a few cars and trucks sharing the two-lane back road with them. The only break to the monotony of corn fields was the occasional barn or country store.

“I don’t think you know what a mile is either.”

“I studied your driving rules and descriptions before we left. I know what a mile is just like I know you didn’t come to a complete stop at the last stop sign.”

Nisha straightened and huffed. “So, you read a book. That doesn’t mean you know all our rules.”

“We’re fast learners. We learned your language in a few weeks.”

“Now I think you’re fooling me.”

“How long do you think it should take for us to learn your English?”

Nisha thought about that as she drove. She’d been trying to learn Spanish for the past couple of years via a language app, but she wasn’t consistent with it. “Maybe six months to hold a short conversation?”

“We haven’t been here for six months,” he pointed out.

“Okay, okay. I get it. The aliens are smarter than us normal Earth folk.”

Kien smirked and sat back in his seat and watched the road ahead. “You, said it. I didn’t.”

Would not laugh. She refused on principle. A comfortable silence filled the car as a 90’s R&B station played softly in the background.

After a few minutes they passed a building with purple trim around its many windows.

Kien held up a finger. “That round goes to me.”

Nisha’s jaw dropped. “Wait. How could you have seen that so far away? Do you have super vision or something?”

He wore a smug look on his face. “No, I don’t have super vision. My eyesight is normal for a Thellian.”

“So, superhuman. Noted.”

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