Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono & Emily Balistrieri

Author:Eiko Kadono & Emily Balistrieri
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2020-07-06T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

Eventually, the hot summer ended, and it started to look like fall.

Kiki had gotten the hang of her broom, and it seemed she had finally settled into a good routine. But underneath it all, she was in a bit of a lousy mood. There was no real reason—she just felt irritated. Everything’s been so stressful since I got here. I’m just worn out, she sometimes told herself. But deep down she knew that that wasn’t it at all.

Ever since she delivered the artist’s painting using Tombo’s leash method, the boy had started coming around her shop. One day, he said something that she couldn’t shake.

“Maybe it’s because you fly, or something, Kiki, but you’re so easy to hang out with. I can talk to you about anything. I’ve never met a girl in this town quite like you.”

At the time, she took it as a compliment, but as the days went on, she couldn’t get that last part out of her head. I’ve never met a girl in this town quite like you.

Back then he said my eyes were prettier than in the painting, and now he says he’s never met someone in Koriko like me. Are girls from bigger towns different somehow? What does that even mean? She couldn’t help but find that strange.

One day, one of her slippers was missing, and she took it out on Jiji. “This is so annoying! It’s fine for you to play with them, but you need to put them back when you’re done. How many times have we been through this? I don’t have any matching slippers anymore.”

Jiji yawned and pretended he couldn’t hear her.

Then the phone rang. Kiki hopped across the room on her single slipper and picked up.

A calm voice came over the line. “Is this the witch shop? Good day to you.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Kiki said absentmindedly.

“Can we really request anything? There’s something I’d like you to deliver.”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s these biscuits. My elder sister, her name is Chrysanthemum. But my name is Violet. It’s a bit embarrassing to have such a childish name as an old lady, ha!”

Although she knew it might be rude, Kiki cleared her throat. The lady was taking a while to get to the point.

“You’ll go to my sister’s house later,” the woman continued. “First, do you know Goat Road? I’m at the end of it, nine-nine. Ninety-nine. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll be right over.” Kiki didn’t even wait for her to finish before answering quickly and hanging up. Then she irritably kicked the slipper off her foot into a corner of the room.

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