"You never answered my question," Ka said quietly, hands gently moving the delicate fruit into an eye-catching arrangement. Sa would probably change it later, correct him like always, but his hands arranged them still.
Sa looked up at him.
"What?"
"What is the meaning of my dreams. What are they?"
Understanding flickered in her eyes, setting ablaze the familiar fire of annoyance within
"Still wondering about that, are you?"
"Yes, Sa, still." Still. Even after ten minutes.
"Why? What makes you think it would be useful information, or beneficial, or--"
"It doesn't have to be!" Ka snapped his mouth shut. Sa liked nothing less than being interrupted, and even now, her eyes narrowed, gaze steady on Ka. He didn't need real anger on top of her annoyance.
"And what," she said slowly, clearly, precisely, "Makes you think I have the answer?"
Ka opened his mouth, then shut it. He swallowed.
"I guess..." he tried again, "I guess you always have the answers, and this is your area of expertise, and..." with each word he dug himself a deeper hole. His hand was clenching tighter around a plump fruit, one squeeze away from squirting its juices all over the inside of the hut.
Sa closed her eyes and sighed.
"The Al-Dar are not dreams. How many times must I tell you that the two are different?" It was exactly the kind of thing Ly said all the time.
"Um..."
"Rhetorical question, Ka." She intoned.
"Yes. Sorry."
A long silence fell over the room, like a cool breeze when clouds covered the sun. Sa looked down at Ka's arrangement, taking in the asymmetrical reds, greens, and browns. Her soft worn sandals brushed against the floor as she stepped over, gently pried the green fruit from Ka's clenching fist and placed it on top of his arrangement. She nodded her head approvingly.
Ka stood a little taller, a brief grin breaking his sober expression.
"You've gotten better," Sa said after a long moment.
"Thank you, Sa."
"If only you would pick up on the other things I've been trying to teach you."
The words stung, even though her tone was forgiving. He always tried to learn from her. Didn't he? Had he missed too much? Was it his fault, or hers? She could be confusing sometimes, speak in riddles... But he always tried.
"Some things are best left unknown. Some questions best left unanswered."
Ka was a moment away from saying "so you do know the answer!" but kept the words inside.
Sa stared at the arrangement, and it looked like she might have a question of her own.
"But Sa, what could be the harm?"
She turned to him. "Bad question."
Some of his annoyance from earlier returned, and his now empty fist pressed harder on the old wood table. "What question should I ask?"
"Maybe the best way to ask a question is to set out to find the answer on your own. Ask the world! Maybe, if you stopped relying on me, you would realize the usefulness of my words."
Ka nearly flinched from the rebuke.
"You could at least start by not asking a third time-- after I've already told you to leave it behind."
"Yes, Sa."
He turned to leave.
"Thank you for the arrangement," she said a little more brightly. "It's truly your best one yet."
Author Notes: Hope you guys liked it!
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United States • 21 years old