Kyle's Ride Home (short story) written in 1995

I like coming home with Mom, Kyle thought, I get to sit in the front seat.  Kyle tilted his head so that he could see the treetops whiz by.  Trees are very high, higher than cars.  He tilted his head back further.  Now he could see the sky.  It was blue.  And clouds, just a few wispy ones.  They were white.  Kyle liked colors.

"I like orange and green," Kyle said.

Mom glanced over at Kyle, "You do, huh."

"Orange is for dragons."

"Oh," said Mom, "and what is green for?"

"Not dragons, ninjas,"  Kyle replied.

"Mmmmm."  Mom was busy driving now.

Kyle looked back at the trees.  Orange dragons fly over trees, he thought, but ninjas can jump high.  My green ninja can jump so high he can kick that dragon.  I think that dragon will pop if the green ninja kicks it.

"Mom, can ninjas kick dragons?"

"What?"

"Can ninjas kick dragons?"

"Well, I don't know, son."

"Well, my green ninja can jump high.  He can kick a giant dragon hard."

"Well, if the ninja kicked the dragon, wouldn't the dragon get mad?"

"Dragons pop when green ninjas kick them," Kyle answered.   Boy, moms don't know anything about orange dragons, he thought.  James knows about ninjas and dragons.  I love to play with James.  James knows how to kick just like ninjas.  I like the way James kicks.  Hi-yah!  Punch and then kick.--that's how.  I can play "Hi-yah!" when I get home.

"Are we home yet?"  Kyle asked.

He peered out the side window.  Red and white and green houses lined the road.  No orange houses.  Why aren't there orange houses, he wondered?  Probably the dragons ate them.

"We'll be home in five minutes," Mom said.

"Dragons eat orange houses," Kyle said, "I can play "Hi-yah" when I get home."

Mom laughed, "What's hi-yah?" she asked.

"You know--ninja stuff," Kyle replied.  "Does Dad know ninja?"

"Well," Mom wrinkled up her forehead, "I'm not sure.  You could ask him."

"Okay."

A bicycle went by.  A man was riding it.  He had on a helmet and black tight shorts.  He rode along side the car for a few moments.  Kyle liked bicycles.  He had a blue bicycle.  He had a helmet too.  His bicycle had training wheels.  He could ride fast.  He could ride his bike in the driveway.  He could ride as fast as a car.

"I can ride my bike fast,"  Kyle said.

"Yes, you can," Mom said.

"I can ride in the driveway."

They were almost home now.  Kyle could see grandpa digging in his garden.

I have a worm at daycare," Kyle said.

"Oh, really?" Mom smiled.

"It's gone now.  It got lost in the sand.  It was red."

"Maybe you can find a new worm tomorrow," Mom suggested.

"Okay."

Kyle smiled.  He liked red worms, orange dragons, and green ninjas.  As mom pulled into the driveway, Kyle spotted his blue bicycle.  Kyle liked colors too.

By Sherri S. Crowley