puredream Winning Entry

“Oh bother! Not again!” Kalla Lily exclaimed in distressed. “I will never get it right at this rate!” Tears formed in the young Koko’s eyes as she gazed upon her latest attempt at gardening – a pile of brown and crunchy twigs. “And I was so certain this time.”

“Hey, Lily. What is up?” Tulip, an inquisitive baby Koko bounced in. “Are you growing something in here?”

Kalla Lily’s face turned red as she hid the failure behind her back, “No. I was just… Uh…” Great! She was beginning to panic too!

“Here. Let me see that,” Kalla Lily’s younger sister snaked around with her ears, which acted as an extra set of hands. “Well, that doesn’t look too bad.” The Koko encouraged when she saw the dead plant. “What are you trying to grow anyway?”

Kalla Lily blushed again. Her mouth was clamped shut as if she wasn’t about to share. But she relented. Kicking at the stray dirt, she mumbled, “I was trying to grow calla lilies.”

Tulip laughed at that, “What? You cannot even grow the flower you were named after?”

Kalla Lily was mortified.

“Well, never mind that! Your problem is quiet simple. These lilies need lots of water. Try making sure the soil is always damp. They should start growing in no time.” Tulip smiled encouragingly.

“Thanks, Tulip.” Kalla Lily shyly smiled at her sister.

Tulip had a knack for growing planets, while Kalla Lily always seemed to kill them no matter how hard she tried. Someday though, Kalla Lily would inherit the shop Gardening Goods from her father. She dreaded that day, fearing the poor advice she would reap on her customers, and the death of so many planets made her cringe. Tulip was far better suited for the role. She liked it too.

Tulip sensed her companion’s distress, and put her arm around Kalla Lily. “Don’t fret, sis! Someday, you’ll be good at it. It just takes practice and patience.”

“I sure hope so.” Kalla Lily sighed. Would there ever be a day when she didn’t harm a plant? She lamented.

Despite her ill-feelings, Kalla Lily still followed her sibling’s instructions. She watered, she feed, she talked, she chattered. The planets drank, they ate, they listened, and they grew. Before Kalla Lily knew it her garden was filled with an assortment of delicate flowers and delicious fruits. There seemed new growth to be had daily. Each bloom was bright and vibrant. Each stock swayed in a joyful dance whenever she walked in. Kalla Lily was gardening! She was no longer killing!

Tulip came in one day, and looked around her older sister’s green house with a satisfied expression on her face. “See? I told you that you were a natural.”

It was Kalla Lily’s turn to laugh at all, “Not at all! My thumbs are brown.” To prove her point she held up all four thumbs to show the pigment of a Normal Koko. “It was only thanks to your help I managed to grow anything at all. So thank you for believing in us to grow.”

“I am glad I could help.” Tulip grinned back. “That is what sisters are for after all.”