THE KANYINI GAME

By MARY ANN HAYES

SO, HERE'S THE SITUATION.

A boy named Chase and his magic carpet are competing in the 420th Global Magic Carpet Game in Australia while attempting to follow the ancient teachings of the Indigenous Fi

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: May 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9781684867615

Book preview

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgment

Cast of Characters

Chapter 1: The Problem

Chapter 2: The Discussion

Chapter 3: The Plan

Chapter 4: The Meeting

Chapter 5: The Introduction

Chapter 6: Ready, Set, Go!

Chapter 7: The Confusion

Chapter 8: The Trouble

Chapter 9: Time Out!

Chapter 10: The Gift of Confusion

Chapter 11: The Punishment

Chapter 12: The Lesson

Chapter 13: The Agreement

Chapter 14: The Big Mistake

Chapter 15: Owning It

Chapter 16: For Goodness Snakes!

Chapter 17: The Worry

Chapter 18: Grand Mistress Misery

Chapter 19: The Wisdom of Old

Chapter 20: The Connections

Chapter 21: The Worse Partner Ever!

Chapter 22: Bad News

Chapter 23: Discoveries

Chapter 24: The Big Woops!

Chapter 25: Humble Apologies

Chapter 26: Said the Spider to the Fly

Chapter 27: Scratchy Business

Chapter 28: The Nose Knows

Chapter 29: Running Out of Time

Chapter 30: Consider Yourselves Warned

Chapter 31: Special Delivery

Chapter 32: The Tragedy

Chapter 33: The Chaos

Chapter 34: A Heavy Load

Chapter 35: Sneaking Around

Chapter 36: A Brilliant Recovery

Chapter 37: And The Winner Is…

Epilogue

Author Bio

Dedication

This novel is dedicated to Chase, our second born grandchild. What an incredible gift you are! Better than Christmases and birthdays rolled into one! I couldn’t love you more.

Acknowledgment

Nearly twenty years ago I became a member of The Hard Nosed Zealots Writers Critique Group. A tough bunch of serious, no-nonsense women who held nothing back in their critique of each other’s work. They terrified me.

As the years went by, I toughened up and learned more about the creative writing process than I ever had in any formal education setting.

Thank you, my fellow Zealots!

Cast of Characters

House

CHAPTER 1

The Problem

Nine-year-old Chase watches as his grandparents walk through the front door and roll the old rug out on the living room floor.

His mom gasps. Oh, my gosh! I can’t believe how gorgeous it is!

I know, says Grandma. It’s hard to believe it’s the same rug we took to the cleaners a few days ago. It’s stunning, isn’t it.

The family is amazed by the news that they have been in possession of a very valuable Persian carpet for so many years and never knew it.

But Chase can’t believe what is happening. He holds back tears with all the self-control he has. He’s so nervous his legs feel like rubber, his hands are sweaty, and he places a hand on his stomach to keep from throwing up. Is his heart jumping out of his chest? It’s pounding like a jackhammer.

Chase wants to yell at the adults to stop talking about how much money they’re going to make from the sale of Mariah now that they know the old rug is a valuable heirloom. But Mariah, the old rug they’re so excited about, is Chase’s magic carpet! He needs to make sure that selling her never happens.

But how can he tell them about her? About the Magic Carpet community they belong to, and the dangerous games they compete in. He can’t tell them he has experienced flying at the speed of light, explored foreign countries in the dead of night, and has already, at nine years old, had more adventures than most people have in a lifetime.

No. This isn’t something he shares with anyone outside of the community; outside of the eleven other magic carpets and riders belonging to their exclusive group. His parents would never let him participate in the highly competitive games and the dangers that go with them. It’s all much too… well, much too everything!

He’s a nervous wreck watching his mom and grandparents admire the gorgeous Persian carpet and he cringes as they laugh at how ridiculous they’ve been for never realizing it’s worth, for rolling it up and shoving it under the bed at the beach house for decades where it collected dust and grew musty.

The man at the cleaners asked them if they had any idea how valuable their carpet was. Did they know it was a pure silk, hand-tied Persian rug? Did they realize it could be as much as four hundred years old?

I remember when you brought it home from that garage sale all those years ago, Grandpa chuckles. I just about took it to the dump the very next day, it was so ugly and filthy.

Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t, Grandma exclaims. "You know, it was so strange that I even stopped at that garage sale in the first place. I rarely go to garage sales, and I don’t know what drew me to this rug. It was on that filthy concrete floor and people were tromping all over it. It was dirty and faded. But every time I tried to walk away from it, something pulled me back. For some reason, I knew I had to buy it. Those poor people obviously didn’t know what they were selling any more than I knew what I was buying. And to think I bought it for five dollars!"

Can you imagine how they’d feel if they found out they sold a thirty-five-thousand-dollar Persian rug for five bucks? Staci exclaims. Aren’t you two glad I insisted we get it cleaned and appraised? I’d say it was worth it.

"Oh, Staci, I’m so glad. Grandma smiles and pats her daughter’s back. And thanks for all your help spring cleaning this year. If it were up to me, I’d have vacuumed around this beautiful old carpet and left it under the bed right where it’s been for all these years. We sure wouldn’t be standing here looking at such an unexpected windfall!"

How do you feel about selling it right away? Grandpa looks at Grandma with hopeful eyes. We could use the money to do something exotic, like take the whole family on a fabulous cruise.

That’s a great idea! Grandma’s eyes light up at the thought of the whole family enjoying an exotic vacation. "I would love to do that! We aren’t the kind of people in need of an expensive rug like this. Someone should own it who will truly appreciate it. Apparently, we can’t tell a five-dollar rug from a thirty-five thousand dollar one."

I couldn’t agree more, Grandpa says as he heads down the hall towards his den. I’m going to start looking into cruise packages. What a great surprise this is going to be for everyone!

I’m going to call that rug cleaner right now and tell him we’re interested in selling, Grandma says. He seemed pretty knowledgeable and might know how to find us a buyer.

Chase feels like he’s swimming with sharks or jumping from an airplane with no parachute. The menacing hand of panic grabs him by the throat. There has got to be a way to save his best friend and magic carpet! This will be his and Mariah’s third year flying together and if everything goes as it should, they’ll be competing in their second Global Magic Carpet Game starting in a few weeks. Chase can’t stand by and do nothing while his partner is sold to the highest bidder just so they can go on a stupid cruise.

What no one knows is that there isn’t a cruise in the world that can compete with the adventures and thrills experienced in the two summers Chase has blasted through the universe on one adventure after another with Mariah: his personal, super competitive, and brilliant magic carpet.

N… n…no! Chase manages to stammer, causing the adults to stop in their tracks. Everyone turns to look at red-faced Chase. You don’t know what you’re doing! What if… what if that guy is a scammer? His wobbly legs move forward while his troubled eyes flit from one adult to the other.

"What if it’s worth way more than the thirty thousand dollars he told you. What if he could sell it for, like, fifty thousand. Then he’d just give you thirty thousand and keep the rest for himself. He’d make like, like… fifteen thousand dollars. He could be a scammer and we wouldn’t even know."

Chase has everyone’s attention now. With eyes as huge as full moons, he continues. "What if it’s worth a hundred thousand dollars, and this guy’s lying so he can make a bunch of money? It could happen you know. You’ve only asked one person what it’s worth. Maybe you should wait until other people can look at it and tell you what they think it’s worth. It could be worth a whole lot more."

No one says a word as the adults look thoughtfully at one another.

Well, Staci says, "Chase has a good point. Maybe we are being a little hasty. Do you guys want to get another appraisal or two? I mean, she shrugs, what if he’s right?"

I was just so excited, Grandma says with an embarrassed little laugh, "I didn’t even consider that as a possibility. Another appraisal is a good idea. What if it is worth more?"

I guess we should find out, Grandpa agrees. I didn’t think about a second opinion either. Yes, that’s a good suggestion, Chase. We’ll ask around and see who to call for another appraisal.

Grandpa reaches out and gives Chase a pat on the back. Good thinking, Grandson.

The three adults retreat to the kitchen and continue discussing the fate of Chase’s best friend and flying partner. He hears someone fill up the coffee pot and chairs scrape against the kitchen floor. This signals the beginning of a long conversation.

Chase quietly squats on the floor next to Mariah and strokes her silken threads with a shaky hand. Hey, I know you can’t talk to me until midnight, but I’m not letting anything happen to you, Mariah. I’ll figure out a way to keep you with me. We have a game coming up, and we’re going to be there and ready to win it this time. I’m not letting anyone sell you for anything. I promise.

Mariah feels a single tear land on her threads. The fear and anxiety from the boy soaks into her fibers and makes her sad. There is a lot for the two of them to talk about when midnight rolls around.

CHAPTER 2

The Discussion

M ariah, what if they find out you’re worth even more than thirty thousand dollars, and then they start planning what to do with the money; like they’re always talking about college for me, and buying a new car, and how much it costs to be retired.

Chase and his magic carpet, Mariah, are cruising through the night sky high above the Pacific Ocean looking for whales. If I hide you, and make them think you’ve been stolen, they won’t get to sell you and have all that extra money. Chase takes a deep breath then quietly mutters, It’ll be like I’m stealing from them because you don’t really belong to me. You belong to Grandma.

I know Chase, I know. Mariah sighs, "We need to think of a way to convince them the money’s not important, but keeping me in the family, is."

Chase directs Mariah closer to the water, catching sight just as a huge Orca breaches. Did you see it? he asks.

Sure did. Keep an eye out. There should be more.

Chase and Mariah dip lower catching the spray from huge rolling waves as a baby Orca breaches right behind its mother.

Oh! Look at that! Chase points out two more in the pod. Did you see the baby?

Yep, Mariah lifts to avoid getting wet and heads high into space toward the big dipper. We need to figure something out, Chase. We can’t sit back and hope they forget about selling me. I don’t know what the next appraiser is going to say I’m worth, but I’m getting …

Hey! Chase interrupts. I have an idea. Maybe we can make them think you’re a fake! What could we do to make you look like a fake Persian carpet, Mariah?

I don’t know. I looked pretty bad before they took me to that horrible carpet cleaner. If they just would have left me alone, we wouldn’t be dealing with this. And speaking of that cleaning, you wouldn’t believe the indignity of that cleaning process. It was horrible! Mariah bristles at the memory.

Oh, it probably wasn’t that bad. But you have a funny smell now, Chase says as they practice dips and dives and rolls.

Not that bad? You have no idea! Mariah scolds. "Just let me tell you a thing or two my young friend. First, they dusted me by hanging me up and beating me! Literally, beating me with brooms! Then they pinched and prodded and dye tested my delicate threads. Then they hosed down every inch of me, front and back before using a cleaning machine with huge buffers that spun around grinding in this awful smelling solution. And then…"

Okay, geez Mariah! Chase stops her, I get it–it was horrible.

"It was more than horrible, and I expect you to see to it that I never experience such torture again! Mariah shouts. Ever!"

Man, how come you’re so cranky? Chase asks as he eases his way to the very back of Mariah, dangling both feet off the end, while they cruise around the big dipper.

"Because, Chase, it breaks my heart to think of belonging to someone else. I need to be a magic carpet–that’s what I am. But it’s only guaranteed if I stay in my original family, which happens to be your family. So, you see if some other family ends up with me, it’s likely I’ll be unable to fly ever again."

Chase is quiet for a minute. Wow, I didn’t know that, Mariah. You’d never fly again?

Probably not, she answers quietly. "I mean, Wentworth is an exception. I’m not sure why that old carpet got to keep flying, but, regardless, there has got to be a way to convince your grandparents not to sell me."

But Mariah, didn’t my grandma buy you at a garage sale? So, you belonged to somebody else long ago, and you still fly.

"No, I’ve never belonged to any other family for the past three hundred and forty-eight years. You see, at one time, your great great great–grandfather thought nothing of my beauty and value and moved me from his nice warm library, (where I’d been camped out right in front of the cozy fireplace,) to a damp dirty shed where he made wine.

"Years later, after he died, his son cleaned out the wine shed and rolled me up and stuck me in a corner in the basement of the old house where I was discovered by his grandson; a darling child called Ian. We had some wonderful adventures, Ian and me. He would have been, let’s see, your great-grandfather. Yes, Ian was your great-grandfather.

He and I won one of the global magic carpet games in France the second year we flew together. It was quite the feat! Mariah throws a little spark into the night sky just thinking about it and Chase feels her surface temperature rise.

I tell you Chase, that little Ian…

Mariah, Chase interrupts, Keep telling me your story. How did you end up at the garage sale?

Oh, Mariah cools down, Well, getting your grandmother to take me home was quite a trick. I tell you, I looked worse that day than I ever have. Mariah slows a bit as she often does when she’s thinking about the old days.

You see, after your great-grandfather, Ian, passed away, the house was sold, and things were distributed here and there. I was handed off to your great-grandmother. She took one look at me and said to her housekeeper, Take this thing next door to Millie’s and see if she’ll get rid of it for me. She’s having a garage sale tomorrow."

"Her housekeeper did as she was asked and left me at Millie’s garage sale where Millie’s husband rolled me out and left me on the dirty garage floor for everyone to stomp all over. Next thing you know, your grandmother stops by to visit her mom (that would be your great-grandmother,) and sees that the neighbors are having a garage sale.

I used all the telepathic powers I had to beckon your grandmother over, Mariah explains. Eventually, she made her way into the garage, looked around at all the stuff for sale while standing on me. When she noticed what she was standing on, she commented that, all cleaned up, I might be a pretty rug. Millie’s husband grunted and said, ‘Five bucks and it’s all yours.’

Your grandma took me home where your grandfather said he’d like to take me to the dump, so your grandma rolled me up and shoved me under the bed you sleep in when you’re at the beach house. Then, she promptly forgot about me. So, under your bed, my friend, is where I’ve lived ever since.

Wow, Mariah, Chase exclaims as he wiggles restlessly.

Mariah picks up a little speed. If only your mother would have just shoved me farther under the bed and vacuumed around me like everyone else has always done, none of this would be happening. Mariah’s spark has dimmed, a sure sign that she’s seriously worried.

Chase shifts half his body off the back of Mariah, hanging off the end with only one hand. Let’s go faster, he says. And Mariah, cheer up. You’re dimming out and it’s getting hard to see.

Chase, Mariah both brightens up and speeds up. Do you have any photos from your great great great great-grandparents time?

What? Chase asks. "How could there be pictures of people that old? Did they even have cameras back then?"

Well, come to think of it, I guess not. That would be about four hundred years back and the oldest known photograph is dated about two hundred years ago. So, that means there might be pictures of your great-great grandparents. That would be about right. Mariah sighs. You see, I’m in quite a few of your families’ old photographs. If your grandparents saw me in some of the real old pictures, they might feel different about selling me. Maybe they’d see that I truly am a member of the family.

Maybe, Chase says thoughtfully. "I