Once upon a time, there was a beige Bee that thought it was a grey housefly. This Bee used to hang out on rotten cabbages and played inside the worm-crawled trash bins. 

One afternoon, the queen bee bumped into it and realised that this bee was not buzzing like a worker. The queen chased after this croaky-voiced bee and opened its mouth. Afterwards, the queen bee dripped golden honey into its mouth. 

“What?” asked the Bee, licking his lips as the sticky honey got stuck to his mouth. 

“Where, I mean, how do I get this syrup?” asked the Bee. 

“It’s called honey, not syrup,” said the queen. “Follow me,” said the Queen, flying to a nearby restaurant. “Can you see that can?” asked the Queen. “That dishwater,” said the Bee. “It’s Cola,” said the Queen. “If you get inside, you’ll taste sweetness,” said the Queen. “Is there enough oxygen inside?” asked the Bee, shaking like a leaf. “Don’t stay inside for too long,” said the Queen, biting her lips at the un-bee-like question. 

“What if I drown inside that swimming pool of soapy cola?” asked the Bee, prayerfully. “It’s only 300ml, not deep,” said the Queen, her patience running low like petrol. “What if that pink ribbon-hair girl locks me inside that can?” whined the Bee, throwing tantrums. 

“Just buzz and she’ll drop the can,” said the Queen, laughing heartily. “She’s waving the stingless flies, but if you buzz, she’ll drop the can,” said the Queen. “I attended a housefly-only school,” said the Bee, waving a report card. The pounding heart Bee took the risk, flew towards the rolling-eyed girl, and landed on her forehead. Suddenly, the girl punched herself with a boxer’s knockout and passed out, missing the dizzy Bee. 

“That punch was a close encounter with death,” said the Bee, testing his wings. “Become a bee, not a fly!” warned the Queen. 

“Follow me,” said the Queen. They flew past a few cucashops and came to the Beer Garden. “Can you see the purple flowers?” asked the Queen. “You mean these man-made nylon flowers?” asked the Bee, scholarly. “Go inside any of the yawning flowers. 

“What if they close up and I die from suffocation?” asked the Bee. “If you don’t, you’ll remain a housefly,” said the Queen. The bee flapped its wings and nosedived into a yellow flower. 

In a blink, the flower’s lips shut, and the bee buzzed, and buzzed and buzzed for help. It was not long; the flower slowly opened its mouth and, thankfully, permitted the bee to escape. He flapped his wings, spotted a colony, and became a servant of the queen. -Mungambue@gmail.com