This is a result of the prompt 'write a story about Maria's birthday'. I wanted to take a different approach to it than the standard one; so I hope it isn't too OOC. Oh, and just as a side note, for the purposes of the story, Maria's birthday is the same as her birthday in real life (26th January)
Maria had always wondered why people wished each other 'happy birthday'. None of her birthdays had ever been happy; not the ones she could remember anyway. She was sure that when her parents had been alive they would've done everything to make sure their little girl had a practically perfect day.
But now that they were dead and she was being raised by her uncle, birthdays were nothing short of disastrous. More often than not he didn't even remember when his niece's birthday even was, and on the rare occasions he did, he didn't treat her any differently.
Last year she had tried her luck, asking her uncle whether she could have the day for herself. Of course he had denied her of her wish and she had spent the whole day on the farm doing chores. But tomorrow she would fourteen. She hadn't had a thoroughly enjoyable day in over seven years. And a person's birthday was a time they deserved to be happy.
She had decided long ago that this year it would be different. She was going to enjoy her birthday this year no matter what the cost was. She was extremely grateful it would be a weekend; her uncle would have drunk himself stupid the previous night, giving her an opportunity to escape in the morning. She knew that she'd be in massive trouble when she got back, but for once she didn't care.
The first rays of golden sun sliding through the window of her cabin-loft bedroom woke Maria the next morning. She could hear her uncle's loud snores from below. Upon climbing down the ladder into the main area of the house, she could see, as usual he had fallen asleep with a bottle in his hands. Either that or passed out. The two were interchangeable when it came to her uncle.
Maria crept her way across the room to the fireplace, where she quickly stoked the fire. Regardless of anything else that would happen today, she didn't want to come back to a freezing cold house; and her uncle would freeze where he sat before he would get up and attend to something like the fire himself.
She grabbed her jacket and scarf off the hatstand by the door and slid into her boots before heading outside.
The wind was cold and fierce and it stung Maria's face as she trudged out through the snow. The temperature was most definitely below zero this morning. She buried her chin under her scarf as she hurried towards the barn. Despite it being her birthday, she wasn't going to abandon the animals this morning; she would take care of them like she always did.
After feeding all the animals and ensuring that they would be alright until she arrived home in the evening, Maria ran out the gate. Finally, for one day, she didn't have to worry about her uncle. She was free!
As soon as she was out of earshot of the farm she burst into song. Today was going to be magical and nothing, not even the awful punishment she would receive upon returning home was going to ruin it.
She ran swiftly along the road, her curls flying out behind her in the wind. She ran down from the mountains and into town. All the shops were just beginning to open; the shopkeepers setting up for the day. Given all the errands her uncle sent her out on each day, all the shopkeepers knew Maria and greeted her enthusiastically as she passed by.
A little while later she came upon the bakery. This was her destination for the day. But instead of walking through the front door she slipped down a side street and went around the back of the building.
It was even colder around here than it was in the main street. Maria came up to a door a rapped on in quickly with her windblown freezing knuckles. A few seconds later, the door was opened by a girl about her age.
The girls eyes widened in shock. "Maria?" she asked, surprised. "How on earth did your uncle agree to let you come out today?"
"He didn't Natascha. I-I left," Maria said hopping from one foot to the other. "Now it's freezing out here. May I come inside?"
"Of course," Natascha said, standing by and letting Maria enter the building. As soon as the door was shut behind her, Natascha enveloped her friend in a huge hug. "Happy birthday Maria."
Maria smiled at her friend. "For a second there, I almost thought you'd forgotten."
Natascha smiled back. "I could never forget your birthday. I know it as well as my own. Did you really run away from home?"
"Only for today, but yes," Maria nodded. "I haven't had a truly 'happy' birthday since my parents were alive. I want to enjoy today, whatever it costs."
Natascha stared back at Maria in awe. Her friend had guts; she was as unpredictable as weather. But that was why she loved her so much; why they were best friends and had been ever since they met at school.
"Natascha. What's happening back there?" A minute later Natascha's mother walked into the back room."Oh, Maria," she said, smiling. "It's lovely to see you."
"It's Maria's birthday today, Mother." Natascha excitedly informed her mother.
Natascha's mother smiled at her daughter's friend. "How nice," she said. "Well in that case I think you need a cake. I'll go make one now."
As Natascha's mother disappeared out to the front of the house, Maria's heart soared. The last time she'd had a birthday cake was when she was six. After she'd been left in her uncle's care she'd given up all of ever receiving any material goods on her birthday. To have Natascha's mother offer to make her a birthday cake, even if she was the wife of the local baker, was more than she could ever imagine.
"Come on," Natascha said to her friend. "Let's go to my room. Mother will be occupied with the cake for at least another hour and a half."
When they were settled in her room, Natascha picked up her tambourine and started playing out a tune on it. Maria smiled and without knowing how began to sing along with her friend, making up the tune on the spot.
The two girls lost track of time and space; they could've been out in space for all they knew. After what seemed like only minutes, Natascha's mother was calling them; telling them that the cake was ready.
Maria's eyes widened so much when she walked out into the kitchen that Natascha was convinced they were going to pop out of her head. On the kitchen table was an enormous white cake tied around with a pale purple ribbon. She had never seen a cake this grand in her entire life. And it had been made for her.
In a state of semi-shock, she walked around the table and sat down behind the table. As she blew out the candles and listened to her friends sing 'happy birthday' to her, Maria thought about what a wonderful day she had. It had been one of her favourite days, and how now she thought she truly understood what having a 'happy' birthday meant.
It would be a long time before she had a birthday that would be better than this one.