Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek.
A/N: Second last chapter! So close to the end, I can almost taste it! One chapter to go after this one.
Reviews are like the end of a story; some satisfy you, others make you want to throw the book at the window. Please, DON'T THROW THE BOOK AT THE WINDOW! Be the bigger man and throw it at someone you hate.
Origins: The Journey Begins
Chapter 29: One More Time
STARDATE: 2236.118 (Fri, April 28th, 2237) [1-year-old]
"So tell me again how many people are coming?" Ahadi called from his seat at the dining room table. His tongue slipped in and out between his lips as he continued to feed the candy through the small hole of the piñata.
Miotep was in the kitchen preparing the icing for the cake as it continued to bake in the oven. She stopped stirring the contents of the bowl and scrunched up her face as she mentally counted her guests.
"22." She said as she began to stir the contents of the bowl faster than before.
Ahadi's fisted almost punctured the piñata as he whipped around in her direction. "22?!"
"We've gone over this," Miotep said casually as she placed the bowl on the island bench and walked the short distance to where her husband was sitting at the head of the table.
"Yeah, but last time it was 19, and the time before that was 15. The twins are turning one. They shouldn't have that many friends." Ahadi exclaimed as he roughly opened another packet, sending wrapped lollies flying across the table top.
"Well, Big Mama, Ashantis and Lewis have to be here. They're family. Which got me thinking, Masamba and Zahra are your parents. They should be here for the twins too. Roku and Baku are coming too." She said as she casually picked up lolly, unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth.
"The twins?!" Ahadi exclaimed loudly at the mention of his twin brothers.
"Yes. Our twins need to be better acquainted with your brothers. The last time our girls saw them they cried." Miotep explained, her words were slightly obscured from the lolly she was chewing on. "Besides, Denahi and Sehale are excited to see them again."
Before Ahadi could respond Nanenna entered the room wearing a pretty purple dress. She stopped at her mother's side and swirled slowly.
"Mama?" Nanenna's small voice questioned.
"Yes, 'Nenna." Miotep acknowledged her daughter without looking at her. Miotep was still chewing on the lolly. If her daughter saw her she would insist she have one too. Miotep swallowed the remaining lolly and turned to face her three-year-old daughter.
"Nanenna!" Miotep was shocked. Her daughter looked… normal. Well, better dressed than she normally was. "You're wearing a dress!"
Nanenna looked at her mother with a frown on her face. "Yes. It's my purple dress. I want to wear it for my girls."
"Of course. You look very beautiful in your purple dress. Very grown up." Miotep stated as she drew her daughter into a hug.
"Mama? When is Ro-Ro coming here?" Nanenna asked from within the grasp of her mama.
Miotep smiled, knowing that 'Ro-Ro' was the real reason behind Nanenna's purple dress. "Nanenna, Rojan is Denahi's guest. Hwin is your guest."
"But Ro-Ro is coming?" Nanenna asked as she pried herself from her mama's clutch.
"Yes, Ro-Ro and Hwin are both coming," Miotep answered.
"Aren't they siblings?" Ahadi questioned.
"Yes. As are Jericho and Eboniah. We needed more children. It is a children's party after all. So Denahi has Rojan, Nanenna has Hwin, Sehale has Jericho, which is great because they're in the same class, Zantiri has Eboniah and Nyota has Zoë. Everyone has a playmate."
"Who's Zoë?" Ahadi asked.
"Lolita's little girl. She goes to the twins' daycare. Nyota has taken a liking to her."
Just as Miotep had finished her sentence there was a knock at the door.
"That will be the guests," Miotep said as she ushered Nanenna out of the dining room and into the living room where the twins were playing in their pen.
Miotep raced back behind the island bench and picked up the bowl once more.
"Ahadi, can you get the door?" Miotep enforced, rather than asked.
Ahadi opened the door to find his younger twin brothers standing there with identical grins plastered on their faces. Ahadi sighed. This was going to be one hectic day.
The guests starting rolling in through the door and soon the house was filled with excited guests of all ages. The last to arrive was Rojan and Hwin, with their mother in tow behind them.
Nanenna came running to greet the people.
"Ro-Ro, we play pass parcel. You sit wif me." She said as she grabbed his hand and started to march off in the direction of the living room.
"Nanenna." Miotep's stern voice came from the living room. "Rojan is Denahi's friend first. You look after Hwin, please." Miotep said as she emerged from the living room.
Nanenna took one look at the 'Mama Bear Glare' and immediately grabbed one of Hwin's hands with her free one. She smiled as she dragged both Rojan and Hwin into the room.
Rojan saw Denahi sitting with the other kids in a circle on the floor and promptly sat down beside him. Nanenna went to go sit down next to him but misjudged the distance and sat in his lap instead.
Rojan was startled. Nanenna giggled. Denahi tried to push his sister out of his friend's lap.
"Nanenna!" Ahadi cried as he leapt up from his spot on the couch. He lunged towards his daughter and picked her up off of Rojan's lap. Nanenna squealed with delight. Ahadi sat between Denahi and Hwin with Nanenna in his lap.
"Ahadi, why don't you just stay down there. Just to keep everyone under control." Baku suggested from the couch.
"It could get wild," Roku added with a chuckle.
It wasn't long before the music was started and the parcel was getting handed around the circle. There were ten children participating in the game, and one overgrown African man.
However, when Nyota started to suck on the corner of the parcel, Miotep and Ashantis joined the circle to ensure the parcel made a complete cycle before being soaked by saliva.
The parcel slowly made its way around the circle. Every round the parcel got smaller. It was nearing the end when Sehale got too excited and threw it to Jericho who batted it away to protect his face.
The parcel went flying towards the couch. Masamba leant forward and tried to grab the parcel but his reaction was too quick and ended up punching the parcel instead of catching it.
All eyes were on the airborne parcel as it flew in the direction of the kids. Nanenna was quick to duck out of the way of the parcel but Ahadi was not so lucky.
The parcel connected with Ahadi's face. Ahadi let out a strangled yelp and brought his hand to his eye.
Miotep stopped the music with one hand, whilst hiding her mirth behind the other.
The room went silent.
Nanenna turned and looked up at her Baba. "Baba, you have to open it. It landed on you."
The crowded room erupted into laughter.
The day drew on and snacks and refreshments were placed on the table. After the children were fed and hydrated Miotep gathered the children onto the back deck for the next game.
At the end of the deck was a large cardboard box with a picture of a donkey.
"That donkey has no tail!" four-year-old Hwin exclaimed as she studied the picture.
"Not yet," Miotep said as she approached the young girl with a blindfold in her hand.
Pin the tail on the donkey was a big hit for the children. They would laugh when their friends stumbled and yelled out instructions to try and help them reach their target. Miotep had wanted to use tape, but after finding out that Nanenna had used it all to 'bandage her dolls', they had to go with a thumbtack.
Big Mama saw that it was the perfect opportunity to get in on one of the games. She loved children and didn't mind making a fool of herself to make them laugh. However, she teamed herself with Zantiri. Picking her up and swinging her around before placing the child on the ground. Zantiri got a few good steps in before choosing to sit down.
Zahra was inspired by Big Mama and decided to do the same with Nyota. However, Nyota walked off in the opposite direction.
Soon it was Jericho's turn. He was just as enthusiastic as Sehale and had just as much energy. As soon as the blindfold was tightened Jericho was spinning rapidly. Ahadi was on standby, making sure the energetic boy didn't run into to anyone.
Once Jericho was stopped, he was handed the tail of the donkey and guided in the right direction. The voices of his peers rose. Telling him which way to go. However, after spinning around so fast Jericho was severely disorientated. His hands were out in front of him to help him find the box.
His hands collided with something soft. Without any sort of calculation, Jericho slammed the tail in deep. The next thing Jericho heard was a strangled cry of pain.
Jericho quickly rid himself of the blindfold only to see the tail of the donkey sticking out of Ahadi's butt.
"Mio." Ahadi groaned in pain. Ahadi looked up to see his wife bent over the wooden railing in a fit of laughter. "Mio, please, help."
Miotep hadn't even gained control over her laughter when she approached her husband and yanked the sharp tack from Ahadi's bottom.
"That's got to be a real pain in the ass." Baku chuckled. Zahra scowled at her son.
"He sure made an ass out of you," Roku added, earning him a solid hit on the back of his head from Masamba.
"I think we should move on to the next game," Lolita said through her strong Spanish accent, trying to conceal her laughter.
"Who's up for a round of piñata?" Miotep sounded to the group. Ahadi groaned.
The party moved from the back deck to the front veranda, where the cake shape piñata hang on one of the beams. After four days of continuous rain, the Uhura's had to get creative of where to play the games.
"Can I go first?" Denahi pleaded as he tugged gently on his baba's pant leg.
"You'd have to ask mama. She's in charge of the games." Ahadi replied and sent his son off in the direction of his wife.
Denahi returned to his Baba's side with a broad beaming smile on his face, and a long colourful, solid whacking stick in his hand. Ahadi eyed the stick carefully before making a very audible gulp.
When the parents had all found a spot to sit, Denahi was called forward. On the very first swing, the piñata came loose and fell to the ground. Denahi hadn't broken the piñata, it just wasn't secured tightly enough.
"Someone's going to have to hold the rope," Roku said from behind the parents. Hoping his twin would take the hint. He had Nyota in his arms and was having fun making her giggle.
"I vote Ahadi," Baku responded, knowing full well what his twin had in mind. Baku was holding Zantiri.
"I vote 'no' to Ahadi." Ahadi said as he subconsciously rubbed his butt where he had been 'pinned'. "I vote Lewis," Ahadi said and pointed to the Australian.
"Sorry, Ahadi. I don't even know this game." Lewis lied. Lewis had been beaten many times by a piñata stick back in Australia. He was not going to be beaten in Africa too.
"It's easy, I'll show you," Ahadi said as stood away from the railing and approached the fallen piñata. He found the rope that was once connected to the beam and threaded it through a gap between the beam and the roof. He pulled on it hard and the piñata rose of the wooden decking until it was suspended in the air, high enough for his eldest son to hit.
Without warning Denahi brought the bat up behind his head, ready to strike. Noticing that his son was in perfect position, Ahadi yelled out, "Denahi, no!"
Denahi was already halfway through his swing when his Baba called out. Frightened by the outburst, Denahi lost his grip on the bat. The bat shot out of his hands at a rate of knots and came hurling in the direction of Ahadi.
It all happened so fast that Ahadi didn't even have time to move. The bat struck him where it hurt most. Ahadi's hands came to his balls as he collapsed in a heap instantly. The crowd gasped and Miotep raced to his side. She may have laughed before, but this was serious now.
Miotep knelt down beside her husband and brushed his long thick hair away from his face. His face was deeper in colour, his eyes were shut and his lips were pressed tightly together.
The first person to make a sound was Nyota, giggling joyfully and clapping her hands in rapid succession.
Roku slowly raised his free hand to stop his niece from clapping. When Roku's large hands covered hers, Nyota looked up at Roku in confusion.
"I'll take the kids inside," Lolita said as she cradled young Zoë on her hip. She held out her hand for Nanenna to grasp and started to lead the children inside.
Once inside, Lewis led them to the living room and started preparing the kids chairs, back to back in two rows.
"What are you doing?" Ashantis gently queried her fiancé.
"Using the music from before, we can get the kids to play a game of musical chairs." Lewis signed as he spoke. He was rewarded with two thumbs up.
Once the chairs were set up the kids chose their seats. Nyota was still in the arms of Roku, while Baku still carried Zantiri. Lolita joined the game holding 14-month-old Zoë, while Jericho's mama, Mirembe, held 16-month-old Eboniah. The other children were old enough to take a seat for themselves.
The young children who were being assisted by the adults were the first to get out. Not that they minded, they were still too young to understand the game, but they enjoyed being held as the adults raced them around the chairs.
Ahadi limped into the living room, Ashantis got up off her seat to allow him to take it. Ahadi declined politely, mouthing that he'd rather stand. He didn't want to lower himself into a chair only to find it more difficult getting up.
Not surprisingly, the final two children left were Sehale and Jericho. They were just as energetic and competitive as each other.
Lewis started the music once more. The song itself was fast and crazy, sending Jericho and Sehale running wildly around the singular chair in the middle of the room. The other kids who hadn't succeeded in claiming a chair sat close by, shifting their legs out of the way as the running boys swept passed them.
Lewis stopped the music. The boys halted mid-stride and glanced at each other, each with a look of pure determination. From either side of the chair, the boys darted. They did not slow down as they approached the small plastic chair.
The parents in the room reached out their hands to try and stop the boys before they clashed with each other. People squinted as the foresaw an evening of endless tears.
However, Sehale reached the plastic chair first and grabbed its arm. He yanked it out of reach of Jericho and held it above his head. Giggling, he ran away from Jericho with the chair held high above him. Jericho chased after him.
Seeing that Jericho will not give up until beaten, Sehale placed the chair on the ground. Right on top of his baba's foot.
Sehale didn't realise that he had placed the chair on his father's foot, but Ahadi saw it and tried to move it. As of recently, his reaction was too slow.
Sehale jumped up on top of the chair and started to jump up and down in triumphantly. Exclaiming, "I am the winner!"
A grunt from behind pulled Sehale from his victory. Sehale stopped and looked up at his baba's pained face.
Sehale quickly jumped off and removed the chair from his Baba's foot. He gave the chair to Jericho and bent over to inspect his Baba's toes.
Thinking that he was helping, Sehale poked one of the toes with his finger, "Does this hurt?" He asked innocently.
"Ashantis, I think I need that chair now," Ahadi spoke just above a whisper.
Having read his lips, Ashantis grabbed a nearby pillow and placed it on the chair before Ahadi lowered himself (ungracefully) onto the chair.
Prizes were handed out and the young twins gifts were opened without any further injury to Ahadi. As the guests waited for Zahra and Miotep to return with the twin's cakes, Ahadi took the opportunity to tilt his head back and close his eyes.
No matter how hard Ahadi tried, he could not think of any other time where he had been beaten to the point of immobility by such young, innocent children.
He was pulled from his reverie when he heard singing. He opened his eyes only to realise that the lights had been turned off and the table was set in place, ready for the cakes.
In front of the table sat Ashantis. On her lap was Zantiri. Beside Ashantis was Lewis holding Nyota. Ever since Nyota discovered Ashantis' hearing aids, all she wanted to do was rip them out.
The singing started off faint at first but escalated as more voices joined in. Zahra and Miotep made their grand entrance. Zahra carried a small chocolate cake, while Miotep followed behind with a strawberry cake.
The cakes were placed in front of the twin's; the chocolate one in front of Zantiri and the strawberry one in front of Nyota. With the help of Lewis and Ashantis, the candles were blown out and removed from the cake.
Nyota looked at her cake than to the one that was in front of her sister. Deciding that the strawberry cake wasn't good enough Nyota leant forward. The sudden action almost made Lewis drop her.
Nyota didn't care, she wanted the brown cake. Her small hands came in contact with the cake. Lewis pulled Nyota away from the cake, taking two handfuls of chocolate cake her as she receded.
Zantiri looked at her sister and made a grab for the chocolate cake too, only to be stopped by Ashantis. Zantiri looked up at her Aunty with a wobbly lip. She was on the verge of tears.
Hearing her twin giggle, Zantiri looked over in Nyota's direction. As soon as Zantiri had turned her head, Nyota's chocolatey fist rammed into her mouth.
Zantiri almost cried at the contact but stopped herself as she started to chew on the chocolate sponge. Zantiri grabbed her sister's hand and brought it to her mouth once more. It was only when Nyota's hand was relatively clean that she let go of it.
After capturing the special moment on her phone, she made her way over to stand behind her husband, who was sitting rigidly in the chair.
"It's amazing how fast they grow up." She said softly into his ear.
"Next thing you know they'll be starting school, and I'll be fighting off boys." Ahadi smiled, not taking his eyes off his twins.
After a short pause, Miotep mused out loud, "I wonder what their future holds; where they'll end up, what kind of job they'll have, their personality."
Ahadi looked up at his wife's face before taking her hand and guiding her around the chair so he could gently pull her into his lap and softly enveloped her into a hug, "Only time will tell."
