Ch.3- Nami: The Almost Perfect Birthday
Disclaimer- I don't own One Piece.
A/N: Hey, I know it's been a LONG time since I've updated, but since the last chapter I went into a HUGE Resident Evil craze. I got the remake of the first game and Resident Evil: Zero for Christmas, then I got Code Veronica X and Resident Evil 2 for my birthday in March, then I got Resident Evil 3 in June and I've been playing them almost non-stop. But I finally updated and I promise that I will try to finish this story soon.
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There is no such thing as a perfect birthday. All the adults in Cocoyashi Village knew that. They knew that you cold plan your special day and everything would be there, but one tiny thing would go wrong like the cake tasting weird or a fight between party guests could erupt. It always happened. The children of Cocoyashi, however, didn't know it or if they did, they didn't believe it.
The very warm late June/early July weather was absolutely perfect for a few of the people of the village to have birthday they assumed would be perfect. Unfortunately…
Three-year-old Nami sat alone on her porch sulking. She was completely bored. Belmeil was buys and her five-yaer-old sister was laying in bed with a high fever and red spots all over her body. Belmeil called it "Chicken Pox" and had stated that it was going around the village. Almost all the kids in Cocoyashi had it. Belmeil had been spending countless hours taking care of Nojiko and making her younger daughter promise to stay out of trouble.
The poor little girl was bored. She didn't really have any friends in the village and had to rely on her big sister to play with her, but now her sister was sick…and Nami wasn't even allowed to see her. Belmeil wouldn't allow her to see Nojiko and she really hated it. She especially hated it when her birthday was coming up and her sister may have to spend it in bed with itchy spots covering her body.
"Nami? Are you out here?" A young woman's voice called form the doorway of the small house.
"Hai, Belmeil-san!" Nami called from her spot on the porch.
The red-haired woman walked out of the house and took a seat next to the little girl. "What's wrong?" Belmeil asked after noticing the upset look on her youngest child's face.
"I'm bored. Ever since Nojiko got sick, I haven't had anyone to play with." Nami grumbled.
Belmeil let out a light sigh and took a puff from her cigarette, but said nothing. She knew what she wanted to say, but unfortunately didn't know how to say it. After a minute, the woman placed a hand on the little girl's head and half smiled, "Don't worry. She'll be fine."
"Really?" Nami asked, her eyes widening with hope.
Belmeil nodded her head, "She'll be okay in about a week." Nami smiled back at her mother.
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Nami spent practically the entire day the next day in town. Since she was only three years old, Belmeil never allowed her to go walking around town without either Nojiko or herself. But since Nojiko was still sick, Belmeil spent most of her time taking care of her so she never even noticed that Nami was gone. She just thought that Nami was outside on the porch or playing in the farm.
A few of the townschildren were playing outside in the hot sun. The townschildren were laughing joyfully, running around playing a game of tag, inviting any of the other children to join in on the game. Everyone, that is, except for Nami. None of the other children ever asked Nojiko and Nami to join in on their games. Not even the other farm girls wanted to play with them.
It never bothered Nami that none of them wanted to play with her. It happened all the time, ever since she could remember anyting. Besides, she always had Nojiko to play with even though they were two years apart and Nojiko was currently stuck in bed. No, what really bothered her was when the other kids had birthdays. Everyone had a birthday. She was old enough to understand that, but what she hated was the talks the other kids had about the parties they were going to have.
Nami never thought it was fair. All the children on Cocoyashi Island were always talking about the large parties they were going to have, complete with multiple layered cakes, games, friends, and mountains of presants…the perfect birthday. She never got any of those. Parties were useless since only three people would be around to eat the cake(if she got one) so it'd have to be a small single layer, nobody would be around to play the games, none of the other kids wanted to be Nami or Nojiko's friends(except for one child), and the presants, though thoughtful, were nothing like the other girls' presants. That's just how it was.
The sisters had a friend once. Her name was Amamiya Ayame and she was a year older than Nami and a year younger than Nojiko. Ayame had moved to Cocoyashi about a year ago when her parents opened up an inn. She had been a good friend to Nojiko and Nami for about seven months before she made friends with a bunch of snobby townschildren and turned against Nojiko and Nami.
As Nami walked through the town, she passed by Ayame. Her long pink hair was tied back with a red headband, a very delicate china doll was in her arms, and she was laughing with a few of the townschildren. She was also loudly bragging about the large birthday party she was going to have the next day. She was smirking at Nami the entire time, placing a bit of jealous anger inside the three-year-old.
'How could she change so fast?' Nami wondered, walking passed Ayame with her eyes looking at the ground.
"Nami!" A loud voice shouted from in front of her.
Nami lifted her head and looked at the person in front of her, "Gen-san…" Her voice wasn't much louder than a whisper.
"What are you doing out here alone?" Gen asked in a softer voice, kneeling down to the little girl's height. Nami didn't say anything at first, but then answered, "I went for a walk."
"Where's Belmeil?" Gen asked her. Nami didn't answer him. Letting out a heavy sigh, the man picked the little girl off the ground by the back of her dress and walked back to the orange farm with Nami screaming at him to put her down and Ayame smirking at her the entire time she was in town. After walking for about ten minutes, Gen and Nami made it to the orange farm. Gen walked up to the front door and knocked just loud enough for Belmeil to hear him, but not loud enough to wake up Nojiko if she was sleeping.
The door opened and a tired Belmeil stood in the doorway, "What is it?"
Gen placed Nami onto the ground and answered, "I saw her wandering alone in town and brought her back."
"Was she stealing again?" Belmeil asked.
Gen paused then again kneeled down to Nami's height and asked, "Did you steal anything?" Nami shook her head. Gen went back to his normal height and walked back inside the village.
Belmeil looked down at Nami with a tired frown. "You know you aren't supposed to go into town by yourself." She told her younger daughter.
Nami sadly nodded her head, "I know, Belmeil-san. But I was really bored. I miss being able to play with Nojiko."
Belmeil sighed and led Nami into the living room and onto the couch. Then, with a smile pasted on her face, she answered, "Well, don't worry. Your sister is doing a lot better today. You'll be able to play outside with her in a few days."
Nami's eyes lit up, "Really?" That really was great news to her. Both hers and Nojiko's birthdays were going to be in four days and Nojiko wouldn't be stuck in bed with red spots all over her body.
Belmeil nodded her head, "She'll be okay in a few days. Now, go out side and play, but don't go into town yet." Nami nodded and ran out of the house.
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Nami went to visit Nojiko later on that night when Belmeil wasn't around. There were a few more spots left on the older girl's face, but not as many as there were on the first day. She was also not scratching her body as much. In fact, in the two hours Nami visited with her, Nojiko only scratched once and didn't complain.
Nami broke the good news to her sister during the time she visited. Both Nojiko and Nami were so excited about what Belmeil had said about Nojiko being well before their birthday that they nearly started cheering, but decided against it to avoid awakening their mother, who decided to take a short nap.
After both girls were finished whispering and giggling, Nami snuck out of the room to her own before she could get caught by Belmeil. Before she left the room, Nami made a promise to her sister to come and visit the next day when Belmeil wasn't around.
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Three days passed and Nojiko was no longer ill and was able to play games with her little sister. Nami, unfortunately, was not able to play outside like she wanted. It was the first of July when Nojiko was completely well. That morning, both Belmeil and Nojiko noticed that Nami had been moving around much slower than she had for the past few days.
"Nami, are you okay?" Nojiko asked her younger sister. Nami didn't say anything and turned her head towards the ground.
Belmeil softly placed a hand on the small girl's forehead and felt the heat from the forehead on her own hand. The woman removed her hand and said two words to her younger daughter, "Bed. Now." Nami obeyed her and made it to her bed and fell asleep.
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When Nami woke up, she noticed that her head was feeling hot while her body was feeling extremely itchy. The small girl opened her eyes and saw the red spots that once plagued her sister now all over her own body. She reached her right hand over to her left arm to scratch it, but a different hand grabbed her own and prevented her from doing so.
Nami turned her head towards the one that grabbed her hand, "Belmeil-san?"
"Don't scratch, Nami." Belmeil commanded while rubbing some orange smelling lotion on the little red spots covering Nami's body.
In an instant, Nami's small body started to feel slightly better even though she still itched. "Why do I itch so badly?" Nami asked, attempting not to scratch the spots.
"Chicken Pox do that to you." Belmeil answered, placing a cool cloth on Nami's small head, "Especially when you visit your sister that has it."
Nami gulped, "You knew about that?"
Belmeil smirked, "I do now. So, why did you see Nojiko when I told you not to?"
Nami looked down at her lap, "I don't know. I was bored."
"Well, now you see why I told you to stay away form your sister, don't you?" Belmeil asked her little daughter.
Nami softly nodded, "Hai, Belmeil-san."
"Good. Now go to sleep." Belmeil said, smiling a little and patting Nami on the head before leaving the room.
"Belmeil-san?" Nami called.
Belmeil stopped, "What is it?"
"Will I be okay by my birthday?" Nami asked.
Belmeil shook her head, "You'll be sick for almost two weeks."
"That's not fair! My birthday's in two days!" Nami shouted.
Belmeil sighed, "Well, that's what being sick does to you."
"Being sick sucks." Nami grumbled.
Belmeil stared at her, "Watch your mouth and go to sleep."
"Hai, Belmeil-san." Nami muttered, leaning back into her bed and falling asleep.
Nami woke up hours later to the sound of another visitor. "Nojiko? What are you doing in here?" she asked the visitor.
Nojiko smiled and answered, "I came to see you."
"But you'll get sick, too." Nami protested.
Nojiko shook her small head, "No, I won't. Belmeil-san said that you only catch the Chicken Pox once, so I'm okay to visit you." Nami sulked at what her sister told her. Nojiko then attempted to cheer Nami up, "Cheer up, Nami. Our birthday is in two days."
"But I have to spend it stuck in bed with the stupid Chicken Pox." Nami grumbled.
Nojiko made a few more attempts to cheer up her angry little sister, but was unsuccessful. Then she had an idea that would only work on the third of the month.
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Nami's fever was still around two days later and her pox had gotten worse. Her body was itching so badly that the lotion Belmeil rubbed on her arms and legs was hardly soothing her skin and what made it feel worse was the face that it was Nami's birthday and she'd have to spend it in bed while her sister got to run around and play.
Belmeil and Nojiko popped into the room to wish her a happy birthday, but it didn't cheer her up.
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When the evening came, the door to the small girl's bedroom opened and both Belmeil and Nojiko walked in smiling. Belme4il held two plates of pancakes while Nojiko held two small boxes.
Nojiko placed the boxes at the end of Nami's bed and sat down next to her sister.
Belmeil placed a plate in front of each girl and lit the candle in the middle of the pancakes, "Make a wish, girls."
Nami and Nojiko closed their eyes, made a wish, and blew out their candles. They looked at each other and began eating.
Belmeil handed each girl a box, which they immediately opened at smiled at.
Inside each box was a smooth shell with rainbow colors on the inside. Nojiko's was a bit bigger than Nami's, but it didn't matter. These beautiful shells made Nami feel like she was holding a presant that once belonged to the gods of the earth and made her realize that she had an almost perfect birthday.
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A/N: Okay, that was chapter 3. Sorry if this was a sucky chapter, but I'll try to make the next chapter more interesting. R/R if you want, but don't flame me, please.
Next chapter: Usopp