Endless Summer – Chapter 1
The foreboding feeling soon left me as I walked downstairs and entered the dining room where everyone was eagerly waiting. "Here comes the birthday girl" I heard the cheerful voice of Momma and I couldn't help but smile. Everyone seemed so happy and joyous... it wasn't exactly normal. We were a close family, sure, but we had our arguments, like all families did. Were they making an extra effort because of me?
"Don't just stand here Kairi, you have birthday presents to open!" Even my older brother, Paul, was being nice to me. I looked at him suspiciously for a moment, before moving to sit across the table from him. I knew what would happen... we had this little ritual on every single birthday we had. First, the birthday person opened the presents from the immediate family around the dining table, and then everyone got ready... after that, it was usually hard to remember what happened, as the day got more confusing, and seemed to turn into a whirlwind, dragging everyone along with it, despite their protests. I glanced at Daddy and smiled. I had opened the present from him, of course, and wore it proudly around my neck.
"I'll go first then." Momma declared and held out a rather large present for me to take. I did so, willingly. I had been neatly wrapped in pink and silver wrapping paper, and finished off with a large pink bow, placed perfectly in the centre of the present. I could tell without asking that Momma had wrapped the present herself. She was such a perfectionist... and though it was helpful at times... I knew it annoyed some people. Paul got annoyed by it, and I noticed Daddy sometimes turning a blind eye to some of her antics. I think I was the only one who appreciated it fully.
"Thank you Momma." I smiled, and careful began to unwrap the present. Yes... I guess I was a perfectionist at heart too. I felt as though ripping apart such a present was a crime, so instead I found every place where Momma had used tape and carefully pulled the tape away from the wrapping paper, being careful not to tear it. When I'd finished, I had a piece of golded wrapping paper and a few pieces of tape laid neatly on the table. Satisfied with myself, I turned to take the lid off the cardboard box that had been inside the wrapping paper. Inside the box, I noticed something white laid there, which had been folded up neatly. Curiously, I lifted it up to reveal a white dress. I stood up, holding the dress, so I could see it at its full length. It came to about my knees, and had a patch of gold glitter running along the bottom.
"It's for the party today." Momma said. "I know we got you one before, but your father and I saw this one and thought it was perfect."
"Oh momma, it's beautiful. Thank you." I tenderly placed the dress back into the box and moved around the table to kiss her on the cheek. She smiled warmly.
"I knew you'd like it."
Of course she did. Momma and I were so alike, we were always choosing outfits for each other. I got a lot of my features from her. We both had the same strawberry blonde hair, hers cut short, mine left long. We both had the same figure too, I was a little tall for my age though, and I got that from Daddy. Along with the same features, we both had the same preference over styles too.
"Open mine next…" I heard Paul say. "Then we can have breakfast… I'm starving!"
I couldn't help but laugh. Typical Paul… thinking of food as per usual. Despite being so curious as to what he'd gotten me, I made myself sit down as slowly as possible. I think Paul noticed this, but he made no comment. This surprised me… normally, he would have made some comment about blondes being slow and dumb or something.
"Come on then, where's this present?" I asked. I was being impolite, yes, but if he didn't hurry up, all of us would starve. I could feel my stomach churning already at the thought of food.
"Here." He handed over the present and grinned. "And yes, I did pick it out, so don't go around thinking Mum or Dad bought it."
I looked down at the present he'd given me. It was a lot smaller than the one from Momma, but I knew that size was no indication of quality whatsoever. It was wrapped in pale pink wrapping paper, and he'd taped a tag to it, which read "To a sister." I began to unwrap it very much as I had unwrapped Momma's. Carefully, piece by piece, I gently unfolded all of the wrapping paper, until I had uncovered the present inside. Initially, I was shocked. He had chosen this himself?
It was a notebook. But not just any notebook, the outside was covered in glitter and sequins, in the design of a bull. It was the symbol of my star sign, Taurus. Underneath the bull was my name spelled out with gold sequins. The pages themselves were edged in silver, and faintly lined. I looked up at him, and I think he saw the shock in my eyes.
"You're welcome. Now… can we eat?" He set us all off laughing and I stood up and nodded.
"Thank you Paul. I love it." And I placed it on top of the box that had my new dress in it, so I'd be able to take it up to my room when I went to get ready for the party. A few minutes later, and the servants brought in our meal. I call them servants… but they were more like friends… we gave them a lot of money to work for us, as well as their own quarters in the house where they could sleep. We never looked down on them and they respected us, but were able to have a laugh with us when they felt like it. We had never heard any complaints from them.
One of the maids, a girl who was about a year older than me, came around to give me my toast, and smiled, holding out a little package. I looked down at it for a moment.
"For Miss Kairi." She said, smiling.
"Wow… Rose, thank you. I don't know what to say… you didn't have to get me anything."
"It's from all of us, miss. We thought you deserved something for your sixteenth birthday." Rose curtsied slightly and then backed away. I could only smile. Rose was one of the newest maids, but I had taken to her quickly. She reminded me much of myself, she loved to let go every once in a while and just have fun. I remembered her first day here, and how she'd been full of excitement, staring at the house in wonder. That day, I'd taken her on a full tour of the house, proudly explaining this and that. It had brought us a lot closer together, and I considered Rose more of a friend than a servant.
I looked at the present and turned it over in my hands. After a few seconds of silence, I began to unwrap it, very much like I had unwrapped my first two presents. When I uncovered the present, I found a beautiful white scarf folded very neatly into the small box.
"It's to go with your dress, dear." I turned to see the cook, Mrs Rivio, stood behind me. I smiled up at her.
"Thank you." I said, happily. I t was perfect... and I was already looking forward to getting ready for the party. It was probably the last time I'd have control of this day and I wanted to savour it before I was swept about.
Everything was so perfect... I had already received three presents, and I was so happy with them, I couldn't stop smiling. Especially at Paul. His mischievous hazel eyes seemed to follow me wherever I went, and every time my own eyes caught his, I smiled at him, and he grinned back. It was such a good morning, and as I walked back upstairs to get ready for my party, I put aside all my feelings of worry, and just tried to enjoy myself. After all, it was my sixteenth birthday.