James Birthday Gift

Did she hear that correctly? Or was she just imagining what he said? Whatever he said, she must have been imagining it from all the fatigue. An hour ago, she was perfectly worn out and was on the verge of fainting. The hour before that she was not at all in ease. Then all of a sudden, a guy kissed her on the cheek. Not the kiss of a father or a brother, but a kiss that was utterly different and her mood lifted her into thin air unlike any other days. Everything in the whole world was exquisite and wonderful for her. But until he was gone, the feelings faded in the wind and Lena didn't have the energy to dream because of the drudgery she'd gone through in the house.

There wasn't anything she could do after that was over, so on the same night, she came back inside and fell into a peaceful slumber in her own room.

On the following day, the rest of the hour during break time was the very moment Lena always loved.

The library was overflowed with new and old musty books that were stacked in the wooden shelves. The school librarian who always kept his sharp eyes on the students with his funny spectacles, held his nose every time when he caught a pungent whiff of sweat from the schoolboys who stepped in the room after they have recently gone outside. The boys were loud when they came in and this disturbed the librarian immediately. He stood from his chair and rebuked the juniors for a good deal of five minutes. He grunted, sat back in his chair again, grasped the fountain pen from his desk, and proceeded writing with a grim expression. There the members of the book club were seated at the round table from the corner, and caught the little scene that tempted them to stare even longer.

"Now, enough with the prying eyes. Let's start our reading." Olivia promptly said with a wave of her hand before her fellow friends.

That was the way things remained for half an hour.

Outside of books, Lena would usually learn new things in the club. Sign language was one of the reasons why she wanted to be close with the people there. It was one of the best things she had found and the members deeply warmed her heart. She could meet with them almost every single day, have discussions together, and even if their communication wasn't going smoothly as it ought to be, eventually they were open arms to anyone.

"This is what makes our club special. We do not have to leave the other one behind. Instead of shutting out certain types of people all the time, we bring harmony. Why, just because the kids in here said they are different it doesn't mean we aren't different as well. Everyone has their own flaws and what we're trying to do in this club is to cherish the little things we have." Olivia said after school.

When the rest of the evening followed, little Serena was slowly recovering after fighting off her cold fever.

The infant was getting healthier once her round face blossomed into a fresh and natural daisy. She was as pure and shiny as ever. If only her little sister knew, those light in her smiles could cure the dark world they live in. Her golden ripples under those lashes were soft and none of her paleness were left to be seen. Her round cheeks looked puffed and plump, almost like a cherub.

"How you've grown so fast, Serena. Look at you! Betty must have taken you seriously when you were ill!" Lena exclaimed as she took the infant from the crib. She carried her little sister in her arms, and went downstairs for the door. Outside on the porch, Lena sat on the swing as she laid her little sister on her lap.

A sudden feeling from Lena possessed her to do something, so she kissed Serena's chubby cheeks, her perfectly round belly and her little toes. A touch of her cold biting skin from little Serena's tiny feet, alarmed Lena for once until she managed to take out a pair of socks from her pocket in her long skirt and cover the dainty feet.

"That's better. Don't you feel warm now?" Lena asked and held Serena's waist as she began to bounce the little darling playfully. Unexpectedly, little Serena broke into a joyful laugh when this happened. It was so rare when her little sister rang a good deal of laughter in her ears.

"Oh, so you like it do you?" A triumphant smile passed over Lena and she continued with the bouncing.

Serena hysterically laughed cutely while Lena was friskily tickling her and all.

What a delightful moment it was, and in the middle of their bonding, a car parked outside of their gate.

"James? What is he doing here?" was her immediate question when she saw him bobbed out of his silver car outside. Now she knew why he came. She forgot. Today was his birthday.

"Hey," he waved and drew forward at the gate. "Just came here to inform you about tonight. We're throwing a party with a bunch of my friends at gran's house," he informed her casually, leaning over the fence. "Do you want to come later?"

"I-I'm not sure if I can," she turned and glanced down at her little sister, then back at him. "I mean I can, but I'll have to call Betty because she's having a break from babysitting today."

"Ah alright, I understand. No hard feelings if you can't. Just letting you know 'cause gran wants you to come," James said, still remained cool. "Hopefully you can come, Lena." he turned to look at the little baby in her lap, wondering if Lena already knew about the false rumours that were spreading in school. But he did not want to spoil the day, so he brushed it off and added, "I don't see any problem if the little one can come too, my relatives and gran will be there to join."

"Your parents?" Lena began.

He shook his head. "Nah, they're on a business trip. They'll likely come next week."

In the next few hours, the color of the sky was pitched black with stars twinkling above the woods and mountains afar. Tonight, many guests came over to his birthday party.

Nolan, Victor, and Hailey were outside the veranda, smoking secretly without the intention of getting in trouble by the owner of the house.

Meanwhile, James, Joe and the rest of his relatives were joining in to have a conversation in his grandmother's capacious parlor. Some of them brought a few miraculous foods, gift-wraps and small gift cards for the birthday guy. Together, they all had a pleasant time in the old fashioned room downstairs, where some guests were the givers and some were the idlers.

James and his close friend, Joe, stepped out in the herb garden to get fresh air during the summer night. The perfumed flowers and the curly branches were resting under the starlit sky.

"How are you feeling, man?" Joe asked when they were both alone in the garden.

"It's good. Feels very good to be seventeen." James grinned faintly. With a face that belied his words, there was not a trace of happiness filled in his eyes. It was so unlike James since he was always a bright fellow in front of everyone.

"Have you talked to her?" Joe looked attentive in his friend's eyes.

"You mean Clarissa? Nope," he answered shortly. "I don't think there is anything to talk about after what she'd done." he flatly added.

"Don't you forgive her?"

"I do, but that doesn't change anything, Joe." he said solemnly and sighed before the wind passed through.

Initially, there was a long silence between the two, then;

"But at least you can talk this through. Try to understand why she did it in the first place."

"I don't think so, Joe. I know that you two are related to each other but when it comes to matters like this—it's something that we understand, and we already know that will never work," James suddenly turned at his grandmother's direction where she was sitting on the armchair inside. "I'll just forget about it. Now my focus is gran. She's all that I have and always will be." he said ever so much sincerely from his heart.

An hour later, there was a knock on the door. The guests were busy cleaning up the mess and a few were seated on the sofa in the middle of a conversation while two children, who were confounded nuisance, were monkeying around the old marbled table. James was the first one who rose to his feet from the armchair.

"I'll get it."

He reached the knob, opened the door and there they were, their eyes met again.

"Hey, Lena. I thought you weren't going to come." he stood there, somewhat stunned.

She smiled sedately but didn't say anything.

"Come on in." he ushered Lena to the room and introduced her in front of his guests.

"You didn't tell me you have a sweetheart." one of his guests spoke aloud.

Lena and James exchanged glances.

"No, no. We're not together. She's just a friend of mine," and he threw his arms around her shoulders. "I apologize if gran isn't here. She is already sleeping upstairs, unfortunately." James whispered over her ear.

"Oh, it's okay. Besides I came here late so I should be the one who is sorry-" she said in an apologetic tone. "Here's your gift by the way." she handed him a small parcel gift with a nametag on.

"Thanks, Lena." he beamed in return.

The house soon grew quiet when many of the guests were leaving with their thanks and farewells. Several turned into all guests and it was only Lena in the house and a few of his relatives who were about to leave the place.

"Your grandmother knows how to play?" Lena walked herself to remove the black sheets that covered the piano.

"Yea, but she doesn't play it as much as she used to."

"Oh, why?" Lena was flashed with curiosity.

"Nothing in particular. I guess since she is an old lady now, she's not able to have fun times any more than she normally does at her young age." James carelessly shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't think that's true. She will always be young at heart." she disagreed and sat down on the shiny stool. "May I play?" her face flushed when asking.

"Sure, give it a go." James permitted as he leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed at the pretty figure.

As she placed her delicate fingers onto the keynotes, she began to play, and her voice poured out freely when she sang one of her favorite songs. It brought a clear memory of her mother where she used to sing this to her daughter before, every time when she was off for bed.

Beautiful dreamer,

Wake unto me

Starlight and dewdrops

Are waiting for thee

Sounds of the rude world

Heard in the day

Led by the moonlight

Have all passed away

Beautiful dreamer,

Queen of my song

List' while I woo thee

With soft melody

Gone are the cares of

Life's busy throng

Beautiful dreamer

Awake unto me

Beautiful dreamer,

Awake unto me

"I must admit, you're good at playing the piano, have you ever taken any lessons before?" He asked, after he had been listening to the song she was singing before.

"It was a long time ago. I've been playing it since when I was a little girl," She smiled. "Did I ever tell you that I've always wanted to become a music teacher?"

"No, I don't think so." James answered, truthfully.

"Well, it has always been my dream from the beginning. I have been dreaming about it for so long because my mother used to be an opera singer," She confessed. "She was my very first voice teacher. It would be wonderful if I take lessons again." She sighed wistfully.

They went out together for a nightly stroll under the circular dim moonlight where the light was shining their way. As they walked passed by the stucco houses, they talked gaily about their grand wistful stories when they were in their years of childhood.

"I can't believe you did that when you were a child," Lena tittered after she had heard an embarrassing story of James. "It's so not you."

"Believe it or not, it was me. My friend and I were the kings of rascals. I wouldn't say we were bullies of any kind, but we certainly did pull a lot of naughty pranks here and there," James slid his hands in his pockets. "We got suspended eventually."

They moved on, and the shadowy trees swayed rhythmically when the wind blew around the area. "So, do you have anything in mind? I want to get to know you more since it's my goal here after all." he bluntly said.

"Sure," Lena chuckled demurely, admired by his frank air. "What do you want to know about me?"

"Hm— let me see—do you have any hobbies besides playing the piano?"

"I don't think there are many, but I love cooking in the house. Anything that's useful will do for me." Lena answered simply.

"Ah, I see. We're sort of different. I naturally spend my spare time outside the house and do some activities.I do swimming, baseball, and hockey if that counts."

"The athletic type of guy?"

"Yea, you can say that. I do like to go out a lot. It's nice to be away from our house, you know? I got roughly many injuries before," James rolled down his sleeves and he was so used to it that he made everything light about his past predicament. "This is just one of them."

"You must've suffered a lot of injuries back then," acknowledged Lena when her hands flew on his arm that revealed a bruised mark.

It brought a great affect on him when he felt her immediate touch. It was tender and her soft skin took over him within mere seconds.

Lena didn't notice this but only him.

"I forgot to tell you this but here." he showed her locket in his palms that was now fixed and new.

"Oh, my. Thank you so much, James. How did you manage to fix this?" Lena gasped.

"It's nothing," James said laconically. "I figured if it is the most precious thing you owned, then I should put some effort into fixing it at least." He grinned at her.

She was in utter bliss, and it left her girlish heart beat wildly against her chest.

"It looks much better than before." Lena remarked with a sudden twinkle in her emerald eyes.

"You don't mind if I put this on right?" James asked suddenly.

When he asked this question, the color in her face died out for a fleeting moment because of her hidden birthmark. It made her feel conscious about herself and she was reluctant about it at first. But nevertheless, she nodded and let him clasp the necklace around her neck as she pushed her hair out of the way.

"Thank you." Lena smiled bashfully and whatever negative feeling she had, those feelings finally subsided.

As she stood there in her beautiful dress, almost glowing in the dark, James slowly tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned to drop a kiss on her dented lips.

"No, I thank you." he said it in a whisper.

After this incident, her face betrayed her, and a scarlet blush left upon her round cheeks. It wasn't the first time she was kissed, but it was definitely a kiss that would linger in her memory for a long time.

A few moments after, both of them were hand in hand as they walked along the faraway path road. The trees by now were dancing merrily when they were gone.

"Beautiful Dreamer" sang by Gloria Jean. Totally my style and I want to let you know her voice is similar like Lena.