Happy birthday

The weeks flew by. Mary had been telling the truth when she said she was busy. The trainings were starting up again and Procecsa’s and Mary’s study was taking shape.

As spring turned into summer, Mary’s birthday was just around the corner. Last year, it had only been her mother, father and Tariana that knew when her birthday was. She had dinner with her parents to celebrate.

Mary was used to her birthday not being a big thing. Her birthdays had mostly entailed a dinner with Zerden and his family. When Mary’s friends had figured out, several months later, that she hadn’t told them about her birthday. They had made her promise that she would let them celebrate her next one.

A promise she was now regretting. At least she hadn’t heard them mentioning it, so she was hoping they had forgotten about it. She would be happy with a dinner at home. Maybe invite Tenac and Tariana. But that would be the extent of it.

As her birthday arrived, she was pleased that her friends didn’t congratulate her. She sighed out of relief and continued with her day. In the afternoon, when she was heading to the library as usual, she saw something in her peripheral view come flying. Instinctively, she used the book in her hand as a bat and swung at the object.

The melon disintegrated against the book and soaked the book and Mary’s hand in liquid. Mary looked at the book.

“Tenac!” she growled without seeing him.

Tenac sheepishly stepped out from his hiding place behind a statue and tried to smile at her.

“Happy birthday?” he said.

“Happy birthday? Are you mad? This book is hundreds of years old and is now covered in melon juice,” she tried not to shout.

“I didn’t know that you would use the book. Nice move though,” he smiled.

“What am I going to do with you?” she sighed and tried to wipe the book dry on her dress.

“Here,” he said, holding out a handkerchief.

“Thank you,” Mary said. Using it to dry the book.

“I was thinking for your hand,” Tenac told her, sounding amused.

“My hand will be fine. Lucas will have my head on a platter if I bring a book back drenched,” she informed him.

“I can come along, and he can take my head instead,” Tenac chuckled.

“Sounds like a plan,” she laughed. Mary could never stay mad at Tenac for long.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For throwing a melon at you?” he asked.

“No, definitely not that. No, thank you for telling me happy birthday,” she smiled.

“Happy to do it. Do you have any plans for this evening?” he asked.

“No, I will have dinner with my parents on Saturday, I think. Want to join us?” Mary said.

Tenac’s face shifted from relaxed, to worried, to flustered, back to worried and then guilty as he tried to answer. Mary had never seen him act like that.

“It’s okay if you don’t have time,” she said, to ease his struggle.

“No, it’s not that,” he hurried to say.

Ever since the time he had cancelled one of their meetings and upset Mary, Tenac had done his best not to repeat it. Mary appreciated it, but she wasn’t as sensitive these days. If he had plans, it was okay.

“It’s okay, Tenac,” she said again.

“Let me put it like this. I’ll go if you go,” he said.

“Of course I’ll go,” she laughed. Tenac looked hesitant.

“Is there something going on that you aren’t telling me?” she asked.

“Weren’t you headed towards the library?” Tenac said.

“I was. Why are you avoiding my question?” Mary asked.

“Do you trust me? Do you trust I wouldn’t keep anything important from you?” he asked instead of answering.

“Yes, of course I do,” she said without hesitating. He smiled.

“Then stop asking things I can’t answer. I’ll follow you to the library,” he said.

“Fine,” she said.

They parted ways outside the library and Tenac reminded her of their riding lesson on Saturday. Even odder, Mary thought. When had she ever forgotten about their riding lessons? When she left the library an hour later, her father stood waiting for her.

“Hi dad,” she smiled.

“Happy birthday, Mary,” he smiled back.

“Thank you. Is that why you stopped by?” she asked.

“It is, and to get a chance to walk my daughter to her room,” he said.

“I thought that we could have a birthday dinner on Saturday, maybe invite Tenac and Tariana,” Mary said as they were walking.

“I will let your mother know,” Kopa said. There was a look on his face when he did.

Mary thought she was paranoid. Neither Tenac nor her father would keep things from her. She had been working too much, and it was taking its toll, she thought.

Saturday morning, Mary walked down to the stables as she always did. But when she got there, she stopped and stared at all her friends standing around.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Birthday picnic,” Hinat smiled and pointed at three large baskets.

“Happy birthday, Mary,” they all shouted, and Mary had to laugh.

 “Thank you,” she smiled.

“The horses are ready to go,” Sinhera said. As they walked towards the horses, Tenac walked up to Mary.

“Surprised?” he asked.

“Yes. I’m guessing you told my parents?” she asked.

“Yeah, I didn’t want our plans to collide,” he said. Mary hit him on the arm, hard.

“Ouch, what did you do that for?” he asked.

“That was for making me think I was getting paranoid,” Mary said. Then she gave him a quick hug.

“That’s for helping arrange this. Thank you,” she smiled.

“You’re welcome,” he smiled back.

They all mounted their horses and set off on their ride. The three riders guided them out of the city and along the river. They ended up on a small hill overlooking the river. The hill had a couple of trees and bushes that kept the wind off of them. As the riders secured the horses, Mary, Firlea and Hinat spread out blankets and started to take out the food.

Soon, they were all sitting and eating. Sinhera was telling everyone about their last training session that had ended up with Jontak and another rider, destroying a smaller supply storage.

“Okay, but you make it sound like it was on purpose,” Jontak whined.

“Oh no, I know it wasn’t on purpose. That’s what makes it so funny,” Sinhera told him, and everyone laughed.

“Okay, I think it’s time for gifts,” Jontak said to get the attention away from himself.

“Gifts?” Mary asked.

“Yes, what is a birthday party without gifts for the birthday girl?” Hinat smiled.

“But I thought the picnic was my gift,” Mary said, confused.

“No, that’s just an excuse to get out of the city,” Sinhera smiled as Tenac had gone over to the horses to get the final two saddlebags.

One by one, her friends got their gift out of the bags and sat down again. Mary sat on the blanket, looking at them.

“This is from Jontak and me,” Firlea said. Mary opened the small gift and saw that it was several small bottles of ink in different colours. There was a shimmer to them. Mary was fascinated by them.

“It has mother-of-pearl ground into it. It’s supposed to sparkle,” Firlea told her.

“Thank you, it’s amazing,” Mary said happily.

Hinat gave her a lace bookmark that she had made herself and Sinhera gave her a grindstone and a kit to take care of her knife with. Mary smiled and thanked her friends. She found the gifts amazing and personal. They all showed how much they knew her.

Tenac had two gifts in his hands. Mary looked surprised at him.

“From your parents,” he said, giving her one of the gifts. Mary smiled.

She could tell before she opened it that it was a book. It turned out to be a notebook. Her mother had written on the first page that it was to be used to collect Mary’s favourite recipes, and as Mary looked at the first ten pages, her mother had written the recipes for Mary’s favourite dishes.

It was a lovely gift, and Mary showed it to the others. Jontak made Mary promise to invite him to taste all the dishes.

“The last one is from me,” Tenac told her, holding out the last gift.

“Thank you,” Mary smiled at him.

She could tell this was a book as well. She opened the gift and found an old book. It looked at least a hundred years old. But it was in excellent condition. She realised it was in Old Urundi. The title read ‘The five most beloved Ladies’. Mary looked at Tenac.

“Thank you so much. This is amazing,” she told him. He shrugged.

“It’s something I stumbled upon on my last mission,” he said. Mary knew this wasn’t a book you just stumbled upon. But she wouldn’t point that out.

“Thank you, I love it,” she smiled.

Her mind summoned the image of the small book of love poems she had safely stored in her room back home. It wasn’t the same; she thought. Zerden’s father had been in love with Anna when he had given her that book. Tenac was just Mary’s friend.

Mary looked at the pile of gifts that she had got. She had never gotten as many gifts, not even when she was little, living with her birth parents. There was also the fact that it wasn’t generic gifts. They were all picked with her in mind. She thanked them all again, and they all smiled at her and said that they were happy she was enjoying her birthday.

“I’m just going to stretch my legs,” Mary told them as they had put her gifts away and were sitting down to talk again.

“Should we all go?” Hinat asked her.

“No, you can sit and relax,” Mary smiled back. She was feeling a little overwhelmed and wanted a chance to get her emotions under control.

She started going up streams. The grassy riverbank made it easy to walk.

“Want some company?” Tenac asked.