Chapter 23: Chapter 22: It’s my Birthday!

"Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday Dear Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiii
Happy Birthday to me"

As I finished singing the song to myself I looked around at the rest of my family. Don't think they know the song but they are all looking astounded.

I love being a baby, I'm awesome!

They are happy with whatever I do.

I'm no Pavarotti yet but it is fun to pretend.

Besides, it's my Birthday! Do you think I can have a glass of wine to celebrate?

We have all gathered at my Grandpa Smit's house for a small celebration. My Grandpa and Grandma seem to be doing very well in comparison to us. Why is my dad a fisherman when he could be living like this!

They have a clock!

First time visiting their house but also my first time seeing a clock since my rebirth. Technology here has been very limited so seeing one was a bit of a shock. If they have a clock what else do they have?

Also turns out that we are part of a larger family than I realised. There were a lot of new faces when I was born but seems like Grandpa Smit is building a small trading union with his four sons.

Aaron the blacksmith, Borba the stonemason, and Carl the carpenter. Seems like he missed a few letters before naming Kaius.

Not only do I have a few uncles but I have a cousin or two as well. Akeen son of Aaron, Bella daughter of Borba, and Chris son of Carl. They are all older than me but younger than Aleera. Probably around 5, 7, and 9 years old respectively but no one is mentioning their ages as everyone already knows everybody. We have even met them before around town but no one ever mentioned, 'Hey cousin', or at least I haven't worked out the word for that particular family relationship yet.

Anyway, it is nice to see children my age. Who am I kidding? Not them. They clearly consider me a baby. So as they rush off to play. I am left chasing after them.

Do I want to play? Not particularly.

Do I need to play? No

Am I happy with being purposely excluded? No, I am not.

So I chased after them.

It then devolved into a game of hide and seek. Little did they know that I am cheating.

Echolocation and Sense Mana makes it easy to find them as I hum a little tune following along after them. I made a little effort at pretending not to find them but it was more to act as if it wasn't absurdly easy.

After the morning spent playing with the children.

We were finally corralled together and the children are sat with their parents whilst I am placed on my own in front of a small table with a table cloth.

On top of the table cloth, they had laid out several items.

A book, hammer, scarf, chisel, ruler, toy boat, fishing line, coins, gold ring, pottery, doll, trowel, feather and ink.

They are sat there waiting expectantly.

Waiting to see what I would do.

Waiting to see me choose.

Waiting for me.

Hmmm

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. . .

I was not going to fall for some sort of Zhuazhou trick. So I carefully and calmly walked to the table. Took one corner of the table cloth, then walked to the other corner of the table to get the other corner of the table cloth before folding it over the top of all the items.

Then without looking backward at the adults who were looking confused with my response ran off with my presents.

They are mine now!

Plus if it is anything like Zhuazhou, I haven't made any choice about my future as I have chosen all the options.

The parents, grandparents, uncles and partners all erupted in shouted conversations after I left. But no one tried to grab what I viewed as my birthday presents.

The rest of the children ran out after me but plenty of practice of hide and seek this morning had meant that I was now very familiar with my grandparent's large house and how to hide in it.

Once I had squirreled away my cheekily acquired gains I sat down to look at the most immediately useful prize.

The book!

Opening it up, it looked like a primer for children. Pictures and words graced the pages and I happily spent the next 30 minutes trying to puzzle out their meanings.

No surprise but it was Aleera who found me.

The other children had not considered my ability to climb up to the top of the linen cupboard a possibility, so hadn't even bothered to look and whenever the door opened I merely needed to stay still before they closed the door and left again.

She, however, took the time to check out each shelf before moving on and consequently found me.

Surprisingly, she didn't call out and joined me in my hiding place.

"Let me read it to you." she motioned me to move over.

"Thanku" I replied passing her the book.

We spent the next hour, her quietly whispering the words on the page. Teaching me their sounds, meaning, and more as we hid away in our grandparent's house.

The cousins had run back to tell the parents that I had left the house somehow and were dispatched to search the town.

It was time for the evening meal before we returned.

Prompted more by my stomach than any desire to put down the book.

Turned out I was right, though. Everyone had been waiting for my decision on what item to choose and having chosen them all, they were a little baffled as to who I would become in the future.

When asked which item I liked best.

I simply responded that I liked everything.

So despite the fact that they hadn't sung me Happy Birthday, that there was no Birthday Cake and not even any presents.

I still managed to walk away with a tablecloth full of goodies.

They were unsure how to take them away and I wasn't going to give them the opportunity. So uninterrupted I exited the house with them holding my sister's hand we made our way home. All the other children keen to know how and where we had hidden left the parents to continue the grown-up conversation about our futures without us.

Name: Kai
Level: 4
Experience: (400/1600) Health: 240/240 Stamina: 160/160 Mana: 150/150

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