SWRC: Gaining Trust. (Book 1)

Chapter 22 Starting School.

<1 week later...>

Neeran heard a small chime inside her head and 10 small figures appeared in front of her.
"Hey guys," said Neeran. "What do you need?"

"Ezra's report on the test just came through," said the green-yellow figure Delta.
"We thought that you'd like to check it out," added the blue-silver figure Epsilon.

"Alright, pull it up," said Neeran.
A page of writing appeared in front of Neeran and she skim read it, ignoring most the writing having read it before.

Finally, she found what she was looking for in the report.
"Here it is."
Neeran glanced across the lines and read them,
"Your child has passed the entrance test with flying colours and we wish to inform you that he/she will be entering grade 1."

"Ezra must be really smart," said a small red-purple-blue figure named Theta.
"He's in the same grade as Janan," answered Neeran.

"That's a good thing," said two twin AI's who were gold and silver whose names were Eta and Iota respectively.
"Sure is you two," replied Neeran.
"Knock, knock," said a misty blue figure named Gamma.

"Shut it Gamma," said Neeran. "Don't you four have anything to add?"
"No it's been pretty much summed up," said a silver-white and black striped figure called Alpha.
"Nothing else that we need to add," added a black and silver striped figure named Beta.

"Sigma? Omega?" asked Neeran raising an eyebrow.

The fire coloured AI called Sigma looked at her with a look that told her he had nothing to say about the news and the other black and blue hued AI Omega seemed to be evilly plotting something and hadn't seemed to have heard her.

Neeran rolled her eyes and went back to the document before her.
"Seems that I should tell everyone else," sighed Neeran. "Hey guys! Come on into the front room!"

Footsteps came thundering across the floor as Neeran whispered to the ten AI,
"Instruction: keep the display up and log off."
The AI all blinked and flashed off as the five children all came into the room and hurried over to her with Shakkuri right behind them.

"Yes mum?" asked all of the children simultaneously.
Neeran suppressed a giggle and replied, "Well, Ezra's report just came through so do you all want to hear it?"

"Yes!" exclaimed all of them.
"Alright," said Neeran and read, "Your child has passed the entrance test with flying colours and we wish to inform you that he/she will be entering grade 1. What do you all reckon? Pretty good?"
"So is Ezra in my class?" asked Janan excitedly.

"Most likely," replied Neeran.
"Yay!"
"So that means you all will be taking care of him at school now," added Neeran.

"We take care of each other anyway, mum," replied Jexxel.

"I know, just making sure."

<Monday...>

Ezra grabbed Neeran's hand as she stood up from beside the table where he sat with Janan and three of her friends.

"Ezra, I can't stay here," said Neeran. "I have to go to work."
"But, I'm scared," whispered Ezra.
"Don't worry Ezra. Janan and her three friends here will look after you today as well as Jexxel and Chopper at lunchtimes."

"But, will you be here?" asked Ezra.
"I will this afternoon when school is over," replied Neeran, when an idea suddenly occurred to her.

Fishing into her pocket, Neeran pulled out a small marble with a twisting blue pattern in it and placed it in Ezra's hand.

"Here, have this. When you miss me or need to know I'll come back, just take a hold of this marble and think of me. Can you do that?"

Ezra nodded, took a hold of the marble and asked,
"So, you will come back?"
"Of course," replied Neeran ruffling his hair. "I said I'd look after you, didn't I?"

Ezra smiled and let go of Neeran's hand. Seeing Ezra would be okay, Neeran left the classroom to go to work waving goodbye to Mira before she left.

"Can I see the marble Ezra?" asked Janan.
"Sure," replied Ezra showing it to his older 'sister'.
"Whoa," exclaimed Janan.
"What?" asked Ezra a little scared.

"This mums' special marble," said Janan. "It's the one her mum gave her when she started grade 1."
"Really?"

"Yeah, she's given us all one," replied Janan pulling hers out of her pocket. It was the same as Ezra's, only purple instead of blue. "Choppers' is red, Jexxels' is yellow and Dads' is green."

Janan then signalled for them to be quiet as Mira had just started to teach.

<A small cafe not too far from the school...>

Neeran walked around behind the counter of the cafe and greeted the girl behind it.
"Morning Zaera."
"Morning Neeran. How are you?" replied Zaera perking up at Neeran entering the store.

"I'm good. How about you and Caine?"
"I'm fine and you can ask Caine how he is yourself," replied Zaera indicating to the man walking in from out the back.
"Good morning Neeran. Just finished the school run did you?" said Caine, glancing at his watch. "Took a bit longer than normal."

"Well, that's because I've gotten another two children," replied Neeran.  "Ezra didn't want me to leave him at school and Kyipen is at home with Shakkuri."
"Where did you find these two?" asked Zaera.

Neeran lowered her voice and said, "Ezra was a slave on Jex and Kyipi is from Gorse. Neither of them have parents left."

Zaera shook her head and Caine clenched his fists.
"How are your boys doing?" asked Neeran changing the subject.

"Sinbad is in the same grade as Jexxel and Ja'far and Seishuun are with Janan this year," said Caine.
"They're growing up too fast for me," said Neeran looking out at the street.

"That's funny coming from you," snickered Zaera, leaning on the bench beside Neeran.
Neeran paused for a moment before laughing and saying, "Haha, very funny. Not!"