Light and Darkness Side Stories

5th Birthday

What can I say about the year 2021? AN EPIC DISAPPOINTMENT! It isn't worse than 2020, but it was still a great big disappointment. I tripped and fell over one of those solid metal bars and sprained and bruised my right knee very badly. I'm in physical therapy for it, but I still didn't expect it to be this bad. And another thing, not only did we loose many great actors, actresses and other remarkable people, like Thea White. But top of this disappointing year, we lost the legendary actress, Betty White. Why her? Betty White was the last of the Golden Girls and was also in a lot of great movies and other shows. She was only days away from her 100th birthday.

RIP Betty White. Your brilliant performances and amazing acting is stamped in our hearts and memories forever!

It was Lita's fifth birthday and what she wanted more than anything was a pet. But whenever she asked her family for one, they denied her one.

"But Aunt Sola," Lita asked aunt that morning, "Why can't I have a pet?"

"Lita, we already have a voorpak," Aunt Sola replied.

"But Sanani is Ryoo's pet," Lita pointed out, "I want to have my own. Please, Aunt Sola I will never ask for another thing as long as I live."

"I'm sorry, Princess, I know you want a pet but we don't think you're ready for one," Aunt Sola told her, making Lita sad. She then went over to her niece and cupped her face in her hands and said softly, "We are still going to make it a wonderful birthday for you. We'll have a picnic by the lake and then we'll do some shopping in Theed."

"Okay," Lita said with a sigh.

Later that day the family gathered up everything for the picnic. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Lita played in the water with her cousins, Ryoo and Pooja. Sola and Darred were taking a walk together around the lake. Rooja and Jobal were relaxing in the warm sunlight, while keeping watch over the kids.

When it was time for lunch, they had Lita's favorites, smoked kaadu ribs, five-blossom bread, fruit, denta bean buns, berry muffins, fruit juice and blue bantha milk.

After the picnic, they all went to Theed, Naboo's capital to do some shopping. As they were walking through the Palace Plaza something caught Lita's attention. There was a Jawa with a red protocol droid, who was selling strange looking things with various bowls and containers. Her curiousity and interest overcame her and she snuck away from her family and went over to where the Jawa was.

"What are those?" Lita asked the Jawa pointing to one of the bowls that had what looked like some type of spore.

The Jawa spoke in Jawaese, and the protocol droid translated, "These are called sarlacc spores."

Lita's face lit up with excitement, she loved all creatures, especially dangerous ones. "How much are they?" she asked.

The Jawa said something again in Jawaese, and the protocol also translated it, "It is of a reasonable price of 60 credits each."

But before Lita check to see how many credits she had, her aunt and uncle caught her.

"Lita, what are you doing young lady?" Darred asked his niece with his arms crossed.

"Nothing Uncle Darred," Lita said sheepishly.

"Were you trying to buy one of those sarlacc spores?" Sola asked.

"I will take care of it myself," Lita said desperately.

"No Lita!" Aunt Sola said firmly, "I already told you, you're still too young to have a pet and even if you weren't a sarlacc would be the last thing we would ever let you get. Now come, and no more sneaking or wandering off."

As her aunt and uncle firmly pulled her away, Lita looked sadly back at the sarlacc spores until they were no longer in sight.

When it was getting closer to the end of the day, they all headed back home to the Lake Retreat, which was also Varykino Villa, in the Lake Country. When they got back home Lita opened her gifts.

Sola got her a stuffed tauntaun. Darred got Lita a book about the creatures of Naboo, Ryoo gave Lita a build-a-space-center set, Pooja gave her a stone pendant, and her grandparents, Rooja and Jobal, got her a Kiddie Cruiser and a hooded cloak.

A nice big jogan fruitcake was then brought out, with jogan fruit as garnish. "She really shouldn't be having so much sugar, but it is her birthday," Rooja shrugged, and kissed his granddaughter's cheek.

"Happy Birthday sweetheart," Sola kissed her niece before giving her a big piece of cake. Lita's cousins, Ryoo and Pooja also hugged her.

After Lita had her fill of her birthday, her aunt and grandma got her ready for bed. After a warm bath and getting her into her nightgown, they kissed her head and let her sleep before leaving.

Lita snuggled with her new stuffed tauntaun, who she named Padme after her mother, along with her stuffed bantha and tooka doll. While Lita was still sad about not getting a sarlacc, little did she know that when she was older, she would end up with an animal companion, who would be even better.

These last couple years were great disappointments, we can only hope the year 2022 will be a better year than the last two years. May the Force Be With You!