How I Met Hena Chakelithp

Chapter 15. Career Talk and Good Deeds

A few weeks later, the room was half done. We worked on it each day, hammering and sawing and digging. We decided to take a break for a few days and hang out with friends.
On a gray, cloudy, humid day in May, Arvern, Aranee, Hena, and I went out to eat. We sat at the table discussing life when Hena brought up Wen's circus. All of them seemed to be interested, especially Aranee, who loved acrobatics herself and was quite good at them.
"Yeah, she's really good," I said. "You all should come."
Aranee gasped suddenly.
"What is it?" said Hena.
Aranee's face broke into a smile. "You know what we should do?" she said.
"What?" said Hena.
"We should tell a ton of people about the circus and surprise her at the show!"
"That is a good idea," said Arvern. "When should we start?"
"Next week?" I suggested.
"On Monday I'm free," said Arvern.
"Me too," said Aranee. "Let's meet up at the town square at two o'clock and tell some people. Most likely they won't come, but a few might."
"Okay," I said. "Sounds good."
"Since you get to move out when you're ten," (Hena rolled her eyes) "what kind of job do you guys want to have?"
"I definitely want to be a healer, like my great-aunt Faila," said Aranee. "She really inspires me to help people in need."
I had known this for a long time. In fact it was how we met. When I was nine and Kaliana was six, she had fallen out of a tree and gotten horribly injured, so my parents had taken her to Faila's house. Aranee was already working as an apprentice there. She and I had become friends during Kali's stay there.
"That's so cool!" said Hena. "Not many people want to do that."
Aranee smiled beautifully.
"I want to be a member of the city parliament," said Arvern boldly and decidedly. "Or a soldier. My dream is to either protect my country or make it a better place. But mostly, I just want to be a good husband and father."
"I so appreciate that," Aranee said. "I bet you'll do really well."
"What about you, Srarori?" Hena said.
I'd never really thought about it before. Of course I wanted to do something I love. But what did I love? I loved the wind in my hair when I climbed to the top of a ladder or tree. I loved the pounding of the hammer and the swing of the axe. I loved the feeling of accomplishment whenever I built a new structure or chopped a new tree down.
"I want to build houses like my papa." I said simply.
"Nice," said Arvern. "I feel like that really fits you. You'd be good at it."
"Thanks."
"I want to run a business carving wood," said Hena. "My papa inspired me too. He has a business where he decorates wealthy folks' window frames and doorways and walls called Chakelithp Adornments. I want to inherit it."
"Wow. I knew you loved carving, but I didn't know you wanted to do it as a living," I said.
"Grandmama says carved wood as a decoration in the room helps focus the aura," said Aranee, whose grandmother was a fortune teller.
"My oldest sister Tasha is a seamstress. My next-oldest sister Dalley just moved out of my parents' house. At the moment she helps out at a farm in exchange for food, shelter, and one menzel a week," said Hena.
"What about Lorica?" I said.
"Who's Lorica?" asked Aranee.
"Her other sister," I said.
"Yeah," said Hena. "Lorica wants to be Tasha's partner with the seamstress business."
"Varnith's already doing what she wants to do," said Arvern. "She explores Hardlorn Castle for archaeology."
"So does my cousin," I said, grinning at Arvern. "But you probably all know that," I added with a shrug.
"I don't have any brothers or sisters," said Aranee.
"You're so lucky," said Hena. "I have three older sisters and they all bugged the heck out of me."
"I bet," said Arvern. "One older sister was bad enough for me. I can't imagine what it would be like with three."
"I just noticed something," I said.
"What?" said Aranee.
"None of us have a brother." I said. "Only sisters."
"I guess that's true," said Hena.
"Anyway, I gotta go," said Arvern. "Varnith wants me to help with restoring an old copy of the Book of Ka."
"An old copy of the Book of Ka?" I said. "Wow!"
The Book of Ka was a book written thousands of years ago with the original legends and myths and religious rituals and gods and all that.
"Yeah. The only things legible are the title and a part about Valiara blessing a holy wedding."
"What does that mean?" said Hena.
"Valiara is the goddess of love in our religion," said Aranee.
"Oh, right," said Hena.
"Anyway, goodbye!" Arvern waved and walked away.