Experiment 232

Chapter 1

There she is. As if on cue, she skips up to the village baker’s window to collect her family’s bread for the week, just as she does every Monday morning. The baker gives his greetings, and she smiles that adorable smile of hers. She pays for the bread and is about to leave but the baker stops her and hands her something else. A beautifully decorated cupcake, just for her. She tries to give him some extra money for it, but he doesn’t take it, saying, “A birthday treat, Kitty.” Her eyes open wide and she nods, thanking him with a wide smile.

She makes her way home with the bread in one arm, holding her cupcake in her free hand. As she passes, people call out.

“Good morning, Kitty!”

“Happy birthday, Kitty!”

The smiles back, saying thank you, wishing them a good day. She always smiles. I love her smile.

As she is about to head down the path out of the village square, I run up to her.

“Kitty!”

She turns around and looks at me with those huge Bambi eyes.

“Oh, good morning, Jamie!”

She stops so I can catch up with her. Once I reach the point where she stands, I bend over to catch my breath. I look up at her and hold out a small paper-wrapped object. She looks at it curiously then looks back at me.

“Happy birthday,” I say. “Open it. You’ll love it.”

She smiles and takes it in her free hand. I offer to hold the bread and her cake so that she can open her gift. The bread is still warm.

After a moment, the paper falls away, revealing a pink and blue bracelet, good quality too. Her eyes light up.

“It’s so pretty!” she exclaims, sliding it on her wrist.

“Emma made it,” I explain, “She said that it’s a present from our family.”

She smiles again and hugs me, being careful not to squash her cake. I hand her things and she nods to me.

“Have a good day,” she says, and walks on home.

I already have, I think.

A voice shouting my name wakes me from my sleep. I don’t want to get up. I want to stay in bed with my dreams. But I know I have things to do.

I roll out of bed and head down the hallway to the kitchen. My parents and Emma have started breakfast without me. They look at me as I take my seat.

“You’re up late,” Emma notices, and I look at my sister.

“I know. I just…”

“Bad sleep?”

I nod wearily.

“I know,” she says, “None of us could.”

She yawns, and then stands.

“Have a good day, Jamie. Bye, Mum. Bye, Dad,” she says, and heads off to work. She works at the village jeweller’s. She’s a very creative woman. She’s always loved to make jewellery, so when the jeweller offered her a job, she was ecstatic. There aren’t often any good quality materials, but every now and then someone comes across a nice looking stone and lets them use it or makes some pretty beads for them so they have things to work with. Sometimes people donate beads, but Emma is also very good at making her own ones too. She always has been. I can remember one creation in particular, and I feel a little pain inside every time I do.

Once I’ve eaten, I get up and start off on my chores for today, making my way towards the village square through the green. Kitty loved to play here.