The Sun Shines Brightest in June (Completed) gxg

Sunday, June 4, 2006

The next day we celebrated Klara's birthday, which I found out was actually on the first of June. Her family typically celebrated it during whatever weekend it was closest to, and since this year it was on a Thursday, they were celebrating it the weekend after. I was glad, because that meant I got to be a part of it that year.

It was a small event. Both of our families spent the day doing whatever Klara wanted to do. It was nice out, but she chose to stay in and play board games. We all sprawled out on the living room floor with the air-conditioning on to stay cool.

We ate lunch outside at the picnic table. She chose peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a fruit salad. It was simple, but that didn't surprise me. Klara wasn't one to go over the top when celebrating her birthday. She wasn't over the top about anything really.

We watched TV as our food digested. Afterward Klara and I took Ringo for a walk. For dinner we had taco salad and her mother had baked her a small, but very delicious, lemon cake. We watched movies for the rest of the night until it was time to go to bed.

"I would have got you something if I had known it was your birthday," I told her while I lay in bed.

"You don't need to get me anything, Sadie. It's alright."

"I'm your friend, though, and friends get each other birthday gifts."

"I never got you anything," she said quietly.

"But that's different. My birthday is during the school year when we don't see each other."

I thought long and hard about what I could possibly get her. I knew I had to do something. Guilt would eat away at me if I didn't. Thing is, I couldn't leave to buy her anything and even if I could, I didn't have any money. I had to give her something I already had, but what.

I had a bunch of dolls, coloring books, stickers and a few toys from when I was younger still stuffed in the closet. I had the clothes I brought with me, pictures of my friends from school, a couple of posters that I added to the walls. I had CD's stacked on the dresser, various art supplies for when I felt crafty, and boxes of Christmas lights I had been meaning to put up along our ceiling. Oh, and I had a jewelry box I brought with me so I wouldn't lose any of the necklaces I now wore all the time. I brought it with me whenever I left home.

That was it, my jewelry box. There had to be something in it that I could give Klara. I crawled out of bed, opened the smallest drawer on our desk, pulled out a flashlight, and made my way over to the box, which sat on the dresser.

"What are you doing?" Klara asked, squinting in my direction as I turned on the flashlight.

"Just looking for something."

"This late into the night? Are you crazy?"

"It's important," I told her.

I dug through the box, looking for the necklace that would suit her best. I couldn't give her any of the ones that had been given to me by my parents, but I did buy a few on my own when I acquired money, so those I could give away.

I found one buried at the bottom that seemed promising. It was a sky blue and white, swirled, glass marble pendant wrapped in silver wire and it hung from a plain black cord. It was simple, but I couldn't think of anything more perfect. The color matched her eyes almost perfectly. She had to have it.

I stuck the flashlight under my arm, pulled the necklace out of the box, and walked it over to her.

"Hold out your hands," I instructed.

She looked confused, but did as she was told. I dropped the necklace in her waiting palms and then shined the light on it so she could see it better.

"What is this for?" she asked.

"Happy Belated Birthday, Klara."

"You really didn't have to do anything, Sadie. I meant that." She paused to examine it closer. "It's really pretty, though. It kind of looks like the sky... thank you."

"You're welcome. I thought it would look pretty on you, because the blue kind of matches your eyes and all."

She looked up at me, but didn't say anything, just smiled softly.

I went back over to mybed and crawled back in, glad that Klara liked her present. It wasn't much, butit was something. Next year I was going to have to go out and buy her a presentin advance.