Cast The Die

Chapter Seven

May 2010

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR, MACEY" singing voices fill the air "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" I take one look around the room and I can see everyone I care about. My Dad is holding a cake in front of me with nine candles on it.

"Make a wish, Moo" said Mum. "Anything you want" I look up at my Mum, she is glowing with beauty. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

Everyone starts cheering after the last candle goes out. With all the excitement around me I forgot to wish for something, I panicked and blew the candles out before I could think of one. I wasn't bothered though, I had everything I needed in this room. My Dad started cutting the cake whilst Jen and I admired my new set of paints. Alison and David, Jen's Mum and Dad, had given me a beautiful set of acrylic paint and paintbrushes and a couple of canvases to paint on.

When I was seven years old, our family and Jen's went to London for the weekend together. We visited an Art Gallery which, at the time, seemed extremely boring but I absolutely loved it. I decided I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to paint beautiful pictures that would one day hang in The National Art Gallery. Even though the paintings were dated from the mid-13th century to 1900, I thought they were amazing. The meanings portrayed through the paintings captivated me. That phase lasted about two years, after I realised I was, in fact, terrible at art. That was when I found my love for literature.

"Macey," my Mum shouted. "Do you want to open some more presents?"

"Yeah, yeah I do" I shouted back. Jen and I ran into the living room and Jacob followed. His face was covered in chocolate cake. I sat on the sofa and they sat either side of me. My other three friends from school sat around the coffee table. My parents, Jen's parents and Jacob's Mum stood near the doorway.

"Here you go, Macey. This is from your Grandad" my Dad handed me a small present wrapped in pink wrapping paper with horses on it.

"Thank you" I said, tearing the paper off. "Wow"

"What is it? What is it?" multiple voices filled the room.

"A necklace," I said "Dad, look it's a necklace" my Dad looked at my Mum, the look she gave him looked like it was burning a hole in his forehead.

"Wow, a diamond necklace" my Mum said "a diamond necklace for a nine-year-old, how lovely" I looked up at her and she still had the same look on her face. Her eyes were like daggers on my Dad, it made me giggle. I didn't ever take that necklace off.

Once I'd opened the presents, my Mum instructed all the children to go and play outside in the garden. I placed my presents neatly on the coffee table in the centre of the living room. I took a step back and admired my organisational skills and then joined the rest of my friends in the garden. My birthday is in May, the sun was shining but it wasn't hot enough for our Mum's to worry about sunscreen. I sat on the swing next to Isobel, my friend from Primary School. We had a competition to see who could go the highest on the swing, I won. We laughed at Jacob when he fell over and got grass-stains all over his blue jeans. We laughed even more at Jen laughing, her laugh is contagious because it's so high-pitched.

When the sun started to go down, my Mum brought us all back inside. Everyone's parents came to pick them up and they all thanked me for the 'best day ever.'

"Ali, don't bother cleaning up, I'll do it all later," my Mum said to Jen's Mum.

"Oh, thank God, I really didn't want to clean up" said Alison. They both broke out into fits of laughter. Mum walked over to the cupboard and took out two glasses and poured them a glass of wine each. I wondered what it tasted like, but I know it usually makes them start talking funny and my Mum usually cries. So, I don't want any of the funny-talking-crying-drink.

"Macey, come quick, Jacob's seeing how many marshmallows he can get in his mouth" Jen cried. "I think he might throw up, this is so funny, hurry" I ran through to the living room to see Jacob with a face full of marshmallows. "Let me try" said Jen.

"I'm getting my Dad's camera, hold on" I said. I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.

At the other side of the dining room was a door to the study. It was mainly my Dad's work office if he ever worked from home. I know I'm not allowed in, because his job is important, but I only wanted the camera. I got half-way to the door when I realised it was already open.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" is that my Dad's voice? "No. No, you listen to me. I need that money by next Friday and if I don't get it, you're both..."

"Dad?" I whispered.

"Macey Moo, what are you doing? Please, go back in the kitchen. I'm on a call. I'll be out soon. I promise" he blew me a kiss and shut the door in my face. I only wanted the camera.

"Can't find it" I told them when I arrived in the living room without the camera.

"It's okay, Jacob lost anyway. He could only fit eight, I got nine" she said with a smug smile. We all laughed, and I'd forgotten everything about what my Dad said.

At 8pm, my Mum ran my bath. Everyone left an hour ago and I'm secretly happy because I was starting to fall asleep. After my bath, I put new pyjamas on and climbed into bed. One of the presents my parents got me was a TV in my bedroom. My choice of film was "Sleeping Beauty" but I fell asleep before she did.