Birthday Surprises

 Mummy woke up to a new day.  Like all days, some things were the same but some things were very different.  She squinted in the dim light.  

Appa was already up and ready, whispering something to her.  She listened carefully.  It did not sound like, "Happy birthday," but more like, "There's no water in the taps.  I am going to outside to check the tanks.  Go back to sleep."

"No water in the taps" was a bit worrying but not as worrying as "Going to check the tanks", for it was still quite dark and the tanks were high up.  Of course Mummy knew that Appa had climbed many tricky rocks and mountains in the past and water tanks were nothing compared to that, but she still worried for a moment.  "Going back to sleep" was, of course, impossible.

In his sleep, Osito Nayan sighed contentedly.  He and Samatva were dreaming of their own tricky mountains to climb.  

As the light broke through, everyone awoke and had to share the half bucket of water that remained in the house.  It was still too early to call the pump house but Appa was slowly getting to the cause of the problem.

He had stepped out into the garden, to check the maze of pipes and valves.  Osito Nayan promptly followed.  

Mummy was a bit annoyed.  "You should have waited until we began breakfast," she said.  "How will I get him ready in time for school if he's wandering outside?"  

"He has to learn to get back inside.  This CANNOT wait," said Appa, and he was right, as he often is.

So, when Osito Nayan was finally convinced it was a good idea to get back, he meandered to the dining table to begin his breakfast.  

Appa returned and said, "Someone closed the inlet valve at night.  The pump house said they had sent someone to close the sewage water connection but actually they turned off our water inflow.  Also, the gardener left the tap open in the garden."

The gardener, when questioned, claimed it was actually the monkeys.

Anyway, at least there was no leak and more water was gradually pumped in by the time Osito Nayan's classes began.

As soon as we switched on the computer, there was a flashing red light- no internet!  Osito Nayan began to cry.  He hated glitches in his classes.

"Explorers need to be brave and strong," Appa reminded him.  "They have to deal with all kinds of unknown things," so Osito Nayan tried to cheer up.  It was hard.  Samatva slipped a paw into his hand and held it tight.

Mummy tried to get the backup internet on but it refused to work.  It was one of those mornings.  She called the internet company.  "There is a break in the cable Madam, my worker is already there," the man told her.

"It must be because of yesterday's rain," said Appa.

"It must be because of the monkeys," said Mummy, who liked to blame everything she could on the monkeys (just like the gardener).

Osito Nayan didn't care what it might be due to.  He was still crying, still hoping he would be able to join his classes and, soon, with the help of Mummy's cell phone, he was.

"Don't switch on the video right now," he said to Mummy.  "I want to calm down."  So when he felt calm and brave enough, he began his classes and everything went very smoothly.

Classes over, it was time to dwell on other important matters.

"I'm so sad I couldn't give you anything for your birthday," said Osito Nayan to Mummy.

She gave him a big hug.  "You give me a lot of happiness, which is the best gift," she said.  

"How about a card?" suggested Samatva.

"You are wearing ice cream coloured clothes today Mummy," said Nayan, "so let me make you a big ice cream card."

Samatva and Osito Nayan proceeded to make a big, beautiful card.

"This looks wonderful!" said Mummy.  "What flavour is it?"

"Rainbow flavour!" said Nayan, "The most delicious!"

Then, Osito Nayan thought of other important birthday things.  Like balloons, cakes and candles.

"Mummy, can we have a balloon game?" he asked excitedly.  "Will I be able to blow some balloons?"

"Yes, after dinner," said Mummy.  "Let me search for some."

"And what about a cake, Mummy?  Can I blow out the candles on your cake?"

"I'm not getting a cake," said Mummy.  "You know I can't eat chocolate or coffee or citrus things, and no one really knows how to make a good vanilla cake."

"We know Mummy!  Let's make one!"said Osito Nayan.

"Yes!" said Samatva, "I love vanilla cake, not too soft and not too hard, not too sweet and not too creamy, with just the right amount of.."

"There's no time today,"said Mummy, "We have so many assignments to finish.  So I have just ordered some food and we will have seviyan for dessert."

"I like seviyan too," said Samatva, "Not too thick and not too thin, not too nutty and not too plain, not too heavy and not too light, not too warm and not too cold.."  Samatva was a very particular bear when it came to the matter of food.

So everyone had a delicious dinner, there was plenty of water and plenty of internet.  The restaurant had somehow figured out it was Mummy's birthday, so they did send a cake with a candle to blow out.

There were balloons to blow and play with.

"A lovely party!" sighed Samatva in satisfaction.  "I'm ready for bed now."

But Osito Nayan wasn't.  "I want to stay up forever and juggle the balloons with Samatva," he said.

"Samatva is ready for bed," said Mummy.  So, very reluctantly, Osito Nayan came to bed.

After many moments of tossing and turning and trying to escape and get back to the balloons, Osito Nayan said, "Mummy, I can't sleep.  Can you tell me a story?"

So Mummy began a story- "Once upon a time, Osito Nayan and Samatva went out into the garden to play. As they were searching for new and exciting things, a gust of wind blew them both up, up and away.

Osito Nayan sat up immediately.  "A huge gust of wind?" he asked. 

"You have to lie down and close your eyes," said Mummy, "otherwise the story won't work."

So Osito Nayan and Samatva lay down once more while Mummy continued-

"Hold on to me, Samatva!" cried Osito Nayan, "So we don't get separated."  And hand in paw, they flew over many lands until they gently came down to a land full of balloons of all colours and sizes.

There were so many balloons that the people there used them for all kinds of things.."

"What kinds of things, Mummy?" murmured Nayan.  And as Mummy told him, he drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.  Samatva was already fast asleep.

It was a full moon night and the moon shone through the trees.  Mummy lay back contentedly.  She was full of happiness, and thankfulness too, for her special family that made every moment, however imperfect, seem like the best possible moment.  Something she would not want to exchange for anything else.  

Notes of music filled her ears.  The best kinds of notes - the ones that hung unheard in the air, waiting for someone to bring them to life.  She thanked Life too for the gift of music that it had recently presented her with.  So many birthday surprises!