Chapter 2 Birthday Wish

Amaris woke to the sun shining in her window. She had slept the whole night without waking once. Something she was only able to do when she drank Grandma Beth’s special herbal tea before bed. Amaris rolled onto her back and looked around her little room at all the many years worth of decorations, posters, awards, and memories. She could hardly believe that her senior year was almost over and she would be heading off to college in the fall.

Amaris had grown up in the sleepy little town of River Mills. The small town was situated in the shadow of the mountain and had sprung into being near the river at the turn of the century in response to the need for workers at the mills that were powered by that river. Despite the mills being in demand the population never grew very large, as the town was rumored to be plagued by demon wolves. Many of the workers over the years had come and gone and very few stayed and put down roots. Grandma Beth was one of those few. Her family had lived in the mountains near here since before the mills were built. Now those mills were gone and most folks have jobs at the hydroelectric plant that was built in their place. While the plant provides power for most of the state, it does not require that many employees to run it so the town remains small.

Amaris threw off the plain white sheets and rolled out of the twin bed that lay nestled against the wall and in the corner of the room. When she was a child, Amaris would push the bed back against the wall every night so that she could lay at the foot of her bed and look out her window at the moon. There was nothing more beautiful than the sight of the full moon in all her glory.

Pulling clothes from the dresser and walking out of the room and around the corner into the bathroom, Amaris started her day like she did every other. This, however, was not a day like any other. Today was her birthday. Or at least the day that Grandma Beth had always celebrated as her birthday.

Amaris was not really Grandma Beth’s granddaughter. She had been found on the mountain side by some poachers. They brought the tiny girl to Grandma Beth because she was the local healer. They did not have a doctor or hospital at that time since the hydroelectric plant had not yet opened and the nearest doctor was an hour and a half away. Grandma Beth had cared for the child and soon grew to love her as her own and adopted her. Since the people of the town generally kept to the selves they never looked any further to find Amaris’s family. Grandma Beth had called her Amaris since that is what was stitched onto her blanket that she was found with.

As Amaris enjoyed the hot water of the shower while she thought about the coming day ahead. Grandma Beth had planned a quiet family dinner in celebration. This meant that it was the two of them and old Grover from down the road who helped Grandma Beth do “the manly things around the house” that she was not able to do. Grandma always said that she was good at fixing people but plumbing was another world entirely, and Grover was always happy to help, especially since he was sweet on Grandma Beth.

Amaris had not grown up in what you would call a well to do home. Grandma Beth always managed to get by and they had a roof over their head, food in their bellies, and clothes on their backs, but it was a simple life. They made their clothes, and gardened for their food. They had a short growing season since they were in the mountains, but they managed to put enough up every year.

Amaris was a hard worker and very strong. She was able to get more work done than two people, but she also never seemed to have time for leisure things either as there was always something else that needed to be done. At least her birthday was the one day a year that she truly had the day off and could do whatever she pleased. She rinsed the soap from her hair and smelled the lavender and lemongrass scent and wished that she were rich and could afford to have someone else do all the chores, better then that she wished that she were royalty and she would be having a royal feast for her birthday complete with dancing afterward, and no longer had to worry whether they had put up enough to eat for the winter.

Having finished in the shower, she finished her day dreaming and put her clothes on and went back to her room to strip her bed and throw the sheets in the washer before she left for school.

The tiny house that she shared with Grandma Beth was quiet. Over the years there had been many times that Amaris had to get herself off to school because Grandma Beth was called out to someone’s home for an illness. Normally Amaris would wake and offer to help. This morning, however, she did not hear a thing thanks to the herbal tea. On the kitchen table there was a note leaning up against a vase of purple lupine. Amaris picked up the note and read.

“Happy Birthday my child!

I know I will not be here when you wake. Know that where you come from, turning 17 is a coming of age and the time when you come into your own. For you it is also a magical time. Your birthday wish on the day you come of age will be granted by the goddess watching over you. May she grant your every wish and keep you safe. Happy Birthday Princess.

Love,

Grandma Beth”

“Well that was a cryptic one. Even for Grandma Beth.” Amaris thought. Grandma Beth had always preferred to call her princess when they were alone. It was why Amaris used to dream she was a princess when she was a little girl. She would make tall paper cone hats and use her towel as her princess cape. Grover even gave her his handkerchief once to use as her veil on her hat. She may have out grown the desire to play dress up but not the desire to imagine herself a real princess. Amaris put the note into her pocket and quickly sniffed the strong floral smell of the lupine. They were her favorite wild flower and could be found in some of the meadows up on the mountain. Grandma Beth never forgot and always gave her a bouquet every year.

The walk to school was short as the High school was in the center of town and on the same road as their little house. The high school really was a middle school and high school combined since the town was so small there were not that many students. The Elementary school was right across the street, and since all the schools started and ended at the same time there was always a traffic jam at the beginning and end of the day. The high school building was shaped like a large “U”. The front side housed the gym/auditorium, and the offices, as well as the art and music rooms. The left hand arm of the “U” was all the middle school classrooms and the right side were the high school classes. The middle school classes had gym music and art in the mornings and the high school in the afternoon. That way the high school and the middle school rarely crossed paths except for when they had school assemblies.

Walking in the front doors to the school, Amaris looked no different than any other student. She wore her long dark hair pulled back in a pony tail and had on jeans and a pale pink t-shirt. Her dark brown eyes were her most striking feature as they were almost black. She had olive toned skin which she assumed meant she had a European heritage. Her 5’ 3” height did bother her, she would have preferred to be tall. She would have liked to have long legs and a higher stature but she made do with what she had. Amaris had always been athletic. She played soccer and basketball. She did not play a spring sport as that was her busiest time of the year getting the gardens ready to plant.

As Amaris made her way to the high school hallway to head to her first class, she saw that the office seemed to have a crowd of visitors today. There was a large group of men in suits and a woman in a bright red dress with matching lipstick that made her stand out from the rest. The men were all waiting with their arms folded as the woman in the red dress talked animatedly with the secretary at the counter. They did not seem to be in agreement as the secretary kept shaking her head adamantly. Amaris figured it was another parent of one of the rich kids from the village up the mountain. They sent their children to the high school in River Mills, and most of the parents would come down and demand that their child receive the grade that the parents thought they deserved rather than the one that the child earned.

Amaris shook her head and continued walking to class.

She stopped at her locker on her way and dropped off her bag and other books. As she closed her locker her best friend Anna walked into step next to her. “Happy Birthday Mar!” She holds out her hand with a card in it. With a smile Amaris takes it from her and steps to the side of the doorway of their first class. She opened the envelope to find a pink and purple card with silver writing on it. “Happy Birthday to the best friend anyone could ever have!” It said on the front. Amaris opened the card to find a silver printed invitation inside. “what is this?” Amaris asks.

“It is an invitation to a party silly!” Anna says with a giddy hop. “Jack is having a party at his parents place up the mountain tonight and we have been invited.”

“Anna, you know Gran will not let me go and besides she and Grover have my birthday dinner planned.” Amaris answered sounding disappointed.

“I really would love to go though.” Amaris thought at that moment of the note in her pocket from Grandma Beth, and wished that birthday wishes were real.

“I bet I can convince her to let us go. Let me talk to her. We can go have dinner with her and Grover and then head up to the party by 8. She loves me! Just let me do all the talking!” Anna said nonchalantly.