A Birthday Present For Miriam

     Miriam Bellweather awoke early on Saturday morning. As soon as the Pink Blumaroo hopped out of bed, she ran to the window and threw open the curtains. She was pleased to see it was a beautiful day! The sun was shining, and she could see people walking around Neopia Central. Some were gazing into shop windows, several were sitting on the grass near the Money Tree, and a few appeared to be carrying shopping bags. Miriam smiled. She was going window shopping too – her birthday was coming up, and she had her heart set on a couple of new additions to her Usuki collection. What exactly they would be she wasn’t sure, but she wanted to investigate her options.

      After she dressed, she skipped from her room to the kitchen. Her mother was busy making breakfast, so Miriam sat at the kitchen table. Her father was reading the latest issue of the Neopian Times; as Miriam sat down, the Blue Blumaroo peeked around the corner of the paper and smiled at his daughter.

      “Good morning, sweetheart!” he said. “You’re up early today – why aren’t you sleeping in?”

      “Good morning, daddy,” Miriam replied. As she was speaking, her mother placed a large bowl of warm oatmeal in front of her. “Since it’s such a nice day, I am going to the Neopian Bazaar to see what’s new at Usukiland!”

      Miriam was so focused on her breakfast she didn’t notice the worried looks her parents exchanged with each other. As Miriam began to eat, her mother spoke. She said lightly, “That sounds like fun, dear. What are you hoping to find?”

      “Oh, I’m not sure yet,” replied Miriam, pouring Kau milk on her oatmeal. “A Dream Camper, maybe? Or a Dream Car? I’ll bet there are a million things I’ll want as soon as I see them; I can’t wait to go shopping!”

      “Window shopping,” her mother reminded her. Miriam nodded, spooning the last of her oatmeal into her mouth. As soon as she was excused from the table, she bade goodbye to her parents and left the house. Her footsteps faded away, and after a few moments Mr. Bellweather lowered his paper and looked at his wife with concern.

      “What are we going to do about her birthday, Mabel?” he asked his wife. “Since I lost my job at Tangor’s Workshop, there simply aren’t enough neopoints in our savings to spare for an expensive gift. Until I find other work, we are going to have to watch every cent we spend.”

      “I know, Baranaby,” she said reflectively. “I can bake her cake myself, of course; that will save some money. Perhaps you can make something? You’re a master craftsman, after all; that’s why Tangor hired you.”

      Barnaby nodded. “You’re right, Mabel. As a matter of fact, I have an idea for a gift. It’s not a camper, but I think Miriam will like it.” As he told his wife what he planned, her face brightened. When he’d completely outlined what he wanted to do, she nodded.

      “It’s a wonderful idea!” she said enthusiastically. “I can add a special touch to it as well. We only have a few days to get things ready so we’d better get started right away.”

      Miriam was at Usukiland, looking at the latest arrivals for sale. There were so many things she wanted! The Dream Camper was divine, obviously, and number one on her wishlist, but there were several new items that caught her eye. The Usuki Knight dressed in silver armour was splendid – and if she paired it with a Usuki Dream Castle and Usuki Musketeer, she could stage little plays! They were very expensive, of course, but she wasn’t worried about that. As she looked at the merchandise, she noticed a large poster pinned up on the wall. “Usuki Contest!” It said in bold letters. Intrigued, she went over for a closer look. As she read the details, her eyes widened, and she hurried home to talk to her parents.

      “Usukiland is having a contest,” she told her mother excitedly. “It’s happening ON MY BIRTHDAY! They want Usuki fans to bring their favourite Usuki creations to the shop – there’s going to be judges and everything! The winners will get trophies and Usuki credit to spend in the shop. It’s even going to be featured in the Neopian Times – isn’t it amazing?”

      Mabel smiled warmly at her daughter. “It sounds very exciting, Miriam. If it’s something you want to do for your birthday, then it’s what we will do. Your father will come along as well – we’ll make a day of it.”

      The next few days passed far too slowly, as far as Miriam was concerned. At last, however, her birthday arrived. She was awoken in the morning by her mother bringing in a special breakfast tray. French Toast with strawberries and a small glass of orange juice. There was a “9” on the toast, spelt out in powdered sugar – Miriam squealed with glee when she saw it.

      “It’s not every day someone turns nine years old,” her mother explained, “it must be celebrated! Eat your breakfast and get dressed, and when you come out we’ll give you your birthday presents.”

      Miriam nodded happily and gobbled her French Toast as fast as possible. She was excited to see what her presents were, so she was dressed and out of her room in only a few minutes. When she entered the living room, she saw a large wrapped package on the floor. It was massive! There were several smaller packages on the table, so many she wasn’t sure what to open first. Her father selected a large box from the table and gave it to her.

      “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” he said simply. “I hope you like it.”

      Miriam took the package from him – it was quite heavy. ‘I bet it’s the Dream Camper!’ she thought to herself as she began ripping the paper off. As the box was uncovered, Miriam was puzzled. It didn’t look like a Usuki box. It wasn’t pink; there were no pictures on it. It was just a plain cardboard box. She opened it slowly, and at first was not sure what she was looking at. She took the item out and realised what it was. Her heart fell. It wasn’t a Usuki ANYTHING; it was a firetruck. Although she was sorely disappointed, she had to admit it was a beautiful truck; it was made of metal and painted a bright red, with the words “USUKI FIRE DEPARTMENT” on the side in yellow. It had a gold bell and real rubber wheels, and when she put it on the table she found it rolled easily back and forth. It even had a ladder; when she turned the handle, she was amazed to see the ladder extend! As she examined the toy, her father explained.

      “I know it’s not what you wanted, Miriam, but it’s the best I can give you for now. When I get a new job, I promise I will get you the Dream Camper.” Miriam put the truck down and hugged her father tightly. She knew he had made the truck himself, and it was beautiful. After she looked at the truck a little more, she opened the other packages on the table. She discovered he mother had been crafting as well! There was a Usuki-sized fireman’s coat and red helmet with a number ‘9’ on it, and a pair of Usuki Fireman’s boots and gloves. In addition to the Usuki-sized items, she discovered a larger set of items to fit her! She suspected she might know what was in the largest box on the floor, and when she tore the paper away, her suspicions were confirmed. Her father had made her a pedal car replica of the Usuki Fire Truck. It was identical in every respect to the miniature version, only larger. Any disappointment she had originally felt vanished. She was thrilled with her gifts. She put the Usuki style items on her Magical Hair Usuki and put the doll in the driver’s seat of the truck. Everything fit perfectly.

      “If you don’t want to enter the contest today at Usukiland, it’s all right, Miriam. We’ll understand,” said her mother. Miriam shook her head vehemently, and pointed at the clock on the wall.

      “It starts in a few minutes,” she said, and climbed into her pedal car. “If Daddy can carry my Usuki truck, I think we can get in time. Make way for the Fire Department!” Barnaby picked up the truck, Mabel opened the front door, and Miriam led the procession to the store. They arrived just as the contest was beginning. Mabel got an entry for her daughter, and as they waited their turn to appear before the judges, they marvelled at the other entries. There were Dream Cars galore; Campers and Boats, Usuki Pop Stars and all manner of dolls. Finally it was Miriam’s turn to show off her entry. Still wearing her Fireman’s coat and hat, she carried the Usuki Firetruck to the judge’s table. The judges were speechless when they saw what she presented. Miriam said apologetically, “I know it’s not official Usuki merchandise, but it’s what my mother and father made for me. I hope you like it as much as I do.” She showed them how the truck rolled, and the ladder went up; the doors opened, and the bell would ring if you jiggled it. They even looked at the Usuki fireman sitting in the driver’s seat. When she was done showing her entry, she returned to her seat in the audience, next to her parents, and waited for the judging to finish. Finally it did, and the head judge (a Yellow Usul) stood to announce the winners. Winners five through the runner-up were announced, and each went to the stage to receive their trophies. None of them was Miriam. Her mother patted her on the back in commiseration.

     ...And the first place trophy is awarded to...Miriam Bellweather!” Miriam’s mouth dropped open in surprise. She was so stunned her mother had to walk her to the stage. As she received her trophy and an envelope containing 10,000 np worth of Usuki store credit, she saw one of the judges speaking to her father. Once the presentations were done, she returned to her parents, clutching her prizes. Her mother was wiping a tear from her eye, and her father was sitting silent. Miriam looked at him, worried something was wrong. Then her father spoke.

      “One of the judges was the President of Usuki Industries,” he said. “He told me he was very impressed by your entry, and was astonished to learn that I had made it myself. He has offered me a job as head of product design at the company. I start first thing Monday morning.” He hugged Miriam tightly. “I will be able to get you that Camper you wanted sooner than I thought!” Miriam shook her head.

      “I don’t want that anymore, Daddy,” she said “You and Mommy gave me the best presents in the world.”

     The End.