A Birthday Surprise

Co-written/illustration by ATEX

 

“Ssh!” Dear, we can’t let her know!” Gaiana’s mother whispered to her husband, Mr Noblelight. The parents were planning to bring their daughter, Gaiana, to the Claris Island. They had bought a yacht with Mr Noblelight’s earnings from his thriving business. Gaiana knew nothing at all. It was going to be a surprise birthday treat for her.

The day of their trip had arrived. Gaiana’s jaw dropped when she saw the small white yacht. It was beautiful! Gaiana was so excited she raced up and down on the deck together with her pet squirrel, Rupert. She flung her haversack on the floor and dashed to see the interior of the yacht. Meanwhile, Mrs Noblelight unpacked the luggage while Mr Noblelight went to steer the yacht out to sea.

After two days at sea, they finally arrived at the Claris Island. The sight was breathtaking! Beautiful mountains, crystal clear lakes, soft grass — and a row of chalets built on wooden stilts. They immediately put down their luggage in the chalet and rushed down to the beach. Gaiana decided to pick some seashells. She wanted to make a beautiful necklace with a string of seashells. “Mom! I found a hermit crab, can I keep it?” Gaiana excitedly showed her parents her newfound ‘friend’. “No, sweetheart, let the crab go. It belongs to nature, it’s not meant to be kept as a pet.” Mrs Noblelight told her daughter gently. With some disappointment, Gaiana put the hermit crab back into the sand.

At dinner, the family had barbecued chicken wings, sausages, potatoes, prawns and some salads. Mr Noblelight told Gaiana a story about nature and how some living things were meant to live in their natural environment and they would not survive if they were kept as household pets. Gaiana understood that not every creature could be kept as a pet.

That night, as Gaiana and her parents sat at the balcony of their chalet singing and eating the birthday cake that Mrs Noblelight had specially baked for her, Gaiana suddenly saw a lot of fireflies flickering in the night sky. “Aren’t they beautiful?” Gaiana whispered to her parents. The fireflies were like little glittering lights shining in the dark night. Gaiana suddenly understood what her father told her earlier — the fireflies when released in nature were more beautiful than if they were kept in a jar at home.

“Happy birthday, Sweetheart! Sleep tight and sweet dreams!” Mrs Noblelight whispered in her daughter’s ear as she tucked Gaiana in bed. Mr Noblelight gave her a kiss on the cheek. Tomorrow they would be sailing out to sea again. Her parents had promised to let her try scuba-diving. Gaiana could not wait for dawn to break. A new day. A new adventure.