Birthdays in Wisherton

By Amanda Hamm

Kids in Wisherton looked forward to turning fourteen. That was the good birthday, the one that didn’t pass with barely a nod. Families celebrated with a variety of gifts or events and not knowing what was coming was the biggest source of joy. Sevra Say is about to turn fourteen. But she’s not in Wisherton anymore. Will the missing tradition ruin her birthday? Or will something truly unexpected brighten her day?

Meanwhile, a new baby at the Boggs’ farm forces Peppo and Bale to take turns with an annoying responsibility and Lolly and Rye have found something new to argue about.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Before Someday Publishing
• Release date: May 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215212035

Book preview

Birthdays in Wisherton

Book 5

Amanda Hamm

Copyright 2023 Amanda Hamm

All rights reserved. Before Someday Publishing

Smashwords Edition

Birthdays in Wisherton is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, events, etc. are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Chapter 1 – A New Arrival

Chapter 2 – The Significant Birthday

Chapter 3 – The Gift of Leadership

Chapter 4 – Beginning to Plan

Chapter 5 – Beginning to Fail

Chapter 6 – Ploggity

Chapter 7 – The Ruse

Chapter 8 – Finding Lolly and Rye

Chapter 9 – Disappointment

Chapter 10 – New Plans and New Problems

Chapter 11 – Answers and Explanations

Chapter 12 – Finding Sevra

Chapter 13 – The Good Birthday

A New Arrival

Footsteps pounded on the porch just before they heard a knock. Yavic jumped to answer the door while his mom and the girls looked up expectantly. It was unusual to have a visitor so early in the morning.

Rye stood outside trying to catch his breath. Princess had the baby last night, he said between gasps. Where’s Lolly?

She’s still in bed, Yavic said.

She wanted me to get her as soon as it happened, Rye said. She’ll have to hurry if she wants to see the baby before school.

I’ll get her! Samtry called. She was behind Yavic and already moving towards the stairs. She sent Samantha an excited smile because they wanted to see the newborn demma, too.

Samtry called her sister’s name as she entered the room they shared, then shushed herself. In the hurry, she’d forgotten Lolly wasn’t the only one still asleep. Two-year-old Gretta Alleway was stretched out on a mat on the floor. Her eyes were still shut tight despite the yelling. It appeared the call had been just as ineffective at waking Lolly though. Samtry stepped around Gretta and shook Lolly’s shoulder while she whispered her name.

Lolly shifted to her back without opening her eyes.

Guessing she was awake enough to hear, Samtry kept her voice soft to explain. Rye’s here. He said Princess had the baby. We’ll need to hurry to see it before school.

Lolly slipped out of bed to her chest of clothes. She opened it slowly before she blinked away the sleepiness. Then she held up two robes. Should I wear purple or yellow today?

It doesn’t matter, Samtry said.

I wore yellow yesterday, but it’s my favorite. Maybe I should save it so both my yellow ones aren’t in the wash at the same time. Lolly was talking really fast without making any move to put one on. She had a strange way of hurrying.

Eventually, she dropped both robes and pulled a pink one over her head. She jumped up and down to drop the full skirt around her legs, then reached for a rope. She tied it around her waist, untied it, then tied it again. Her fingers worked quickly to retie it a third time, apparently not getting the knot to do what she wanted.

Samtry sighed and tried to yell in a whisper. I’m going without you if you’re not ready in time.

Wait! Lolly didn’t bother to whisper. She stuffed her feet in her boots and ran to the doorway.

Gretta didn’t flinch at the noise or even when the hem of Lolly’s skirt brushed her legs. In a few years, she might be as difficult to get out of bed for school as Lolly.

When the girls returned to the kitchen, the orderly breakfast had turned into a bunch of people pacing. Rye was holding a slab of bread with a slice of tomato and melted cheese on top.

Are you eating my breakfast? Lolly gaped at him.

Rye winced and turned to Nell Say for an explanation.

Lolly’s mom smiled at her. I offered him an extra, she said. Yours is right here.

The bread warmed Lolly’s hand as she took it. It smelled tasty, and even more important, it looked portable. She could eat on the way. Let’s go, she said.

Lolly was the first one to the door. Rye and her siblings – Yavic, Sevra and Samtry – were right behind her with Samantha Alleway on their heels. Lolly turned back as the door shut. Someone did ask Mom, right?

Sevra nodded.

She said it’s okay as long as you’re not late for school, Yavic said.

There was too much breakfast in Lolly’s mouth for her to say how obvious that condition was. Or for her to explain why she hopped off the porch towards the half-finished house next door rather than towards the Boggs’ farm.

Where are you going? Samtry asked.

I need to let Grandmother know I might be a few minutes late, Yavic said.

Lolly mumbled something about Tames around her mouthful.

Sevra wasn’t sure which sibling Samtry had meant to ask. She was glad to have both answers as they ran off in opposite directions. She wondered if they’d have any time to see the new arrival.

Rye wondered why Yavic was allowed to be late for work but Lolly wasn’t allowed to be late for school.

They would pass their grandparents’ house so Yavic could easily catch up. Sevra, Samtry and Rye waited near the path and watched Lolly rush to Tames. Her arms waved dramatically as she spoke to him. He smiled indulgently as he replied, but he bent to pick up a board with his brother Linus rather than come with her. Their little sister, Tally, started jumping up and down and tugging on her dad’s arm. Lolly sprinted back to the waiting group with Tally and Jason Alleway following at the speed a four-year-old could drag her dad.

Tames said he can see the baby demma later, Lolly reported, but Tally wants to come now.

"Do we all have to wait for her?" Rye asked.

Samtry had been about to ask the same thing. Tally wasn’t that far behind though, and Yavic was now running back to join them. Kerner was running after him. They might as well all stay to wait. If they tried to figure out who should wait, Lolly and Rye would run off together before the discussion was over.

It’ll only take a minute, Sevra said, possibly because she was thinking the same thing and possibly because it would only take a minute.

Jason called out as soon as he was in earshot. Lolly got Tally all excited about seeing the baby animal. But I know the rest of you need to get to school so she can only go if Yavic is willing to walk her back here. He locked eyes with Yavic. Do you mind?

No. Yavic shook his head and pointed at his grandparents’ large garden. It’ll be barely out of my way.

Jason let go of Tally’s hand at the confirmation. She ran to take Lolly’s hand instead. He said, Thank you, with a wave before he turned around.

The kids headed down the path at different speeds. They kept changing paces to keep up with each other until they were all running.

Wait for us, Lolly said. Her arm was stretched out behind her as she tried to pull the younger girl along.

Sevra squatted to let Tally climb on her back for a ride. Lolly stopped long enough to let go before she was running again. Sevra was slowed only by the desire to be gentle with her passenger and not by her weight, and she didn’t mind being at the back of the group. Before her was a clear picture of some of what she’d gained in her time in Brelin.

Before they left Wisherton, Sevra had been so careful about hiding her gift of extraordinary strength that she’d distanced herself from the few friends she had as well as her family. Now she and Yavic and Samtry and Lolly were closer than ever. Samtry had even started braiding her hair over one shoulder to copy Sevra’s typical style. It made her and Lolly, who were eleven and ten, look less alike from a distance. Lolly usually left her hair loose and occasionally, like when she was excited to see something cute, didn’t bother to brush it. The Say family brought Tames with them to Brelin. The rest of his family, including Kerner and Samantha, eventually joined him. Rye’s family had become fast friends with all of them.

The warm summer sun had no long shadows from the wall. Bits of pink and purple still streaked the horizon. The giant wall surrounding Wisherton had hidden the prettiest parts of the sunrise and sunset. Sevra felt that life was better in every way here in Brelin. But her fourteenth birthday was two days away. She knew a small part of her was going to miss Wisherton when the day had no surprise. She didn’t know how to reconcile that pending disappointment with her general contentment.

The Boggs’ barn was getting close with a cluster of fewls grazing near it. Lolly slowed to a walk to skim her hand over the soft wool of one. Tally wiggled to be put down as most of the group matched Lolly’s new pace. Rye kept running to the corral on the far side of the barn. He untied the rope holding it closed and twitched impatiently for the others to catch up.

Lolly tried to prepare herself to be let down. Peppo had warned them they might not get to see much of the new baby at first. Demmas were born with sparse fur and unable to regulate their own body temperature for several days to a week. They spent that time snuggled close and even partially under their mothers. The kids would only be able to see what Princess allowed them to see.

Rye pulled the gate open and ushered everyone through it. Samtry ended up with Samantha at the back of the group as he closed it behind them. The roof of the barn extended over roughly half the corral. Samtry could see that a blanket had been hung near one edge to separate a small section. The others, especially Lolly, made fawning noises and quiet exclamations about how cute and little something was. Samtry couldn’t even tell where there was an opening in the blanket and exchanged a frustrated look with Samantha.

Yavic stepped sideways and Samtry saw that the baby wasn’t behind the blanket at all. Peppo was sitting on the ground in front of it. A small blanket was in his lap, and a face about the size of a cat’s poked out. It was longer and less furry. Both eyes were squeezed shut and quick, snorty breaths escaped its mouth. Samtry smiled and made sure Samantha could see, too. The loud breathing was one of the scariest things about the full-size demmas –