To Rest, or Not To Rest - Chapter 2

“You’re ten years of age now. The Ceremony of Gifting is coming after the winter; I don’t want you to have to miss out on such an important day because you’re cooped up in the house. You’ve got to take care of yourself and be wary of your condition!” she pointed her finger at me, as if a lecture was taking place. I listened as there was nothing more I could do but that. “Your sister went through hers at your age, but you might have to postpone such a thing until you’re at least twelve…that’d be less than ideal,” she muttered, closing her eyes and letting out a huff of breath. What was this ceremony she spoke of? Gifting? What did that pertain to? I had no idea. Hearing such words from my mother filled me with more confusion. Better to ask now, that seemed to be something I could not understand, given my state and age.

“Ceremony…of Gifting? What’s that…?”

My voice wavered hoarsely once more. Mother looked at me intently, seeing my attempt at asking a question, I couldn’t help but want to know more since she made such a big deal over it. “Firstly, you need to stop talking. You must rest,” she said, commanding me to stop talking that instant. I shut my mouth quickly, as I focused on her words. Perhaps this was some insight I could learn before such a thing became somewhat apparent in this timeline. “The Ceremony of Gifting is a special day. The church takes the children of the town and assesses you all based on what your potential gifts are.” she answered. A pretty straightforward one at that. Was it like those forms they’d make you fill in high school? Where you have to list what you wanted to do once you were done with your schooling? The thought circled in my mind before she continued.

“It’s an assessment that your sister and I have gone through since we’ve lived here. We all have different skills we’re born with that’ll push us towards a career in the future,” she stated, placing her hand on her cheek as it seemed she had begun to recollect information on her own. “Your sister, she ended up being blessed with the skill to read and write well above the average person within town. That’s why many of the school children love to stick around her, as she’d help them learn to read and write,” she said. This made sense, seeing the kids happily surround her when we returned from the beach. Maybe they all knew her from her help with their studies, that’d make sense.

“Then what about Gil…?” I whispered, trying my best not to irritate my voice and my mother in the matter. She shook her head before speaking, seemingly overlooking my clear disobedience of her request. “Gilbert is a good boy,” she started. “He went to the same Ceremony of Gifting as Luisa. They held each other’s hands on the way to the chapel. It was the cutest thing ever!” She placed both hands on her cheeks, recollecting the cute memory before continuing. “The two went together, and it was confirmed that Gil would follow in his family's tradition of being a fisherman, as he had a strong affinity towards the sea. He’d often play there with your sister in their younger days. Though I’m curious if he has considered taking her for marriage…I mean, it makes sense.”

“Mother,” I interjected, not caring much for her babble regarding her gossip. She quickly fixed herself in the moment, realizing she’d done such a thing. “Oh, sorry. Don’t mind those words.”

I definitely will.

She continued. “I was gifted with the ability to make different foods and treats. That’s why I settled on becoming a baker, as it turned out to be what I was best at,” she mentioned. This made more sense to me, seeing that she’d brought pastries in from the night before. A baker, huh? Whenever I think of them, I think they were soft-hearted and sweet. But my mother seemed to be harder-boiled than that. Well, except for when she started momentary gossip.

“Don’t worry your little head about those details. You have to rest up, get your health back in shape, and then we can talk more on the matter.” Her eyes softened. Feeling that she’d done as much as she could at the current moment. “Once you fully rest, I’ll tell you some more. But stay in bed and sleep. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything,” she said, walking towards the door. The realization that I’d be stuck in this bed for the rest of the day saddened me. Father wanted to check out the Parchment Shop for me, and I wanted to see the school. This is the worst.

Mother walked out of the room, leaving the door open so that she could hear me if I needed anything. I felt frustration fester within myself, considering what I’d be missing out on. My mind could only wander as I had nothing but time to think about the possibilities of what could be out there. What were the people of the town like? What did the school look like? The Parchment Shop…

I felt sniffles come in between my frustrated breaths. I felt my eyes well up, beginning to sting with each passing second. Before I knew it, tears began to fall as I silently wept in bed. From a hellish fever to missing out on seeing more, I’ll have to deal with the cards I’ve been dealt and focus on recovery. Yeah, that’s it. No way of getting out of this one. I nodded to myself, frustrated yet accepting of my current condition. Maybe if I rest, things can get better…the faster I rest up, the more I can see and do! Yeah!