Memories Of A Monster: A Child’s Aspirations

--- Booker H. Freeman, Past ---

He woke up slowly to the sound of someone humming a faint little tune that he couldn’t help but love and even if he couldn’t remember the name or words of it, he knew that he always would love it.

As tired eyes opened he found himself staring up at a wooden ceiling covered in little hanging trinkets that glittered and glowed in the air, like his own personal collection of stars.

Sitting up he pushed off a number of blankets spun with love and care over a years time, before sitting up and looking around the relatively small wooden cabin he lived in. With another bed opposite the one he slept in and a table with three chairs between them and a small kitchen and fireplace in the back away from the front door that never closed quite right.

It was in the kitchen that he watched a beautiful dark skinned woman flutter about. Her long curling hair held back by a cloth with several flowers tucked into it and a smile on her face as she continued to hum that comforting song of hers.

He was content to simply watch her work as he childishly swung his legs by the edge of the bed, his little legs unable to meet the ground just yet, as he tried to hum along to her song.

This off-note humming was what finally drew the woman’s attention to him, causing her smile to grow from a passive contentness to a far more active joy. “Booker, you finally awake sleepyhead?”

“Mm-hmm.” He nodded, before letting loose a yawn.

The woman gave him an amused huff, before shaking her head with that beautiful smile of hers. “Come on now, you were only allowed to sleep in because it’s your birthday. If grandad comes back from catching rabbits for supper, then you know how cranky he’ll get. Now go on and get dressed, today’s a big day after all!”

“Yes, mama!” He smiled back before climbing out of bed and picking up his clothes from the day before -his only clothes- and putting them on.

“Do you need any help with your breeches?” His mama asked.

“No, I’m a big boy!” His grandad had made sure to tell him that when teaching him how to put on pants, and he didn’t want to disappoint his grandad.

This desire did little to help him with the buttons on his overalls.

“Come on, don’t be stubborn like your grandad.” His mama told him as she picked him up and sat him on the bed before fixing his buttons and rolling up his pants legs since he was still a bit too small for them. But his mama and grandad assured him he’d grow into them when he got even bigger like them! He would…

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“There we go.” His mama nodded once his clothes were straightened out before tilting her head as she looked at him. “Wait, you're missing something…”

He blinked in confusion before looking down at his clothes and seeing everything they’d given him. “What am I missing mama?”

“Why a smile baby boy!” His mama grinned while pushing the corners of his cheeks up.

“Mama!” He laughed.

“You can forget your shirt or your shoes but you should never forget your smile Booker!” His mama told him as she lead him over to the kitchen table before helping him into a chair and taking the seat next to him. “Now then tell me, sweetie, do you remember how old you are today?”

He excitedly raised all the fingers on one of his hands. “I’m five!”

“Yes, you are!” His mama laughed, with a clap. “Keep that up and you’ll be even better at your numbers than me or your grandad!”

He couldn’t help but giggle when she poked his belly.

“Now since today is your birthday that means you get something special today.” His mama whispered.

“What do I get?” He asked excitedly.

“Today you get birthday magic.” His mama answered, wiggling her fingers and letting fireflies loose into the air.

“What’s birthday magic?” He wondered innocently.

“Birthday magic is a very special kind of magic for little boys on their birthday. Special magic that can be used to make any wish you can think up come true!” His mama explained with a light tap to his nose.

“Any wish?” He blinked with no small amount of awe.

“Any wish.” His mama confirmed with a nod.

“Wow!” He said.

His mama chuckled. “Wow indeed-y, but you’ve got to tell me your wish so that I can make it happen.”

“Mmm…” He thought about this, wondering what he could wish for. After all this was a big decision and he couldn’t let it go to waste…

“I wish… to know how to use birthday magic!” He eventually decided.

Now it was his mama’s turn to blink. “Oh? You… want to learn birthday magic?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “That way I can use it to make you and grandad happy on your birthdays by giving you wishes!”

“Aw, baby…” His mama wrapped him in a hug and held him close. “Everyday with you I’m getting my every wish come true.”

“Really?”

“Really, really.” His mama nodded.

“Then… I still need to learn it to make grandad happy instead of grumpy.” He figured.

His mama let out a laugh. “I’m sure he’d love that, but… you’re still a little little to be learning any kind of magic, baby.”

“Oh…” He frowned in disappointment.

“But!” His mama cut in. “When you’re bigger, if you still want to learn, we’ll see if we can’t teach you the same magic my mama taught me. Alright? Then you can make everyone’s wishes come true.”

“You promise?”

His mama cupped his cheek with a gentle smile. “I promise, my beautiful baby boy. You’re going to make everyone as happy as you make me every single day.”