.

my head.”

      Katy spluttered with laughter:

      “You? At your short eighteen? What am I then? An ancient geezer? Just like Mrs. Thompson?”

      “Pretty much, when you’re lecturing me on…”

      Alice didn’t manage to finish the sentence. The pillow, thrown by Katy, tumbled her hair again. Alice didn’t remain owning so, having ditched all dreary thoughts, they were soon giving a good hearty laugh, holding a pillow fight they used to have when children.

      That serious and disturbing conversation was lost somewhere in their scattered beds.

      Having chilled out, the girls lied down. The wind was roaring outside the windows.

      “Listen, Katy,” Alice suddenly said in a soft voice, “I’ve seen what was in that dad’s envelope.”

      Katy turned to her:

      “Have you read his letter?” she whispered with a rise.

      “I didn’t mean to… Dad wanted me to bring him the book, and it was lying on the table and the letter was lying open next to it. Well…”

      “What did it say?” Katy gave way as her curiosity got the better of propriety.

      “It said: ‘Time has come! Come back!’ And a lettering: either Mater or Nuter, I don’t recall exactly…”

      Katy’s sleepiness vanished as if by magic.

      “What the ‘time has come’? Where do we have to ‘come back’?” she thought, staring into the gloom of the room.

      There were too many questions, each and every answerless. Thoughts where hustling in her head chaotically.

      Trees were rustling outside the window, bringing drowsiness upon her. Soon Katy has closed her eyes.

      “What an odd day today was,” she had a chance to think before falling into a deep sleep.

      Chapter 2

      Unexpected Talents

      In the early morning, Katy crept stealthy to her sister’s bed. She had a festively wrapped package in her hands. With bated breath, not to wake Alice up, she thrust her hand to put the present next to the serenely sleeping birthday girl’s pillow.

      But then suddenly Alice captured Katy’s hand with a single flash-like move without even opening her eyes.

      “Alice!” being surprised, Katy let the package slip to the floor. “What's up with you?”

      Her sister opened her eyes and gave a soft stretch:

      “Oh, Kat, I’m so sorry. I did that reflexively… And what is that?” she grasped the package. “Is that for me?!”

      “Well, whom else?” Katy answered, rubbing her hand, having not completely come to herself after facing her sister’s crisp response.

      Meanwhile, Alice tore blatantly apart the elegant wrapping, decorated with a bow.

      “Wow!” she uttered breathy, pulling out a red velvet bag, embroidered with beaded ornaments and large rhinestones. It could be worn both over the shoulder and down on the back, like a backpack. It was Katy’s own handmade. It took her almost a moth to create this wonderful accessory in secret from her sister.

      “Where did you get it?” Alice has already been trying the purse on atop her pajamas. “I’ve never seen such, not on anyone!”

      “And you won’t,” Katy answered proudly. “I’ve made it myself. Happy birthday, sissy!”

      Alice gave Katy what looked like a chokehold.

      “I adore you,” Alice confessed seriously. “There’s no better sister anywhere in the world. I mean it…You know… Sometimes I feel like I will stop at nothing for you!”

      These words made tears come to Katy’s eyes.

      “Okay then,” she answered in a deliberately stern voice, having sniveled, “Let’s get dressed… We seem to have a great lot of plans for today…”

      The door cracked carefully open, and the girls caught a sight of Michael’s grinning face.

      “Can I come in?” he asked. “I’ve been knocking for nearly ten minutes already.”

      “Come in, dad!” the girls chorused. “Sorry, we got ourselves talked away…”

      They had flung themselves at his neck, and he, as so often when children, threw his arms around his daughters and gave them a lift up almost to the ceiling. The girls shrieked with elation and fell over Michael, turning all of them into a nickering hodgepodge on the carpet.

      All tumbled, Michael eventually got himself on his feet. He pulled two envelopes out of his pocket, both a bit crinkled.

      “Alice!” he began officially. But then he gave it up as a bad job and just hugged her. “Happy birthday, baby! I won’t be saying anything needless. Just one thing: Katy and I love you very much. But you happen to know that already… Here are the promised presents.” Michael passed Alice two envelopes: one was plain, made of white paper, and the other was gifty, bright and glittery. But as soon as Alice tried to open the white one, Michael stopped her with a gesture: “Not so fast! This present should wait till the evening. Surprises are like sweets: you lose the taste if you eat too much. Will you promise me not to make haste?” Michael had his eyes squinted in question.

      “Yes, sir!” Alice nodded willingly. “I love surprises so much!..What about this one?”

      “You can open it right now.”

      Her clever fingers instantly fished a beautiful birthday card out of the bristol board; several rustling notes were hiding inside the card.

      Alice clapped her hands with delight.

      “Katy, just take a look at this! It is enough for a whole load of fantastic excesses! Thank you, daddy!”

      Michael was remarkably pleased with his birthday girl’s response.

      “Okay then, girls, I’m waiting for you at breakfast.” then he left the room.

      The girls started dressing up. Well-minded Katy, knowing they would do a great deal of walking, pulled her comfortable grey jeans on and matched them with a green blouse. After some thought she took a malachite bead necklace out of her jewelry-box: it was her sister’s birthday today after all!

      Alice was fidgeting at her wardrobe a lot longer. She tried several outfits on, throwing the ill-fitting ones out on the bed. Eventually she found a perfect outfit for her adulthood day: a stylish mini skirt and a celestial blue blouse embroidered with rhinestones, showing off the rare colour of her beautiful eyes. A couple of colourful bracelets and a golden necklace – father’s gift for her last birthday – accomplished the look of a bright bird of paradise.

      When, having preened their feathers, the girls got themselves down for breakfast in their elated moods, pancakes with syrup and nosy tea had already been waiting for them. Michael, still wearing his elder daughter’s apron, also joined the girls at their small oval table, blanketed with checked tablecloth. He behaved rather absent-mindedly, having not even paid attention to Alice’s exotic outfit.

      “Aren’t you going to be late for work?” she suddenly asked with surprise, having looked at the big clock in the kitchen’s corner.

      “Me? Oh… I took a day off today.” Michael seemed to be deep into his own thoughts.

      “Listen, are you all right?” Katy asked. “You seem different since yesterday…”

      “I’m fine!” Michael answered after a holt. “Eat faster either you won’t have time to have a proper fun!”

      The sisters agreed at once after throwing a simultaneous glance at the clock. So they had hastily finished off a couple of pancakes each, drank up their tea and bustled out of the house.

      “Bye, dad!”

      “See you in the evening!”

      They