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Birthday Gifts (New Series Tomorrow People)
Summary: Megabyte is stumped on what to give Jade for her birthday, but his father has a suggestion.
I wrote this vignette as a unbirthday present (a present given on a birthday to someone who is not celebrating that birthday) for the TPFICT list on my birthday. It's also a bit of a prelude for a story I wrote called "Random Acts of Kindness" which is not being posted because it's probably going to a fanzine.
Birthday Gifts
by Estirose
copyright 1996
General Bill Damon shifted his briefcase to his other hand and opened the front door to his house. It was unusually quiet, but he expected it to be that way. His wife was out at a party, his daughter was at camp, and his son no doubt out with his friends.
He walked into the living room to find his son deep in concentration. Probably in communication with someone. At least transatlantic telepathic conversations weren't expensive, but he found it disconcerting to be in the same room with someone who was somewhere else in their mind and could be in that other place in a matter of seconds if he chose to be so.
Damon put his briefcase down. The slight noise startled his son, and Marmaduke dropped his hands from where they were cradling his chin. "Hi, Dad. When'd you get home?"
"A few minutes ago. Were you having an interesting conversation with someone?"
Marmaduke shrugged. "Not really."
"So, what's up?"
Marmaduke mumbled something.
"What did you say?"
"Jade's birthday."
"Is it coming up?"
"Yeah, next week."
"So, is anything wrong?"
His son stared balefully at him.
"You haven't found her a birthday present?"
Marmaduke looked startled, and managed to say, "But you're not-"
He smiled. "Telepathic? No. It's one of those things you acquire when you become a parent. So, it's Jade's birthday and you don't have a gift for her?"
Marmaduke shook his head. "I can't think of a thing. Ami's easy to find things for, but I have absolutely no idea what Jade wants."
"I see telepathy hasn't managed to fix that particular problem," Damon said, smiling wider in amusement.
His son glared at him, and then put his chin back on his hands.
"Okay, did you think of music?"
"She's got everything she needs."
"Clothing? Games?"
Marmaduke shook his head. "No, Dad, I've thought of everything. I can't find anything that she'd like."
Damon opened his briefcase and started rummaging through it. What he was thinking of was not precisely ethical, but it solved one problem he was having. "Does she like sports? Swimming?"
"Why?"
Damon pulled the envelope out of his briefcase. "I think she'd like these if she likes swimming."
His son took the envelope out of his hands and opened up. Marmaduke's face was a picture of astonishment as he looked at the contents. "These are tickets to the Olympics! Thanks, Dad!"
"They're for the swimming preliminaries on the 23rd," Damon informed him. "I was planning to give them away since I can't go then, but since her birthday is coming up, she should have them. I bet she's never been to the Olympics before."
Marmaduke continued to gaze at the tickets, and Damon watched him with paternal amusement. It wasn't often that Marmaduke, cynical teenager that he'd become, often allowed himself to be the youngster he was. Time spent saving the world had made him a little older than he was really supposed to be.
"Two conditions. You have to find the card, and this has to be from both of us."
"Okay, Dad," Marmaduke said, slipping the tickets back into the envelope and taking them upstairs. Damon chuckled.
All was all right with the world. And he had one less worry.
I wrote this vignette as a unbirthday present (a present given on a birthday to someone who is not celebrating that birthday) for the TPFICT list on my birthday. It's also a bit of a prelude for a story I wrote called "Random Acts of Kindness" which is not being posted because it's probably going to a fanzine.
Birthday Gifts
by Estirose
copyright 1996
General Bill Damon shifted his briefcase to his other hand and opened the front door to his house. It was unusually quiet, but he expected it to be that way. His wife was out at a party, his daughter was at camp, and his son no doubt out with his friends.
He walked into the living room to find his son deep in concentration. Probably in communication with someone. At least transatlantic telepathic conversations weren't expensive, but he found it disconcerting to be in the same room with someone who was somewhere else in their mind and could be in that other place in a matter of seconds if he chose to be so.
Damon put his briefcase down. The slight noise startled his son, and Marmaduke dropped his hands from where they were cradling his chin. "Hi, Dad. When'd you get home?"
"A few minutes ago. Were you having an interesting conversation with someone?"
Marmaduke shrugged. "Not really."
"So, what's up?"
Marmaduke mumbled something.
"What did you say?"
"Jade's birthday."
"Is it coming up?"
"Yeah, next week."
"So, is anything wrong?"
His son stared balefully at him.
"You haven't found her a birthday present?"
Marmaduke looked startled, and managed to say, "But you're not-"
He smiled. "Telepathic? No. It's one of those things you acquire when you become a parent. So, it's Jade's birthday and you don't have a gift for her?"
Marmaduke shook his head. "I can't think of a thing. Ami's easy to find things for, but I have absolutely no idea what Jade wants."
"I see telepathy hasn't managed to fix that particular problem," Damon said, smiling wider in amusement.
His son glared at him, and then put his chin back on his hands.
"Okay, did you think of music?"
"She's got everything she needs."
"Clothing? Games?"
Marmaduke shook his head. "No, Dad, I've thought of everything. I can't find anything that she'd like."
Damon opened his briefcase and started rummaging through it. What he was thinking of was not precisely ethical, but it solved one problem he was having. "Does she like sports? Swimming?"
"Why?"
Damon pulled the envelope out of his briefcase. "I think she'd like these if she likes swimming."
His son took the envelope out of his hands and opened up. Marmaduke's face was a picture of astonishment as he looked at the contents. "These are tickets to the Olympics! Thanks, Dad!"
"They're for the swimming preliminaries on the 23rd," Damon informed him. "I was planning to give them away since I can't go then, but since her birthday is coming up, she should have them. I bet she's never been to the Olympics before."
Marmaduke continued to gaze at the tickets, and Damon watched him with paternal amusement. It wasn't often that Marmaduke, cynical teenager that he'd become, often allowed himself to be the youngster he was. Time spent saving the world had made him a little older than he was really supposed to be.
"Two conditions. You have to find the card, and this has to be from both of us."
"Okay, Dad," Marmaduke said, slipping the tickets back into the envelope and taking them upstairs. Damon chuckled.
All was all right with the world. And he had one less worry.