Days of Daydreams Past: Part Three

      To earn money to get my petpet, I worked at a nearby farm in the summer. It was very dull work herding Babaas. It was funny, I was never allowed a petpet before as my parents (quite rightly) didn't trust me to take care of one, but now I was responsible for a whole flock. Baabaas are pretty uninteresting creatures but I was fond of my little herd though they were all raggedy and grey.

      Still, I got to know them all and their personalities became very distinct to me. I made up stories about them in my head, but I learnt not to get so carried away with it that they distracted me. There was Horns, the headstrong leader, always butting the little ones out of the way if they happened to find delicate, tasty flowers that grew in the little cracks and crevices under rocks. Then there was old Nanny, who trailed the group - it took a while for her skinny old legs to make it up the mountain with us. The young ones fought and tried to act big and tough, butting each other constantly, but gave the most pitiful cries if they got separated from the herd, whining and weeping til I managed to find them.

      My favourite was one I called Daydream. I had spent more time chasing that Babaa up and down the mountain than all the others combined, finding her stuck in briars and brambles and fences and between rocks, but when I rescued her I was always rewarded with big licks all over my hands and face as a thank you. I often cursed her existence as I tramped all over trying to find her, but at least she kept me entertained, and she was so affectionate I really could never stay angry for long.

      One day I was minding my Babaa, scanning the horizon, counting and recounting their numbers, and I saw my brother Keino approaching. I glanced up at the sky. It was midday without my realising, which meant one of my siblings would be bringing me my lunch.

      'Hey,' I said, as Keino tossed me a sandwich wrapped in brown paper. There was a tumbledown stone wall badly in need of repair and I sat on that to eat. 'How are things at home?'

      'Yeah, ok. Eftae's not doing well.' The last trip to the Healing Springs hadn't really cleared anything up, and now he was so sickly another long walk to Faerieland would probably do more harm than good. 'Mum thinks she might have to call the doctor.'

      I grimaced. Doctor's visits were expensive and this was a lean time. We made our money for the year after the harvest, and many months had passed since then. Of course my parents budgeted very carefully, but by mid-summer there wasn't much room for extravagance. Even worse than that though, calling a doctor meant things were seriously not well for poor Eftae.

      'Are you and Erren keeping out of the way?' I asked. 'Don't cause more trouble for mum when she's so worried already.

      Keino stuck his tongue out at me. 'I'm not a little kid,' he said, sounding exactly like a little kid. 'We're playing down by the river.'

      Playing down by the river. It seemed like a really long time since last summer when I had spent all my time bathing in the river, splashing around and dunking the others under the water and then climbing out and lazing in the sun on the bank afterwards. I had a vision of my mother from those days, coming out to find me, furious because I'd fallen asleep and not come home in time for tea and I'd torn my shorts and lost my shoes and not watched Eftae properly and he'd eaten so many wild fishberries he got sick.

      I watched Keino running back down the mountain. Apart from this one errand of bringing me my lunch, his day would be spent pretty much entirely at ease and I sort of envied him. I came home from work worn out and usually went straight to sleep as I had to be up at sunrise to take the Babaa out. When was the last time I had even climbed my special tree that overhung the road? Usually I spent the whole summer there, but I hadn't been once this year. Strangely, it didn't bother me too much - I had stopped doing some of the things I used to do, and while it was nice to look back, it was okay to move on as well.

      At the end of summer I stopped my work for Farmer Eugene and it was time to collect my wages. 'You're finally getting that petpet, eh boy?' he said, counting out my cash. He was a big, gruff old kau and I had told him what I was saving for. It felt like everybody on the farm was rooting for me.

      I sniffed. I had resigned myself to my decision, but when it came down to it, it was still difficult. 'Well...well not exactly. You see, my little brother isn't well.' I sniffed hard again, willing myself not to cry. I had put on a brave face for my parents as if I really didn't mind, but now I was going to break down. 'S-s-s-so, just for my now I'm going to put off on getting a petpet, and - and -'

      'That's very nice of you, my boy,' he said kindly. 'You've worked very well this summer, and I'm sure your parents will appreciate the money.'

      I swallowed hard and nodded, keeping my eyes down. It was fine. It was worth it. The money would pay for the medicine Eftae needed, and ease the burden for my parents. It was the right thing to do. I just had to keep telling myself that.

      'You know I didn't have much money growing up either, but once I had my first Babaa I could always make a little money on the side selling wool,' he said. I nodded politely, unsure why he was telling me this. 'Do you want to take one of your own?'

      I stared at him, open-mouthed, and nodded. I knew instantly which one I wanted - it could only be Daydream. I could hardly believe it, that the farmer was going to let me keep her myself! I thanked him perfusely and ran the whole way home with Daydream in a blanket, cradling her to my chest.

      Almost a year to the day, I walked home from Faerie city with Daydream instead of Eftae. I thought about all that had gone on in one year. I had written a book (with a little help from my family), had my first job, and now had my very own petpet. Eftae had been well for a time and then very sick, though with this new medicine from Neopia Central, it looked like he was pulling through. I had dreams that had been scrapped - first I had looked forward to being painted something rare and unusual, then having a rare and unusual petpet (I loved Daydream, but nobody would exactly call her 'cool' or 'beautiful'), and I had achieved neither of those things, but somehow I was happier than I ever thought I would be.

      When I reached home my mother was standing in the doorway. 'You weren't gone long,' she said, surprised. 'You must have walked fast.'

      'Haha, no daydreaming.'

      'Speaking of which, Daydream looks great!' she said, and it was true. Daydream was now the proud owner of bright, multicoloured fur. With the help of the Fountain Faerie, she was now rainbow. The faerie assured me that even after shearing, her wool would grow back as colourful and vibrant as ever. My mother had promised to teach me how to weave the wool, and I planned to have us all in rainbow fleeces before long.

      'Show me!' I heard a little voice call - it was Eftae. He was still bundled up in bed, but he was starting to get restless and bold, always trying to sneak out. My mother scolded him, but secretly we were all delighted that his energy was back and the medicine was working.

      I carried Daydream in to the bedroom. He squealed when he saw her. I hadn't told him what colour she would be. She had become his fast friend while he lay in his sick bed, and she squirmed in my arms once I got close, practically leaping out before I put her on the bed next to him. He clasped her in his arms. 'It's just like your story,' he said. 'We have our own Babaa for wool, but her fur is already dyed for us!'

      I thought about everything over the last year, and I decided that if it all led up to this moment with Eftae well enough to laugh and for Daydream to be there, coloured rainbow, if this was the result of every hardship and struggle, then it was all worth it and there wasn't a thing I would change about my life.

The End.