"Mom! Mom! I have a pwesent(present) for you," the boy exclaimed, clutching three daisies in his hand.
The mother saw her child rushing towards her.
"You must not run, or else you will fall," the mother reprimand him.
"Mom! I have a pwesent!" the child joyfully shout.
I apologize for misunderstanding your request. Here's the passage in present tense:
"Now, now, calm down," the mother calms her child and takes the daisies, then she smells them. "It's a nice smell."
It's really rare, it's the first time her child gives her something.
"Iths for Bihdeys pwesent(It's for your birthday present)" the child says.
The mother's eyes become red because she wants to cry, but she holds back, she holds her tears from falling and embraces the child.
"Thank you, my child," the mother says.
The child just smiles happily.
__________________________________________________________________
Nighttime falls.
The mother holds back her tears; she wants to see her husband, Jared. He's been gone for three days.
He went with the Adventurer group to complete a Door Quest, but he's still not home.
She's worried, but she's determined to remain strong because there's still a child who needs her care.
She knows that adventurers can sometimes be unpredictable and not strictly follow schedules due to various factors. She just hopes that her husband remains safe.
_____________________________________________________________________
The next day arrives.
She awakens to an empty bed, exhales a breath, then makes a decision. Leaving the bed, she prepares breakfast for her child, bathes both of them, teaches the child some words, cleans the house, washes clothes, tends to the garden, cares for the livestock, goes to the market to sell and buy necessities.
As night falls once more, she kindles the fireplace, cooks' dinner, teaches the child again, brings him a snack, and bathes him in warm water along with herself. Once the child is asleep, she closes all the doors, extinguishes the fireplace, and retires to bed.
______________________________________________________________________
Another Day
She heard a knock, she peeps in the peephole and see her neighbor "Jonifer, Maria's husband, visited Jennifer.
She opens the door. Jonifer enter and kiss Jennifer in the lips, he nibble her lips and jennifer push him away.
"What are you doing! I have a husband and you have a wife!" Jennifer shouted.
Jonifer scoffed, saying, 'I have no wife, and your husband has been gone for ten days. Lonely people can keep each other company.'
Jennifer hesitated but ultimately gave in to his advances. They went to bed together.
*Clap *The book closed
Ava, Jazriel's mother, exclaimed, 'Why did Jennifer give in so easily? Maybe her husband is still alive, struggling to survive!'
"Ah, it's just a book." Jared, Ava's husband, replied.
"I'm frustrated because of the story in 'Remember You.' Jennifer and her husband were close and sweet, but because her husband hadn't returned for ten days, she gave in to that man, Jonifer. And what's with that name? The author has no taste!"
"Calm down, Ava," Jared said. "It's just a book."
But even so, Ava's frustration lingered. There was a reason. Three days ago, she had gone berserk, causing chaos at the Adventurer's Guild. She had broken tables, doors, and furniture. Even the seasoned adventurers had kept their distance. After that, the Adventurer's Guild became soulless. The guild administrator, Axcell Burdani, had to intervene and bring Ava to the office.
Axcell Burdani is the Administrator of the Adventurer's Guild and also the older brother of Ava, born as Ava Burdani.
"Jared is still not home." Ava said sternly.
"Ava," he said, "Jared's group just left the dungeon. They're almost back in Catroni Village. No need to cause a scene. Just go do your usual chores."
Ava replied with a happy smile, "Oh, is that so? I'll go home and prepare some snacks for my hardworking husband."
As she left the Adventurer's Guild, her demeanor had completely shifted from the earlier berserker rage. Now, she exuded the warmth of a contented woman who had just received delightful news.
Axcell saw that in the window and sigh and massage his forehead.
______________________________________________________________
Back in the present
Jared watched his wife, Ava, cooking for our baby, Jazriel. He approached her and gently embraced her from behind, asking, "Ava, would you like to bring another life into this world?"
Ava blushed, playfully pushed him away, and replied, "After this" suggesting they'd engage in something mischievous later.
Meanwhile, their child was engrossed in creating art.
__________________________________________________________________
"Ten years have passed. Jazriel is now 15 years old and attends Carvia class, the second section of Antenen Academy.
Five years ago, at the age of 10, he experienced his First Awakening and gained the power of Blood Magic.
There are two common types of Magic: Mana Magic and Blood Magic. Many people believe that Blood Magic is inferior to Mana magic.
So, it was surprising to find Jazriel in the second section of Antenen Academy."
"Michael, Josh, Leonardo, Einstein, Adrian, and Charlex are his friends.
Michael Dayano was the first frienemy Jazriel made when he was 8 years old. Maria Dayano is Michael Dayano's mother.
Jazriel and Michael are neighbors, and they often fight each other, from the trees to the ground.
It all started when Jazriel accidentally made an enemy. He wasn't paying attention to where he was walking and ended up stepping on Michael's 'garden'. Michael's garden didn't really look like a garden; it was just a small puddle of mud with a few plants struggling to grow.
Jazriel stepped on it without noticing, engrossed in what he was reading. When Michael saw his trampled 'garden', he cried. Upon seeing the culprit walking around without a care in the world, he stood up and placed his foot in front of Jazriel, causing him to trip and fall down.
Michael laughed hard, and his previous tears were almost forgotten. Jazriel got angry and kicked Michael's feet, to which Michael retaliated.
When Jazriel's mother, Ava, and Michael's mother, Maria, saw their sons coming back home covered in mud, they were devastated. The boys were spanked and were given 20 extra homework assignments as their punishment.
They met Leonardo when Leonardo's father, Joseph Aquinas, was doing some business in Catroni Village. Leonardo was hiding behind his father. Leonardo Aquinas was shy, and they were the same age.
Michael tried to talk to Leonardo, but it ended with him getting beaten. Leonardo was not an easy kid; he simply didn't want to talk to strangers, so he hid on his father's back.
Meanwhile, Jazriel watched Michael approach this fierce kid and laughed at Michael. When Michael saw Jazriel laughing at him, he fought Jazriel and Jazriel retaliated.
After they fought each other, they went their separate ways.
Michael didn't give up on making friends with Leonardo. He just came back again and got beaten again. This happened repeatedly until Leonardo couldn't take it anymore.
Surprisingly, Michael said to Leonardo first, "I want to be friends with you! Can you be my friend?" Michael asked, his eyes shining brightly. However, Leonardo replied, "I don't want to! I want to be friends with this little child."
The little kid, Jazriel, was shocked, and so was Michael. Michael went and beat up Jazriel, and of course, Jazriel retaliated. Leonardo watched them, smiled happily, and then left.
Michael and Jazriel stopped fighting and realized they had been played. So, they hatched a plan to make Leonardo regret his actions.
The next day, Michael intercepted Leonardo and, enraged, Leonardo tried to flee. However, Jazriel and Michael managed to restrain him.
Jazriel stated "Kid, you have talent, but you lack training."
Michael held him steady while Jazriel opened the mystery box. Inside was his mother's makeup kit.
Jazriel picked up the lipstick and applied it to Leonardo's lips. Leonardo screamed and struggled, smudging the lipstick in the process.
Next, Jazriel applied blush to his cheeks, and in his frenzy, some powder got into his mouth, causing him to cough and cry.
Startled, Michael released his grip, allowing Leonardo to run to his father's side.
Joseph Aquinas, Leonardo's father, took one look at his son and spat out his tea in shock. He covered his mouth, trying to contain his laughter.
Joseph laughed heartily at his son's appearance, while Leonardo stood there, stunned, finally realizing that his father was laughing at him.
This realization brought on even more tears. Joseph continued to laugh, creating an unexpectedly joyous atmosphere.
After that, Michael's mother, Maria Dayano, and Jazriel's mother, Ava Burdani, went to apologize to Joseph and showed him their sons' battered state.
Joseph brushed it off and invited them all to join for dinner.
The entire family gathered around, except for Leonardo, Michael, and Jazriel.
They were given some milk and bread and were told to eat under the nearby trees.
Jazriel commented "Mother was furious because I touched her makeup kit."
Michael added, "Mine too. My mother doesn't take kindly to anyone messing with her things."
Leonardo softly murmured, "I don't have a mother."
Both Jazriel and Michael were taken aback, trying to offer words of comfort. But Leonardo reassured them, saying,
"It's okay. It's all in the past. For now, let's make amends and raise a toast!"
With shared smiles, they clinked their glasses of milk and sipped, as if they were toasting with something stronger.