The birthday gifts
Kai's discussion about his future career plans with Joe leads himself to getting an electric guitar and amplifier for his 15th birthday
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, October, 1985
Kai and Joe (his anthro black panther stepfather) stood in the backstage area of the Stanley Theatre in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and watched Janice (his anthro grey wolf mother) and her backup group perform on stage in front of hundreds of cheering spectators with admiration. Her vocals, guitar sounds, and cheers from the audience were all wonderful for him to hear. Tonight's performance was a rapid, sold-out performance, and he was enjoying every moment of it. Because it was now autumn, he wore a dark blue, long-sleeve shirt, a pair of blue denim jeans, and tennis shoes, while Joe wore a red sweater, a pair of blue denim jeans, and Nike tennis shoes. He was in Pittsburgh, shooting a new movie and had decided to come and see Janice and her group perform.
Kai sighed and continued watching her perform. Although Janice was currently off tour, tonight's performance was to raise money for a local Womens domestic violence shelter. He was glad the concert was a success, and the whole event really got him considering a career in the music industry. However, fear and wonder began to consume him. He was afraid because he would be a failure in his future, yet he began to wonder if he had the potential to become a successful rock musician. Still, he felt that was a question he needed to ask either Janice or Joe as soon as he would get the chance.
Speaking of which, he heard Janice and her group start the concert's final song. He wanted some quiet time to think about his future, so he decided to walk towards the backstage lounge.
"Well, there your are. " Joe said as soon as he walked up to him and sat down beside him. "Bud, what are you doing back here?"
"Just needed some alone time." Kai replied, "But I do have a question to ask you."
"What is it, bud?" Joe asked
"During the whole night," Kai replied, "I had been considering a career as a rock musician, yet I'm afraid of failure. You think I can become a success just like both you and mum?"
Joe smiled and chuckled at what he had just asked him.
"Personally, bud," He began to tell him. "I think you have great potential to become a successfull rock musician. You've covered the basics since your mother started giving you guitar lessons back in March. You just gotta keep going and not give up. I remember when I was just starting out in the movie industry in the 1970s. It was hard but I didn't give up, neither should you."
"I wont, dad" Kai said to him. "But all tours, albums, and rock festivals. I feel like it's a lot of work."
"It exactly is, bud." Joe said to him calmly. "Success is something that takes years of hard work to achieve. But you can do it as long as your heart into it. Just dont give up."
"I wont, dad. As I said." Kai replied, now full of confidence. "But another problem I have is coming up with the money to buy both an electric guitar and amplifier is gonna be hard dut to the cost of both of them."
Joe began to think about this for a second, then got an idea.
"Well, you have a birthday coming up." He reminded him. "Have you thought about what you want to do for it yet?"
"No, sir." Kai replied with a sad sigh, "Yet now that you have brought that up, I was wondering if we can celebrate my birthday by having a birthday party?"
"You bet, pal." Joe said with a grin "We'll get started on the process tomorrow."
"There you guys are." Janice said as she approached them, "Is everything all right?"
"Everything's fine, honey." Joe replied, "Kai and I were just talking."
The two of them got up and followed Janice into her dressing room. A half-hour later, they left and grabbed dinner from a local Burger King drive-thru, then returned to their hotel for the night.
A month later, Kai stood in front of his bedroom door mirror at his home in Brigantine, New Jersey and began to brush his hair with his brown hairbrush. The promised birthday party was currently going on down on the first floor of the house, and his nanny (an anthro tan ocelot) was busy getting ready for it by having him wear a dark-blue sweater, a pair of long brown khaki pants, and tennis shoes. Casual clothes for this event, as he called it. He was looking foreward to this event ever since Janice said 'yes' about it last month.
"Ms. Betty?" Janice called from the bottom of the stairs. "Is my son ready yet?"
Ms. Beatty opened the bedroom door and stepped into the second floor hallway.
"Yes, Ms. Janice." She replied. "I'll send him down right now."
She didnt have to, though. Kai left the room and began to head down the stairs. The whole livingroom was crowded with all the party guests he invited who were friends and relatives from both the United States and Janice's native United Kingdom. All of them were busy talking and laughing. The caterers they booked from a local seafood resturant were busy setting up the food they cooked at their restaurant. This was gonna be good for all of them. He looked around and found both Janice and Joe in the livingroom, talking to his Aunt Zara Sampson (an anthro white lioness) and her anthro white tigon daughter named Taylon Eatheart, who was also studying to become a rock musician.
"And there he is." Joe said to the other party guests, referring to Adam. "Happy birthday, pal."
Everyone clapped and said 'happy birthday' to Kai, who couldn't help but grin and blush at the same time, while saying 'thank you' to them as well.
The party was going very well for eveyone. Kai was very anxious to tell everyone about his after-high-school graduation plans to enter the music industry and become a rock musician. All of them thought that was a great career move for him. After all, they knew he had music in his blood since Janice was a rock musician herself. He talked to his cousins and played quite a few boardgames with them. It was a lot of fun.
At dinnertime, all of them sat in the big diningroom with Kai sitting at one end of the long diningroom table. After eating their dinner, two kitchen staff members came out of the kitchen and into the diningroom, carrying a large red velvet cake with 15 lite candles sticking out of it.
All of them began to sing:
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday, dear Kai
Happy birthday to you
Kai got up from his seat and blew out the candles. Everyone applauded and ate a slice of cake, then it was time to unwrap his presents. A moment he had been looking forward to throughout the whole party, yet he wanted very patiently. Janice and Joe led him to a pile of wrapped gifts on the livingroom coffeetable, and allowed him to start unwrapping them. All of the gifts were new clothes, Marvel comic books, toys, and a new Nintendo Action Set with a few extra Nintendo cartridges. They were all great, and he thanked everyone for the gifts.
"I think that's all of them." Joe said, looking at all of the unwrapped gifts.
"Not all of them." Janice said, walking over to the livingroom closet "Kai, come over here."
Kai approached her.
"Now," Janice said with a grin, "open the door."
Janice opened the door and gasped when he pulled a shiny red electric guitar and amplifier out of the closet. Everyone was surprised as well.
"These belonged to your father." Janice told him. "I think you were ready to have them now."
All Kai could do was to thank her again by throwing his arms around her neck.
"Thank you, Janice." Kai said again, with a tear this time.
"You're welcome, baby-doll." Janice replied.
Later that night, Kai took a good look at his new music equipment in his bedroom closet before closing it up. Now, he felt a long, hard journey to a career was about to slowly begin. The next chapter in his life, as he called it.
The End.