HAPPY EARTH DAY

a reading from "pregnant pause" by helen faulkner

Meanwhile, on Hope Island, the planeteers, who were completely oblivious to the evil group's mad plan, were throwing a beach party in celebration of the water Planeteers' twenty-first birthday.

"Happy Birthday, Gi!" Wheeler grinned as he shyly handed her the seashell comb he had made for her and offered as his modest gift.

"Oh, Wheeler, it's beautiful!" the young Thai girl exclaimed, showing the delicate item to her female friend, her cheeks round with the smile that spread across her face. "Where did you get it?" she looked up at the handsome redhead who stood across from her and blushed slightly with embarrassment because he feared his gift wasn't good enough for her.

"Um, I kinda made it from recycled bits I found," he sheepishly replied, hoping she wouldn't see it as a cheap gift. He had been on distraction duty all week and hadn't had time to buy something that he felt would be a more proper present.

The birthday girl happily bounced over and gave the fire Planeteer a great big hug. "I love it, Wheeler, thank you," she whispered before delicately planting a kiss on his cheek and returning to her seat to open her other gifts.

The remaining surprises brought Gi a smile so wide that she felt her cheeks go round and start to ache from the grin that refused to leave her face. Linka had bought her a dolphin pendant that hung on a silver chain; Ma-ti had gotten her a solitude cd called angels of the sea, knowing she liked the soft and relaxing music; and Kwame had given her a traditional African rug from his village, after having noticed her admiration of one during her last visit.

Bursting with joy, Gi beamed happily at all her dear friends, whom she had come to see as her brothers and sister. "This is the best birthday ever!" she announced, barely containing her excitement as she threw her arms around each eco-warrior in gratitude.

As Wheeler, ever the extravert, raised his glass of ice cold lemonade, he toasted, "To Gi!"

"To Gi!" Linka, Kwame, and Ma-ti joined in, raising their glasses of champagne in honor of the Asian, none of them realizing that the next year would be their hardest yet.

Two weeks later, the pregnancy scheme was falling neatly into place as Blights formula had accepted the American Planeteer's DNA sample, with Mal confirming that the egg was now fertilized and ready to be implanted into the body of the unsuspecting victim.