Sila and Agnit were inseparable. Trivini and Nina both had parental-first-rights1, paid time to be with their family, for the first two years and would take them to their social groups on their leave-days. Though they got along with the other children, they were more focused on one another than the other kids. For Inma2, the caste that Sila was born to, this was considered worrying. Communal cohesion was important, and they feared that the sisters would become too co-dependent on one another.
Vorix suggested that they have their own rooms, an unusual choice for alnisian siblings. Their home was plenty large enough to support it, with a dozen independent rooms. A perk to zoning a residence up, the family home was originally a Humar3 house that had been empty since the city rezoned it into an Inma zone. Their home had four high-rooms and eight-low rooms. Until they decided to separate the children, all the parents used only one high-room and Sila and Agnit shared a low-room.
It was unorthodox for Inma children to be separated before the fourth child, but the parents deemed it necessary. The girls were split into different social groups, made possible with the parental-second-rights4 offered to their other parents. For the first two months, the girls were restless and quarrelsome, refusing to do anything but sulk. Older children would often come and sit with Sila as she fell into these pouting moments. They would let her feel her big emotions while giving her the comfort of knowing they were there. This gentle support helped her come to overcome her over-dependence on her sister. Slowly, her social circle began to expand.
Despite their days of separation and the nights slumbering alone, they still saw one another plenty. To alnisian's, bedrooms are for sleeping, not play. Instead of their rooms, in the afternoons, they played in the family room and ate at the table, almost merging once more in the times. The bond was special, almost akin to twins than sisters. Once they showed a healthy attachment to others, as well as their own independence, it was allowed to grow.
Sila was a quick child, having simple conversations with her parents in her second year. She trailed behind Agnit's physical development, but she listened more to her surroundings. Her understanding of language was impressive, and she even began to pick up the differences in Bakeen-father's western dialect. It was something Bakeen proudly displayed to Sila's grand-sereta on Bakeen's side. Her parents believed it was, in part, due to being ruptured by their family readings. She would repeat the sounds read to her by her parents. Fully attentive, she never grew distracted as her sister often tried to wrestle with the other parents instead of listening.
Though Agnit was energetic and prone to rebellion, Sila was more compliant. She would do as she was told, less from the authority of her parents and more from an eagerness to help. Often she would try to help without being asked, especially around meal times, and would need to be removed, rarely being told more than once. On the few occasions she did act out, the time-held tradition of isolation and shame would be brought down. A common saying amongst most of the castes states, "No greater correction than that of a dozen eyes that won't see you." As with most alnisian children, this was very true for Sila.
Turning 3 was the age of first-communities5, and Sila was immediately enrolled into her first-community. Her community was very loosely structured. It offered at-will themed play throughout the day for the children. Sila was too overwhelmed to participate until Agnit arrived a week later. Her parent's had informed the community caretakers of their over-bonding. The provider's knew to keep the sisters mostly separated through the day. Once they showed healthy communal bonding, they were allowed to play together during nature time and meals.
Ever observant, many adults considered Sila gifted for her quick grasp of many more complex ideas. Simple imitation, the core concept of alnisian children's play, was always her favorite. While her sister ran off to climb the playground equipment, Sila would observe older kids playing their games. When the adults sat down with the children, she watched how the adults played, preferring to copy them over following her own inner whimsy. In this way, she quickly picked up a variety of concepts. How illness works, machines operate, and even more advanced ideas in math and science, she was several years ahead of her peers. While her gross motor and social skills lagged behind her peers, she proved gifted in her own ways.
Even in these early years, Sila found a love for cooking. She took to the clay-foods, crafting and making pretend dishes and using the colored waters to make all sorts of delights. Though she participated in the arts, none truly drew her attention like the food. During their explorations, she was more fascinated with how pretty the various topics they intruded to were rather than the actual subject. Her focus was far weaker than her sisters, and she would often have to be called to pay attention.
When Sila and Agnit turned four, the family hosted a traditional "Fihnisvri". Though a semiformal gathering, it was to celebrate their fourth year of life for the children and be their official joining of Alnisian society. With more family than expected in attendance, the event was moved to a rented ceremony hall. Food was brought potluck-style by extended family and friends. The girls’ core sereta focused on baking the celebration cake and smaller guest cakes. The day was filled with food, games, and laughter, but by the time gifts were presented, the overstimulated girls were fighting to stay awake. Each received presents from every household, but the tradition of Fihnisvri required them to choose one gift to donate to a Humar community. Amid protests and tears, Sila reluctantly parted with a drum set, giving it one final attempt at drumming before letting it go.a
When the girls turned four, the family began their yearly tradition of taking vacations to Denjia, the only other vegetian-majority nation. Every year the family enjoyed taking their winter breaks on a warm, semi-tropical beaches the nation provided, removed from the bustle of everyday life. While the first year of school was a whirlwind of play groups with an education focus, it was that first vacation that stuck in their memories the most from those early times.
The Crab That Ate Her Finger
Snapshot: Age 4
"Don't go too far!" Bakeen called down to Sila and Agnit as they raced toward the shore.
Agnit came to a quick stop, causing Sila to nearly collide behind her. Unaware, she turned and dashed once more. She flew over the sands until she came upon a small shape buried there. She squatted down, pointed, and proclaimed loudly. "Look! A starfish! A starfish, Sila!"
"Is it blue?" Sila asked, joining her sister at a slower trot. Her face furled as her eyes spotted the starfish. Its dull brown skin failed her expectations. "Blue ones grant wishes, but only if you ask them underwater."
"Maybe brown ones grant wishes under sand?"
"No, that's just silly," Sila said as she stood up, squinting against the sun out at the water. "I want to swim!"
They both dashed toward the water again, reaching the edge of the tide, and stopped with a hop. The moment of realization hit them both, a cold chilling running down Sila's spine. The imagery of being dragged out to the ocean like the small flotsam grabbed her mind and kept her frozen.
"Maybe we can just play here?"
"Look!" Agnit shouted, forgetting her hesitation, now pointed toward a cluster of rocky rubble. They darted toward it, ignoring the surf for their new excitement.
Strewn about the rocks were a random assortment of trash, bleached wood, and small pools of seawater. A few tiny fish swirled in a deep pocket of water, lost to the last tide. The two girls awed at the miniature seascape before them before they clambered up a boulder that sat against the pool. Sila stretched across the top of the sun-warmed rock, letting the warm salty breeze play in her hair as she continued to marvel at the fish.
"Should we help the fishies?" Agnit pointed at the largest pool where the fish were cramped the most. The water rippled from their motion like a boiling pot, each fish pushing for more space.
"Eww, no! Fish are slimy!"
"Not all of them! Likar-dad said that fish have scales like a lizard."
"Ewwwwww." Sila squealed in laughter as she envisioned a slimy fish-lizard crawling from the water. She rolled onto her stomach as her giggles subsided, her attention moving to a small stick below her in the sand. Her fingers reached for her new prize, but it was just beyond her grasp. Slowly, she shifted side to side, her skin lightly scratching from the sand on the stone as she wiggled lower and lower.
"Vorix-dad said we can have ice cream later. I want chocolate-trussberry. What flavor are you going to have?" Agnit jumped up and raised her arms up, letting the cool breeze rush over her warmed skin.
"Yellow." Sila grunted as she slipped lower. Her fingers brushed the edge but it remained stubbornly free of her grasp. "I want yellow with marshmallows."
"I want marshmallows too!" Agnit yelled out as she jumped suddenly down into the mud. Her body tightened in disgust as her feet squished past the mud into seaweed that slid up between her toes. "Ewwww!"
Sila laughed and wrinkled her nose. "You stink now! Go take a bath!"
Agnit's disgusted fell in an outburst of exaggerated laughter, her body falling forward in display.
Freezing mid-laugh, she pointed near Sila and asked in an awed hush "What is that?"
Following her sister's gaze, Sila saw a small crab closer to her reach than the stick she had been trying for. Its pretty green-gray shell was smooth and speckled like a river stone. Curious, she reached her hand out to it.
"Don't!"
"It's okay. It's my friend." Sila brushed a finger across its shell. As her fingers reached the edge of the shell, the crab spun and clasped a claw on her finger before she could even blink.
The pain was immediate and sharp. Sila leaped up, a shrill scream cutting across the serene beach. Her arms waved frantically as she tried to throw the crab from her, only causing its pinch to clamp harder. Her parents, still nearby, turned toward in, fear flooding their faces as they jumped up and sprinted. Their cries for Sila mixed with her screaming as they reached their daughter.
The crab clung to Sila's finger, its grasp only tightening as her arms waved. Her sobs cut cut into her words, producing an unrecognizable gibberish as her parents arrived. Bakeen pulled her up as he spotted the source of her pain.
"Hold still Sila," his words were firm but kind grabbing her hand to steady her. In a fluid movement, he pried the crab off, setting it away from the girls. Nina and Sovia were knelt by her and stroked her hair in comfort. Trivini already pulled Agnit up, insuring the sister was unharmed.
"It's eating me!" Sila wailed, tears running down her cheek. Bakeen shooed crab off toward the ocean then turned towards Sila's finger.
"You're okay." he said, turning her finger over to show her. "It's just a little pinch. See? No blood."
"It ate my finger!" Sila wailed, not even looking as she flung herself backwards into her mothers' arms. The drama pulled a gentle chuckle from some of her parents. "Not funny! It ate my finger!"
"You're okay Sila," Sovia spoke softly, stroking Sila's hair as Nina rocked her gently. "It just needs some ice. See? You still have your finger."
Sovia wiggled Sila's finger, prompting her to nod. Sniffling, she looked around. "I need ice cream for my finger."
Assured there was no serious injury, the parent's light laughter mingled with their soothing words of comfort. Each parent took a moment to scoop up Sila and give her hugs and kisses, then turned to Agnit so she wasn't left out. The children's laughter joined their parents as they made their way back to the beach towels. The sun shone brightly, a reassurance that the day was still full of adventure, once some deserved rest was had.
"Early ice cream, then," Trivini smiled at her blood-daughter, ruffling her hair before pulling her sister up to her hip as they walked away from the gently lapping waves.
fin
They grew quickly those 3 years of first-community, released to one parent or another most days after their mandated 4 hours. As the firsts, the sisters got ample time with each parent, who loved them in equally fierce measure. It was a depressing moment for all six parents when the girls turned six, signaling their time for core-schooling. The first day, they walked them to the local Inma Bus-Hub was filled with dread for the parents. Releasing the children to the School Shed to await their bus left each of them with tears. Agnit stood strong as she watched her parents stand across the way. Sila sobbed with her hands and forehead pressed against the glass of the shed. Agnit with stoicism and Sila with fear, they each took their steps into adolescence together from the hub.
