Chapter 2 Neela #2
Turning my back on the center, I ride toward the heights.
I’ve got a birthday meal to prepare!
I’ve just finished the pear charlotte.
I wash and dry my hands, then head into the greenhouse corridor wrapped around my home.
Here, I grow lettuce, parsley, lentils, sprouted seeds, tomatoes, turnips, radishes, spinach, zucchini… anything that grows fast and takes up little space.
Everyone is responsible for cultivating their own basics. Since space is tight, we make choices—and rely on the market for everything else, like oil, pasta, and flour.
I’ve considered adding a raspberry patch—easy to grow and perfect for a garden like mine. But I’m short on space, and I prioritize beans and lentils for their nutrition, plus kiwa?, a high-vitamin-C fruit well-suited for my modest greenhouse.
Not that we’re deprived. For treats, we have pine cone jam. Picked while still small, these little green cones grow abundantly in our forests and are easy to candy in agave-sweetened water. It satisfies most cravings.
Still, I love the bright taste of raspberries. And my brother’s crazy about blueberries. Maybe I should give up a little garden space for that tiny luxury?
When Meghan and Kiran show up for lunch, everything’s ready! The smell of vegetable stir-fried noodles fills the room, and dessert is chilling in the fridge.
“Hey, big brother!” I say, throwing my arms around my gentle giant. “Hmm, did you grow a little taller overnight?” I add, raising an eyebrow.
“Pfft! Hey, shrimp,” he answers.
If there’s one thing to know about Kiran, it’s that he loves teasing the people he cares about. He picked up that expression—“shrimp”—from some old movie, and even though we have no such creatures here, he uses it constantly on me.
And because he’s my beloved brother, I let him.
“Hi Meghan!” I say, turning to my best friend.
Where Kiran and I have brown skin and dark hair from our mixed Mauritian heritage, Meghan is tall, blonde, and strikingly blue-eyed—a pure Brit through and through.
“Hey Neela. How are you?”
The three of us always sync our work and rest weeks so we can enjoy cultural or sport activities together.
Which is why we haven’t seen each other all week.
“Same old. One hangnail, one bronchitis, one dislocated shoulder, one hand cut. Nothing thrilling. What about you guys?”
My friend blushes suddenly—hard to miss on her fair skin. Odd. She glances nervously at Kiran before answering.
“Not much happening either. I worked at the education unit. Not many students came in for tutoring this week. It’s been pretty calm.”
“It’s the start of fall. Temps drop fast. People don’t go out much at first. Give them a few days to adjust—then everything’ll go back to normal. Honestly, fewer kids needing help is a good thing. Means the homeschooling modules are clear and effective.”
Kids in Cydonia are educated at home, supervised by one of the parents. They do online classes in the morning, then spend their afternoons socializing.
Sports, music, art—all held in community units near the center.
“Humm, Meg and I are gonna have to switch housing units soon,” Kiran says casually as we sit down.
Surprised, I freeze. Moving is rare. Maybe to be closer to town—but that doesn’t sound like them. So that means…
“Meghan?” I ask, locking eyes with her.
“Yes!” she confirms, blushing, a dazzling smile spreading across her face.
“Thank Ares!—you’re pregnant!” I gasp. “Tell me everything!”
“She was conceived around the 1st of Adrastee,” she confesses.
“Whoa… so if I count five months, that’s Adrastee, Syliene, Himalia, Calyce… Elara!”
“Yup. End of Elara, you’ll be an aunt!” Kiran confirms, puffed up with pride.
Well yeah—he is the dad. And I am going to be an aunt. Oh my stars!
My heart swells at the thought of their love creating this little life. My brother and my best friend, forever connected by someone I already can’t wait to meet.
“I want you to monitor the pregnancy,” Meghan whispers.
“You don’t even have to ask. Of course I will. But if anything seems off, promise me you’ll go to the specialized care unit. They’ve got better equipment, and I—”
“Everything will be fine. And I only want you,” she interrupts.
We enjoy lunch, chatting about how their life is about to change. They shouldn’t have any trouble getting a unit with an extra room in the area.
By month two, Meghan will stop tutoring and someone will take over. She’ll be off until the baby turns one. Then, she and Kiran will alternate shifts to care for the child. Weekends will remain theirs—two full days as a family.
So many changes ahead!
Mom would’ve been so happy. We never knew our father—he had a stroke when we were too young to remember. But we were lucky to have many good years with our mother.
She lost her way in a snowstorm and spent the night outside in freezing temps. She passed nearly two years ago.
My throat tightens, like it always does when I think of that extraordinary woman. Compassionate, kind—she’s the one who inspired me to go into medicine, just like she did.
She would’ve loved being a grandma...
“C’mon, little sister—no tears today,” Kiran says, wrapping his arms around me. “Let’s toast to the good news!”
We raise our mugs of herbal tea.
“To the baby—may Ares watch over them,” says Kiran.
“To our baby,” Meghan adds.
“To my future niece or nephew. And to your twelfth birthday!” I say to my big brother.
Oh, right—Did I mention we live on Mars, and here, a year lasts 687 days?