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This isn’t important enough to make it into the plot so I’m keeping it in the footnotes, but I’ve decided that one’s eighth birthday is a pretty big deal in Martian culture. Birthdays are half as common an occurrence there so they already have added import, but eight (approximately 15 on Earth) seems like a good opportunity to celebrate coming of age or whatever, and eight is a fortuitous number (sounds like “dad” in one of the founding language groups of Martian society), so it ought to be a celebration of one’s changing place within the family.
Maida doesn’t have much of a family right now. And I don’t think her family was ever that big on tradition even in good times, so there’s no pressure on Maida, and little appetite from her to celebrate this birthday the way it ought to be done. Hanging out with friends playing video games is what she wants. And her aunt is happy to accommodate. She never got to indulge her own son with an eighth birthday.
Panel 2: Inside, Maida hugs her aunt while a bored employee mans the front desk. Maida (in Swahili): "Auntie-ji!" Ujana: "There's my genius girl! Happy birthday!"
Panel 3: Maida, looking around: "No one else is here yet?" Ujana, handing her a bag: "You're early. Here's your outfit, like you asked for."
Panel 4: Maida, going through the bag: "Alright! Now you have to go away before my mates get here, like you promised." Ujana (switching to Yingish): "So pushy!"
Panel 5: Ujana, smiling: "You turn eight years old and all I am is an embarrassment to you!"
Panel 6: Maida: "Auntie-ji!" Ujana, kissing Maida on the cheek and switching back to Swahili: "Just kidding. I'll see you later."
Panel 7: Maida (in Yingish): "Fank-you!" Ujana, leaving: "I love you, genius girl!"
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