Pie has brought a chocolate cake to school today. All her classmates are happy. It’s Pie’s birthday today. She is six years old now. The brown cake has beautiful pink and white icing on it. All her friends read what is written on the cake “Happy Birthday Pie”. It is written in glittering white cream.

The teacher takes out six colourful candles from Pie’s bag. She puts them on the cake and lights them. Then she tells all the boys and girls to move away. Pie blows off the candles and cuts the cake. Everybody claps and sings “Happy Birthday to you” for her. The teacher then removes the candles and cuts the cake into small pieces. All the kids get a piece of the cake. Chubby little Manu takes two pieces. Everybody laughs.

Pie tells her friends that the cake is very special. She has bought it with her own money. “Own money?” all her friends are surprised. How can she earn money at such a small age?

Pie says, “I have a bank account. Mummy told me that when I was born, she opened my account in the bank.” Mummy and papa put all her money in that account. “Your money?” her friends say, surprised again.

“When I was born some of my uncles and aunties gave me money gifts,” she says. They gave her money. She got money gifts from some people on all her birthdays. Then for the last one month her mom has been paying her money for looking after little Weezer.

Her parents put this money in her account. When she wanted to buy a doll, a colour box or her birthday cake, her mama and papa told her that they will take out money from her account to buy these things for her.

Sanya, her best friend asked, “Do you go to the bank with your Papa?” Pie says she goes to the bank with her Mama or Papa. They give her a small paper called the deposit form. She writes her name, account number and the amount of money on it. Then she gives the paper and the money to the Auntie sitting behind the glass. Sometimes there is an Uncle over there.

"I have to jump to give the paper and money because the table is very high,” she laughs. Her parents help her do it. Then she says with pride lifting her right hand very high, “Mama says I will be so tall soon. Then I will not have to jump to give the money to the auntie at the bank."

All the kids are listening silently. Then the school bell rings and all the kids run to the gate happy to go home. Pie is eager to get home faster today. She has to help Mama prepare for her birthday party in the evening. She has bought a strawberry cake, candles, balloons and ribbons for the party with her “own money”.