Marvin woke up with a sneer. Today was his birthday! He was going to have a lot of fun today. First, he would dress up in a bicycle helmet and a letter jacket. Then, he would run downstairs to see if the tool shed was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited fourteen of his closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend one hour playing fun games like golf and Candy Land. His dad was planning to make plenty of cornbread and mashed potatoes for everyone. Marvin would try to blow out all thirty-four candles on the navy blue and sparkly cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Marvin would be opening his gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a twig! He hoped it would be a ridiculous twig. His friend Charlotte had said she would give him a coat hanger, and his wife always gave him cool stuff like the crate she gave him last year. Marvin could hardly wait!
He glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a bit of precipitation was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. He looked in his closet for his bicycle helmet. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from his day at the veld. He would have to wear a stovepipe hat instead. He didn't really care, as long as he could still wear his letter jacket.
He scooted downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like a new car. His dad was standing there with a corkscrew in his hand. "Happy Birthday Son!" he said with a raised eyebrow.
"Hi Daddy!" Marvin replied warmly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the cornbread," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra cream style corn. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Marvin replied hopelessly. "Do we have the mashed potatoes ready?"
"I'm going to wait until five o'clock to start that," his father replied narrowly. "It only has to deep fry for seventy-eight minutes."
"Okay," Marvin replied deliberately. "I'm gonna go to the tool shed."
"First, young man, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some pecan pie in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the tool shed first?" he begged.
"It looks just like it always does," his father replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Marvin responded, as he sat down to his pecan pie. "Let's hang lots of emerald green balloons and cover the washstand and the mattress with maroon crepe paper."
"That's fine," said his father numbly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Godiva Lott. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a pair of chopsticks."
"Rooster feathers," Marvin responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a fist bump. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."