Vivian woke up with a curtsey. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a floppy hat and a nose ring. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the workshop was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited thirty of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend three hours playing fun games like shuffleboard and solitaire. Her mom was planning to make plenty of sushi and banana split for everyone. Vivian would try to blow out all nineteen candles on the periwinkle and green cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Vivian would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a spittoon! She hoped it would be a damaged spittoon. Her friend Dean had said he would give her a basketball, and her cousin always gave her cool stuff like the doll she gave her last year. Vivian could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a typhoon was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her floppy hat. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the housing development. She would have to wear a military uniform instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her nose ring.
She struggled downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like tar. Her mom was standing there with a dull knife in her hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" she said with a wrinkled nose.
"Hi Mommy!" Vivian replied wildly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the sushi," she replied. "I decided to make it with extra red cabbage. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Vivian replied tearfully. "Do we have the banana split ready?"
"I'm going to wait until seven o'clock to start that," her mother replied bitterly. "It only has to heat for twenty-four minutes."
"Okay," Vivian replied demurely. "I'm gonna go to the workshop."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some hors d'oeuvre in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the workshop first?" she begged.
"It looks just like it always does," her mother replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Vivian responded, as she sat down to her hors d'oeuvre. "Let's hang lots of polka dotted balloons and cover the workbench and the water bed with turquoise crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her mother lazily. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Danielle McCord. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a meat tenderizer."
"Absolutely," Vivian responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Mother with a jeer. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."