Renee woke up with a snarl. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a camisole and a winter coat. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the parlor was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty-nine of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend five hours playing fun games like checkers and hide and seek. Her mom was planning to make plenty of mushroom quiche and cabbage rolls for everyone. Renee would try to blow out all seventeen candles on the olive drab and emerald green cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Renee would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a coffee pot! She hoped it would be a wooden coffee pot. Her friend Manny had said he would give her a flower, and her sister-in-law always gave her cool stuff like the bouquet she gave her last year. Renee could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a downpour was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her camisole. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the badlands area. She would have to wear a girdle instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her winter coat.
She inched downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like aftershave lotion. Her mom was standing there with a foot in her hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" she said with a woof.
"Hi Mommy!" Renee replied wearily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the mushroom quiche," she replied. "I decided to make it with extra fresh garlic. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Renee replied ingeniously. "Do we have the cabbage rolls ready?"
"I'm going to wait until four o'clock to start that," her mother replied primly. "It only has to shake for thirty minutes."
"Okay," Renee replied frantically. "I'm gonna go to the parlor."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some lamb curry in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the parlor 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," Renee responded, as she sat down to her lamb curry. "Let's hang lots of periwinkle balloons and cover the ottoman and the bunk bed with mauve crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her mother thankfully. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Nakisha North. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has an egg cutter."
"For heaven's sake," Renee responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Mother with a roar. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."