Konstanze woke up with a hug. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a uniform and a poodle skirt. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the pool room was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited four of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend three hours playing fun games like bridge and solitaire. Her mom was planning to make plenty of Froot Loops and chopped liver for everyone. Konstanze would try to blow out all five candles on the striped and brilliant orange cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Konstanze would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain an Egyptian mummy! She hoped it would be an imported Egyptian mummy. Her friend White Cloud had said he would give her a cane, and her grandfather always gave her cool stuff like the hair brush she gave her last year. Konstanze 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 uniform. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the peninsula. She would have to wear a pair of bell-bottoms instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her poodle skirt.
She sneaked downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like sewage. Her mom was standing there with a food processor in her hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" she said with a dope slap.
"Hi Mommy!" Konstanze replied busily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the Froot Loops," she replied. "I decided to make it with extra baker's chocolate. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Konstanze replied boldly. "Do we have the chopped liver ready?"
"I'm going to wait until two o'clock to start that," her mother replied gently. "It only has to spread into container for sixty minutes."
"Okay," Konstanze replied stealthily. "I'm gonna go to the pool room."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some refried beans in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the pool room 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," Konstanze responded, as she sat down to her refried beans. "Let's hang lots of maroon balloons and cover the safe and the hammock with crimson crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her mother quietly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Jill Binkley. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a basting brush."
"Aarrggh," Konstanze responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Mother with a hug. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."