Angelo woke up with a jeer. Today was his birthday! He was going to have a lot of fun today. First, he would dress up in an overcoat and a bracelet. Then, he would run downstairs to see if the salon was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited ten of his closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend two hours playing fun games like Parcheesi and Monopoly. His mom was planning to make plenty of lime sherbet and Hamburger Helper for everyone. Angelo would try to blow out all six candles on the indigo and jet black cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Angelo would be opening his gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a key! He hoped it would be a plastic key. His friend Broderick had said he would give him a primrose, and his aunt always gave him cool stuff like the bowl she gave him last year. Angelo could hardly wait!
He glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a hot, sunny day was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. He looked in his closet for his overcoat. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from his day at the ridge. He would have to wear a pair of moon boots instead. He didn't really care, as long as he could still wear his bracelet.
He dashed downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like a candle shop. His mom was standing there with a candy thermometer in her hand. "Happy Birthday Son!" she said with a power fist.
"Hi Mommy!" Angelo replied sweetly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the lime sherbet," she replied. "I decided to make it with extra limburger cheese. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Angelo replied obediently. "Do we have the Hamburger Helper ready?"
"I'm going to wait until three o'clock to start that," his mother replied crankily. "It only has to braise for sixteen minutes."
"Okay," Angelo replied blissfully. "I'm gonna go to the salon."
"First, young man, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some hot dogs in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the salon first?" he begged.
"It looks just like it always does," his mother replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Angelo responded, as he sat down to his hot dogs. "Let's hang lots of carrot-orange balloons and cover the crib and the hope chest with salmon crepe paper."
"That's fine," said his mother timidly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, May Dillman. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a candy thermometer."
"Zounds," Angelo responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Mother with a raspberry. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."