Jeremy woke up with a clenched fist. Today was his birthday! He was going to have a lot of fun today. First, he would dress up in a bolo tie and a pair of cargo pants. Then, he would run downstairs to see if the dungeon was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited five of his closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend four hours playing fun games like old maid and Candy Land. His dad was planning to make plenty of popcorn and waffles for everyone. Jeremy would try to blow out all thirty candles on the scarlet and silver cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Jeremy would be opening his gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a bag! He hoped it would be an ornate bag. His friend Peggy had said she would give him a diamond, and his cousin always gave him cool stuff like the picture she gave him last year. Jeremy could hardly wait!
He glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a driving rain was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. He looked in his closet for his bolo tie. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from his day at the grassland. He would have to wear a pair of socks instead. He didn't really care, as long as he could still wear his pair of cargo pants.
He trekked downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like a stable. His dad was standing there with a paring knife in his hand. "Happy Birthday Son!" he said with a grimace.
"Hi Daddy!" Jeremy replied bravely. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the popcorn," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra pinto beans. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Jeremy replied dolefully. "Do we have the waffles ready?"
"I'm going to wait until five o'clock to start that," his father replied oddly. "It only has to spread into container for eighty-five minutes."
"Okay," Jeremy replied caustically. "I'm gonna go to the dungeon."
"First, young man, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some sweet potatoes in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the dungeon 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," Jeremy responded, as he sat down to his sweet potatoes. "Let's hang lots of polka dotted balloons and cover the chest of drawers and the bathtub with beige crepe paper."
"That's fine," said his father swiftly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Frances Schmidt. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a piece of cheesecloth."
"Nice," Jeremy responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a cheer. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."