Patty 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 blouse and a uniform. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the workshop was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited fifteen of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend two hours playing fun games like hopscotch and marbles. Her dad was planning to make plenty of blueberry pie and oyster on the half-shell for everyone. Patty would try to blow out all fifteen candles on the mauve and white cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Patty would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a cigarette lighter! She hoped it would be a crisp cigarette lighter. Her friend Daisy had said she would give her a cigarette, and her mother always gave her cool stuff like the umbrella she gave her last year. Patty could hardly wait!
She 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. She looked in her closet for her blouse. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the lagoon. She would have to wear a pair of Oxfords instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her uniform.
She dove downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like rotting meat. Her dad was standing there with a meat thermometer in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with a roar.
"Hi Daddy!" Patty replied deliberately. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the blueberry pie," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra tarragon. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Patty replied pityingly. "Do we have the oyster on the half-shell ready?"
"I'm going to wait until two o'clock to start that," her father replied bravely. "It only has to slow cook for eighty-eight minutes."
"Okay," Patty replied queerly. "I'm gonna go to the workshop."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some crab rangoon 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 father replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Patty responded, as she sat down to her crab rangoon. "Let's hang lots of chocolate brown balloons and cover the chair and the bunk bed with emerald green crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father needlessly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Kami Diamond. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has an electric mixer."
"Alleluia," Patty responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a shiver. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."