Martin woke up with a pout. Today was his birthday! He was going to have a lot of fun today. First, he would dress up in a body shirt and a pair of jackboots. Then, he would run downstairs to see if the workshop was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty of his closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend eight hours playing fun games like roulette and hopscotch. His dad was planning to make plenty of moo goo gai pan and cherries jubilee for everyone. Martin would try to blow out all thirty-five candles on the tan and beige cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Martin would be opening his gifts. Maybe the first package would contain an orchid! He hoped it would be an ordinary orchid. His friend Jasmine had said she would give him a toolbox, and his grandpa always gave him cool stuff like the smart phone she gave him last year. Martin could hardly wait!
He glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a typhoon was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. He looked in his closet for his body shirt. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from his day at the valley. He would have to wear a pair of false eyelashes instead. He didn't really care, as long as he could still wear his pair of jackboots.
He rushed downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like toothpaste. His dad was standing there with a pair of chopsticks in his hand. "Happy Birthday Son!" he said with a sigh.
"Hi Daddy!" Martin replied busily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the moo goo gai pan," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra shallots. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Martin replied immediately. "Do we have the cherries jubilee ready?"
"I'm going to wait until eight o'clock to start that," his father replied joyously. "It only has to age for forty-seven minutes."
"Okay," Martin replied nonchalantly. "I'm gonna go to the workshop."
"First, young man, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some chicken pot pie in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the workshop 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," Martin responded, as he sat down to his chicken pot pie. "Let's hang lots of metallic red balloons and cover the ping-pong table and the dining table with orange crepe paper."
"That's fine," said his father neatly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Cassandra Scoville. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a foot."
"Um," Martin responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a chortle. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."