Pallavi woke up with a cackle. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a gown and a pair of khakis. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the den was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty-two of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend four hours playing fun games like Monopoly and ring around the rosie. Her dad was planning to make plenty of catfish stew and apple pie for everyone. Pallavi would try to blow out all nine candles on the periwinkle and emerald green cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Pallavi would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a fishing rod! She hoped it would be a magnificent fishing rod. Her friend Maggie had said she would give her a lemon, and her girlfriend always gave her cool stuff like the top she gave her last year. Pallavi could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a pelting rainstorm was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her gown. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the plateau. She would have to wear a mortarboard instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her pair of khakis.
She sidled downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like Max Factor. Her dad was standing there with a potato masher in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with a chuckle.
"Hi Daddy!" Pallavi replied noisily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the catfish stew," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra kidney beans. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Pallavi replied awkwardly. "Do we have the apple pie ready?"
"I'm going to wait until five o'clock to start that," her father replied sleepily. "It only has to sauté for forty-seven minutes."
"Okay," Pallavi replied daringly. "I'm gonna go to the den."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some roast turkey in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the den 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," Pallavi responded, as she sat down to her roast turkey. "Let's hang lots of grey balloons and cover the footstool and the bar stool with pea green crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father nicely. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Sandi Whitefoot. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a slotted spoon."
"Zounds," Pallavi responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a wrinkled nose. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."