Nestor woke up with a snuffle. Today was his birthday! He was going to have a lot of fun today. First, he would dress up in a wedding dress and a heavy layer of makeup. Then, he would run downstairs to see if the master bathroom was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited seventeen of his closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend three hours playing fun games like golf and doctor. His dad was planning to make plenty of cabbage and hors d'oeuvre for everyone. Nestor would try to blow out all fifteen candles on the brown and forest green cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Nestor would be opening his gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a candy cane! He hoped it would be an ancient candy cane. His friend Krystal had said she would give him a fingernail clipper, and his sister-in-law always gave him cool stuff like the painting she gave him last year. Nestor could hardly wait!
He glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a dense fog was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. He looked in his closet for his wedding dress. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from his day at the wasteland. He would have to wear a corset instead. He didn't really care, as long as he could still wear his heavy layer of makeup.
He ran downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like lilacs. His dad was standing there with a meat tenderizer in his hand. "Happy Birthday Son!" he said with a belly laugh.
"Hi Daddy!" Nestor replied ruefully. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the cabbage," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra pitted cherries. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Nestor replied threateningly. "Do we have the hors d'oeuvre ready?"
"I'm going to wait until two o'clock to start that," his father replied breathlessly. "It only has to boil for sixty-two minutes."
"Okay," Nestor replied surreptitiously. "I'm gonna go to the master bathroom."
"First, young man, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some ice cream in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the master bathroom 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," Nestor responded, as he sat down to his ice cream. "Let's hang lots of green balloons and cover the pedestal and the cushion with silver crepe paper."
"That's fine," said his father properly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Lucy Walters. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a food processor."
"Bowwow," Nestor responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a snuffle. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."