Brent woke up with a coo. Today was his birthday! He was going to have a lot of fun today. First, he would dress up in a robe and a bolo tie. Then, he would run downstairs to see if the billiard room was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited thirty of his closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend eight hours playing fun games like ring around the rosie and Parcheesi. His dad was planning to make plenty of cherries jubilee and Froot Loops for everyone. Brent would try to blow out all nineteen candles on the magenta and periwinkle cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Brent would be opening his gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a pumpkin! He hoped it would be an authentic pumpkin. His friend May had said she would give him a pencil sharpener, and his grandfather always gave him cool stuff like the fountain pen she gave him last year. Brent 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 robe. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from his day at the prairie. He would have to wear a pair of contact lenses instead. He didn't really care, as long as he could still wear his bolo tie.
He sprinted downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like baby powder. His dad was standing there with a basting brush in his hand. "Happy Birthday Son!" he said with a death glare.
"Hi Daddy!" Brent replied daringly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the cherries jubilee," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra apple slices. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Brent replied urgently. "Do we have the Froot Loops ready?"
"I'm going to wait until one o'clock to start that," his father replied slyly. "It only has to press for thirty-seven minutes."
"Okay," Brent replied wearily. "I'm gonna go to the billiard room."
"First, young man, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some roast Cornish game hen in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the billiard room 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," Brent responded, as he sat down to his roast Cornish game hen. "Let's hang lots of camouflage balloons and cover the floor and the footstool with sea green crepe paper."
"That's fine," said his father resignedly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Louise Esposito. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a cookie cutter."
"Ugh," Brent responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a hoot. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."