Socks woke up with a curtsey. Today was his birthday! He was going to have a lot of fun today. First, he would dress up in a class ring and a stovepipe hat. Then, he would run downstairs to see if the library was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited thirteen of his closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend two hours playing fun games like treasure hunt and cribbage. His mom was planning to make plenty of corn on the cob and jambalaya for everyone. Socks would try to blow out all thirty-five candles on the black and magenta cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Socks would be opening his gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a magnet! He hoped it would be a mechanical magnet. His friend Steve had said he would give him a pizza, and his sister always gave him cool stuff like the bullet she gave him last year. Socks could hardly wait!
He glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a hurricane was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. He looked in his closet for his class ring. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from his day at the meadow. He would have to wear an earring instead. He didn't really care, as long as he could still wear his stovepipe hat.
He traipsed downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like a compost pile. His mom was standing there with a melon baller in her hand. "Happy Birthday Son!" she said with a wink.
"Hi Mommy!" Socks replied immediately. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the corn on the cob," she replied. "I decided to make it with extra sauerkraut. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Socks replied majestically. "Do we have the jambalaya ready?"
"I'm going to wait until ten o'clock to start that," his mother replied clumsily. "It only has to braise for eighty-five minutes."
"Okay," Socks replied properly. "I'm gonna go to the library."
"First, young man, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some lime sherbet in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the library first?" he begged.
"It looks just like it always does," his mother replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Socks responded, as he sat down to his lime sherbet. "Let's hang lots of mauve balloons and cover the hamper and the beanbag chair with golden crepe paper."
"That's fine," said his mother innocently. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Jennessa Ford. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a piece of cheesecloth."
"Rooster feathers," Socks responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Mother with a snort. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."