Love
Birthday Parties
(Simple Pleasures)
Everybody
loves a party, especially birthday parties. In writing, humor is often used to
lighten a mood. I love to use good times, like parties. Lull the reader into a
relaxed state. Then, like a picket pocket expert targeting an inattentive
victim, plant seeds of future tension. Characters fail to catch a note of
dissention. Readers, too, neglect to note trouble coming.
In
the examples below birthday parties is the tool of choice to relax readers.
By
the second week of July Daniel is ready to be rescued from helping his father. He has been clipping runners and pulling weeds in the strawberry
patch. A birthday party invitation from David, one of Daniel’s school friends,
is the perfect excuse to quit an hour before lunch. He can hardly wait for his
mother to bring him to the party.
“Gotta clean up,” he says.
The
idea to quit early really comes from Jill, but Joseph knows it’s impossible to
compete with the promise of ice cream, cake and games.
Rebecca
leads them in singing happy birthday. Then she tells the boys can they pierce the
balloons with the nail she supplies. Pop, pop, pop-pop-pop, pop, pop. Bursting
balloons sound like fireworks. Cheers ring out. Parents applaud. Jill
distributes the ice cream and cake.
After
dessert presents are opened. Parents gather forming an audience. Rebecca
organizes races, tug-of-war, dodge ball, blind man’s bluff. The kids indulge
the parent’s desire to remember games from their past. The boy's reward is the
last game––the piggyback pillow fight. This year Joseph filled gunnysacks with
dry leaves so no one would be injured.
Rebecca’s
role of game supervisor is over. The object of the last game is to be the last
team standing. Anything goes. Clobber the rider, the carrier. Rip a sack from a
rider’s grip or at least empty its contents. Accidental bumps attempt to spill
rider and maybe the carrier.
Loud
laughter, cheers, and spectator instructions almost drown out the
“I’ll-pay-you-back” threats from the participants.
“Look!
Look!” cries Evan Starzak as his son, Stan, carries his rider behind Daniel.
Low
groaning o-o-ohs drift from the audience. Stan slightly squats. His rider
drives a foot into the back of Daniel’s knee. It buckles, and Stan shoves
Daniel, spilling him. Ted, riding on Dave Polluck, charges. Stan is down. The
audience roars their approval of a suitable consequence for Stan’s sneak
attack.
 |
“You did an excellent job organizing the
party. Thank you,” says Jill.
“Ah-h-h.
It was nothing.” Rebecca laughs.
“No.
You did a lot, all those invitations, preparing the food, running the games.
Really. I appreciate it.”
“She
is so modest,” says Gerda.
“It’s
the least I could do for my godson. He’s a very special boy.” Rebecca knew that
Jill had been paying so much attention to Amber that it was possible that she
would forget Daniel’s party. Jill forgot to celebrate Joseph’s birthday in
June.
“Well,
on behalf of Daniel, I thank you.”
As
the women stroll to the house, Rebecca’s word special hangs on Jill. Special
is what she associates with her daughter.
Amber’s
yawn reminds Jill that her daughter hasn’t had her afternoon nap. “Help
yourself to the cider or tea,” says Jill, looking back. “I’m going to put Amber
down to sleep for a while.” Jill enters Amber’s room and whispers. “Don’t worry
Amber. You’re my special girl. On your birthday I’ll make a party for my very
special girl. Yeh. That’s right.”
How many signs of
discontent did you detect?
How do you think they may play out?
haiku capsule:
A birthday party!
Excitement for kids, parents
Soil––ready. Seed strife.
Next blog: Simple Pleasures––
Year End
Celebrations
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