The Birthday
"So I just don't know what to get him for his birthday," said Harvest into the phone as she flipped through her old man's CD collection. "Ey Ey Ey. Sinatra and Clapton are all he seems to have. No wonder we get nursing home brochures by the truck full."
"I can't get him another plaid tie. It's just too cliché." A mumbled reply from her friend Renatta gives feedback.
"I'm just afraid the cake will be a big mess. I think I only have enough to spell out "Happy Birthda". The voice on the other end sympathizes.
"Maybe I should just take him out to dinner. But where? Especially on a babysitter's salary. I don't think I'm old enough to go into Peter J's. And he goes there all the time anyway. I could cook but it might be god-awful. But then again he grew up with Irish cooking; he might not know the difference."
"At least I got the card right. In art class at school I made one with a haiku:
"My Father.
Sometimes my father is a bother.
But I always want him to be my father."
I drew a big shamrock on it. Think he'll like it?"
Charlie Brown's teacher responds.
"Okay you try and rhyme "father" with something! With Daddy's sense of humor he might like it."
Unfortunately at that very moment the ironing board that held Harvest's dress AND the bag of flour for the cake that was baking started to smoke. Gee, she thought it would be so convenient to have all her items near her.
"Gotta go! I'll call you back!"
As Harvest reached to unplug the iron she mistakenly laid her hand down on the board.
"Ahhhh!!"
Her knee hit the ironing board causing the flour to spill. "Jesus!"
"Oh no!!" Her burnt hand hit her forehead with another realization.
She opened the oven door. Sure enough the cake had fallen.
"Why?? Why why why!!"
She felt like Nancy Kerrigan having a meltdown.
A knock at the door. It was Holly.
"Is everything all right? I heard you yelling from the other side."
"Everything's a mess! I can't get anything right. I feel like Winnie-the-Pooh stuck in the honey jar. The perogis are soggy and the cake just fell. My dress is a mess."
"Why don't you go around the corner and buy some and I'll start a new cake."
"But I wanted to make them! So he'll know it is from the heart. Anybody can buy them."
"They'll be special because it's from you. Your father hasn't had anyone to celebrate his birthday with for years, I don't think. That will be the surprise. I don't think he was expecting this.
As they started to rise to put their plan into action, a surprise resident came home early.
"Dad!" cried Harvest.
"Dad!" cried Holly, newly invested in the moment.
Logan laughed at the two women sitting in a floury pool, one burnt and bruised.
"Oh daddy, it's terrible. I wanted to give you a birthday party and it's turned into a big mess. We'll have to go out for dinner."
He reached down to help her up and kissed her hand.
"No we won't" he said. "We"ll frost this cake and it will be delicious."
"But I've got no gift!"
"Yes you do. You're enough!"
The two beamed at each other, Logan surprising even himself.