Chapter Thirteen: Birthday

I sat glumly in the living room. I rested my chin in my hands, and my elbows were supported by my knees. I heard the annoying chatter of the girls invited to my party, and it reminded me of the squeaking of several mice. They would tap me on the shoulder every now and then and shriek with laughter as they rummaged through my gifts. "Oh Astrid, isn't this nice?" they would say. "Oh Astrid, you get the best dresses!" Or they would tell me, "You must let me borrow this once in a while!" or, "Get me this for my birthday!" I moaned inside at their greed. Why did they want such worthless things as dresses and jewelry? What good would they do?

I had still some more gifts to open, and I had taken a small break from the presents because of the girls who immediately snatched my gifts out of my hands as soon as I revealed them. Mum and Dad stood not far from the entrance of the room watching me. I had two boxes yet to open. One was from Roland, and the other was from his new found love, Alexandra. I grabbed Alexandra's gift to me and held it daintily. I was almost disgusted to touch it. Cautiously, I opened the box, feeling Alexandra's eager eyes beating down on me. I took off the lid and was surprised that it was just a hat. I was expecting for her to play some trick on me for calling her a whore. "Astrid!" said a girl, as she took the hat out of the box. "Try it on! You must!" Before I had a chance to protest, the girl pressed the hat onto my head, and I felt something ooze into my hair. I shoved the girl away and took the hat off carefully, feeling the sticky substance now on my head pull away from the hat. I looked over at Alexandra who was now rolling on the floor with laughter. After removing the hat, I touched my hair and it was sticky with molasses. I got up furiously and turned to Alexandra who stood now laughing with her friends. "Wretch!" I screamed.

"Oh, and what are you going to do? Your parents are watching you right now." I glanced over at Mum and Dad and saw their shocked expressions, but I just turned back around with a grin.

"Even better," I replied, "because now they have seen your trick and can tell your parents about what you did to me." Alexandra almost choked on her laughter, bringing it to an end. I smiled at my achievement. "So I suggest that you keep your mouth shut for the rest of my party or leave." Alexandra's lips went tight and she sat angrily on the floor. I stuck my fingers into my hair again, and took out more molasses, but I could care less.

I dropped the box and Alexandra's hat hastily onto the ground and finally picked up Roland's gift. It was a medium sized box, and I wondered what lay concealed inside it. Mum and Dad called Roland and his friends to come into the room, and he and his friends from school rushed into the room. I eyed him suspiciously as I began to open the box, and he just looked at me with an expression I could not read. "It's not a trick, is it?" I asked him.

"No. I think you'll like it." He made his way through the swarm of twelve year old girls in the room and took a seat next to me, although I was still fuming mad at him from earlier.

I opened the lid and found a black tricorn hat sitting in the box. Amused, I lifted the hat and examined it underneath to see if it was rigged. But below it, I found a white shirt, a vest, a dark green coat, some dark colored trousers and new boots. I grinned happily at the attire, and I pulled the items out of the box, gaping at them. At last! Something that was not a dress or a necklace or a doll! I jumped up, still speechless. I wanted to go at once to try on my new clothes, but it appeared as if everybody else except for myself and Roland did not see the significance in his gift to me. "Why did he give you a boy's clothes?" asked one. "You are a girl."

"Roland, you are such an idiot," said another. "You gave your sister such ugly clothes!"

"No!" I interrupted. "I love it, Roland! Thank you!"

"I take it that you're not mad at me anymore, right?" he replied.

"No. I have forgotten why I was angry with you in the first place." I made my way happily through the crowd of girls and their puffy dresses. I almost tripped on one, but even that could not destroy my happiness. "Mum! Dad!" I called. "May I try these one right now?"

"Do as you please, Astrid," said Daddy. I jumped for joy, clapping my hands, and I ran upstairs with Roland's gift. I barged into my room and closed the door. I was glad to get myself out of my horrible dress and into these new clothes. I gladly put on the attire and lastly put the tricorn hat on my head. To my dismay, it did not fit properly because my hair was put up. With Dad's words ringing in my ears, I undid my hair and ran my fingers briskly through my brown locks, pulling out some strands and some more molasses. With that done, I set the hat atop my head and looked proudly into my mirror. Something was missing though. The hat was wonderful, but my image didn't fit me just yet. I opened my door and ran into Roland's room. I rummaged through his drawers until I cam across a white strip of cloth. I tied it around my head vertically, making it some sort of headband. Pleased at my appearance, I donned my hat and skipped down the stairs.

Just as I entered the room where all my party guests were, the room burst in a giant gasp, and I grinned happily. "You look absolutely hideous!" screamed Alexandra.

"Really? I thought I looked hideous wearing a dress," I replied.

"Enough of that," interrupted Roland. "You have one gift left, Astrid. Open it up so we can eat. I'm starving." I peered at him and teasingly pushed him as I passed by, but I didn't understand why I had another present to open. I had opened all my gifts.

"Who is it from?" I asked.

"Mum and Dad," he answered. I looked back at my parents and smiled. A large box was set on the ground and I sat down before it. Everyone was huddled around me and I could even hear and smell some of them because they were so close. I noticed that the box was made of wood, and that there were two golden clasps on its side. I flipped the clasps up and lifted the lid. I was only halfway done when feeling and strength left my arms and the lid fell quickly without my guidance. Sitting carefully in the box was a sword.

My eyes gazed upon the blade with indescribable joy and contentment. Here before me was a sword; a sword all my own. I would no longer play with those wooden swords given to me as a child. I had a real blade to practice with. I would swing the blade around, and it would flash rapidly with each move. I couldn't wait to have my hand gripped around the hilt. Just the thought of holding the thing sent a chill of excitement up my spine.

My hands shook as they picked up the sleek object. It was sheathed in a black scabbard, crafted as flawlessly as the blade itself. I gripped the bottom half of the sword with my right hand and my left hand vigilantly took hold of the golden hilt. I pulled out the blade slowly, pleased to hear the slide of the metal against the scabbard. I freed the sword from its case and it stood tall in the light, sparkling with luster. Everyone looked in awe at my gift, and I looked at it with eager and impressed eyes. This would be one gift I would carry with me forever.

The blade was long and thin, and I could not support it with just one hand. I held it with two now, and my strength was waning because of its brilliance. For a second, my eyes deserted the sword and I looked at Mum and Dad who stood patiently in the back of the room. I gave them a wide grin, and I sheathed the sword quickly. Nearly jumping through my guests, I ran to them, and Dad caught me in his arms. I reached over and grabbed Mum and hugged her tight. "Thank you," I whispered. "This is the best gift I could ever receive. I love you. Thank you. Thank you."

I turned back to Dad and gave him a gigantic hug, for it was without a doubt him who had made this sword for me. I almost felt as if I was six or seven again, for I felt safe in his arms. "Thank you, Daddy," I said. "Thank you. I love it." I paused and looked back at Roland. "But make Roland one, too, Daddy. He'll get jealous." He laughed, and set me on the ground.

"I will," he said. "Just don't tell." I pinned my lips closed and smiled.

"I won't." I turned back to my guests and threw my arms up in the air. "Food would sound good right about now, don't you think?"

"Yes!" cried Roland. "Finally." He ran out of the room, with almost everybody following after him. I lingered behind though, quite content with being alone with my parents. I knelt down and put my sword back in its case. I took off my hat and set it on top, revealing the white band tied around my head. I felt a hand rumple my hair, and I turned around to find Mum.

"What do you think?" she asked. "Do you actually enjoy this party?" I laughed and stood up. It was only when I was facing her did I realize that I was above her shoulder now in height.

"I'm happy for other reasons," I replied. "But it's been great." I gave a fake frown and stuck my hand into my hair. Sure enough, there was still molasses in it. "But there are still a couple of things I am not happy about."

"Oh, that will wash out," she said. "You'd better get to the others."

And so I went. And so, throughout the night, we ate. In fact, we ate quite a lot, and many a boy and girl returned home with upset stomachs. We sliced my cake, and ate that as well, down to the very last crumb. Of course, being a cake made by Lisa, it was delicious. I was just beginning to dismiss my guests when the messenger finally returned with Miss Abigail Smith. I was quite out of the party by then, and felt slightly ill from my consumption of sweets. Roland though, was fueled with this sugar, and he pulled on my arm to get me to run to the door to great awful Miss Smith. I held my ground and pulled away from him in the opposite direction. "No, Roland," I said. "I don't feel well."

"Come on. It's just a quick run up there. You wanted her to be here, and now you have to welcome her." He was right. I had indeed invited Miss Abigail, but that was only because I thought Roland would help me in the plot to get my revenge on the wretch. Apparently, with all the party business, I had forgotten to ask him to help me.

"No, Roland," I replied. "Mum and Dad will take care of it."

"Oh no, you're coming, and you're coming now!" With that, he tugged so ferociously on my arm, that I stumbled and fell face first onto the hard floor.

"Roland!" I shrieked, getting ready to pounce on the runt. I got up on my feet, forgetting my stomach for just a moment and ran after him. His short ponytail wagged in front of me as he ran, and I was about to pull on the damn thing, when he stopped himself abruptly, causing me to run into him and whoever he almost ran into.

A disgusted yelp rose into the air, and Roland quickly got on his feet, although it took me a while longer to do the same. I stood and looked down at Miss Abigail, whose abnormally thin face was scrunched up in infuriation. She moaned on the ground and yelled at me. "That wench should be in proper clothes!" she demanded. Mum quickly inserted herself into the scene and stepped in front of me. Her brown eyes turned icy towards my soon to be fired governess, and her hands were firmly set on her hips.

"I beg your pardon," Mum yelled. "How dare you call my daughter a wench?" Miss Smith looked up shocked, and quickly stammered,

"Oh, forgive me, Missus Turner," she said. "I did not mean to say it in such a way."

"I heard no regret in your voice when you said it," Mum replied sharply. "You are dismissed, Miss Smith… from this house and from your job." Miss Smith's eyes widened to the size of olives. I was happily laughing inside. With a weak shrill, my fired governess got up and dusted her ugly gray frock. Holding her enormously large nose up high, she turned around and prepared to walk out the door, when Roland pushed me hard from behind.

The push returned my stomachache, and I was no longer able to keep it under control as I lunged towards Miss Abigail yet again, and out came everything I had eaten that night onto her dress.