The Birthday

It's just another birthday, I told myself as I got my clothes all set. A party where you probably won't know a lot of people, other than your family...


I shower again, just to make sure I smell presentable. A spritz of perfume here, then there, and I'm ready to roll. My new elevated sandals make me feel like I'm taller, on top of the world even, as I cautiously walk down my stairs. Walking while wearing high heels was never my strong suit.

The community center parking lot is deserted, save for my uncle's black PT Cruiser. Uh oh, are we too late? Did everyone already surprise Aunt Sue? The frantic click of our shoes against the pavement serve as the metronome ticking at half-time to our heartbeats. The lights are all on, and I smell Korean food, and then my uncle comes into view, blowing a noisemaker.

"Heyyyy, everyone!" he says, enveloping us all into a hug, giving each of us a quick peck on the cheek with a, "My GOODNESS, you guys have grown taller!" directed at my sister and I. It's just my high-heeled shoes, Uncle Ray, I think to myself.

Slowly, people start coming. Coworkers of my aunt, family friends, and even Ray's neighbor.

I've never really been fond of Keith, but he was okay. With his loud voice and ever-growing paunch, he seemed to invade my privacy little by little every time I saw him. Luce just sits in the corner at the bar, talking with some people I don't recognize.

Finally, everyone is scattered around the room when the lights go out. We instinctively hush and look towards the doorway, just waiting for Aunt Sue to come through.

"Why are we even here, Ray? I just want to go home... it is my birthday, after all," I hear my aunt say.

The lights turn on and everyone shouts, "Surprise!" at the tops of their lungs, and noise makers are being blown everywhere. Aunt Sue covers here mouth in awe as it registers in her mind that all of us are here for her.


The food is unwrapped and I salivate at the sight of familiar ethnic dishes. Mmm, noodles! Oooh, tofu! Ahhhh, spicy chicken! And finally, the tinfoil is taken off the roasted pig. Its eyes have been removed and its mouth is open slightly, as if it were caught by surprise when it had taken its last breath. The skin is shiny and taut against the cooked muscle below it.

"Let's eat!" someone across the room bellows.

My youngest sister acts as the emcee and makes everyone laugh every once in a while. Embarrassing yet cute at the same time. Her smile is wider than ever as she grips the microphone tightly in her small hands.

As the party winds down, we boot up the Wii and play for a while. A man with graying hair approaches and tries to act suave, and I ignore him. Doesn't he know that I'm too young? Let alone, my family is around and the last thing the poor fellow needs is a butt-kicking from my burly cousin. I eye Stanford quickly, making sure that he's relatively close by. He flashes a small smile at me from the bar and I feel reassured.

I end up playing tennis, bowling, and then golf against my dad and a distant uncle. Before I know it, we've played a nine-hole game of golf (which I won) and it's already 11:15. People have left and it's time to clean up.

As we drive home, it's silent in the car, save for the almost-imperceptible squeaking of a balloon my sister managed to take.

We're tired, but the day was successful, and now it's time to get some sleep for tomorrow's busy schedule.

Loyola, here I come.