PIPE DREAMS
It's a wonderful morning! The early sun is shining just enough to take the slight chill out of the air. My little sister, Mandy, is having her tenth birthday party at one today . It wasn't easy to get her to agree to a limit of 30 guests but Dad was boss and Mandy gave in. Mom and I are already fixing favor bags for all of her friends. Had Mandy been given the privilege of inviting all of her friends, our walls would have bulged, maybe exploded.
Mandy is a rarity for sure. Her smile can cure anyone's doldrums, take away the measles' itch It isn't easy keeping her from giving away whatever she has to whoever would like to have it. Just last week, Mrs. Schwartz, our neighbor on the right, returned a brand new book of Grimm's Fairy Tales for me to give to Mandy. Her daughter told Mandy that she loved scary stories, and whamo, bammo, it was hers. I heard Mom scold my sister who cried that she knew all the stories and wanted to give it to her friend. 'Give it back to Rachael, Mom.'
The kitchen is busy. Janet, my oldest sister, is wrapping small favors in colored cellophane, pink ribbons for the girls and blue for the boys. Mom made an unusual decision this year and gave in, ordered the three tiered birthday cake from the bakery instead of doing it herself. Instead she made peanut butter cookies, chocolate crowns and chocolate chip. By the look of it, she has enough to freeze for Christmas.
Without being asked, I warned Mom not to use the glass jars she has been accumulating for months for the bubble water clay pipes. 'Skip it, Mom, the jars spill, break, ruin party clothes. 'They'll mess up everything.' For once I was right and had to hurry to two five and dime stores to buy enough commercial bubble makers by 11 a.m. Mandy really wanted to use soapy water. 'Mom, it's much more fun.' Finally, she lost one minor battle.
I stay outside to direct the kids to go around the back entrance, that's where the party is. Mandy waits there, greets each one. Nobody is real dressed up but they are all clean, happy and expecting a good time. Mom has two ponies, real ones, waiting to give rides. Aunt Tillie asked to be at the party so Mom oked it if, she would dress up and act like a fairy queen. Aunt Tillie surprised us all and did it. Presents go on the picnic bench. A Pennata hangs on the de-leaved maple tree. Aunt Tillie supervises the busy imps. Mandy has a constantly changing group around her.
Acting quite grown up she gets everyone's attention for the bubble blowing game. A jar of gooky suds and a wand goes to each guest. She stands on the picnic table bench and announces the rules. 'Eyes shut. Breathe deeply. Blow the biggest bubble you can and stay with it.'
Mom, I and Aunt Tillie don't understand what she is doing but her friends open their bubble jars and follow instructions. Colors float. The bubbles are extra big. Pink ones tinted with orange fly over the house. The children stare. More colors, green and blue, each bubble bigger than basketballs. Everyone is pointing at how high they are going.
Mom looks around, doesn't see Mandy and begins to worry herself and then me. The children are no longer waving their wands but bubbles rise from the jars. Are the children bored? I can only count 20. Where did they go? And then I see where they are. They are inside the bubbles, sailing above the maple tree. Waving, laughing, they are definitely having fun. The bubbles come lower and lower, touch the ground and go 'Pop . Ten more children fly away, higher and higher they go and safely come down. The last group waits impatiently but has a turn.
I count and we are all here except Mandy. Aunt Tillie rides one pony into the back yard. Mandy follows her on the other. Aunt Tillie takes center lawn and calls us all to attention. She explains that she had always wanted to be a Fairy Queen, even when she was 10 years old and now she knows how to be one.
'Come on, Kids, follow the Queen, to the Pennata and then I'll have a chance to stay Queen while everybody eats and enjoys the party.' She points her wand at the Pennata and it starts to swing all by itself.
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