It Was A Birthday

 

An actual food co-op in real Milltown!

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“You know, Jen, every fable ends with a moral or a warning doesn’t it,” said Doug. “If we haven’t been living a fabulous tale, I don’t know who ever has.” He smiled at his wife.

“Ok, what’s the moral of this one,” asks Jen. With the one long dark braid down her back, she hardly looked any older than when they met in front of the old P-Sec store. It hadn’t been all that long. But it seemed that way to them. A lot had happened.

“I’m thinking.” He looks across the lawn at their very large garden. It was getting towards fall again. He thought to himself about the speed of time.

Gabriel had walked at ten months. This is not unheard of, but unusual, nonetheless.

In his crib at night, he had been seen to wave to and coo at small Lights as they formed and unformed like shiny bubbles. This was fabulous indeed. He was, in fact, an unusual child. He had no fear.

He would have followed OZ all over the yard and garden if Jen had allowed it. OZ would have cared for him, but she didn’t think it was wise to put it to the test anyhow.

Gabriel, or Gabe to his family, would be a year old that evening.

“Maybe we should have a little birthday party Doug,” said Jen. “You could send OZ into town to get Roops. I could make some kind of snacks and a cake, a plain one. Ellen would come, I bet, and maybe Henry too.”

“You could go down to the store for me and get some more butter and sugar. I have enough eggs and flour. Talk to Denise. See if anyone has some toys there. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone has been making toys. There are more babies every month around here.”

Doug stood up from the kitchen chair and stretched his long self. Fully stretched his hands touched the ceiling.

“Ok Jen, me and OZ will take a ride soon.” He wandered out of the house to find OZ.

From under the table Bubby said, “I’ll go too.” They didn’t have pets, but they had Bubby. He wasn’t exactly a pet. He was more like a consultant of some kind. He consulted with them whether they wanted it or not. He ate a lot of chicken in those days, thanks to Lou and her hen house. He had nothing to complain about. He had gotten rather chubby to tell the truth.

Lou came down the stairs with Gabriel. She had been bathing him in the tub up there. She spent a lot of time with him.

He probably walked early because Lou had walked him around holding his hands as he toddled.

“Hey Jen, guess what!” Lou was grinning. “Elvin said we should get married. What do you think about that?”

“I’d say it was about time,” said her sister, smiling. “I was beginning to wonder about you two slowpokes.” She wrapped her arms around Lou as she always had.

“Lou, we’re going to have a birthday party for Gab tonight. We have things to do! Cake and finger foods! I’m thinking deviled eggs for sure,” said Jen. There followed the necessary discussion and planning of such important matters.

“Why don’t you hop down to Ellen’s house and invite them? I’ll get Gabe to bed for his nap and start sweeping up around here,” Jen told Lou. “In fact why don’t you take Elvin too.”

*** 

Both Doug and OZ had bikes to ride in those days. OZ on his bike was quite a sight. He still wore his trusty Carhartts and rode with his double elbows pointing outward. He really looked like something from the Wizard of Oz. It was hard to say whether he more resembled the Tin Man or the Straw Man. Doug looked normal, if a little long and bony.

When they got to the highway OZ went on ahead to deliver his message to Roops and Doug headed down the asphalt to the remodeled store, now named the Novus Ordo Co-op. It was some of the Thumbies finest work. The store looked nothing like it had during the days of P-Sec. It was clean. It was full of produce, even flowers. Some people had started small dairies, so there were milk products, cheese and butter and even yogurt. All this was in returnable glass bottles.

All sorts of handmade items were stocked. Knitted items. Various kinds of clothing made at home by local people had been coming in lately. There was pottery. There was candy. People were having a lot of fun running the store. Even the parking lot was swept clean, and it had flowerpots here and there. There was a bike rack and places to tie up a horse and there was a drinking trough for any horses who came by with their riders.

Denise was the new manager. She had two young men and three girls working with her to keep it running smoothly. Items were paid for with the old day’s currency, which was highly prized, or barter. Some new methods of running accounts were being tried out also. Gold and silver coins, which had been popular before the crash, were used for large purchases by people whose parents had been wise enough to purchase some in the old days. Denise had her hands full figuring out how to manage all this.

She also had to manage all the vendors, but she had proved to be good at it.

Seeing her at her nice desk set in the front of the store up by the windows, Doug called out “hey Denise, I have a question for you.”

“Hi, Doug,” said Denise, “come on over. What can I do for you?”

“Well, I’ll tell ya. Jen sent me for some butter and sugar, but I’m also supposed to see if anyone is selling toys for a one-year-old boy. Gabe is getting up there and today is his birthday! We’re throwing a little party for the guy tonight.”

“Ok, we have some stuffed bears and chickens back there. One guy is making wooden alphabet blocks too. Let’s go take a look!” Denise and Doug headed to the back of the store and went shopping. He picked out a good sturdy looking bear of a realistic brown color, made of knitted yarn, stuffed with wool and with nice bright button eyes. He had some old cash from his parents’ place in Arlington, so he paid for his purchases with that. He packed the sugar and butter and the bear into his trusty backpack and headed out over the river again to home in time for Jen to bake a cake.

*** 

OZ rode home soon after, having accomplished his mission. Roops said he would come of course. He would also bring his mom if she felt up to riding in the little wagon behind his big mountain bike.

Evening came. Roops brought his mom in the little wagon, all tucked in with pillows and a blanket. Mrs. Steele brought fudge and a little hat that she had been knitting for Gabe. Ellen and Henry walked over from their place. They brought a little xylophone that had belonged to their son when he was small.

The cake was presented to Gabe. It was iced with old style boiled icing tinted yellow with a bit of turmeric. There were no candles, but he didn’t miss them. He was quite excited by the cake, and the toys and the hat. His first personal possessions.

OZ walked around with his hands in his pockets mentioning the joyous configuration from time to time to various persons.

When the family and friends sang Happy Birthday OZ seemed astounded. The concept of a birthday was something that he had never considered. He buzzed and hummed to himself and took his kind of note of the matter.

Bubby recited “Who has seen the wind, etc” to everyone’s total amazement. He had a piece of cake for his efforts. He also liked the deviled eggs and the fudge.

The cake was a great success and there was coffee. Mrs. Steele had probably brought that too.

Elvin announced to general approval his and Lou’s engagement. Lou blushed and grinned at the floor. Elvin gave her a big showy smooch in front of everyone. There was laughter and clapping all around.

Gabe got sleepy and was put to bed. The McNamaras walked home. Roops and his mom were tucked in on a chair and sofa in the living room and the whole family settled in for the night. OZ sat quietly in his chair and Bubby went upstairs with Lou and Elvin, since there were two beds up there and they obviously needed a chaperone.

It had been a wonderful evening and Gabriel was launched into his second year. Fabulous indeed.

(Jen's cake wasn't nearly that fancy!)

Link to all of it...In the tenth year of the pandemonium.docx