Billy’s Birthday

Billy’s Birthday

I am twelve today. Just like last year, everyone will be nicer to me today.

Billy played outside his house by the kitchen window. He took a butter knife from the kitchen and used it to draw a map in the dirt.

I can be a mapmaker like Eratosthenes. Here is my house. And here is the trail I walk through the fields and woods. And here is the creek that comes near the house and here is the clubhouse, with the same creek next to it. I remember when Dad told Mom that the creek bubbled its way through both fields and woods.

A whiff of blueberry pie caught Billy’s attention. He looked up to see it on the wide-open windowsill. Mom made that pie for me because today is my birthday. Billy put the knife in the sock that he had attached to his belt for that purpose. He reached up and took the wooden plate holding the pie.

Billy touched the top of the pie. It’s still too hot to eat. Where can I go with it while I’m waiting for it to cool down?

The clubhouse by the lake came to his mind. Dad had built it for him and his friends. It had a ladder that could be used to climb down to the brook and windows on the north and south that allowed the breeze to come inside.

I’ll take this pie to the clubhouse and eat it all by myself.

Billy walked on the bridge over the creek and noticed how it bubbled. So that’s what Dad meant when he said that the creek bubbled its way through both fields and woods.

As he walked down the trail through the grass fields, he looked up at the blue sky and the white clouds floating above him. Two clouds next to each other caught his attention. They looked like bears eating a pie.

Next, the trail wound through the woods. As Billy walked, he occasionally looked up at the oak trees while carefully holding the wooden plate against his side. I wonder if the pie has cooled down yet. He touched the top of the pie. It still felt too hot to eat, but not burning hot. He continued down the trail through the woods.

Suddenly, Billy stopped. There in front of him lay a snake. What can I do? I could go back and walk around the block to the next trail, but then I couldn’t get to the clubhouse as quickly as I wanted to.
Billy backed up a short distance and held the pie tightly and slightly tilted against his shirt. I’ll just have to jump over that snake. But I need to be careful that I don’t smash the pie. He began to run toward the snake and hopped over it. He kept running for a short distance beyond, then stopped and looked back toward the snake. It’s just lying there and staring at me.

Arriving at the clubhouse he placed the pie plate on the table and washed the butter knife with water from the brook. Then he cut one slice of the pie small enough to eat by hand.

He savored the blueberry flavor. He cut another slice. By the time he had eaten half of his pie, his friends came. He invited all of them to have some pie. Each one cut a piece of the remaining pie. When they had finished the pie, Billy wiped up the pie crumbs left on the plate. He licked his lips after licking all the blueberries and crumbs from his fingers.

He and his friends played games together for the rest of the day. The clubhouse contained a kitchen and a playroom. A low wall separated the playroom from the kitchen. The playroom had no furniture in it. It was ideal for playing several games, including their favorite, “blind man’s bluff”.

When Billy got home for supper, Mom already had the table set. His two younger sisters, Flo, and Sara were already sitting at the table.

"Come sit down Billy", said his mother as she smiled at him.

Billy ate his peas and carrots as fast as he could.

After supper, Flo banged her spoon and fork on the table. “Hey, what’s for dessert?”

“Darling, we don’t have dessert.”

Billy jumped up. “Can I help you make dessert?”

“Of course, dear. Come into the kitchen.”

In the kitchen, Billy saw his mom take a second blueberry pie from the refrigerator. “Put this pie in the microwave for 2 minutes.”

Billy took the pie and put it in the microwave. “How do I turn it on for two minutes?”

His mom put her finger on a button by the microwave door. “Push this button four times.”

Billy pushed the button four times and waited until the microwave oven beeped. “Hey Mommy, it’s done.”

His mom took the pie from the oven and put it on a wooden plate. “Take this to the table.”

Mom cut slices of the blueberry pie and gave them to Flo and Sara.

"Hey, where’s my Pie?", exclaimed Billy. Mom smiled at Billy.

"Billy, you have already had your pie." Billy looked at his Mother. She was not mad at him. And it was true that he had already had his pie.

Flo and Sara looked at Billy. Then both, at the same time, cut a piece from their slice of pie and put it on Billy's now empty plate.

"Happy Birthday Billy", they said at the same time.

Billy smiled. But now I have twice as much pie as Flo and Sara. “Hey, Mom!”

Billy’s mother saw what had happened. “Yes, my darling, what do you want?”

“Can you cut one of my pies so that all of us have the same amount?”

“Of course. I’m very glad that you thought of sharing equally.

Billy’s mother cut the appropriate size piece from one of Billy’s pie pieces. Then she gave the two halves of it to Flo and Sara.

Billy smiled at Flo and Sara. “Thank you.”