June, 1996
Created | Updated Aug 12, 2004
Today is my birthday, and just like every year, I am throwing myself a party. I sent out invitations to as many of the guests as I could find addresses for, the others will understand. I don't know how many will show up, or how many will bring dates. I have snacks and plenty of booze, some of the guests will not stay if there is nothing to drink.
The first guest arrives prompty at six. A shy farm kid who masks his dislike for my long hair and apartment. A family resemblance is all we seem to have in common. I offer him a coke, and he reads today's newspaper intently while he drinks it.
The next guest to ring the bell is a man a few years older than myself. His date laughs and glances at him as he introduces us. "Happy birthday" she says to me, "I've heard a lot about you, it's nice to finnally meet you." and "How does it feel to be thirty?" We go into the living room and sit down. She asks me about my future plans while her date looks casually around my apartment.
Soon many guests have arrived and I am kept busy being a good host. I settle an arguement amongst half a dozen boys of various ages who are fighting over the Nintendo controls. They don't have Nintendo where they come from and they are quite impressed.
Younger boys are running around and jumping on the furniture. "We're going to stay up late and eat all the ice cream we want." one tells me. "You promised." another reminds me. "Okay" I laugh, "You will, you will."
Several middle aged men are on the balcony talking to a woman in a black dress. She is attractive in an odd way, and I stare at her from the other end of the living room. The conversation seems to be about her marriage, but I can't make much else out.
My attention is grabbed by a screaming baby nearby. He stares at me with unrelenting eyes that demand to experience every thing they see and do not understand. My Promises to him have always been the hardest to keep. "Okay, Okay" I say to him.
Unnerved, I retreat into the kitchen and find a cigarette. A sixty eight year old man snatches it out of my mouth with surprising agility and throws it in the sink. "We want to talk to you young man." he says. I turn to see a small group of old men surrounding me. The eldest is their spokesman. "We have some odd jobs we want you to do for us. We would do them ourselves but we are too old."
Around two o'clock my closest friends begin to arrive. They are closer to my own age so we have more in common. We start drinking and talking about old times. At three thirty a skinny guy shows up with a blond on his arm. He could easily pass for my twin brother and she is my ex-girlfriend. "Happy birthday Ninety Six." he says. "How's it going?" "Not bad Ninety Five" I reply, "Happy birthday."
The first guest arrives prompty at six. A shy farm kid who masks his dislike for my long hair and apartment. A family resemblance is all we seem to have in common. I offer him a coke, and he reads today's newspaper intently while he drinks it.
The next guest to ring the bell is a man a few years older than myself. His date laughs and glances at him as he introduces us. "Happy birthday" she says to me, "I've heard a lot about you, it's nice to finnally meet you." and "How does it feel to be thirty?" We go into the living room and sit down. She asks me about my future plans while her date looks casually around my apartment.
Soon many guests have arrived and I am kept busy being a good host. I settle an arguement amongst half a dozen boys of various ages who are fighting over the Nintendo controls. They don't have Nintendo where they come from and they are quite impressed.
Younger boys are running around and jumping on the furniture. "We're going to stay up late and eat all the ice cream we want." one tells me. "You promised." another reminds me. "Okay" I laugh, "You will, you will."
Several middle aged men are on the balcony talking to a woman in a black dress. She is attractive in an odd way, and I stare at her from the other end of the living room. The conversation seems to be about her marriage, but I can't make much else out.
My attention is grabbed by a screaming baby nearby. He stares at me with unrelenting eyes that demand to experience every thing they see and do not understand. My Promises to him have always been the hardest to keep. "Okay, Okay" I say to him.
Unnerved, I retreat into the kitchen and find a cigarette. A sixty eight year old man snatches it out of my mouth with surprising agility and throws it in the sink. "We want to talk to you young man." he says. I turn to see a small group of old men surrounding me. The eldest is their spokesman. "We have some odd jobs we want you to do for us. We would do them ourselves but we are too old."
Around two o'clock my closest friends begin to arrive. They are closer to my own age so we have more in common. We start drinking and talking about old times. At three thirty a skinny guy shows up with a blond on his arm. He could easily pass for my twin brother and she is my ex-girlfriend. "Happy birthday Ninety Six." he says. "How's it going?" "Not bad Ninety Five" I reply, "Happy birthday."
