Fountain had a big day coming. It was my birthday and they didn't know it yet but it was about to hit like a twenty-six year old hurricane. It also happened to be the Fountain/My Lily Community Improvement Club's 5th anniversary. Posters were being pinned, invitation were being photocopied and dresses were being pressed. So happy birthday to me, I put on a new Island Hopper skirt and oxy-white shirt and picked my way up the road to the church. We were to each perform some sort of content for the concert. At first they asked me to sing but I assured them that they wouldn't be pleased if I did. So I settled on reading a poem. I was called up and I announced into the microphone that I had written a poem about my experience in Nevis. Silence blanketed the audience like fresh snow as my poem wove it's way from one ear to another. I felt like I had extra eyes, some to read my scratches and some to watch the audience. I saw the warm and curious eyes of everyone in the audience, eager to hear what the "clear" girl, the Peace Corps had to say. Applause rippled though the air as I swept back to my chair, but not before the announcer called me right back to the stage.
"Where are you going? Come back here!" And my birthday was announced. The keyboard beat out the notes and the audience sang, clapped, swayed! "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!" As I clasped my hands to my chest and grinned, blushing and self-conscious about how to react to such a momentous occasion. It was such a beautiful birthday.
My wonderful boyfriend arranged a surprise with one of my friends, Allyson, to buy me a lucky Chinese cat that I had my eye on. The thing is exactly what I always wanted. It is so gaudy, sparkling gold and battery-operated waving arm; the grand finale to the lucky cat I always wanted but could never find. Somehow Nevis got it's paws on it first. And now I have lucky cat! True it's battery-operated arm doesn't work, but lucky cat is so glorious it doesn't matter. And all because my boyfriend cares so much! $80 EC may seem too high a price but one can't put a price on love.
