I stopped blowing the purple ballon in my hand to watch Pia as she bustled about. She was aranging plats of finger food and cans of soda in my living room, where she was hosting a surprise party for Talia, her best friend and my sister. As she finished putiing everting in place, she noticed the lack of the rubbery sounds of a stretching ballon , and turned to me.
“Teo,are you okay?” she asked concernedly.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I was just taking a break,” I answered lamely. "But this is the last one.” I glanced at the 17 other ballons strewn around the floor. Pia specificially requested 18 ballons, because Talia was turning 18 today.
“What else can I help you with, birthday girl?” I asked. Coincidentally, it was also Pia’s birthday today. She liked to joke that she was so close to Talia, they had to share everyting, including their birth date. They met each other during the orientation program for nwew students at the beginning high scool. They have been best friends ever since.
It was also through their friendship that I met Pia. She came over to spend time with Talia several days each week, and her sense of humor charmed me since the they she told me a joke about elepanths in the fridge. She’s now my girlfriend.
Pia smiled as she placed a knife beside a pile of plastic spoons and paper plates for the cake. Then she took the birthday cake out of its box and placed it on platter. Blueberry cheesecake, their favorite. “I think that’s all. You’re going to put the ballons up, right?”.
“Yup,” I nodded. I tied up the last purple ballon, reached for strings and scissors, and started tying up ballons in bunches of four and threes. “Shall we draw faces on these ballons before I tie them up?” I teased her.
She giggled. “Not unless You can draw the face of Robert Pattison. Talia would LOVE that.”She concentrated on putting candles on the cake, and then placed a match nearby.
“In that case, we’ll leave these ballons as they are.”I grinned.
Pia finished fussing with the food and walked over to me. “Food and beverage, check. Cake, check. Music, check. Friend, on their way. Decoration, almost check,” she mumbled to herself. She grabbed the tape and stood beside me.
I placed a fold-up ladder in one corner of the room. I climbed up and reached for a bunch of ballons, then grabbed the piece of tape that Pia was holding out towards me.
“You know, it’s your birthday, too. Remind me again, why are You doing all this? You should also be the queen of the day,” I said as I stuck the ballons on the wall.
She looked confused for a moment. “I know….,” She finally answered. “But I think Talia needs this moment more than I do.” She fiddled with the roll of tape in her hands, while we moved from one corner to another to place the ballons. “Maybe She doesn’t show it, but She’s been going through a rough time lately. She just broke up with her boyfriend. I think I’d need crushed if that happened to me.” A shadow of sadness crossed her face, and then she smiled again. “This is the perfect occasion to remind her that we all still care about her. That we love her. That heartbreak doesn’t mean the end of the world.”
Our conversation was cut short by the ring of the doorbell. Friends started to arrive, and while waiting for Talia to come home from her dancing lesson, everyone chose a spot to hide. Several minutes later, someone spotted her walking up the driveway, and we all hid quckly. The door slowly opened, and Talia stepped inside.
“SURPRIIIISSSE!” we all shouted pia walk to the door, holding the cake carefully. The soft glow of 18 little candles illuminated her face, which was adorned with a huge smile.
Talia stopped in her tracks, looking surprised. her eyes skimmed the room, over her friends, all the food, ballons, and the cake. A moment later, she smlied and tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t believe this,” she whispered. She blew out the candles, making a wish before doing so.
Pia also tearful, was the first to give her a hug. Then I came over patted Talia on the back. “Happy birthday, sis.” I usually don’t understand girls and their tendency to cry, but this time I was moved by all theaffection between the two bestfriends. The others started crowding around Talia to wish her a happy birthday, so Pia and I move to the side.
“Look at how happy Talia is,” she beamed. “It was totally worth it, Teo. This party is wonderfull and I’am having such a fantastic birtday.”
I gave her a hug. She cared so much for the happiness of others that sometimes I feel that’s she often puts her happiness second. Her selflessness made me admire her even more. I glanced at her tired but satisfied face, and smiled smugly to myself. Little did she know that when she came home to night, there would be saveral things waiting for her, a pink teddy bear sitting patiently on her bed, a mini blueberry cheesecake placed on her bedside table, and 18 heart-shaped ballons floating all around the ceiling of her room. Just a little surprise for the surprise giver, which I had planned since the day she started organizing the surprise for Talia. Happy birthday, Pia, I thought to myself. Happy birthday to my little angel.
source : C'nS magazine
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