How Bunny Leaped to Forty with Carrot

How Bunny Leaped to Forty with Carrot by Thushari Wasana Nanayakkara

How do twins celebrate their birthdays?  As long as they are living together, they both share one party.  The twins Bernie and Carroll celebrated their birthdays separately after their jobs took them to different towns. 

The twins did look alike in their early years, but now, they are the total opposite in their physical appearance and as well as in their attitudes.  If one were to describe Carroll, easiest would be to compare her to a model.  Her originally honey coloured hair now had several colour layers ranging from yellow, orange and dark brown (and ofcouse, if you look really carefully, here and there you will spot a few strands of honey coloured hair the hair dresser has missed).  That Carrot really had an attitude and she is not the type of person to whom you will pour your troubles to, at the end of a hard day.

Bernie, or Bunny on the other hand, had short hair full of honey coloured curls.  Although her curls don’t fall to her face, she wore a very wide, striking coloured headband.  Come to think of it, no one has ever seen her without her luminous green or orange or dull purple, extremely wide headbands.  She was of the same height as Carol but of different weight.  Bunny must be weighing about 5 times of Carrot.  (Uh, ah, I do mean “Carrol!”).  Bunny is bit scatter-brainy, very easy going, motherly and oh, awfully nice!

With their fortieth birthday drawing near, Bunny decided that the two sisters should celebrate their birthday together among a gathering of their old friends.  Bunny was so exited about reaching the notorious milestone of her life –forty!  Whenever she talked about the party to her neighbours, she kept on saying “I wonder what the naughty years would hold for me” and she was all giggles.

The day of the party, with the help of her neighbours Bunny decorated the house with colourful crepe paper, bunches of balloons and fresh flowers.  Carrot arrived just a few minutes before the guests started arriving.  Bunny being bunny, she didn’t mind.  Bunny and Carrot wore the same dress, but ofcouse in different sizes.  It was a merry reunion of old school friends and in between chatter, laughter, tears and hugs the time approached for cutting the birthday cake.

Bunny sang as someone from the catering crowd brought the cake to the table;

“Here comes the caaaake..  Here comes the caaake”

And everyone laughed and clapped.

It was a huge ribbon cake iced in many shades of pink and delicately decorated in white.  On the top of the cake it boldly said;

“Happy Naughty 40 to Carrot and Bunny”.

It didn’t just look good.  It also smelled so delicious that unknowingly the guests found their mouths watering.  People pushed one another to get a good look at the cake before the candles are fixed.

Then suddenly Carrot roughly pulled Bunny to a side,

“Bunny, why does it say “Happy Naughty Forty” on the cake?

“Oh come on Carrot” said Bernie loud enough for all to hear and nudging her sister playfully in the ribs
“It’s a known fact that forties are naughty years.  Bet you couldn’t wait to find out if it’s true ha? ha ha” she winked at the crowd.

Laughs all around.

Again with a lowered voice Carrot whispered through grinding teeth

“But Bunny, we are not forty.  At least not yet!”

Bunny’s mouth fell open.  She couldn’t control her voice.  So she said again for the whole room to hear,

“We are not forty?”

“No!”

The room became silent.  Everyone turned towards the sisters as if they are performing a drama.

“Uh?  Oh!  Then what are we Carrot?” Bunny’s voice dropped to a whisper

“We are 36 dummy Bunny!”

“No way!” Bunny was loud enough for the neighbors to hear, let alone the people in the room.

“Yes too!  Check the ID or your birth certificate”

Carrot was so annoyed that she walked in to the kitchen leaving Bunny alone with the cake and a roomful of staring eyes.

“What an idiot I am to forget my age!”

Bunny’s eyes were tearful.  She felt so embarrassed.  And she got Carrot upset too. 

“I guess I was bit too eager to be forty” she told no one in particular but loud enough for everyone to hear.  She let out a weak giggle through her tears.

Just then Carrot came to her and put one arm around Bunny’s shoulder

“You must be the only person in this world who wants to get old so soon!  Happy birthday Sis” 

With that Carrot and Bunny hugged each other and the roomful of people started to sing,

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Bunny and Carrot,
Happy birthday to both of you!

Word count : 801

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