My best birthday gift

MY BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT
DECEMBER 9TH 1986
         

         Four months had passed since my disastrous vacation and I had recovered quite nicely. My mother had located a fantastic Mustang to replace my wrecked one. It was a candy apple red 1984 Mustang with T-Tops and all the accessories that a 20 year old could desire. My two jobs were going great but I still lacked any rest. College was going fine also. My grades at Nash Community College were high enough for me to be inducted into Gamma Beta Phi, and I was writing prolifically.
         My 21st birthday was fast approaching and I made sure that everyone was informed of the big day.
Finally the big day arrived. I had at last reached that magic milestone of 21! Yet all during the day I felt strangely depressed. I felt that this was because it was my first birthday away from my family, and also because I had to work.
         The day started out fairly normal. I arrived at Hardees at 5am to begin my prepwork. I grabbed a sausage biscuit and choked it down with some strong coffee. Strangely, nobody said Happy Birthday or even acknowledged my birthday. This made me more depressed.
         After smoking my morning cigarette and getting my thoughts together, I made my way to the front counter to begin waiting on the lines of customers. The usual customers arrived at the usual time buying their usual food. The day seemed no different than any other day. It finally struck me that the world continued moving whether or not it was my birthday. What a depressing day it was!
         The hours dragged by and so did I. As the clock was reaching my departure time, I noticed a car pulling into the driveway. It parked and a young woman with a small boy stepped out. I groaned because I had gotten quite comfortable propping myself up on the front counter.
         The little boy ran in first and his eyes lit up as he gazed at the pound puppies we had on display. That Christmas our promotion was Pound Puppies and they sold like hotcakes.
         The little boy looked at his mother and tugged on her skirt. "Mommy Mommy I want a poun puppy!!," he yelled. The woman quickly grabbed her son by the hand and told him to quiet down. "I'll get you a pound puppy, as long as you behave," she said.
         The boy quieted down and the woman purchased a black pound puppy. As I handed it to the young boy his eyes widened and he looked up at me. "Now tell him Thank you," the woman said.
         "Tank you!'" said the boy, "Do you know what I gunna do tonight?" he asked.
         "No, I don't" I said.
         "I gunna play with my poun puppy and watch Rudolph on TV!"
         The boy's excitement and enthuiasm touched me and reminded me of my own childhood. I too loved watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer every year and it just so happened that every year Rudolph was shown on my birthday. Rudolph was always my favorite christmas special. I identified with Rudolph because he felt out of place when he was young, and I too felt like a "misfit."
         The rest of the day I was even more depressed, knowing that I would miss Rudolph. I had a crappy VCR and had to be there to tape it because the timer was broken. Unfortunately I had to sling pizzas at Mama Jean's that night, so I would not be home till late. My day was at last over at Hardees and I headed home to take a nap before going to my second job.
         As I entered my house everything looked the same. Nobody jumped out of the corners shouting Happy Birthday!! I looked in the fridge, there was no birthday cake. I searched every closet, every drawer, every cabinet, yet I found no presents. I began to feel that everyone had forgotten my birthday. I decided to just brush it off and take a nap.
         I cherished my 2 hour power naps in between jobs and often had strange vivid dreams. As I drifted off to dreamland I found myself in a strange snowy place. I was surrounded by toys, thousands of broken toys. Some were moving and talking to me. Others were quietly sobbing about being unwanted and unloved. Suddenly I caught my reflection in a frozen puddle and my nose was glowing! I was Rudolph and a strange looking elf was shaking me and screaming at me about getting my teeth cleaned!!
         "Wake up Charles, you're gonna be late for work!" It was Keith's girlfiend Liz shaking me awake. I had just had another crazy dream. I frantically jumped out of the warm waterbed and threw on my uniform.
         I arrived at Mama Jean's five minute's early, hoping to catch everyone preparing to throw me a surprise party. Alas, there was nothing! No cakes, no balloons just another ordinary day. I put on my apron and headed for the kitchen and began the monotonous task of making pizzas and subs and burgers.
         The night went by fast and soon it was nearing closing time. I was punching out to go home when my boss Delaine told me that Keith wanted to see me in the Private party room. I entered the room and noticed Keith sitting all alone in the corner, sipping a cold one. I sat down and tried not to act upset. Keith talked as if nothing were out of the ordinary. At last I could take it no longer. "Keith," I said, "Let's go over to Traxx across the street, I need a strong drink."
         I had barely gotten the words out of my mouth when the door flung open and every employee of Mama Jean's poured in singing "Happy Birthday!" Delaine carried a huge cake with 21 flaming candles and one of the waitresses carried an ice cold beer. They had caught me completely by surprise! My face flushed with embarrasement as I blew out the 21 flaming candles. Everyone clapped and I began to feel like a kid again.
         The waitress handed me the beer she was carrying. "Here's your first legal beer on your 21st birthday, enjoy it," she said.
         I cut the cake and gave everyone a piece, then began drinking my beer. As I finished the last drop, Lori, another waitress, walked in carrying another beer. "Happy 21st", she said. She was followed by five other waitresses, all carrying beer. By the time I left Mama Jean's I was feeling pretty festive.
         Keith asked me if I still wanted to go to Traxx. I was too drunk to care, so I told him yes. When we arrived at the bar the bartender saw my ID and discovered that it was my 21st birthday. Soon the whole crew surrounded my table singing "Happy Birthday!" I enjoyed myself  and I had my share of many different  mixed drinks. When the time came to leave I handed Keith my keys. "Drive me home," I said. "I don't want any car wrecks on my birthday."
         When I got home I expected to just go crawl in the waterbed and pass out. But when I got inside, Liz walked up carrying a cup cake with 21 stuck in the middle. She was wearing a silly party hat and blowing a horn. She gave me a big hug and wished me a Happy Birthday. I sat down to eat my cup cake and Keith cut on the TV.
         "Oh by the way," Keith said, as he cut on the VCR, "I taped something for you."
         He cut on the VCR and there before my eyes was Rudolph! "You remembered!", I shouted, "I thought you would have forgotten!"
         I began to feel all warm and happy as I watched Rudolph. I remembered all the Christmas celebrations and Birthdays that I had celebrated in my 21 years of life and I felt a little selfish for thinking only of myself. I was still a "Misfit" but I had finally found a group of friends that were "Misfits" too and we were like one big happy family.
         Out of all the cakes, parties and presents I will always remember the greatest gift I could ever receive; the wonderful gift of friendship. I owe it all to Rudolph!!