It was Taylor and Rita’s 40th birthday, and Isaac and Babsie had decided to throw a surprise party for them.
“The trick to throwing a really good surprise party is to throw it on the day and in such a way that they don’t expect,” Isaac had declared. “None of this, a few days before or a few days after business. Or any of the get-them-out-of-the-house-and-then-yell-surprise-when-they-get-back stuff. And forget about the ‘forget it’s even their birthday’ rubbish. They’re going to expect a party for their 40th. Thus the trick to giving someone a surprise party when they’re expecting a party is to give them exactly what they want.”
“That some interesting logic you have there,” Babsie remarked dryly. “Whatever made you the expert on surprise parties anyway?”
“The fact that I kept getting them multiple years in a row, that’s what. Started… mid teens I think and ended… when I got married actually. You put a stop to it.”
“So I did. So, what’s this little scheme of yours?”
And so it happened that there was a little party at Taylor’s. And it came to the giving of the Birthday Cane. Isaac gestured to where the box was lying on the table. Taylor grinned.
“Gee, I wonder what this could be.”
He opened up the box, and there the Birthday Cane lay on satin. As Taylor lifted it from its box there was a bang.
“Ahh!” Taylor yelped.
“Surprise!” yelled everyone.
And the next thing Taylor and Rita knew, a rather large number of their friends came pouring in through the back door, which had conveniently been left open.
“You… you…” Rita began, pointing accusingly at Babsie before bursting out laughing.
“Me?” Babsie said innocently. “It was Ike’s idea.”
Isaac grinned mischievously at his brother and sister-in-law.
“Do you know how hard it is to hide twenty-five people and their kids in someone else’s backyard while they’re home without letting them find out?”
“This kids were in on it, huh?” Taylor asked.
“Couldn’t have done it without them.”
There was no time for further discussion then, as their friends wanted to wish Taylor and Rita ‘Happy Birthday’.
“Oh, I meant to tell you Rita,” said one of her friends at one point in the evening. “I was finally able to go to the jazz club the other night. You were amazing.”
“Thanks. You should have said ‘hi’.”
“Oh, I wanted to. I sure gave it my best shot, but then I had to go... you know how it is.”
“Sure, sure.”
“But you really were amazing. I was told you were a great jazz singer. I’m glad I had the chance to finally hear you for myself.”
Rita smiled with a little blush.
“Thank you.”