We celebrated Son’s birthday at our favorite sushi place the other night, and the evening was garnished with a sprig of serendipity along with the tempura rolls. Husband’s evening meeting was canceled so he became available at the last minute, and Daughter took the train out from the city earlier than expected. When she reached our house, she texted Son suggesting we meet at the restaurant at 6:00, and Son said better make it 6:05. Daughter told him to go all out and make it 6:10.
Son’s text response to Daughter was to ask me if I had 5 extra wooden hangers. We’re very specific with numbers in our bloodline. When I responded that we had our own wooden hanger shortage, Daughter suggested we pop over to Bed Bath & Beyond since she hadn’t gotten Son a gift yet. Yet? We were meeting him in an hour. How much more yet was there?
At BB&B, Daughter picked out some stellar wooden hangers and a canister of leather wipes for her brother’s supple chocolate-colored sofa. Back home in front of my closetful of gift bags, we found a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! satchel of the proper proportions with matching tissue paper and set it down next to our own HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! gift bag for Son. I’m all about the neon greeting.
Son showed up for sushi with his left forefinger professionally bandaged, igniting our immediate concern. He told us that two days earlier he had been cutting a roll with a new knife and sliced open his finger. He went to CVS for bandages and caught the attention of a pharmacist who advised him to go get stitches. Son drove to the local hospital, which has a reputation for sucking, and observed quickly that it did in fact suck. So he got back in his car and drove to a different hospital where he was stitched and bandaged.
Ironically, I bought Son kitchen knives for his birthday. We also got him his two favorite colognes – Chanel Pour Monsieur and Jean Paul Gaultier – but the knives suddenly seemed like a vicious gift. I guess it was better than a voucher for one emergency room co-pay, but still. He was charmed by Daughter’s gift, the drive-by wooden hangers, and she smiled at him like an all-knowing Tooth Fairy. Which reminded me of a recent newspaper comic I had wanted to ask the kids about.
OSV: Have either of you ever heard of the Sandman?
DTR: The one from the Metallica song?
OSV: No, from your childhood.
SON: Was he a friend of yours?
DTR: Wait, he was a comic book hero, right?
OSV: No, parents used to tell their kids at night –
SON: I know! He was a serial killer.
OSV: Forget it. People are looking at us.
SON: Because I have two big bags on my lap that say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Hey, thanks everybody. I mean it. This was pretty much the best birthday ever.
Our pleasure.
Daughter’s Featured Fotos present the fourth installment in our series of Two Words Say It All
winged woman
sand art
embroidered pillow
self portrait