Surviving Valencia

“Sure.” I set my backpack down and went to get a glass of water.

“Water? Have an RC instead, why don’t you.”

“Alright.” I poured out my glass of water and opened a can of soda.

I sat down at the kitchen table, across from her. The room was perfectly quiet except for the faint sizzling sound coming from the can of cola.

“How was work?” I asked her.

“Oh, I love it. It’s a lot of fun.”

“That’s good.”

She drummed her fingers on the table and spun the cake around so I could have a better look.

“What a nice cake,” I said.

“Chocolate,” she said. “These cakes from the Piggly Wiggly are the best.”

“Looks good.”

“There should be enough left over that you can take some with you in your lunch.”

“What a good idea.”

“So you’re thirteen now. Time sure flies.”

To me it didn’t.

My dad walked through the door then, a fistful of Mylar balloons in his hand. “Happy birthday! I picked these up for you,” he said, handing me the balloons. There was Garfield, Inspector Gadget, the Muppets, Barbie, even one with a rainbow that said Hope You’re Feeling Better. Had he stolen these?

“Thanks, Dad,” I said, holding the balloons, unsure of what to do next.

“We were just about to order pizza,” my mom told him.

“Great. Get on the horn and order it. Extra meat. Onions. Jalapenos.” Hallow peenos.

“Will do, Rog. Be right back,” said my mom.

My dad opened a can of RC and pulled up a chair. “So you’re a teenager now.”

“Uh-huh.” I took a sip of my soda.

“What’d you learn in school today?”

I hadn’t been asked that since I was a little kid. I racked my brain but somehow I couldn’t think of anything to tell him. So I made up something: “We learned about how people in South America live and stuff.”

“Pizza will be here in thirty-five minutes,” said my mom, hanging up the phone. She looked at me. “Do you want to open your presents?”

“Yeah!”

She sat back down and handed me the smallest one. My dad intercepted it and gave it a playful shake then pretended to hide it behind him. “Alright, alright, you can have it,” he said, handing it over to me. Was I in the Twilight Zone? Who were these cheerful, fun-loving people?

The present was wrapped in bright pink and yellow striped paper with a white bow on top. I took my time unwrapping it, wanting to make opening the gifts last until the pizza arrived.

Inside were barrettes, trendy ponytail holders, and two flavored roll-on lip-glosses. My mom was beaming. “Do you like those?” she asked.

I nodded. “These are great,” I said, and I meant it.