Birthday Blues by Karen English Read Free Book Online

Ida goes out to the kitchen to get two slices of the before-the-birthday birthday cake, a man comes on and talks about how they should raise taxes for something. Deja can't figure out what he's saying. "I'd like to see
you
live on a fixed income, mister," Miss Ida says, returning with the cake. Then she lists all the stuff she has to pay for on her fixed income.
    Deja takes a big bite, and with a mouthful of yummy cake she asks, "What's a fixed income?"

    "It's money you have to live on. And it stays the same amount, no matter what."
    Deja still doesn't understand it, but she knows it isn't anything she has to understand, yet. She looks over at Miss Ida. It hasn't been
so
bad spending the past three days with her. It had seemed like a long time at first. Now it seems like just a short time has passed.

    After she brushes her teeth and says her prayers, she climbs into bed and lies there a long time, thinking. She plans to ask Auntie Dee straight out if her daddy is coming for her birthday or not. She wonders what Auntie Dee will say. She wonders if Auntie Dee even knows.
    Deja also decides that the next time Auntie Dee has to go out of town and she can't stay at Nikki's, she'd like to come back and stay with Miss Ida. For one thing, she makes really good before-the-birthday birthday cake. Deja had two big pieces.

10. Life Back to Normal—Kind of

    Deja sits on her own porch, waiting for the cab that will bring Auntie Dee home. She's glad it's Friday after school. She's glad she doesn't have to hear everybody whispering about Antonia's party anymore. Rosario and Melinda had the nerve to walk up to her at recess and ask her if she was coming to Antonia's party. She turned around and walked the other way.
    Nikki, beside her, is busy writing in her notebook. "What's that?" Deja asks finally.
    "I'm listing all the stuff we can do at your birthday party tomorrow."
    "It's only going to be the two of us, Nikki."
    "Well, we can still have some fun."
    "No, we can't. Everything is ruined." Deja sighs. "All I want is for it to hurry up and be over."

    Nikki continues her writing, and Deja continues watching the corner, waiting for the cab to turn onto their street. When it does—slowly driving down Fulton—Deja jumps up and does a little dance.
Auntie Dee is back!
    "Auntie Dee!" Deja runs crashing into her arms before she can even pay the driver.
    "My goodness, Deja. I haven't been gone that long."
    "It seemed like forever."
    Deja grabs Auntie's bag by one handle and Nikki grabs the other. They walk with her into the house.
    "Ready for the big day tomorrow?" Auntie Dee asks. Deja shrugs, but Auntie seems not to notice. She pulls back the drapes to let some sunlight into the darkened living room. Deja smiles. It is good to get back to sunny rooms.

    After Nikki's mom calls her home for dinner and Auntie Dee has come back from Miss Ida's to thank her and offer her some payment (which Miss Ida refuses), Auntie orders pizza to celebrate being home. "So you think no one is coming tomorrow?" she asks Deja. When Auntie Dee had called the night before, Deja told her about the no RSVPs and how everyone was going to Antonia's and how Antonia had even asked her, Deja, to her party. "Don't worry," she'd said to Deja. "I'll see what I can do."

    They're sitting at the coffee table, eating off paper plates. Deja loves when they eat pizza this way. It's more fun than sitting at the table in the kitchen.
    "Antonia's party is going to be better."
    "Well," Auntie Dee says. She looks as if she is thinking—hard. "Maybe a small party will be better than you think. Maybe," she adds, as if she has something in mind. Deja looks at Auntie Dee carefully. Is she thinking about Deja's daddy coming? Is this the time to bring him up? They hardly ever talk about him. Auntie Dee always seems to change the subject when Deja mentions him. Deja knows she has to be careful.
    Deja takes a deep breath. "Auntie Dee?"
    "Yes, sweetheart?"
    "Do you think my