In the Key of Dale by Benjamin Lefebvre

Author:Benjamin Lefebvre
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press

SUNDAY, MAY 8

Dear Pa,

Well, today’s the day. I’m seventeen. I don’t feel that different compared to yesterday, when I was sixteen and change. By the time Mozart was my age, he was already a court musician in Salzburg, not stuck at some wearisome high school like me, but never mind. I’m also now as old as one of the Hardy boys, which somehow is even more unbelievable.

Do you remember the birthday parties you and Ma used to throw me when I was little? I remember the one when I turned six. You’d decided the theme would be Toy Story, so kids and adults had to dress up as their favourite childhood toys. I’ll have to double-check this in the photo albums in the attic, but I think you dressed up as a toy soldier and Ma dressed up as Strawberry Shortcake. I do remember that Uncle Scott and Uncle Joe showed up as a pair of Cabbage Patch Kids, and I’m pretty sure, since this was before their wedding, it was around then that I started to understand that they weren’t just friends who happened to live in the same house. There were tons of people there, and I was proud, since they’d all come over because of me.

Fast-forward eleven years, and tonight’s festivities were as diametrically opposed to the Toy Story party as if they’d been planned that way. Today’s also Mother’s Day, but because Ma had insisted we keep the celebrations separate, mine was especially sparse. Of course I’m not a child anymore, but it was practically the equivalent of Ma giving me money to buy whatever I wanted for Christmas and wrapping my presents in front of me. I had dinner with Ma and Helmut, and once it was over we cleared the dishes and I set the table again while Ma put some candles on the cake. Just as I was letting in Uncle Scott and Uncle Joe, I heard another car pull into the driveway.

Gonzo walked through the front door carrying a package wrapped in colourful paper with a giant bow on top. “Hey—happy birthday, bro,” he said, giving me what Uncle Scott would call a manly half hug.

We’re always nice to each other on our birthdays, I guess to shake things up a bit.

“Hey—thanks. Did your mother drop you off?” I asked him.

“No. She’s waiting in the car.”

“Oh.” I looked at Ma and Helmut, but neither of them said anything. They just looked. None of this made any sense to me, so I said, “Well, that’s silly, especially on Mother’s Day. We should invite her in for a piece of cake.”

I headed back to the front door before anyone could say something to stop me—not that anyone tried to, as far as I could tell. I put some shoes on and walked outside to the driveway. Iliana was sitting in her car, flipping through a magazine, but when she saw me heading her way, she smiled and rolled down her car window.

“Happy birthday, Dale!” she said, reaching out to squeeze my arm.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.