Birthday Party Exclusive November 5, 1929

A Birthday Party for Me

She said, “We’ll see”

Wasn’t it all so perfect:
Halloween finally over - the
last hurdle behind me and November 5.
Alone, I imagined the celebration
of my 7th birthday

My mother’s love for me surely
would win me The Party.
Was she buying the little
crepe paper baskets?
The baskets to set on the table
next to the crepe paper fancy hats
next to the many colored paper plates
With scalloped edges (more expensive
than the plain colored ones)?
And of course the paper horns
(I really wanted the paper horns),
candy corn, gum drops, three layered
butterscotch cake and chocolate ice cream.
Maybe even popcorn balls. Would she have
Time to make the popcorn balls?
Not to worry.

Then the Plan

My second grade room,
in the red brick building,
That was Saint Bernard's Catholic School
was a friendly place
run by Sister Mary Angelena.
I really wanted to invite her.
She told me her prayers
didn’t include birthday parties
during the weekdays.

It was hard to choose seven friends
without hurting anyone’s feelings.
But at last the seven were selected
and invited separately with loving hugs &
kisses. They did ask about the invitations
(they said their mothers needed to know)
It’s the Depression, I humbly explained.
They assured me that their mothers
wouldn’t mind not having the invitations
and they all agreed to come
on the the 5th of November
right after school.

Party Day

And then the day came:
Hurrying to school ,
hurrying through the day,
exchanging happy glances
with one another -
the anticipation
of the party just ahead!

Finally Sister Mary Angelena
rang the little bell on the corner of her desk
that commanded us to gather
up our possessions
and ushered us all out
into the cold November air.
Classes were over for the day.

Marching to the front of the group,
I pointed out the way to the party.
We all held hands.
And just as we were about to
begin our five block journey,
we were intercepted by Marion,
my very serious 3rd grade sister.

You are having a birthday party, Ruthie?
she asked in disbelief. And without waiting for an answer
she was on her way to alert our mother.
I thought at the time that it was very
nice of her to help our mother give my party.

We were happily imagining
the paper hats, the little crepe paper baskets
filled with candy corn and peanuts,
the cunning crepe paper hats shaped like
tulips and roses
and the horns that played our own tunes
and the beautiful butterscotch cake
with the seven candles
and the games - every game with a prize for the lucky winner-
oh the dream of it all.

The Place, 3550 Monclair

That was our address.
Our apartment house was
a lovely brown and tan brick building
with a beautiful brass and glass door in front
and four floors of apartments.
We lived in a front apartment -
my mother and father and baby sister -
just two apartment buildings
from Charlevoix, the street of fancy
stores and St Bernard’s Catholic School and Church.

Some Second Thoughts

My mother had two Looks;
The Smile she put on when she felt she had
to smile in order to cover up some
irritation and the Dirty Look, saved for us only
(mostly for me, and sometime, Marion - although
not very often for Marion).
The Dirty Look kept us cowed when it was lowered at us
promising terrible consequences for Later.

Marion was sent to the nearby grocery store with The List:
One Grennens Butterscotch Cake - a rather small commercial cake,
very popular around the Detroit area
(it always came in handy when unexpected company dropped in).
Next on the list: The chocolate ice cream and the candy corn.

We played all the birthday games of the day;
and I again reminded my friends of the Depression;
No prizes, I announced, in the most gentle of sad tones.

Money was on everyone’s minds in those days
and even little children wanted to know
what was being spent on their behalf
so I did bring up the question of cost.

I think we all had a happy time celebrating
My 7th Birthday

I asked if I could go home with my friend
who lived in an upstairs flat across the street,
next to the public library.
My mother urged me to go.
Her smile was the cover for the Dirty Look.

I went.
We played.
I wondered when I should go home?
After all, it was my 7th birthday.
Would we be having a special dinner
I wondered.

It was getting dark.
I assured my birthday party friend
that I would be back another day
and I hurried home.

There was not a special dinner.
There was not even the special
birthday spanking.
But my father played
the Happy Birthday tune
on his harmonica .

Everyone talked about the party
in school the following day.
Sister Mary Angelena said she
wished she could have been there.

I never had another birthday party
(the Depression, you know)