8.9.09
Kirsten is an 18-inch-tall girl from 1854, Nellie is an 18-inch-tall girl from 1906, and May is an 18-inch-tall girl from sometime around 1928, give or take. May sure is secretive. Mini Kit is a 6-inch-tall doll from 1934.
And it's sure been an awful long time since they've had some fun. But today...
"Happy birthday, Miss Kirsten!" Nellie cried.
"Happy birthday to me!" said Kirsten.
"Wait a minute!" May said.
"I've seen the calendar. Your birthday was on June eighth!"
"Hmph," Kirsten said. "It IS June eighth! Because we're having my birthday party, and my birthday is on June eighth!"
"Your birthday may be June eight," May said, "but today is August ninth."
"June eighth!" Kirsten said.
"August ninth!" May said.
"Miss May's on first!" Nellie said, desperate to distract Kirsten.
"What?" May asked.
"I don't get it," said Kirsten.
Nellie sighed, though it really wasn't fair of her to expect a girl from 1854 and a girl from 1920-something to know about a comedy skit from the 1940s.
Kirsten's eyes went wide. "Nellie--it's not...really August, is it?"
After a pause, Nellie nodded.
Kirsten couldn't believe it. She sank down in grief.
"Miss Kirsten!" Nellie had been afraid of this. "Oh, please don't be upset!"
"So that Cheap Lady forgot about me," Kirsten said, sniffing.
"No!" Nellie said. "Of course she didn't forget! She loves you very much!"
"I don't believe you," Kirsten said.
"Hmph," May said. "I've been here over a year, and I've never had a birthday party. But you don't see me bawling about it. Don't be such a pill."
Kirsten sighed. "But it's not fair! She didn't even give me a birthday party in the same month as my birthday!"
"Miss Kirsten," Nellie said gently. "Did you give Miss Cheap Lady a birthday party?"
"Of course not," Kirsten said. "I'm only 18 inches tall."
"Did you make her a card?"
"Well, no," Kirsten said.
"Did you even wish Miss Cheap Lady a happy birthday?"
Kirsten paused. In a small voice, she replied,
"No."
May smirked. "Hmph. You should be grateful that she got you a present at all!"
"She got me a present?" Kirsten's eyes lit up.
"Hey!!!!" A shrill voice pierced the air.
Mini Kit waved her hands to get their attention. "Happy birthday, Kirsten! Now let's watch a movie! Look, 'The Chronicles of Narnia' is right here! All we have to do is put it in the DVD player--"
"But I don't want to watch that," Kirsten said.
Nellie patted Mini Kit's back. "Miss Mini Kit, it's Miss Kirsten's birthday. She gets to pick what we do."
"But she'll pick an awful movie," Mini Kit said.
"No I won't!" Kirsten replied. "Because..."
"...tonight we're going to party like it's 1855!"
"1855?" May asked. "Truly?"
"Yes!" Kirsten said. "So, no DVDs!"
"And no electricity?" Mini Kit asked. "And no air conditioning?"
May frowned. "You do know that 1855 was before the Civil War?"
Kirsten actually blushed. Even she knew slavery was wrong. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean that! Just that we should have some old-tyme fun for once! Not just sitting and watching DVDs!"
May smirked and nodded in acceptance. She'd been around long enough to know how rare it was for Kirsten to apologize.
"I think it's a lovely idea," Nellie said. "We can talk and play games and perhaps we can read Happy Birthday Kirsten."
"That book wasn't written in 1855 either! And it's certainly not as good as Meet Kit!" Mini Kit was starting to get irate.
"I don't want to pretend it's 1855! Not even an 1855 with air conditioning and the 13th amendment. So put in a DVD, or I'm leaving!"
"Miss Mini Kit, there's no reason to be ungracious," Nellie said.
"Sure there is," Kirsten said. "Just go! We'll have more fun without you!"
"Hmph!"
Mini Kit stormed off.
"Do you think she'll be all right?" Nellie asked.
"Who cares!" Kirsten grinned. "Now that Mini Kit is gone, maybe we can finally have some fun!"
Stomp, stomp, stomp. As Mini Kit stormed into the dark bedroom, she got a chill. She scrambled up to turn the light on, but something odd caught her eye. "What's that?"
And she decided to investigate....
To be continued!
On to 8.31.09