The Surprise

The Surprise

“Mom’ll be home soon!” Dad said, “Mrs. Breck is letting in all the neighbors so we can surprise her! Did you hide her present from us?”

“I did!” David said proudly. “I hid it where nobody will find it.”

“OK! Help me with the cake, we’ll save ours’s till suppertime.”

They ran to the kitchen. “We’ll put it in the cabinet so Rover won’t get it. Then pretend we forgot all about her birthday until everybody arrives.”

“This is fun!” David said.

Dad looked at David, finally happy. He had wanted to be in charge of something to prove he was ‘big’ too, so Dad had him be in charge of hiding the surprise present. They wouldn’t bring it out till after supper. Mom would walk into this party when she got home from the store.

The party was a huge success. Mom was surprised and really happy. The neighbors stayed till almost suppertime.

Dad ordered take out and they had a fun supper, no cooking for Mom, and the surprise cake pulled out after, with all its candles for her to blow. Then it was time for their special present.

“OK David, go get Mom’s surprise!” Dad said.

David got very excited, then very quiet, then sad… “I can’t remember where I hid it…” he said finally.

Mom and Dad laughed, but after thinking and tons of questions, he still couldn’t remember. They looked everywhere. They couldn’t find it.

Finally, they gave up, thinking they’d find it in the morning. David would remember after a good night’s sleep. He didn’t.

Rover kept telling them he knew where it was, but they didn’t understand barking, and so it stayed in the back of Rovers house, outside, for three years.

It was the best birthday surprise ever, once it was found!