"Cornbread for Cake"

"The Party"

"Who wants to go to your stupid party, geek!" snarled Bobby, the class bully, "Your family is so poor that you'll have cornbread for cake!" The whole class begins to laugh.

"Shut up Bobby! We all know your family is on food stamps. Don't listen to him Stevie, he's such a jerk!

"Thanks Linda", says a grateful Stephen.

It's 3:00 pm and the party was scheduled to start at 1:00 pm and only Stephen, his brother Troy, and cousin Tommy are present. The boys are playing Nintendo's Super Mario Brothers, the original version; his mother got lucky and was able to buy the old system along with two games for $15 at the local pawn shop. A birthday gift for the birthday boy.

"Well I guess no one else is going to show up", murmurs Stephen's mother.

"Good, more cake for us!" yells a jovial Troy.

"I'm sorry honey; I know how much this day means to you!"

"It's okay mom, really. We don't need a lot of people dirtying up the house anyhow. It's just a dumb party!" says a dejected Stephen.

"Stevie, you still are and will always be the apple of my eye!" explains his understanding mother.

Life has sucked for Stephen. When he was five months old he was inches from death after suffering a severe bout of pneumonia. He and his mother were abandoned by his father and left homeless living in an old beat up station wagon during one cruel winter storm. At age four, on several occasions, he witnessed his mother being gang raped, robbed and beaten. It's amazing she survived. Then Max entered their lives.

Max was a horrible abusive alcoholic who beat him and his mother on a daily basis. She once had a gorgeous smile, teeth were as white as pearls, but thanks to good ole' Max he knocked them out after a two day binge on Schlitz. This sick relationship lasted for two years until his mother had had enough and escaped with her two sons like a thief in the night. The only creditable thing that came out of the association was his little brother Troy.

"Alright guys, let's get this place cleaned up!"

The boys help tidy up their newly built tiny one bedroom apartment, a fresh home away from all the violence and despair that they were familiar with. They are now living in a good neighborhood. Thanks to their mothers' sacrifices and hard work.

"What time do you need to be home Tommy?" asks Stephen's mother.

"Uh, I dunno, midnight?" responds a slow witted Tommy an apparent crack baby.

"I don't think so, I love my sister, but you must go home now my dear nephew before it gets dark", explains Stephen's mother sarcastically.

"Thanks for inviting me Aunt Kathy. Happy Birthday Stevie!"

"Later, dude", says Troy.

"See ya', cuz" answers Stephen.

Tommy goes home.

Stephen is feeling sad and dejected on his 11th birthday but in his mind he knows there are people that are in worse shape than he.

The doorbell rings.

"Troy get the door!" yells his mother.

Troy runs towards the big living room door.

"Who is it?" asks Troy.

"Linda"

"Who?"

"Linda"

This immediately grasps Stephen's attention. "Is this really happening or am I dreaming. Linda the love of my life is actually on my doorstep", he asks himself.

"Move dummy!" shouts Stephen at his brother Troy.

Stephen feverishly bolts toward the door and takes in a deep breath and slowly opens it. Linda is so beautiful! She is wearing a cute red polk-a-dot dress with white ankle length socks and a red bow in her hair. Stephen is awestruck.

"Hi Stephen, Happy Birthday, sorry I'm so late but I had to babysit my brothers. Well...are you going to invite me in?" she asks.

"Yes", say a giddy Stephen.

"Mom, this is Linda, she's in my class!"

"Hi Linda, very nice to meet you honey, thank you for coming, would you like some cake?"

"Life is good. Linda is in my house and I am the luckiest guy in the world", says Stephen excitedly in his mind.

Linda stayed and played Nintendo until 9:00 pm. Who cared if no one showed up and they did have cornbread for cake!