Friday, 15 August 2008

• Turning 27

  I turned twenty-seven years old two days ago…unlike my other birthdays, this one went without much fanfare (and I don’t think there’ll ever be a “party” for this one.).

   

  It was quiet, and lonely and boring…but not exactly sad, because I sort of had built into the idea that nothing was ever planned for this in the first place, and whatever I got from this birthday (I’m used to people giving me presents) was going to my Project Fund*.

   

  Nobody at the hospital knew that I was having a birthday, because aside from the fact that I probably couldn’t spend for splurging for meals/snacks for every greeter, I very well couldn’t announce to everyone that, “Hey, all, it’s my birthday!” That’s totally not my style.

   

  But a part of me also wished that somebody cared enough to do research...and look it up, because they thought I was important enough...  

   

  Apparently, nobody did. And so, the only time somebody at the hospital found out was at around 10 o’clock when Bernard and I took a duty break and sat down to dinner, and he went, “What’s with all the food?” (My ma brought me dinner at the hospital earlier that night.) and I calmly went, “Actually, it’s my birthday today.” And I went back to eating.

   

  Surprise, surprise…

   

  Well, all’s well that ends well. I didn’t have as much fun on my birthday as I wanted to, what with the 24 hour duty schedule that fell on that Wednesday, but I for one was touched by reading all the messages and getting all the greetings on my phone from all of you who cared. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… Thank you, I was touched you remembered, really. (That  was meant to be just a joke, that “Greet Stephanie Happy Birthday Day” thing on my Friendster, but I’m glad you took it to heart…and yes, you DID make me smile, and go all fluttery in the tummy.)

   

  A part of me understands that as a person gets older, birthday celebrations lose their gloss and fanfare little by little, until they just lose all form of festivity and people just say, “ Hay, I’m old anyway, I really don’t care.”

   

  But I still  do. Honestly.

   

  I had wanted a birthday cake, with candles on it… And a bunch of pink roses...And a card that says, “Happy Birthday, love.”  And lots and lots of pictures.

   

  …………

   

  The night after my birthday, I asked my parents if we could go out and get a pizza for takeout, “Just cause…” When we got home, I looked for a candle and found one, a pink “wishing” candle and put it smack in the middle of the pizza, with the  mushrooms and the bell peppers.

   

  After closing my eyes, and making a wish, I blew out the candle.

   

  Well, there’s always next year…

   

   

  ____________

   

  * The Project Fund is short for the “Future Make-Happy Plans for Beautiful, Nice and Talented Stephanie” Project, which aims to pay for a new digital camera, a brand new laptop and a trip to Boracay, once all my work here is done. All donations welcome.

   

  * Thanks to ma for the silver slip-ons, Wanits for the hot jeans and wingy for the “contribution”. Yahoo.

   

   

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