A Birthday for Gertrude

Gertrude crosses paths with Amelie who tells her that Yazeba is looking for her
"Oh no... did I do something wrong? She told me not to be in the middle... and to get a job... I tried...
Perhaps she didnt like the tea I prepared?

Today it is not being my day..."

She sights and goes to Yazeba's office

Parish gapes up at Amelie's blank LED eyes. "What?!? Yazeba is putting it all on me to finish the party preparations? Egads! There's little time to waste!"

The frog rushes through the halls of B&B and into the kitchen. "Ah! The cake! What happened to the cake?" Not realizing Yola has already moved the finished cake to the party room, Parish spends several minutes thrashing about looking for it, accidentally getting cake batter all over his party clothes.

Finally, he decides to go the to the party room, where he sees the cake waiting there. "Phew! Alright, let's get decorating!"With a flurry of commotion, Parish puts the finishing touch on the cake, mere moments before Gertrude steps into the small office. That's where Parish, Yola, Yazeba, Amelie, Sal, Hey Kid, and several other guests of the B&B have been waiting to yell:

"SURPRISE!"

Gertrude eyes everyone in the room, not understanding what is going on...

"Ehhhh"

The noise of "Surprise" yelling wakes up Yola, who has fallen asleep on a chair in Yazeba's little office. "ISE!" She manages to add just a few seconds late. "Happy birthday deary!" She says to Gertrude as she struggles to stand up to hand over her gift. She reaches into her bushy cleafage (pun intended) and pulls out a book-sized present decorated with glitter and flower pattern wrapping paper. "This is for you."

"And, of course, there's cake!" She points to where the cake used to be before Yazeba stored it in another dimension. "Ooooh I bet that little demon child stole the cake. They're always causing ruckus around here. You should really do something about that, Yazeba!" She exclaims with hands on her hips.

Gertrude repeats slowly
"Happy birthday deary... this is for you... you... you... me? It is my birthday?"

She looks ackward at the package in her hands... and the glitter... and the flower paper....

"This is for me?"


"I .. I love it... it is beautiful!"

She eyes the package from all the sides without opening it

"Beautiful..."

"Thanks... " she adds awkwardly looking to the floor

"Young Gertrude! I, too, have procured you a gift!" Parish declares. He hands Gertrude something long, heavy, and wrapped in soggy seaweed!

"Oh... but... I... how... I dont like my birthday... it... I dont like to be observed... to be the center... I...
You made all this for... me?
I dont know what to say...
You...
I am feeling special...
and...
I... I just want to leave... and hide for a moment... be invisible...
but...
you made so much...
for me...
I...
Thank you..."

says Gertrude looking to the floor and not opening again the new package from Parish

Yola manages to pick up on Gertrude's awkward staring. Luckily she had been a mother and grandmother to many little saplings and twiglets, so she knew how to handle this.

"You know what, deary, ..." She tells Gertrude. "We will go and sit right across the hall in the living room. You take your time and enjoy your birthday in peace." She slowly walks towards the door, urging Parish and Yazeba to follow her. "Oh and there's cake and tea around somewhere as well. Do help yourself. We're all very happy that we can celebrate your birthday." She beams a big, warm smile at Gertrude. "You can come join us whenever you're ready. Bring what's left of the cake, if you'd be so kind."

Gertrude smiles back to Yola kindness
"Oh... no... come come... but, let me sit... take cake please, and tea!

Shall... shall I open them?" she says starting to unwrap the presents