Why not? - English

12-13 Ukulele Crazy

Everything went perfectly today and none of us could have planned it better. Sam had been so busy making sure Elvis didn't make too much noise so as not to disturb Station Officer Steele and Bronwyn while she was painting his portrait that he hadn't had time to think about his birthday. However, he still seemed a little disappointed because apparently no one else had thought of it either. He didn't get any congratulations from anyone all day.

Even I could avoid it. At some point last night, Sam stretched out on the couch and pulled me with him so that I could put my legs up too. So I sat between his legs and leaned against him. He had one arm wrapped around me and a book in the other hand, quizzing me. Even though I couldn't see his face, I could hear in his voice that he was getting tired as the clock got closer to midnight. After a question that required a very detailed answer, Sam said nothing and when I turned carefully I saw that he had fallen asleep. Even when his arm was fell downwards with the book in his hand and the book fell out of his hand, he was not startled. Smiling, I pulled the blanket from the backrest and covered us both with it before I too, gave in to my tiredness while snuggling up to him.

When I woke up this morning, I was shocked to find that we had both overslept and we were almost late for work. But only almost. In all the rush this morning I didn't have to worry about whether Sam could look out of one of the windows into the garden or into the fridge because we didn't even have time to eat breakfast. Instead, we took a little detour and got sandwiches from Dylis.

It was a shame that Steele's portrait ended up in the trash thanks to Elvis' scatterbrained nature, but the fact that the children had to make Trevor's music video today of all days and wanted to show it in the fire station that evening gave the rest of us the time to make the remaining preparations without Sam becoming suspicious because half the city seemed deserted. Jenni and many of our friends, who had helped set everything up, were already waiting for me when I came back from the course and had already prepared everything outside while they were just waiting for me to open the door for them so that they could have the food, that I had previously stored, to get out. In the meantime, the remaining guests arrived and all brought something with them.

Jenni finally gave me the signal that we were done and I looked at the clock. Exactly 15 minutes before Sam had finished work. At that moment Elvis wrote to me a message, saying that they were done with watching the video. Everything went perfectly. I went inside and turned off the power before I made the emergency call as discussed.

It took less than 5 minutes until we heard Venus Siren coming. Trevor would drive his bus with the kids and the rest in a little distance behind so Sam wouldn't notice. Everyone else waited anxiously in the darkness of my garden for Sam to finally arrive.

"Penny?!" he shouted as he didn't even bother using the garden gate, but jumped straight over the wall, and I could see in the pale light and hear in his voice that he was really worried. I suddenly felt incredibly sorry for him. He had already fallen into a sinkhole here himself. Maybe I should have thought of something else for the emergency call.

So I decided not to torture him any longer and turned the power back on. Everyone jumped up and shouted 'Happy Birthday' to him as soon as the garden lit up, while Sam stood there dumbfounded. It was too funny, especially when he also flinched when Mike, in his overzealousness, pressed the wrong button and caused the first five rockets of the fireworks to go off. I stepped out of the house to sing the birthday song for him with the others, who had already gathered around Sam and then began to congratulate him on his birthday one by one.

I leaned against the wall and waited patiently until everyone had passed, watching Sam with a smile, who seemed more than happy about this successful surprise, after he had certainly expected the worst birthday of his life.