alfredo

"hey hhohney. you lookin' beautiful tonight. how's things goin'?"

"hi fredo. things are okay. i mean, i don't really want to be here. it's my birthday, and i'm at work, but you know. other than that. things are good."

pause.

"wait. wait a meenut. you here on your burtday?"

"yeah. see, i..."

"hhhhohney. why. why. why you here on your burtday? they tell me, they say, 'fredo, you come in tonight,' and i say, 'HELL no. ees my burtday. an' my mowther, she buy me a bottle a tequila, an' i am going hhhome, to be wid my mowther an' my browthers on my burtday.' hhhannah. why you here on your burtday?"

"you're funny. fredo, i can't just skip work. i can celebrate after. no big deal."

"no. no. you leesten to me. you gimme, you gimme just ten meenuts, just TEN meenuts, after you clock out, an' you come back to the keetchen, cuz alfredo make you something veryvery special."

...i'm twenty now.
it's kinda a big deal.
mostly because never before, and never again, will my birthday cake say "feliz compleaños" across the top in blueberry sauce.

gracias, alfredo.