Birthday Blues (3 page)

"Okay everyone" Ms. Shelby says. "Let's get to our seats. I'm so glad to see so many projects. Most of you have done such a great job."

Antonia's smile fades a bit. Deja knows she is wondering how Ms. Shelby could lump her project in with the rest. Hers is obviously the best one. Hers is in a class by itself.

"Antonia has the best map," Carlos says from his seat behind Deja's.

"Her daddy helped her," Deja says over her shoulder. "I bet you he did it all."

"You're just jealous," Carlos says calmly. Deja wants to punch him, again. She remembers that Carlos is always saying things that make her want to punch him. Like the time he teased her for sucking her thumb. They were watching a film about the disappearing rain forest, and she had simply forgotten she was at school. Before she knew it, Carlos was laughing out loud and pointing. Too late. She yanked her thumb out of her mouth, but not before several other kids saw her. "Deja sucks her thumb! Deja sucks her thumb," someone started chanting. It was a playground chant for days. Until finally kids forgot about it. Or maybe they just stored it away, and the least little thing could make them remember.

"Why should I be jealous of someone who can't even do her own map project?"

"You're just jealous," he says again.

Deja fumes.

It's okay," Deja says, referring to Antonia's project. Deja and Nikki are sitting at the lunch table, sharing Deja's celery sticks and peanut butter.

Nikki licks the peanut butter completely off hers. "Antonia's is better than ours."

"It's not better. It's different."

"It's better," Nikki repeats.

"Different" Deja says again. But somehow she doesn't sound convincing, even to her own ears.

Map presentations begin after lunch, during Social Studies.

"Who wants to go first?" Ms. Shelby asks in her encouraging tone. She always sounds like a cheerleader when it is time for project presentations.

Deja's hand shoots up before Ms. Shelby even gets the question completely out. "We want to go first, Ms. Shelby" Deja says.

Nikki gives her a questioning look. Deja knows Nikki hates this part of a project—getting up in front of everyone to present it. But she ignores Nikki.

"Great!" Ms. Shelby says. She is probably happy that she doesn't have to "volunteer" anyone.

Deja retrieves their map from the round table and marches up to the front of the class. Nikki gets out of her seat slowly and follows, looking miserable.

"Nikki's going to hold the map, and I'm going to explain it." Deja hands the map to Nikki, who looks relieved. She won't have to talk.

"Nikki and I live next door to each other," Deja says, pointing to their two houses. "As you all know." She proceeds to point out Vianda's house across the street, and Keyon Denver's house (he plays football at the junior college) next door, and Auntie Dee's friend Phoebe's house, and Miss Ida's house and Mr. D's store on the corner of Maynard Street, where they buy their hot chips. She shows them the junkyard and Simply Delicious Health Food Store, Puerto Nuevo Restaurant, Sir Galahad Cleaners, and Perfect Beauty Hair Salon and Nail Emporium. (Deja especially likes the word "emporium" She likes that it's a word her whole class has probably never had the occasion to say. They probably don't even know what it means.) She and Nikki had put Antonia's house on their map because they'd included all the houses, but she doesn't mention it now.

When Deja pauses to take a breath, Ms.Shelby steps forward. "My, Deja! You and Nikki live in a great neighborhood. But you need to wrap it up so we'll have time for a few more presentations."

Deja nods reluctantly. "Well, I just want to say that Nikki and me live in the best neighborhood on the best street in the whole wide world."

There is a moment of silence before everyone breaks into polite applause. Deja takes the map out of Nikki's hands and returns it to the table. They both go back to their seats.

"Who's next?" Ms. Shelby asks, clapping her hands together once.

Ralph and Carlos raise their hands and go to get their flimsy newsprint map off the table.

It isn't even colored,
Deja notes. And the street lines haven't even been drawn with a ruler. It looks hastily made, with little care. How could they stand up there holding that half-done map? What is
wrong
with boys?

But stand up there they do. Carlos holds the map, and Ralph points out their two houses, around the corner from each other, and the scribbled park with a crooked rectangle for the basketball court, and a few squares with misspelled store names on Post Boulevard. He finishes up and waits for applause.

Ms. Shelby nods at the class, then begins clapping. Everyone follows suit, but not with much enthusiasm.

"We'll go next, Ms. Shelby," Antonia volunteers. She looks over at her new friend, Casey, who stands up.

"We're going to need a table to rest our map on, but we'll tilt it up so that everyone can see." Antonia flips her long braid over her shoulder, then looks directly at Deja.

Carefully, Casey and Antonia carry the map to the table that Ms. Shelby has moved to the front of the class. Casey angles it up, and Antonia goes to the whiteboard to get Ms. Shelby's pointer—without asking.

She points to her house, mentioning her trampoline in the backyard and that her house is a split-level. In fact, it is the
only
split-level house on Fulton. She points out Casey's house around the block. Then she skips over the rest of the nearby streets to the park. She takes her time then, pointing out the many clever features. The miniature park benches, the tiny rubber ducks, a layer of real sand glued around the pond. When she finishes, she looks up and waits for the applause.

After a moment of silence, Ralph starts it off with whoops and loud clapping. One by one, other kids join the noise and hoopla until Ms. Shelby has to hold up her hand and put a finger to her lips.

"All right, all right. We acknowledge that Antonia and Casey did a super job, but let's keep it down so we don't disturb the class next door."

It takes some moments before the clapping dies away. Carlos seems to want to keep it going. Probably because of what Deja said about Antonia's father doing all the work.

During recess, Ms. Shelby hangs most of the maps on the wall over the bookshelves in the class library. Deja is happy to see her and Nikki's, almost in the center. But Casey and Antonia's map has a place all its own on the round library table. Books have been cleared from the table just to give it room.

Deja counts up the days. She only has to see Antonia's map for two and a half more weeks, and then Ms. Shelby will be handing everything back to be carted home. Deja can't wait for that day to come.

Deja is quiet all the way home. Nikki is a chatterbox, talking about everybody's maps and comparing them to theirs. Deja thinks about Antonia's map and how her father carried it into the classroom for her. Deja wonders how it feels to have your daddy help you with a school project and then carry it into the classroom for you. She tries to picture it, but it's hard. She hasn't seen her daddy in a long time because, as Auntie Dee says, he lives far away.

As soon as Deja walks through the door after school, she comes upon Auntie Dee rushing around in a frenzy. She has a pile of laundry in her arms and she's racing toward her bedroom.

On the bed is an open suitcase. Auntie Dee begins to throw items into it from the mound of clean clothes on her bed: pajamas, jeans, T-shirts....She runs to the closet and yanks her good dress, the one she wears to dinners and things, off the hanger. She holds it up in front of her. "Oh, well," she says and tosses it in the suitcase.

Deja finally thinks to say, "Auntie, where are you going?"

"Oh, baby ... I've got to go out of town for my job."

Deja doesn't know what to think. Auntie never has to go out of town for her job.

"Someone I work with who always goes on these trips is sick. They asked me."

"But ... what about me?" Deja asks.

Auntie Dee stops her packing and turns toward Deja. "Sweetie, you're going to stay at Miss Ida's."

"Miss Ida's?" A thousand questions dance around in Deja's head. "Will I still be there for my birthday?"

"Your birthday? No." Auntie Dee laughs. "It's just for a few days. I'll be back in plenty of time for your birthday." She snaps her fingers. "Lotion!" She focuses on Deja again. "Look, Deja, give out your invitations at school tomorrow. How about that?"

That doesn't make it feel better. "Why can't I stay with Nikki?"

"Because Nikki's dad is under the weather, and her mom has her hands full with him."

Deja doesn't understand that. Why can't Nikki's daddy take care of himself? Why would a grownup have to be taken care of just for being "under the weather"?

"We wouldn't bother Nikki's dad. I could help Nikki's mom take care of him."

Auntie Dee looks as if her mind is on her trip. "Hmm?" She rummages in her toiletry bag. "Toothpaste," she says, going toward the bathroom.

"Auntie, I could help out."

"No, Deja. That won't work. Besides, you'll be good company for Miss Ida. She'll love having you."

Deja thinks about her visits to Miss Ida's with Auntie Dee. She thinks about the doilies under the lamps and the dish of hard candy that is actually old and soft on the coffee table. She's had a piece. Plus Miss Ida keeps her drapes drawn all the time. It is so dark in her living room, she has to turn on the lamp, even during the day. Deja feels a tiny bit frightened. She's not sure if she can stay at Miss Ida's.

"Why can't Miss Ida stay here?"

"Well, you know, Deja, sometimes old folks like to be around their own things. I wanted to make this favor she's doing for us as easy as possible."

Deja frowns. "When do I have to go?"

"Tonight. I'll take you over there before Phoebe takes me to the airport."

Deja feels her throat tighten. She pictures Auntie not getting back in time for her birthday party on Saturday. She pictures herself stuck at Miss Ida's ... forever.