not?’
‘Well, you don’t say “happy birthday” to yourself, do you?’ I pointed out.
‘ I do,’ Maisie said. ‘When I wake up on my birthday, I always say “Happy birthday, Maisie”, even before I get out of bed.’
‘OK. But what about Mum’s birthday banner? She probably wants to use that.’
Mum’s birthday banner was beautiful – bunting in all the colours of the rainbow, with HAPPY BIRTHDAYspelled out, one letter on each triangle. She’d made it herself, every bit of it stitched by hand, for my first birthday. That was when she only had one child, and a lot more time on her hands.
Maisie was dismissive. ‘That’s your birthday banner. I want one of my own.’
‘It belongs to everyone now,’ I said. ‘I know Mum made it for me, but it doesn’t say “Hannah” on it, and Mum puts it up for everyone’s birthday.’
Maisie shrugged. ‘She can still put it up if she wants. Just somewhere less important, like maybe the kitchen. Mine is going to go in the garden, where the party is. And it’s going to say “Happy Birthday Maisie ” on it, so everyone knows it’s just mine.’
Maisie had that determined look on her face that I knew meant she would keep on arguing until she wore me down. Suddenly I saw where she was coming from. Almost all her clothes were hand-me-downs from me, packed away in bin bags and stored in the attic when I outgrew them, to be taken down a few years later for Maisie. A lot of her toys were the same. Her scooter was the one Zach had outgrown, and her bike had once been Bobby’s. And since Emma had come along Maisie wasn’t even the baby of the family any more, and she got much less of Mum’s time. Maisie’s birthday was the only thing that was just hers.
‘OK, Maisie,’ I said. ‘You go and get the paints out, and I’ll find some paper. Do you want coloured paper or white?’
‘White,’ Maisie called over her shoulder as she went off in search of the paints. ‘I’m going to be using lots and lots of glitter.’
I was a bit nervous that afternoon as I told the other girls what Mum had suggested. Would they think we weren’t ready to put on our show yet? Or would they think a six-year-old’s birthday party was a strange place to be putting on our first show?
I needn’t have worried, though. Everyone liked the idea right away.
‘It’s great to have something to aim for,’ Meg said. ‘And three weeks is lots of time to rehearse, we should be perfect by then!’
‘Or good enough for six-year-olds, anyway,’ Ruby giggled. ‘I’m glad our first audience is going to be young! I was a bit scared someone was going to suggest doing it when we go back to school or something. The thoughts of performing in front of our whole class!’
‘You’ve performed in front of hundreds of people before,’ Laura pointed out.
‘Yes but that was dancing,’ Ruby said. ‘My body just takes over. Acting is different. I’m not inside the music, I’mstill there in my own head.’
When Ruby got onto the subject of ballet it was sometimes like she was talking a foreign language.
‘So everyone’s OK with the idea?’ I asked, still a little anxious.
‘Yes, stop worrying!’ Laura said. ‘It sounds great. Maisie will love it.’
‘Cool.’ I opened my star-covered notebook. ‘OK, we really need to start planning then! We’ll have to have a regular schedule for rehearsals, and make up our minds for certain about what scenes we’re doing, and what costumes we’ll need, and who’s going to look after the props …’
‘How was your meeting?’ Mum asked, after I got home.
‘Great,’ I told her. ‘Everyone’s on board.’
‘Glad to hear it!’ Mum said. ‘I guess it’s time to tell Maisie the news about the party then.’
‘News about the party? My party? What’s the news? How come Hannah knows and not me?’ Maisie had appeared behind Mum and was practically jumping up and down on the spot with excitement.
I pretended to think hard.
‘Well, you don’t say “happy birthday” to yourself, do you?’ I pointed out.
‘ I do,’ Maisie said. ‘When I wake up on my birthday, I always say “Happy birthday, Maisie”, even before I get out of bed.’
‘OK. But what about Mum’s birthday banner? She probably wants to use that.’
Mum’s birthday banner was beautiful – bunting in all the colours of the rainbow, with HAPPY BIRTHDAYspelled out, one letter on each triangle. She’d made it herself, every bit of it stitched by hand, for my first birthday. That was when she only had one child, and a lot more time on her hands.
Maisie was dismissive. ‘That’s your birthday banner. I want one of my own.’
‘It belongs to everyone now,’ I said. ‘I know Mum made it for me, but it doesn’t say “Hannah” on it, and Mum puts it up for everyone’s birthday.’
Maisie shrugged. ‘She can still put it up if she wants. Just somewhere less important, like maybe the kitchen. Mine is going to go in the garden, where the party is. And it’s going to say “Happy Birthday Maisie ” on it, so everyone knows it’s just mine.’
Maisie had that determined look on her face that I knew meant she would keep on arguing until she wore me down. Suddenly I saw where she was coming from. Almost all her clothes were hand-me-downs from me, packed away in bin bags and stored in the attic when I outgrew them, to be taken down a few years later for Maisie. A lot of her toys were the same. Her scooter was the one Zach had outgrown, and her bike had once been Bobby’s. And since Emma had come along Maisie wasn’t even the baby of the family any more, and she got much less of Mum’s time. Maisie’s birthday was the only thing that was just hers.
‘OK, Maisie,’ I said. ‘You go and get the paints out, and I’ll find some paper. Do you want coloured paper or white?’
‘White,’ Maisie called over her shoulder as she went off in search of the paints. ‘I’m going to be using lots and lots of glitter.’
I was a bit nervous that afternoon as I told the other girls what Mum had suggested. Would they think we weren’t ready to put on our show yet? Or would they think a six-year-old’s birthday party was a strange place to be putting on our first show?
I needn’t have worried, though. Everyone liked the idea right away.
‘It’s great to have something to aim for,’ Meg said. ‘And three weeks is lots of time to rehearse, we should be perfect by then!’
‘Or good enough for six-year-olds, anyway,’ Ruby giggled. ‘I’m glad our first audience is going to be young! I was a bit scared someone was going to suggest doing it when we go back to school or something. The thoughts of performing in front of our whole class!’
‘You’ve performed in front of hundreds of people before,’ Laura pointed out.
‘Yes but that was dancing,’ Ruby said. ‘My body just takes over. Acting is different. I’m not inside the music, I’mstill there in my own head.’
When Ruby got onto the subject of ballet it was sometimes like she was talking a foreign language.
‘So everyone’s OK with the idea?’ I asked, still a little anxious.
‘Yes, stop worrying!’ Laura said. ‘It sounds great. Maisie will love it.’
‘Cool.’ I opened my star-covered notebook. ‘OK, we really need to start planning then! We’ll have to have a regular schedule for rehearsals, and make up our minds for certain about what scenes we’re doing, and what costumes we’ll need, and who’s going to look after the props …’
‘How was your meeting?’ Mum asked, after I got home.
‘Great,’ I told her. ‘Everyone’s on board.’
‘Glad to hear it!’ Mum said. ‘I guess it’s time to tell Maisie the news about the party then.’
‘News about the party? My party? What’s the news? How come Hannah knows and not me?’ Maisie had appeared behind Mum and was practically jumping up and down on the spot with excitement.
I pretended to think hard.
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