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“A whimsical birthday!” Hibiscus Honeycutt shouted, clapping her hands together.  “Marvelous!  Why didn’t I think of that?”

Caroline raised her eyes shyly as the room exploded into applause and whooping.  Behind her, the frog band struck up a jovial tune, the singer belting out his favorite swing ditty.

“What shall we do?” Hibiscus cried, leaping up from her forgotten menu surprise.

“I don’t know.”  Carolina shrugged, biting her lip.  “What do you do for birthdays in Whimsy?”  She and Hibiscus turned to Josh expectantly, who wrinkled his forehead.

“We’ve never had a birthday in Whimsy,” he admitted.  “I’m not quite sure what we should do.”

As always, many of the diners had several suggestions.

“We should have cupcakes!” one woman shouted, already drooling at the thought.

“And ponies!  Pink ponies with glittery saddles!” a little girl screeched before her embarrassed mother calmed her.

“She wants tassels?” the elderly woman who was hard of hearing cried in alarm to her friend.

“Saddles!” Her friend yelled back, nearly purple with shame.

“Castles?  Oh castles are lovely.  And a castle cake would be darling!” the older woman beamed, clapping her hands.  “When I was young, I always wanted to have my birthday in a castle.”

“I always wanted to have my birthday on a pirate ship,” Josh murmured, absently staring into the fountain behind Carolina.  The frog band was so loud she could barely hear him, even though he was only three feet away.

“I could see that,” Hibiscus Honeycutt replied, tapping her chin as her own face took on a dreamy, far away look.  “I always wanted to have my birthday party on the moon.  A proper tea party on the bleak moon, staring at Earth!  Can you imagine how magical that would be?”

“Not really.”  Josh shook his head.  “Personally, I like the pirate ship better.  You like parrots, right?”  He looked at Carolina hopefully.

Her eyes glittering, Carolina motioned for the frog band to stop.  Leaping back onto the fountain, she put her hands around her mouth and shouted, “Everyone, listen!  I have an idea!”

The crowded room immediately fell silent.  Hands lowered forks, sandwiches were left on plates and glasses froze at lips.

“I think the only proper way to have a birthday party at Whimsy is to have a birthday party of wishes!” Carolina cried.  “Everyone throw a penny into the fountain and make a wish, a wish about the birthday you always wanted but could never have!  And then we’ll have the most magical birthday ever, and I won’t have to worry about my soul being dull and empty for eternity.”  She beamed, hopping up and down on the edge as the room buzzed.  “Come on!  I’m sure you all have a penny or dime or something!”

The diners tittered nervously, all fingering their purses or pockets as they stared at the fountain.

“I don’t know how this is going to work,” Josh muttered, his forehead creased as he glanced around.  “I just can’t make the room be magic you know.”

The anxious murmurings grew louder.

“But surely, dear,” one woman asked wearing a hat that looked like a peacock’s behind, “Surely you want your own birthday wishes?”

“Right,” an older woman chimed in, the creases deepening in her wrinkled face.  “We’ve all had our birthday wishes.  You’re 18 today, such an important birthday.  Why would you waste a birthday wish on us?”

Carolina shook her head, her blond curls tumbling over one shoulder and back over the other.  “But don’t you see, this isn’t just about me.  This is about whimsy and light and frivolity.  And obviously, I don’t know a lot about that.”  She grinned wryly at Josh, who coughed and looked at the ceiling.   “Look, I’ve never had a birthday party.  A real birthday party with friends and games and fun.  I’ve had a lot of sit down dinners and formal events and things where people who don’t know me come and smile or people at school come because their parents make them.”  Her eyes widening, she glanced around the room.  “For my first real birthday party, I want it to be momentous.  I want my guests to have as much fun as I do.  And if my wish gets answered, why shouldn’t yours too?”

The diners glanced around, stunned.  Mouths were open, eyes were wide and throats were silent.  Finally, Hibiscus Honeycutt whopped with glee.

“Carolina, I think you’ve just thought of the most brilliant party ever!”

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  We have more whimsy next week!

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