The morning of Dad’s birthday, Tuesday 10th, Mum sent and email to me, Big Sis and Bigger Sis. Mum had previously said that they had nothing planned and weren’t going to do anything special, so Big Sis and I said we would just come along to their house after work, to spend the evening with Dad. But instead, she suggested that we surprise Dad by going out for a meal near our place and that Bigger Sis come too. We agreed that it would be a nice idea and easier for us all travel-wise than getting to theirs, so Big Sis booked us a table at a local Thai restaurant. Unfortunately, Bro-in-Law has uni that night and so can’t come with us.
I arrived home that evening a bit later than intended, after stopping in HMV to buy Dad a present. Bigger Sis was already there, chatting with Big Sis. I laughed at the fact that I knew this as soon as I entered the front door, due to the two large bags on the hallway floor. Bigger Sis is prepared for any occasion and a self-confessed bag lady. Must be where I get it from. :o) We had a hug and a quick chat, then realised we had to get moving since the table was booked for 6.30pm and it was already that time. We could make the ten-minute walk with relative ease, secure in the knowledge that Mum and Dad are usually notoriously late and would never get there before us. Again, must be where I get it from. :o)
As we walked, Bigger Sis informed us that she had got herself the ultimate lazy person’s exercise machine. “As you get older, even if you’re relatively fit, every just starts to get looser,” she explained, much to our amusement, “your muscles just gradually start detaching themselves from your bones.” She told us about this machine for lazy people: “It’s a vibrator,” she started. “Er…I think that’s something else…” I interrupted, laughing. “Yeah, all right,” she said, smiling, “I’ve already had my workmates saying all this. I’ve already told them it doesn’t come with attachments.” She continued to explain that it is a vibrating plate that you simply had to stand on for no more than ten minutes, three times a week. Like those muscle toning pads that tense your muscles for you without any effort on your part, the vibrations apparently tone up your muscles without you having to do anything at all. “It’s not aerobic, though,” she warned, “so it won’t make you fit, but it does help tone everything up, it’s working already!”
Big Sis and I were extremely intrigued and vowed to give this thing a go when we go to Bigger Sis’ house for lunch in a few weeks’ time. We giggled and made silly comments about it all the way to the restaurant, which we arrived at in good time. Even though it is only a ten-minute walk from my house and it has been there for fifteen-twenty years, I have never actually been to the restaurant before. It soon became clear that Big Sis had, as when we entered, the wait staff seemed to be on first-name terms with her, which we then tease her about for the rest of the evening. The interior of the restaurant was beautiful. It’s a Thai place and the ceiling was covered with opened, upturned, colourful, far-eastern style umbrellas. There was lots of gold in the décor, but tastefully so. The waitresses looked lovely in their uniforms of typical Thai dress. The waiter is called Sam and has a chat to Big Sis, who informs him that we are her sisters. I don’t think he gets what she is saying, at first. When he takes our drink orders, he asks me “Are you her sister?” “Yes,” I reply, “all of us are sisters.” He looks at me like he doesn’t understand for a second. “Honestly!” I say, “None of us look alike, do we?”
Bigger Sis had brought a cake with her, as agreed with Mum, and Big Sis brought the candles. Big Sis had asked when booking the table if it was okay for us to bring our own cake and they graciously obliged. They passed the cake on to the waitresses to keep in the back until the meal was over. “Whose birthday is it?” Sam enquired and we explained that it was Dad’s and he would be arriving with Mum quite soon. “What’s your Dad’s name?” he asked and Big Sis told him, then Bigger Sis said with suspicion, “Oh no, you probably shouldn’t sing to him, I don’t think he’d like that!”
Not long afterwards, Mum and Dad arrive. Mum had told Dad that they were driving to pick me and Big Sis up from home, to take us back to their house for food, or maybe somewhere nearby. Dad is not really expecting to go to a restaurant and certainly not expecting to see Bigger Sis with us. He looks pleasantly surprised as they turn the corner from the entrance into the restaurant and see us sitting at the table. There are big hugs all round. They order drinks and we all giggle when Mum drains her mango juice. Er…were you thirsty, Mum?!
We give Dad his birthday cards. Bigger Sis has bought Dad a Spike Milligan card which he loves, and a silly coaster which says, ‘You only get better as you get older. Unless you’re a banana.’ Bigger Sis has also bought Dad some tea. “I couldn’t think what to get you. But I know you drink tea and you can always use some more.” She has also brought some DVDs with her that she promised Dad she would lend him. Big Sis and I got Dad the latest Harry Hill’s TV Burp DVD, partly because we know he’ll like it (and secretly because I just want to watch it with him).
Sam had to come back several times to check if we are ready to order, because we are talking so much and the menu is so vast. Not good for a food lover as indecisive as me. The menu had great names, like ‘Volcano Chicken’, ‘Jungle Beef’ and ‘Drunkard’s Noodles’. I crack up when, after jokingly complaining that he “can’t find fish and chips” on the menu, Dad manages to stick to the English stereotype by finding the only thing in the Thai restaurant that has potatoes in it! “That’s why I ordered it,” he says to me matter-of-factly, smiling.
Once we had finally ordered our food, we sit talking until we hear a phone start ringing quite loudly, with the old-school Nokia ringtone. “Is that mine?” Bigger Sis asks, then answers her own question with, “It must be, no-one else has that old ringtone!” I look in her bag and confirm her suspicions as I see the green glow of an old mobile phone screen. She answers and finds it is Big Bro, calling from Cape Town. It is perfect timing – for one, because he didn’t know we were going out to eat this evening since it was a last-minute arrangement; secondly, because he wasn’t to know that Bigger Sis would be there either; thirdly, because he called in the short space of time after us ordering our food and before it actually arrived. “Do you want to speak to the birthday boy?” Bigger Sis asks. Dad has a chat to Big Bro for a while and then afterwards passes the phone to me. I speak to him and ask how the rest of the family are and tell him that Dad managed to order the only Thai dish that contained potatoes, which he finds very amusing. He asks about work and I tell him that I am starting a new job soon. “Oh that’s good,” he says, “Is it more interesting?” “Er…no, I don’t think so,” I say, laughing, “but it pays better, so I suppose that makes it more interesting!” I eventually pass the phone back to Bigger Sis, after sending all our love to his family, then they have a good old natter until the food arrives. Someone next to us has ordered the ‘Volcano Chicken’ which lives up to its name, as it is flambéed with a shot of cognac which promptly sends huge flames upwards, threatening to set the beautiful ceiling of umbrellas alight.
The table is full of food. We have ordered a main dish each, as well as two vegetable dishes (garlic spinach and mixed seasonal vegetables) on the side for us to share. Big Sis and I go halves with our egg fried rice and garlic fried rice (the garlic rice is delicious). There are three of the same dish with cashew nuts, but with different ingredients: tofu for Big Sis, chicken for Bigger Sis and Lamb for Mum. I had chicken with ginger and some other yummy stuff. The food isn’t quite as spicy as we hoped, especially since Bigger Sis asked for hers to me medium spicy, but the flavours are delicious. Dad has an impressive copper two-handled pan for his curry, which he really enjoys; the lamb is very tender and the potatoes are…well, potatoes! He finishes the whole lot, but is slightly disappointed with the salad he ordered on the side, which winds up being spicier than the curry!
Soon, we start to get full. The table is cleared and we ask them for a doggy bag for the excess. As they take away all the dishes, Big Sis subtly asks them to bring the cake. We chat for a little while, looking at the dessert menus to disguise our sneaky plan, then all of a sudden, four of the wait staff appear. They have apparently taken Bigger Sis’ suggestion that they not sing and amusingly translated it as ‘sing loudly and bring instruments.’ They carry the cake in, singing ‘Happy Birthday’ accompanied by maracas and a tambourine. I am cracking up with laughter and Dad looks suitably embarrassed/impressed/amused. They leave us the cake and don’t make much of a fuss, which is perfect. Dad eventually blows out the candles and attempts to start cutting the cake using the torture-like utensils they have left us. The cake is from Patisserie Valerie and is beautiful but very simple – a square chocolate sponge, extremely light, with a layer of whipped cream – almost like a huge tiramisu. It is topped with five strawberries, which works out perfectly for one each.
Bigger Sis apologises that it probably won’t live up to Dad’s own cakes, but he really enjoys it. It is just the right amount of sweet and not heavy at all, so doesn’t make us feel sick after our mammoth meal. There is a slice left which Dad and Bigger Sis encourage one of us to finish, even though we probably should take it home for Bro-in-Law. “He doesn’t know there was a cake,” says Big Sis jokingly, which makes Bigger Sis roar with laughter. “Yeah Dad,” I tease, “all those cakes you give us to take home, never make it to Bro-in-Law.” Mum seals the deal by cutting the slice and eventually, Big Sis and I make everyone laugh by taking it in turns to say “Oh, that side’s not even. I better even it out by eating this little bit.”
Soon, we decide it is probably time to leave. It’s not quite 10.00pm. Big Sis goes to orders take-out for Bro-in-Law. We pay the bill and leave a generous tip and then Sam helps us with our coats. They give Dad a little golden elephant key ring as a memento, which is really quite sweet. We thank them for a really lovely evening and then say our goodbyes, with Sam saying farewell and telling Big Sis to “say hello to Bro-in-Law,” which cracks me up.
We convince Mum and Dad to come back to ours for a cuppa (or a tipple, in Bigger Sis’ case). We take our time making tea, then chat and giggle over our beverages while eating the odd biscuit from the organic selection Bigger Sis has randomly given us. After a while, Dad seems ready to go home. It has been a really enjoyable evening and most importantly, it seems that Dad really enjoyed himself. We hug and kiss before they leave, then Bigger Sis gets ready and we walk her to the station for the next train. We keep her company for the few minutes until the train arrives. “Text us when you get home,” I tell her, as she gets on the train. “OK,” she answers, “but if I don’t, don’t be offended, will you?” We wave and blow kisses goodbye, then Big Sis and I crack up on the walk home about her logic. Er…okay, we won’t be offended, but how will we know you got home all right?! Lol!
Dad is doing so well for his age and we are so blessed that he has been in good health and of sound mind for yet another year. It was a perfect evening. I hope we have many more like that to come.
