Dr. Judith M. Newman

Bubba's Birthday
A Children's Story

Bubba was busy baking bread. Rachael often helped her make bread for the Friday night family dinner. This week they were taking particular care because it was Rachael's birthday. The whole family was coming to Rachael's to celebrate.

By the time Rachael arrived at Bubba's, Bubba was just about ready to shape the loaves. This was the part of bread-making Rachael liked best. She always got to makes some small loaves herself.

Rachael pulled up the old wooden step stool beside the kitchen table. Bubba was so short she had to use the step stool whenever she wanted to reach for anything higher than the first shelf. The step stool had once been painted bright blue but years of use had worn most of the paint off the two steps and all that remained were some faded flower patterns on one side. Rachael used the step stool so she could reach the table.

Bubba had sprinkled the top of the table with flour so the dough wouldn't stick. She dumped out the dough from the bowl where it had been rising. She divided it into four large lumps. She took one of the lumps and cut a small piece for Rachael.

Rachael watched as Bubba kneaded the dough. She pushed down on it slowly, spreading the dough thinner. Then she folded the dough in two and pushed again. She pushed and folded, pushed and folded, again and again. Rachael did the same thing with her lump of dough.

"The bread today is special," said Bubba. "It's birthday bread. I can remember when you were born. I came to stay with Marta and David while your Mother went to the hospital. We waited all afternoon to hear from your Dad. I can remember how excited we were when he called early the next morning with the news."

"What was I like when I was a baby?" asked Rachael.

"You were a tiny baby," said Bubba, "not much bigger than a puppy."

"Did I cry a lot?" asked Rachael.

"No more than other babies. I really liked the way you always giggled when we talked to you or tickled you," Bubba replied. "I remember your first birthday. We had a party. The whole family was there, just like tonight. I made bread. I made a cake with icing on it and one great big candle. What fun we all had trying to help you blow the candle out. Are you going to have a cake tonight?"

"Yes, a big chocolate one," said Rachael. "I'm also having another cake tomorrow. My friends Janie, Roople and Margie are coming to my party. We're going to make valentines for next week. We'll play some games and we're going to have pizza. I love pizza," she said.

"Sounds like a good party," said Bubba, "fun things to do and good food to eat."

"Bubba," asked Rachael, "when is your birthday?"

"I don't know," said Bubba.

"What do you mean you don't know? Everybody knows when their birthday is," laughed Rachael.

"No," said Bubba, "I don't know when my birthday is."

"Really?"

"Really."

"How come?" Rachael wanted to know.

"Well," Bubba began, "in the old country people didn't always write down things like birthdays. Birthdays weren't so important. Besides, we were poor. We didn't have money for special dinners. All I remember is that my mother, your great-grandmother, used to tell me how cold it was when I was born and how she had to find extra blankets to keep me warm. That means I must have been born sometime during the winter, but I don't know the exact day.

"So you've never had a birthday?"

"Not that I can remember."

"But everyone has to have a birthday," thought Rachael.

Bubba and Rachael finished making the loaves. They put them in the oven to bake. Then Rachael went home. Bubba would bring the bread later when she came for the birthday dinner.

When she got home, Rachael found her mother in the dining room setting the big table.

"Please get the forks and knives," asked Mother.

While Rachael put cutlery at each place she thought about Bubba's birthday.

"Mum," she said, "Did you know Bubba doesn't have a birthday?"

"Yes, I guess I did know that," her mother said.

"Do you think Bubba feels sad that she doesn't have a birthday?"

"I don't think so," said Mother. "Bubba's quite an old lady and I don't think it matters to her very much."

Dad arrived home. Rachael and her mother were still putting things on the table for the family dinner when he came into the dining room.

"Looks pretty fancy. Is something special going on?" he teased.

"Rachael's birthday," said Mum.

"Rachael's birthday, today?" said Dad. "Are you sure? Today, not next week?"

"Oh, Daddy! Yes, it's my birthday today. I'm seven remember?" said Rachael. "And Daddy, did you know Bubba doesn't have a birthday?"

"No birthday? How can Bubba have no birthday? Everyone has a birthday," he said.

"Well she doesn't know when it is," said Rachael. "I think that's sad. She never gets to have a party."

"Hmmm," said Dad. "We'll have to think about that, won't we? I wonder what we could do?"

Later when Rachael was upstairs getting washed and dressed for dinner she went into Marta's room. She watched Marta putting on her favorite fluffy sweater.

"Marta," she said. "You know what?"

"What?"

"Bubba doesn't have a birthday."

"Of course Bubba has a birthday. Everyone has a birthday. Why don't you ask her when it is?" Marta said.

"I already did," said Rachael. "This afternoon, when we were making the bread I asked Bubba when her birthday was and she said she didn't know."

"Someone must know," said Marta and made her way to the bathroom to brush her hair.

Rachael went to talk to David. He was sitting on his bed taping a new hockey stick. His clothes were all over the floor.

"David, did you know Bubba doesn't have a birthday?"

"Don't be silly, Rach," he said, "everyone has a birthday."

"Well, what I mean is, Bubba doesn't know when her birthday is. I asked her this afternoon when her birthday was and she told me she didn't know."

"Someone must know somewhere," said David and he left, ignoring the mess in his room.

While she was dressing, Rachael thought about Bubba's birthday. "I bet she does feel sad. I wonder what I can do about it."

A short while later Bubba arrived with Aunt Mim and Uncle Jack. Next Aunt Golda and Uncle Ben with Mark, Michael and Sara came stomping in. There were presents for Rachael. She took them into the dining room. She would open them after dinner.

The dinner was scrumptious. Rachael ate until she thought she would burst. She hoped she'd saved enough room for some cake, though. "Wouldn't it be awful if I couldn't eat any birthday cake," she thought to herself.

At last everyone finished eating. Rachael helped clear the table with Sara and Marta. Then Mother went to the kitchen by herself. Dad turned off the dining room lights. Rachael could feel her excitement grow. As Mother came through the door carrying the cake with the candles lit everyone burst into a rowdy "Happy Birthday!"

Rachael thought for a long moment. Then she took a big breath and blew out all seven candles at once.

"You didn't make a wish," said Dad.

"I did so. I wished for a birthday for Bubba," Rachael said.

"A birthday for Bubba?" asked Sara. "Why a birthday for Bubba?"

"Because Bubba doesn't have a birthday."

"Of course Bubba has a birthday," said Uncle Jack.

"She doesn't. She told me this afternoon she doesn't know when her birthday is. Didn't you Bubba?" said Rachael turning to her grandmother. Bubba nodded. "I think she must be sad because she doesn't have a birthday. So I wished for a birthday for Bubba."

"Well," said Dad, "that's not a big problem. We could just pick a day to celebrate Bubba's birthday. What would be a good day to pick?"

"I know," said Rachael. "Bubba is special to everyone. We could celebrate Bubba's birthday on Valentine's Day."

"What a good idea! Valentine's Day is next Friday so we could celebrate Bubba's birthday next week," said Dad. "What do you think, Bubba?" he asked. Again, Bubba just nodded.

"But what birthday do we celebrate? I mean how many candles should we put on Bubba's cake?" Uncle Ben wanted to know.

"I think we should just have one candle on the cake," said Rachael. "It really would be her very first birthday party so I think we should only have one candle -- a very big one."

The following week, on Valentine's Day the family celebrated Bubba's birthday. Rachael made a huge birthday valentine card in the shape of a heart and on it she drew a picture of Bubba making bread with a little girl on a stepstool helping her. She helped her mother bake a big chocolate cake. They iced it and wrote "Happy Birthday, Bubba! We Love You" on it. In the middle, they put one big candle.

Bubba had tears in her eyes when Rachael put the birthday cake on the table in front of her. Everyone sang "Happy Birthday!" very loudly.

"You have to make a wish before you blow out the candle, remember," said Rachael.

Bubba thought for a long moment. She took a big breath and blew out her one big candle.

"Do you know what I wished for?" asked Bubba. "I wished for many more happy celebrations like this one." She gave Rachael an enormous hug.

And that's how Bubba's birthday came to be celebrated on Valentine's Day.