Читать книгу Birthday Boy - David Baddiel - Страница 16

The next day, Sam went to school. He hadn’t been sure about this – he’d thought about demanding another day off, seeing as it was, after all, his birthday – but then remembered that every day was now his birthday, and decided he couldn’t stay off school every day.

When he got to school, though, things weren’t quite as they usually were. As he arrived, he could see there was an enormous banner placed on top of the main gate. Getting closer, he saw that it said:

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY, SAM!!

And just to make sure no one confused him with any of the other Sams at Bracket Wood Primary School it said underneath:

(Green, 6B)

Then, when Sam walked into the playground, the whole school was there! The school orchestra – actually just five children, with a violin, a guitar, two recorders and a pair of cymbals – started playing the opening chords to “Happy Birthday”! Everyone joined in: even Reception, who, like all Reception kids, didn’t really know the words or the tune, and, obviously, one of them was crying.

At the end of it, Mr Fawcett, the head teacher, came forward with an enormous cake. It also had the words “Happy birthday, Sam (Green, 6B)” on the top, and a figure with his arms in the air that looked like a man who, some time ago, had melted.

“Here you are, Sam!” he said.

“Thank you, Mr Fawcett …” said Sam, bemused. “Is that a clay model of … me?”

“Yes. It was made by that boy in Reception. The one who’s crying.” Mr Fawcett looked at the boy, and then at the clay model. “Sorry,” he said.

“It’s fine,” said Sam. “Thank you.” It did occur to Sam to ask Mr Fawcett why they hadn’t made anything like this fuss last year on the eighth of September, when he’d had to go to school on his actual birthday. But the idea of that day being his actual birthday was fading in his mind, so he forgot about it, and blew the candles out.

The whole school went, “Hooray!”

“Make a wish?” said Mr Fawcett.

“Um … no, that seems a bit pointless,” said Sam. “Seeing as my birthday’s happening every day now …”

“Oh! Yes! We don’t want to be greedy, do we? Wish-wise!” said Mr Fawcett.

Sam nodded. Then another thought occurred to him.

“Um … did you have all this ready to do yesterday …? When I didn’t come?”

Mr Fawcett looked slightly embarrassed. As did Mr Barrington, the deputy head, and Sam’s form teacher. As did the orchestra. And everyone else there.

“Yes!” shouted the crying boy. Tearfully.

“It was the oddest thing,” said Mr Fawcett. “I woke up yesterday morning with some words in my head, and those words were, ‘Happy birthday, Sam!’ And I thought, Why not make it his birthday every day?”

“So did I!” said Barry Bennett.

“And me!” said Malcolm Bailey.

“Us too,” said Fred and Ellie Stone.

“So we all got everything ready,” continued Mr Fawcett. “And again today.”

“Oh, sorry, everybody!” said Sam.

“No problem, really. After all, we’re going to be doing some sort of celebration for you every day from now on …”

“Shall I cut the cake?” asked Sam, looking around for a knife.

“Well, no,” said Mr Fawcett. “You are not – in fact, no pupils are – allowed to eat any of it. Not on school grounds. Due to new dietary rules established by Jamie Oliver.”

Sam thought for a moment. Then he said: “But … it’s my birthday!”

Mr Fawcett frowned. He glanced over at Mr Barrington, who shrugged.

“Oh, all right, then!” he said. And the whole school tucked in. With their hands. Which meant the crying boy stopped crying.