Present Day…
Bright decorations light up the living room. Posters are pasted on the wall. Stars and hearts pictures are also on the wall. The cake is three layers tall. But for now, everyone is hiding. Some are under the table whilst others are hiding behind the sofas, kneeling with so much anticipation of what is about to happen.

“Mama you had no right doing that,” Ntshepi is angry at her mother because she called her boyfriend and ended their relationship. “Then you wonder why I can’t speak with you about my life and important things of my life.”

“You’ll thank me later. That boy is not good for you,” Zandile tells her daughter.

Ntshepi unlocks the door and puts the shopping bags on the kitchen counter.

“Trust me, my daughter, you will understand later,” Zandile ensures her daughter. Ntshepi is super mad at her mother. She pours water in a glass and heads to the living room while talking to her mother who is in the kitchen.

“I’ll never forgive you. Not after this.”

“Surprise!”

She drops the glass of water she was holding and her mouth is wide open.

“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Ntshepi. Happy birthday to you,” they chorus.

“Hipp-hipp. Hooray. Hipp-hipp. Hooray,” louder they shouted. It takes Ntshepi a minute to register what is happening before her eyes. It is my birthday, she remembers. And they have thrown a surprise party for me.

“Oh, guys you didn’t,” she now takes a moment to look around the house. She now sees her name written in big bold, bright colours hanging from the ceiling. Her friends are here. And guess what? Nthato is the one holding a cake. Lebo has her face painted.

“How did you…but when … Oh my word,” she sheds tears of joys.

“God. Cut a cake before you start to melt it down with your tears. Where’s the knife? Pass the knife. Here we go,” Nthato hands Ntshepi a knife. They all laugh as Nthato licks her lips.

“Before I can cut this cake, I would like to make a little speech.”

“Yeah do it fast. Don’t be long like Zuma. We need to devour this pretty cake,” Nthato says, and they all laugh.

“I’ll be short, I promise. Firstly, I’d like to thank the organisers of this awesome celebration. Secondly, I’d like to say to my friends: thank you all for being there for me. Thirteen years is down the drain. We are now chasing that sweet sixteen baby!”

After a brief laughter, Ntshepi continues.

“Last but not least, I thank my mom and my dad. I love y’all and I promise to make you proud of me.”

“Ncoooh,” the mini crowd chorus after Ntshepi delivers her speech.

“And now, it’s cake-cutting time. Woohoo!” Nthato disturbs the cute moment the crowd is having.

“OK, OK. Seems like someone came here for the cake only,” Ntshepi teases her friend.

The cake too has her name on it. The number thirteen that was lit by candles that she blew out earlier is attractive. She cuts the cake and puts the piece on the small plate.

“Let the party begin,” she announces with the plate elevated high for everyone to see.

Ntshepi runs to the kitchen, where her mother is.

“How did you put this all together?”

“You know nothing is impossible when you have Nthato,” her mother replies.

“So all the things you did today were just an act so I wouldn’t suspect anything?” Ntshepi asks her mother.

“Yes. We didn’t want to take any chances of you catching out on our little plan,” she hugs her mother and thanks her for everything.

“OK, enough now. Go enjoy with your friends before you make me cry too,”

“I will. Where is dad? I didn’t see him when I was cutting the cake,”

“He must be in the backyard, braaing with his friends and Nthato’s father. I think,”

She hugs her mother one last time and heads back to the crowd in the living room. Lebo is sweeping the shattered glasses on the floor. After she has finished they all dance to Club Controlla by DJ Prince Kaybee and have fun.

***

Tell us: Have you ever had a surprise birthday party? How was it?