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HAPPY BIRTHDAY

it. He told me I was an ungrateful friend and took back the present he'd given me. He even did a few lines in front of me to show me what I was missing out on. Eventually, he took the hint and left also, leaving Yasheeda and me alone in the room at last. We lay down on my bed.

'I'm sorry I couldn't afford to get you a proper present, Tommy,' she said. 'I'm running out of money. I don't know how I'm going to afford Peru. But did you like your party?'

I nodded and looked around the room again, noting with approval all the changes she had made. With only a minimum of effort, Yasheeda had succeeded in making the whole place feel new. Once more, I didn't trust myself to speak. It was the best present anyone had ever given me.

Yasheeda didn't need much sleep. From the moment she first opened her eyes in the morning, she was wide awake and full of energy. I, on the other hand, was always sleepy. Even when I didn't drink or take coke, I liked to sleep in. The morning after my birthday was no exception. We had gone to bed early, but I was still tired and wanted to catch up on some rest. However, she wouldn't let me.

'Tommy. Are you awake?' she asked, leaning across my body in order to light the candle. I never let her turn the lights on or open the window until I was ready.

'Mmmm. I wasn't. But I am now.'

'Well. Come on then. Tell me!'

'Tell you what?' I was still half asleep.

'What you wished for.' It was way too early to play her guessing games, but that was another of her tricks; she would sometimes wake me up by asking me lots of questions that I had to think about.

'What I wished for when?'

'When you blew out the candles.' She was always doing that. Her mind went all over the place and often she'd come out with something that she was thinking about, assuming that I would automatically know what it was. Or she would suddenly decide to continue on from the middle of a conversation we'd had hours, or even days, before, but hadn't mentioned since.

'I can't tell you. Remember? Or it won't come true.' She had succeeded - I was awake now.