Indonesia
Happy Long Live, Wish You Birthday
Every year the kingdom would hold a big party to celebrate Prince Juli’s birthday. The whole kingdom would enjoy it for 10 days. Royal cooks would throw their serious effort preparing bread embedded with J for Juliandra, to be delievered as brakfast menu to every house every morning. The taylors were not lacking behind. They would joined together to make thousands of small flags with the prince’s picture and put them in every corner of the city.
My birthday on the other hand is different from the royal one, of course. Mom never made a Y bread, not a single flag with my picture on it. As a matter of fact, we never really made anything more than making a wish for my birthday. The royal ocassion had given more than enough merry for us.
This year, something is added to my birthday present. The king was having what he called “Happy Long Live, Wish You Birthday.” He invited everyone with the same birth date with Prince Juli to the castle. Which of course my name on the list. The royal gate was not open for everyone, making us -the 23 people with the same birthday with Prince Juli- felt so much blessed.
We got gift of food supplies enough for two months, free carriot ride coupon except for Saturday and Sunday, schoolarship and pictures with the prince. By the time we met him, our curiousity about the unusual name of the event was answered. The prince always messed the congratulation wishes around. He was supposed to say “Happy b’day, long live for you”, but he said it the opposite.
When we shook hands and he said that, i was wondering. Is he ashamed of it or did he take it as a trivia?
ILLUSTRATION: THINKSTOCK
