A Story By Vanessa
We had some pretty epic birthday parties on Bequia. I loved birthday parties because all your friends were gathered in one location for an afternoon of fun, and it was usually on a beach. Our parties were not like ones that I witness these days, where parents drop their kids off and return a few hours later. Our parties had cold beer and good food and the adults usually stayed. All the parties I attended were similar in that respect too, whether people showed up in bathing suits on the beach, or at a house in Sunday best.
My birthday is in February, the busiest time of year for my mother. Taking time off to plan and cook for a party must have been stressful but a good time was always had by everyone! The weather was usually good in February, so we didn’t have to worry about rain ruining our beach party. My sister’s birthday is in September, and usually the restaurant was closed, so less stressful for mummy but the weather was a bit more unpredictable.
We had parties at Lower Bay, Spring Bay, and, when we were a bit older, Hope Bay. My mother had us playing games, made wonderful food, and always baked a large cake. And of course there was the sea. When we got older we did away with the games and just played in the sea. Hope was hard to get to and involved dragging a lot of food and drink up and down the rocky hill, but it afforded us a level of privacy, and deterred party crashers! The day often ended with an all-girl sleep-over, and they were the best parties I have ever been to.
One particular year, for my 12th birthday, the parties kept happening. There was a birthday meal with my grandparents, dinner out with my parents, a Valentine’s dance at De Reef where I helped my grandma serve food , a birthday party down at Hope and then the usual sleepover with the girls. But the next morning we awoke to find they had struck a whale and everyone was heading over to watch the whale being butchered. Another day surrounded by people, food cooking on beaches, and playing with friends. Best birthday ever! How many kids can add butchering of a whale to their list of birthday week fun?!
There were times when it rained or hurricanes passed through and parties had to be postponed or held inside. They were still fun and no one seemed to mind. I see mothers today stressing over themed birthdays complete with Disney princesses, clever food and a fancy cake, when all you need are good friends, cold drinks and my mother’s chocolate slab cake.
Mummy never thought her cake was anything special, but we all loved it. Every year she made a money cake, carefully wrapping the coins in wax paper and inserting them into the batter. She always put larger coins in the corners to ensure the birthday girl got the best coin. Despite the cake being delicious, you learned to eat it slowly so you didn’t choke on a 5 cent piece!