as to get a better grip as he returned her kiss.
“Well, I’ve never ...” exclaimed Mrs. Ingebrigtsen.
“Not on the table, children,” was Mrs. Amundsen’s only comment.
“Why not?” asked Alberto, turning toward her.
“That was an odd question.”
“It’s never wrong for a real philosopher to ask questions.”
A couple of the other boys who had not been kissed started to throw
chicken bones up on the roof. This, too, elicited only a mild comment from
Sophie’s mother:
“Would you mind not doing that. It’s such a nuisance when there are
chicken bones in the gutter.”
“Sorry,” said one of the boys, whereupon they started throwing chicken
bones over the garden hedge instead.
“I think it’s time to clear the plates away and serve the cake,” said Mrs.
Amundsen finally. “Sophie and Joanna, will you give me a hand?”
On their way to the kitchen there was only time for a brief discussion.
“What made you kiss him?” Sophie said to Joanna.
“I sat looking at his mouth and couldn’t resist it. He is so cute!”
“How did it taste?”
“Not exactly like I’d imagined, but. . .”
“It was the first time, then?”
“But not the last!”
Coffee and cake were soon on the table. Alberto had started giving the
boys some of his firecrackers when Sophie’s mother tapped on her coffee
cup.
“I am not going to make a long speech,” she began, “but I only have this
one daughter, and it is only this once that exactly one week and a day ago
she reached the age of fifteen. As you see, we have spared no expense.
There are twenty-four almond rings on the birthday cake, so there’s at least
one whole ring for each of you. Those who help themselves first can take two
rings, because we start from the top and the rings get bigger and bigger as
you go. That’s the way it is in life too. When Sophie was a little girl, she went
tripping around in tiny little rings. But as the years went by, the rings got
bigger and bigger. Now they reach right over to the Old Town and back. And
what is more, with a father who is at sea so much, she makes calls to all parts
of the world. We congratulate you on your fifteenth birthday, Sophie!”
“Delightful!” exclaimed Mrs. Ingebrigtsen.
Sophie was not sure whether she was referring to her mother, the
speech, the birthday cake, or Sophie herself.
The guests applauded, and one of the boys threw a firecracker up into
the pear tree. Joanna left the table and pulled Jeremy up off his chair. They
lay down on the grass and started kissing each other again. After a while they
rolled in under the red-currant bushes.
“Nowadays it’s the girl who takes the initiative,” said Mr. Ingebrigtsen.
Having said that, he got up and went over to the red-currant bushes
where he stood observing the phenomenon at close quarters. The rest of the
guests followed suit. Only Sophie and Alberto remained sitting at the table.
The other guests now stood in a semicircle around Joanna and Jeremy.
“They can’t be stopped,” said Mrs. Ingebrigtsen, not without a certain
pride.