So, when I was going to be fifteen years old the spring of 64 (uh-oh, I'm telling my age here) in the spring of 74, the girls that lived next door to me - Olga, and Margie Lopez - decided to give me a surprise birthday party.

You have to understand in Hispanic cultures, fifteen is a big deal for a girl. That's when they have their "Quincenera" big party, almost like a wedding, very expensive! Well, we couldn't afford all that and anyway I wanted a piano! So, they decided to give me a surprise party and planned for weeks to get things in order. Thelma Torres, my good buddy, had the assignment of keeping me busy that Saturday morning till the afternoon so everyone could decorate.

Understand that any time you went anywhere with Ms.Torres it was an adventure. If anyone could keep me busy she could! So we hopped on the old Clinton bus at the corner of Lathrop and Boyce heading downtown. I believe our first stop was going to be to Thelma's Orthodontist, to get rewired and rubberbanded.

We got through with that little chore with Thelma complaining all the way about how tight the wires were and I think she even swallowed a rubber band which got us both to laughing so hard we had to find a bathroom. Next stop, Woolworths for a bathroom break and a little snack at the counter.

So we had our little snack and laughed at anything and everything and moved on to Kress's where we took a little stroll around the makeup counter and looked at all the nice cosmetic jewelry. We had to stay within our budget which I'm sure was about 4 or 5 dollars each.

We were standing in front of the store and who comes by but Max, one of our friends from school. He is carrying a bag with a square shaped flat something, probably a music album. All of a sudden they start talking in code, I am starting to wonder what is going on here. So we decide to keep moving - we have to stay gone till at least 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, party central is gearing up: decorations, food, music. My cousins Alfred and Arthur had a garage band and volunteered to play so they are getting set up, practicing a little. Thelma is dragging me all over downtown Houston. I'm ready to go home!! NO, we can't go home yet. So, onward to yet another store where we look at the records and other things.

Ok, it's time to go, we got to go now, but why? Now, we have to catch the bus before dark. My birthday is in April so it is still getting dark a little early. The bus drops us off on Lathrop again and we start walking down the street. I hear music, loud music it sounds like "Its been a hard days night". Thelma is giggling and looking at me with that look - You know don't you?

What are you talking about, we are both laughing, music is getting louder the closer we get to the house. We are walking up the driveway and the house just doesn't look right , why is the pit going, why are my Father and Mr. Lopez from next door standing under the carport with their important "police"look?

Thelma is still saying, You know don't you? We walk through the unlocked front door and Surprise!!!!! There they are all, my good friends, and some relatives. There's Alice and Bertha Rodriguez, Max and his sisters Becca and Cindy Gandara, there's Eddy Perez and his twin sister Liz. All of them there for me, my heart swells up now just thinking about it and my Thelma standing behind me still saying, You know don't you!

It was one of the happiest times of my life. And guess what - the album that Max had in his hand when we saw him was for me. It was a Beatles Album for my Happy Birthday.

My fifteenth year in Denver Harbor.