Adam Cartwright became 35. To celebrate that he decided to celebrate his birthday in a special way.
Very early that day his two year old son Mitch came into his bed room to congratulate him with his birthday.
“Daddy, happy birthday”, said the toddler.
Adam lifted him up in bed and said, “Thanks son.”
“My present is downstairs”, said Mitch.
“Then I am going to wash an dress you first. After that I do it the same”, said Adam.
After half an hour Adam and Mitch came downstairs. Mitch pulled his father to the living room where at the salon table presents were lying.
“Unwrap this one first”, said Mitch pointing at a flat yellow present.
Adam went to sit on the settee and got the yellow present. He unwrapped it and saw a drawing in a frame.
“I have made that and grandpa framed it”, said Mitch.
“How beautiful. Thanks lad”, Adam said smiling.
He hugged his son loving full. Meanwhile the brothers of Adam, Hoss and Joe, and father Ben had come downstairs as well.
“Happy birthday son”, said Ben.
“Thanks pa”, said Adam.
Hoss en Joe congratulated their celebrating brother too. They went to the dining room. Adam put Mitch in the high chair.
“We are going to bowl this afternoon. I have reserved 2 alleys for us. And after that we are going to eat out”, said Adam.
“How nice. Joe, we play together against pa and Adam”, said Hoss.
“That is alright. They will lose anyway”, Joe reacted laughing.
“You forget that Mitch plays with us along”, answered Ben.
That was a disappointment for Hoss and Joe.
At 3 o’clock the Cartwrights went to the bowling alley in Virginia City. Adam had made sure that Mitch looked nice.
At the reception desk said Adam, “The name is Cartwright. I have reserved two alleys for 2 hours.”
Derek Clark looked into the reservation book and said, “That’s right. Alley 1 and 2.”
They walked to the shoe department and got shoes in their seize. After that they went to their alleys.
“Well pa en Adam, we wish you lots of luck”, Joe said laughing.
“When we are busy you must keep an eye on your nephew”, said Ben.
The brothers nodded.
“What is the prize for the winners? Hoss and I that is”, said Joe.
“The winners are a week free from their chores at the yard. The losers are the ones to do their chores”, answered Adam.
Ben liked that but the others didn’t.
Ben began to throw as first. But he only pitched 6 pins down. Adam did it better and threw 9 pins down. Hoss and Joe were rolling on the ground laughing.
“Well Mitch, now your uncles must show how good or how bad they can bowl”, Adam said sarcastic.
Hoss got a ball and threw it. Unfortunately it came twice in the gutter. Joe was so laughing that he grabbed a ball and threw it. In 1 time all pins fell down. Ben, Adam and Hoss first looked amazed and then they couldn’t stop laughing.
“What are you laughing now? At least I throw a strike”, Joe said amazed and non-understanding why he got laughed at.
“Joseph, you do throw a strike but it doesn’t count. You threw on alley 3 and you play on alley 2”, Ben explained laughing.
“What a dumb game!”, answered Joe.
Though he had forgotten his angriness quickly. Especially when Hoss and Mitch went to get the drinks. But Joe didn’t throw a strike but Adam did to great joy of his son.
The afternoon flew by and with reluctance the Cartwrights brought the shoes back.
“Boys, we are going to do this more often”, said Ben.
His sons found this a good idea and Mitch too.
By all that bowling the Cartwrights had become hungry and Hoss of course the most.
“Daddy, are we going to eat now?”, Mitch asked at the reception desk.
Adam lifted up his son and answered, “Of course we are going to eat now.”
“Finally because my stomach is empty”, said Hoss.
“It’s always empty”, reacted Joe.
They walked to the restaurant that belonged to the bowling alley. In a corner Adam saw an empty table and walked to it with Mitch. The others followed them. Mitch occupied right away the best place, in the corner.
“Mitch, you keep sitting down”, said Adam.
“Yes daddy”, said the toddler.
Then a waiter came to the Cartwrights to take the orders.
“Just do for me a big t-bone steak, baked potatoes and spinach”, said Hoss.
“Do that for me as well”, said Ben.
Joe ordered the same and Adam too.
“And what does this young man want to have?”, asked the waiter.
“A children’s menu?”, asked Adam.
Mitch nodded. The waiter disappeared.
Sometime later 4 plates with T-bone steak, baked potatoes and spinach got brought but no children’s menu.
“Enjoy your meal gentlemen”, said the waiter.
“Where is the children’s menu of my son?”, asked Adam.
“We don’t have that”, said the waiter.
“Then you can take these four along as well”, said Ben.
“Why?”, asked the waiter asked amazed.
“Because we have ordered 5 meals and not 4. If my son doesn’t get his order soon my younger brother will ransack the pantries. Then you can shut the joint”, said Adam, pointing at Hoss.
“I will get something for the little one”, the waiter said with reluctance.
“I would do that very quickly”, said Hoss.
He looked a little bit very angry at the waiter.
That helped because a moment later Mitch got his meal as well.
“Enjoy it boys”, said Adam.
Mitch tried to eat neat but that didn’t succeed well. Adam let him eat on his own but after a while he pushed his plate away.
“Daddy, I have enough. Besides it is cold”, Mitch said complaining.
Adam took a chip and had to admit that his son was right.
“This is the very last time that I going to eat here with my son”, he said.
“It does taste good, doesn’t it?”, Hoss asked amazed.
“If your meal is warm yes but not when it gets brought to your table being cold. Mitch and I are going to eat somewhere else”, answered Adam.
They got up and went away. Ben, Hoss en Joe followed them right away.
“And where are this going to?”, asked the angry waiter.
“Must we pay for those bad meals?”, asked Hoss.
He looked a very much furious.
“No Mr Cartwright. Of course you don’t have to pay but you must not think either that a Cartwright may come here either”, the waiter said intimidated.
“That won’t happen anyway”, said Ben where after they went away.
Outside Mitch said complaining, “Daddy, I am hungry.”
“That doesn’t surprise me because you hardly have eaten. What would you say if your uncles, grandpa and I are going to eat a pancake with you?”, asked Adam.
Mitch nodded. Ben thought that was a good idea too and so did Hoss and Joe.
Soon 5 Cartwrights had 5 big pancakes in front of them which got eaten quickly. Not much later the Cartwrights came home and Mitch got brought to bed by his celebrating father.
Downstairs again Adam said, “Gentlemen, thanks for the nice birthday and I hope we will never go to that restaurant near the bowling alley again.”
“We won’t get let in anyway”, Joe remarked.
“That’s why I have decided to make a private bowling alley for when my grandson wants top bowl too”, said Ben.
“Then Hoss and Joe can practise too”, reacted Adam.
His brothers clearly didn’t agree with it but did agree with the idea of their father. By the bowling the Cartwrights had found another new pastime.