The "French Birthday" Story

It was an ordinary day. We had just come back from Orient Beach in St. Martin and were getting ready to head out for supper. It was our first trip to St. Martin and everything was all new. We were staying at the Mercure Simpson on Simpson Bay which is on the east end of the French side of the island. We walked to the Mati Restaurant which was across the street. Our traveling companions, Jere and "Just" Sue were with us. Nice place, right on the waterfront. Not quite sure what we had to eat that evening, but that's not part of the story anyway. It was October 24th and my wife Carol's birthday was on the 27th. I was searching for a nice place to take her for her birthday which was to be our final night on the island. This definitely was a French restaurant. How did I know? Well, I had French in high school and I understood the "oui-oui", but also everyone carried cigarettes with them. Our waiter, Raoul did very well with English and was a treat to have for the evening. When I found time I excused myself and talked quietly to the waiter about my plans for the birthday party. I asked if they could supply a birthday cake for the occasion. "No sir, I'm afraid we don't have that on our menu." He saw my disappointment and immediately asked when we would return for the party. After giving him the date, he said he would bake a cake at home and bring it in for the occasion! Wow! We returned on the last evening of our vacation to celebrate the end of a great vacation and Carol's birthday. Again, I'm not sure what we had to eat, but I'm sure it was fantastic. It was French cuisine! After Raoul cleared the table, he returned with his creation he had made. The candles sparkled that evening as did Carol's eyes. The reflections of the lights from the island bounced off the Caribbean Sea as well. We were in paradise! He presented her with the cake and a kiss on each cheek as well as a round of rum for everyone and I burst into the beginning of "Happy Birthday". The restaurant was packed that evening my friends and they all stopped eating to watch the festivities. We were halfway through our rendition of the song when I realized everyone in the restaurant was singing with us. The only thing different.......they were all singing in French! Unbelievable!! What great hospitality. We knew we would return again. We were hooked. It was an extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.