Some friends of Marv had gone out with him to help him prepare for his birthday party, which was coming very soon. In their midst were John, Kev, Steve, and Bob. They were to help him set the tables and the chairs, put the ribbons and the balloons in the places they supposed to be, pick the flowers that would be used in the occasion, and do other minor works they could help to do.

That was not the first time they had gone out like that together as friends. They had done that when Kev did his birthday, when Bob’s dad was made a knight in the church, and when Steve’s uncle wedded. They used to be happy anytime they had opportunity of doing things together as friends in the past and nothing bad had ever resulted out of it, except minor quarrels they sometime had as friends normally do.

Marv did not expect that one of his friends would betray him in his birthday party. Everything was going according to how they were planned.

“This will definitely be my best birthday ever,” he boasted to his friends, telling them all the arrangements his parents had made concerning it.

“ There will be drinks and food for all to eat and take home; music will play without stop from morning till night; it will really be fun for all that will come” he had told them with cheers on his face.

He did not know that he was raising envy in the mind of one of his friend by doing that.

The party was really a class indeed. It cost his parent so much to organize it. They killed a whole ram for it. They brought many crates of mineral drinks and so many cartons of assorted fruit juice. There was rice, salad, pepper-soup, suya, chocolates, and ice cream, all prepared for the party. The most wonderful among them all was the special birthday cake his mum bought for the occasion. The cake had Marv’s name designed on it with a lot of good wishes like “ Happy Birthday Marv…. Log life and success shall follow you Marv” and so on, also written on the sides round it with special designs. It was so wonderful that nobody could see it and pass without praising it. Even Marv himself shaded tears of joy when he saw it. Ha was so glad and could not find words to thank his mum enough for it. His friends also expressed their appreciation when they saw the cake. But Marv did not know that one of them was not happy about it, but had just hid his feeling so that nobody would notice his sadness.