Page 20 of His Strings Make Her Legs Sing
Wynsdae clapped her thumb and middle finger together. “I know that’s right! You better let that man take you out.”
When Rella mimicked her thumb, middle finger clap, I sucked my teeth. “Oh Lord! Get out of here, Mrs. Rella.” This lady was so young at heart.
She gave me and Wynsdae a hug, then walked out of the door. I walked over to Callira and Princess as they gushed over her new doll. “I’m going to tell my daddy to get you one too, so we can have matching dolls.”
I giggled because I knew that he would lowly fuss but buy that doll. His baby girl got anything she wanted. “Are you ladies ready to go over your sight words?” I asked when I stood next to where they were on the floor.
They both gawked at me like I was out of line for interrupting their little moment. Princess lifted her finger. “Can we have ten more minutes?”
“Sure you can if you can tell me what time it will be in ten minutes,” I requested with an arched brow. We had been working on time for a couple of weeks.
Both of their heads snapped toward the clock. They used their little fingers to count the lines on the clock. “It will be one twenty-two,” Callira answered. She smiled because she knew her little smart self was right.
“That is right. I will be back at one twenty-two, ladies.” I left them to their antics while I checked on the other students and teachers. I watched the clock closely, and exactly at one twenty-two, I was back with my ladies. They didn’t fuss and helped me get what we needed to start our sight words for today.
Mrs. Rella sent me her weekly curriculum plan for the week, so we could align what I taught Callira. The great part about it was that all of my special needs students in my class were either homeschooled under the same plan or they were taught here with us. We operated as a tutoring service and a school for some. We only had five full-time students.
For the rest of the time, my class of four worked on an array of different things and had snacks until it was time for the parents to pick them up. When Citrell arrived, only three students outside of Callira were waiting to be picked up.
“Daddy!” Callira yelled out when her father entered the building. She grabbed Princess’s hand and pulled her over to him. “Daddy, you have to buy Princess a doll too because she’s my best friend. We need to have best friend dolls.”
His eyes lifted from her to me, and I let my eyes roam to the ceiling.This has nothing to do with me.“Okay, baby girl. I will get her one.” He hugged both of them when they lunged into his arms. Just as they finished their hug, Princess’s father came in. Citrell turned so they could dap each other. “What’s up, man?”
“Ain’t too much. Aye, good looking out on that plumbing work,” Jordan said. “My wife told me if I so much as thought about dealing with it and not calling a professional that she would kick my ass.” They both laughed.
“Mr. Jordan, my daddy is going to get Princess a best friend doll like mine,” Callira said. She held her doll up. “She’s pretty like me and her.”
He smiled. “That’s very nice of him. Princess, did you thank him?”
She thanked him before he told her to go get her things. She rushed to get them, then they left. Citrell finally walked over to me. He glanced Callira’s way to see that she was in her own world before he quickly kissed my lips.
I giggled. “Your sneaky ass. You better stop before she catches you being fresh,” I teased.
“Well, we can go ahead and tell her this weekend so I can stop sneaking. Let’s take her to her favorite restaurant Sunday,” he suggested.
I gazed at him for a moment while I thought about it. I didn’t have any real objections to it. I’d rather we tell her sooner than later, so we’d know how to adjust if we needed to. Yeah, Callira loved me in this environment, but that meant nothing in the context of me being in a relationship with her father. I guess we’d find out Sunday. “That sounds like a plan.”
Later That Evening. . .
Man, the best thing that I could have done was tell Sundae that we were in a relationship. Since our first date, I have seen her every day. If I had to stop through during lunch to see her that’s what I did. The only time I spent the night with her was when my daughter stayed overnight with my parents. That was part of the reason I wanted to tell Callira, so I would feel comfortable when I brought my woman to my house. I didn’t want her to feel like we were sneaking.
My mother was very pleased when I told her that we were in an exclusive relationship. My father said he knew that was where it would lead anyway. She told her parents two weeks after ourfirst date. Her father paid me a visit at work shortly after. That was a conversation Sundae was not privy to.
My head lifted at the sound of a knock on my office door. Mandy, our front desk clerk, smiled. “There is a Samuel Jacobs here to see you. He said that he’s your girlfriend’s father. Do you want me to send him back?”
The fuck!Why the hell would Sundae’s father be here? “Yeah, you can send him back.”
Just as I closed out the finance report on my computer, he walked into my office. I stood to receive him. “Mr. Jacobs, it’s nice to meet you.” I extended my hand to him after I came around my desk to stand in front of him.
He looked down at my hand then up at me for a moment before he took it. He shook it firmly. “How are you doing, son? I wanted to come and have a quick word with you.”
“Of course, sir. Let’s take a seat over here.” I led him to a seating area in my office. “Would you like a drink? I have water, juice, soda, and something a little harder if you need it.”
He smiled before he accepted a Jack and Coke as well as a water. I fixed both of us a drink because I wasn’t sure how this shit would go. He took a sip of his drink as soon as I put it in his hand. He wanted to have the conversation, so I would let him start it. “Son, my daughter told me that you and her have decided to be in a relationship. Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir, that is correct. We have not been together for a very long time, but I am hoping that it will last forever.” I spoke honestly because there was no need for me to be evasive withthe father of the woman that I more than likely will marry and have babies with.
He nodded, then chuckled. “Forever, huh? Don’t you think it’s kind of early to be talking that talk?” He took another sip out of his cup, set it down, then opened his water and took a gulp.
