Part IV

Character development is a must. Read on and you'll see what I mean. Enjoy...



This Nurse Jenkins broad was starting to get on my nerves. I was mad at myself for wasting this much brain power and effort on her. Plus I was setting a bad example for Kiara. How does it look in her eyes to see me verbally berating a woman? Especially a Black woman. I'd had enough of lowering myself in my daughter's eyes. Plus I was running out of insults.
"Listen, I'd really like to enjoy this war of words we're having, but I gotta take my daughter home and be a father. So if there's something I have to sign i'd appreciate it if you'd let me sign it so I can get her home."
I sounded so sincere I could get a judge to drop the charges against R. Kelly.
Apparently Nurse Jenkins had been there, done that, and bought that t-shirt.
"You think changing up your voice and trying to sound sincere is get you off the hook? You got me messed up. I don't back down from anyone or anything. So you better either try and find another lame ass put down or just be quiet and leave."
I'd just like to say that for the record...I gave her a chance.
"Listen, I don't know what crawled up your ass this morning when you rolled out of your twin bed, but don't take it out on me. It's not my fault you're wasting that associate degree in bartending with this glamorous profession of putting on band-aids and diagnosing kids with diarrhea."
My eyes were almost beet red. I felt my heart beating louder and louder with each scathing comment I unleashed on her. I'll give her credit though, she took it like a soldier. Or so I thought. I was getting ready to launch into another assault when I saw her just hang her head.
A small trickle of tears began to fall onto the floor. Whimpers slowly leaked out of her mouth. I walked towards her, and thought about trying to comfort her. Then I made a mental recap of the time I'd spent in her office. She didn't deserve comfort. I walked around her, went to her desk and signed the release papers so I could take Kiara home. I took the papers, looked back at her. She was still standing there quietly sobbing. I still wasn't going to apologize. I gently closed the door behind me, grabbed Kiara's hand and headed towards the main office.
"Daddy, what happened in there? Why is Nurse Jenkins crying?"
"She cut her hand on a piece of paper."
"But usually when you do that you say ouch, and I didn't hear her say ouch."
I forgot my child was the queen of interrogation.
"Listen, it was grown up talk ok," I bellowed. Teachers poked their heads out of classrooms to see what the vocal eruption was in the hallway. I offered a sheepish grin and shuffled into the main office.
I was greeted by the Asian secretary. She must've been an Affirmative Action hire.
"Good morning sir. How can I help you."
Her voice had a southern twang that kinda threw me off. How often is it you hear some Asian chick sound like she's from Baton Rouge, Louisiana?
I thought about sprinkling some game on her, but I had Kiara with me and she would probably slow me down.
"I just need to hand in this form so I can take my little girl home."
I made just enough eye contact with the secretary to draw a smile out of her.
"Game, set, match", i thought as she extended her finely manicured hand out to take the paper from me.
She turned and headed towards the copy machine. There was a slight bounce in her step as she walked away. Wonder what caused that?
I was busy thinking things a man shouldn't think about in an elementary school when I was snapped back into reality by a tug on my slacks.
"Daddy when am I gonna see mommy again?"
That came out of left field, but I could see why she was reaching in that direction.
When Kiara was a baby Charlene would sing to her. Kiara always told me that was the one thing she remembered about her mother.
I knelt down and looked her in right in those big brown eyes.
"I don't know Stinka-Bear. We both know mommy's been sick for a long time. So we have to wait until she gets better."
"I know daddy, but I remember when I was little mommy would always sing to me. It made me feel good."
This was killing me. I hated to see her so sad, so helpless. This was one of the times I was reminded that she was six and not 60.
"Would it help if I sang you a song?"
That was the most sincere thing I had said all morning.
"But daddy, you can't sing," she said with the most puzzled look on her face.
"What you mean girl? I'm like Luther in the shower," I said back a little mad she had taken some wind out of my sails.
"You mean luther can't sing?"
I looked at her with the same puzzled look she hit me with. She looked right back at me. And we both started laughing.
The secretary came back to find me and Kiara giggling our asses off.
"Um...sir? Here's your copy. Have a nice day"
I wiped a few tears from my eye and noticed there was a smaller piece of paper attached to the copy of the release from with a paper clip. I didn't ask what it was. The smirk the secretary gave me was all the explanation I needed.
"Come on Stinka-Bear, let's get you out of here so we can get you feeling better."
"My thoughts exactly daddy."
Kiara and I walked out of the office and headed to the parking lot. We had each just scored a victory. She made me laugh and I got another number which meant another notch on the bed post would soon be had.