the kids Mommy, don ’ t
fuss, ” TK pleaded.
Siri slowly made her way over. The last
thing she wanted to do was be near the man whose presence affected
her so deeply she could barely breathe. Eric who was sitting at the
oblong table next to Kerri never took his eyes from Siri as she
approached. She was more beautiful than he remembered. Something
inside him stirred as she came closer. He had hoped that when he
saw her again she would not have the same effect as she had that
night. That hope faded when he saw the bluish gray paint on the tip
of her nose and in her hair that was held up by a clamp. The gray
midriff shirt and sweat pants that hung seductively low on her hips
were stained as well. He swore there was nothing more exquisite
than the woman standing before him.
Kerri reached
into the cooler and pulled out a container. “ Here I
fixed your favorite salad, with grilled chicken, tangerine, green
peppers, sweet peppers, raisins mixed with spinach and
lettuce. ” She sat the container on the table then reached
down and pulled out a bottle of water.
“Thank you,
Mommy, ” she replied softly. She looked around and knew
she could not sit at that table with Silk. “ I ’ m not very hungry. I think I ’ ll go get
started on my room. ”
Kerri
frowned. “ Nonsense, girl. You ’ ve been here since
seven. You didn ’ t eat breakfast and
have been working since you got here. Of course
you ’ re hungry and if you ’ re not sit down and
eat anyway. ” Kerri reached down into the cooler
again, speaking her mind as she did. “ If that ex-husband of
yours was any kind of a real man, he would have paid someone to do
this. Not sucker you into going out with him again. Where is he
anyway? Some kind of councilman he turned out to
be. ” She finished just as she pulled out her famous
strawberry shortcake. ”
Normally Siri
would have been fighting with TK over the dessert, but her nerves
were too in tune with Silk. Noticing she was still standing and not
fighting over the cake, which TK and Jason were now sharing, Kerri
became concerned. She stopped fidgeting and looked up at her
daughter who was busy trying not to look at the man sitting next to
her. Kerri looked from Siri to Eric, who was not even attempting
not to look at her daughter. “ Siri, honey, are you
okay? ”
Smiling
fictitiously she replied, “ Yeah, Mommy,
I ’ m fine. I just want to get things finished before
people start leaving. ” Avoiding the eyes she knew were
watching her, she nervously picked up the bottle of water and the
container. “ I ’ ll eat
this in my classroom. ” She started to walk away then stopped
and turned to the people at the table. “ Thank you for
coming to help with the school. I truly appreciate your help.
I ’ ll make sure the children know who you are and what
you did today. ” She smiled bashfully and walked away
quickly.
“Has that man
been here bothering her today? ”
“I
haven ’ t seen him or his mother. You know they only come
around if the news cameras are here, ” TK
replied.
“I certainly
hope she is not going back into her shell again. I hate what that
family did to her. ” Kerri stated as she angrily began
putting things away.
“What happened
to her? ” Jason asked, concerned with the
conversation.
“Carl and Mable
Austin happened, ” Kerri replied angrily.
“Carl is
Siri ’ s ex-husband. ” TK explained, “ He divorced her because his mother Mable decided Siri was
not the type of wife Carl needed to further his career in politics.
The divorce was played out like a soap opera on the local news.
Siri refused to comment on any of the accusations that were levied
against her and Carl was too spineless to contradict anything that
his mother said. The media reported her as having a questionable
relationship with a minor and accused her of marrying Carl for his
family ’ s money. She lost her teaching job at the high
school and the respect of the community. ”
“What happened
with the
fuss, ” TK pleaded.
Siri slowly made her way over. The last
thing she wanted to do was be near the man whose presence affected
her so deeply she could barely breathe. Eric who was sitting at the
oblong table next to Kerri never took his eyes from Siri as she
approached. She was more beautiful than he remembered. Something
inside him stirred as she came closer. He had hoped that when he
saw her again she would not have the same effect as she had that
night. That hope faded when he saw the bluish gray paint on the tip
of her nose and in her hair that was held up by a clamp. The gray
midriff shirt and sweat pants that hung seductively low on her hips
were stained as well. He swore there was nothing more exquisite
than the woman standing before him.
Kerri reached
into the cooler and pulled out a container. “ Here I
fixed your favorite salad, with grilled chicken, tangerine, green
peppers, sweet peppers, raisins mixed with spinach and
lettuce. ” She sat the container on the table then reached
down and pulled out a bottle of water.
“Thank you,
Mommy, ” she replied softly. She looked around and knew
she could not sit at that table with Silk. “ I ’ m not very hungry. I think I ’ ll go get
started on my room. ”
Kerri
frowned. “ Nonsense, girl. You ’ ve been here since
seven. You didn ’ t eat breakfast and
have been working since you got here. Of course
you ’ re hungry and if you ’ re not sit down and
eat anyway. ” Kerri reached down into the cooler
again, speaking her mind as she did. “ If that ex-husband of
yours was any kind of a real man, he would have paid someone to do
this. Not sucker you into going out with him again. Where is he
anyway? Some kind of councilman he turned out to
be. ” She finished just as she pulled out her famous
strawberry shortcake. ”
Normally Siri
would have been fighting with TK over the dessert, but her nerves
were too in tune with Silk. Noticing she was still standing and not
fighting over the cake, which TK and Jason were now sharing, Kerri
became concerned. She stopped fidgeting and looked up at her
daughter who was busy trying not to look at the man sitting next to
her. Kerri looked from Siri to Eric, who was not even attempting
not to look at her daughter. “ Siri, honey, are you
okay? ”
Smiling
fictitiously she replied, “ Yeah, Mommy,
I ’ m fine. I just want to get things finished before
people start leaving. ” Avoiding the eyes she knew were
watching her, she nervously picked up the bottle of water and the
container. “ I ’ ll eat
this in my classroom. ” She started to walk away then stopped
and turned to the people at the table. “ Thank you for
coming to help with the school. I truly appreciate your help.
I ’ ll make sure the children know who you are and what
you did today. ” She smiled bashfully and walked away
quickly.
“Has that man
been here bothering her today? ”
“I
haven ’ t seen him or his mother. You know they only come
around if the news cameras are here, ” TK
replied.
“I certainly
hope she is not going back into her shell again. I hate what that
family did to her. ” Kerri stated as she angrily began
putting things away.
“What happened
to her? ” Jason asked, concerned with the
conversation.
“Carl and Mable
Austin happened, ” Kerri replied angrily.
“Carl is
Siri ’ s ex-husband. ” TK explained, “ He divorced her because his mother Mable decided Siri was
not the type of wife Carl needed to further his career in politics.
The divorce was played out like a soap opera on the local news.
Siri refused to comment on any of the accusations that were levied
against her and Carl was too spineless to contradict anything that
his mother said. The media reported her as having a questionable
relationship with a minor and accused her of marrying Carl for his
family ’ s money. She lost her teaching job at the high
school and the respect of the community. ”
“What happened
with the
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