Chapter 40

I awoke and looked around in the early dawn. My arms were still full, and Di was in place. It was just starting to lighten outside with the approaching dawn. I was there all of them and me and felt what was best described as settled. Just content with where I was, who I was, and that I was with the four of them. I lay there with them all softly snoring as I thought about fate. Fate is a fickle monster that can bring changes in your life that feel like it would destroy it. I had those dances with fate that left me lonely and bitter. I danced with her which brought joy and happiness beyond compare. Then the crazy antics when Lilly and I had opened our marriage. Now, fate had brought me to these four to end that loneliness. Yes, I was content.

I closed my eyes and the next thing I heard was music and then groans. Ah, I finally realized that life had come back, and it was time to get ready for three of them to go back to teaching America’s youth or a part of them a least. I wondered what stresses would be coming down the pike from this. Sue moved first and then Di and finally, Mary was helping Ann to wake up she opened an eye at me and looked.

“Hi, Teach, ready for school?” I asked in a way to cheerful voice.

“Morning comes too early” Was her reply with her tongue stuck out.

“No time to use that now, I can have Mary tickle you if you want some help waking up.”

“Go be useful and make coffee.” Was her reply and she closed her eyes again.

“It takes her a while,” Mary added We stumbled around for a while, got coffee and breakfast along with showers and then the three of them disappeared into their respective classrooms while Mary and I cleaned things in the kitchen. We headed back to the bedroom then and took care of our shower. I was out in the living room with a yellow pad and pen thinking of what the next steps were for me to work on the house. I remember that at some point there would be a nutrition break, so I stopped and put on another pot of coffee and dug around in the fridge and then pantry to find something that resembled nutrition. I popped the dough with the fruit filling in the oven and then cut up some fruit I had found.

Mary made her way just as the baking was done and the timer went off. I was in the chair thinking about what needed to be accomplished to move forward with the city and those steps I recalled. She had seen me sitting there and then heard the timer. She showed up with the coffee in hand and gave me my cup.

“I took the tarts out of the oven when the timer went off.”

“Nutrition break at some point. Right?”

“Then Lunch and a snack after that.”

“Wow, gigolo to domestic at the drop of the hat.” I snickered to keep my voice down.

“I think of it as having many useful talents beyond gigolo”

“That too.”

“You think they will want a quickie during Lunch?” I said with a wink.

“Lunch is not that long for four quickies” She smiled.

“How about one this morning, two and lunch, and then one in the afternoon?

“What to think that out with all of the sympathy cums?”

“The boys will all be hot for teacher and the girls all gossip more than ever.”

“How about thinking about what we need when we go buy for food this week instead?”

I laughed and handed the pad I had been working on to Mary. I was thinking of course of all the city issues and writing down all kinds of food for meals instead.”

“How did you do that?”

“Not difficult, look in the pantry and the fridge, not much in the way of fruit on the counter after I cut up what was there.”

“Think we should leave and go get it all now?”

“Better after their break, let them think we’re in the bedroom now with the door closed why they are teaching.”

“They know we would not do that,” Mary said with a firm tone.

“Knowing and knowing are two very different knowing’s.”

“They will be out in a while let’s finish looking in the kitchen and get that list complete.”

Mary and I looked at what we had on the list looked at what we needed more of and then decided that we would head to the big box store and see what we could get before we tried any local groceries.”

Time passed and then the three of them appeared not the bright sunny faces that had gone into their classrooms earlier.

“Well, that sucked,” Sue said.

“Look at what he made” Di was chipper at that moment.

I was smelling it for the longest trying to teach them anything.” Ann added.

Dig in, you have to get back to the slave mines soon.” I added.

They ignored me and got bowls of fruit, a pastry, and coffee. Then sat at the table.

“The district is nuts,” Sue said during bites and sips.

“Yea, they told some of the parents that the kids could check in and then turn off their cameras because not all people have the same economic benefits and some of the children would be impacted by having to show their homes in the zoom classroom.”

“So?”

“So, they are texting each other and they check in and then turn off their cameras”

“Again So?”

“Do you know how difficult it is to teach to a black screen?”

“I’ve done it with the lights out, does that count?” I laughed.

“We don’t have much more time. Let’s discuss this over lunch.” Ann said and then got up to put her dishes in the sink.

Sue and Di followed suit. Then Mary said “We’re going shopping to get some more food. We will be back by lunch.” The three of them came over and kissed me and then left.

“What do you have going on in your mind to have those kids turn on their cameras?”

“I believe I know how to do that?”

“You know, do you? Let’s get going and then we can come back and make lunch.”

“I think the big box store will take too long to get it all. Let’s do a small shop now and tomorrow we will do the Big Box after we set the snack out.”

“Sounds like a plan, and you can tell me in the car how you’re going to get them to turn on their cameras.”

We went and got dressed then on the way back. Mary grabbed the opener for the garage door, and we headed to her car. I pressed the button and the door opened, we got in and were on our way, the door closing as we left.

“Now that I have you where I want you. Tell me.” Mary laughed.

“There are so many Dad replies that we would not get past them by the time we got back home. For this time I will pass them by and explain my thoughts. You’re an active participant though.”

“We will discuss active as it’s needed. Tell me and then I’ll be more active.”

“Fair enough. What are the two biggest teenage issues that teens face?” And I stopped and waited.

“One is hormones for certain.”

“One gold star”

“What’s the other?”

“You heard it earlier?”

“Heard what?”

“Think you’re a Ph.D. candidate.” I stopped and let her stew for a while.

“You’re not being very helpful.”

“What did they use to tell each other about turning off the cameras?

“They called each other”

“And what force did they use to say if you want to be a cool turn off your camera?”

“Peer pressure”

“Two gold stars.”

“Then they simply have to use peer pressure to get them to turn them back on?”

“That’s easier said than done.”

“I know that.”

“I know you know I was just telling you how to and then what makes it easier?”

“What makes it easier?”

“Hormones”

“Now I am confused.”

“I liked so much calling you Mary, but I will call you confused from now on.”

“Dad, Dad, Dad” She laughed.

“I gave you a free pass before.”

“That I had to pay for now.”

“Exactly”

“Can we discuss this in the store as we shop?” We put on our masks before we got out of the car.

“And risk and teenagers hearing how we are going to use peer pressure to engage their hormones to make them do something?”

She was laughing as we walked into the store so loudly other people looked at her. They’re looking at us was a part of my past as she recognized me a smile spread across her face, Carolyn had a clear shield across her face, then she touched the woman next to her. That same smile appeared behind the clear shield and then they started to make their way to us.

“Get ready to meet part of my past,” I said to Mary using my head to share with them.