Chapter 7

A Chapter by Ki Rider

Chapter 7

Tila

Another dream? It just keeps getting stronger. Why? I can feel myself getting lost deeper and deeper in it. Today is like any other. I get up and get Red ready for the day. As we head down the hall, I check the air for signs of smoke. As we enter the kitchen I see that Maya is making breakfast this time. That’s good, but where is Mrs. Danny?

“Hey Maya, where is Mrs. Danny?” I ask. I hope she is alright. I may have to check on her. Hopefully she isn’t sick again. I don’t know how much more her body can take. Maya turns and sees it's me and goes back to her cooking.

“She went to have morning brunch with Ms. Jill and Ms. Jane.” She says as if I’m supposed to know this. I check the calendar and realise that it’s monday. Oh right. Mrs. Danny always has brunch with the two sisters every monday morning. Then I realise it's monday, I have a class at eleven. I quickly get Red set up with some food. I also grab my own breakfast. I quickly gobble it down and leave Maya to watch Red as I set up for my class. It’s a music class for six year olds. I get to teach them silly songs and I also help them learn a few instruments. I also teach them some poetry and we read books. They are a fun bunch, but also very hard to teach. So glad that it is summer though. It’s better that when there isn’t school going on. So my new semester will start in the fall. So one month away. I won’t be able to continue my music class. But it is also bad because then the kids just want to play all day. I hope I can inspire them someday to be great. I start my class and we hit the hard music with cute little dances. Finally I say:

“Okay guys, so who is ready to sing the itsy bitsy spider?” The kids answer with a few laughs and giggles. “Okay, The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Up came the sun and dried up all the rain and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.” They followed along doing the hand actions as we sing the song. It was halfway through the lesson and I thought singing a silly song would be a nice break for them, before we got some snacks.

“Okay guys, It’s snack time!” They cheer and race to the snack table where my friend Lisa had prepared a nice spread of fruits and veggies. They stock up plates and each grab a juice box. They go sit down to eat. I walk over to Lisa.

“Thanks for coming to help. I forgot it’s Mrs. Danny’s brunch day. “ I smiled. Lisa usually helps her father at their catering service. They make the best veggie and fruit platters.

“No problem. I love coming and helping. It’s been too long. We need to hang out sometime this weekend.” She smiled as she saw kids giggling and enjoying their break. Then she looked at her watch to check the time. “So I need to get back to help my dad. You and I are going out to dinner this friday, I will pick you up at 7:30 p.m. Be ready okay?” I smile there was no saying no to her. It would be good to take a break from being a mom.

“Okay. I will be ready.” I smile and help walk her to the front.

I had gotten the kids all settled with some new music and we practiced it a few times. Soon it will be time to hold our annual talent show we put on for the town. It’s where I have all my students perform pieces they have been working on. But it includes all the kids, ages ranging from 6-16. They always have so much fun and the town makes it a festival with treats and families come from all over. I enjoy watching my students grow in their understanding of music and the arts. I also perform a piece. It’s one my mother wrote long ago for my father. I do it every year. Mostly because the show comes on the day my father died. The story is hard to tell, but it’s been about seventeen years since that day. I was only five, when it happened. But mom and me were on my dad’s boat. He was taking us for a ride. I was fun cruising through the water. We saw dolphins leaping out of the water. Some swam around our boat chittering non stop. But they suddenly swam far away. Chittering and acting as if trying to warn us of something. The sky turned dark and scary. Thunder began clapping and there was lighting. The waves began to get bigger and rougher. The pushed and pulled our boat. I can remember every board creaking in protest. Then my father grabbed my hand, he pulled me toward my mother and tied us securely to the ship’s mast. With the memories flooding in, my mind continued wandering as if in a dream. Only it felt real. Dad was running around tying down sails and wayward ropes. I called out in fear.

“Daddy!” He ran toward me and stroked my head.

“It’s okay Ti, Everything will be ok. Just hold your mother’s hand and don’t let go. Ok?” I nodded. “Now remember you are my strong little girl. So just hold on. Everything will be ok.”

“Ok. Daddy.” I wrapped my fingers around his hand. The the waves rose higher and higher. I cried out. My dad wrapped his arms around my mom and me. The wave hit us. I heard the ship boards creak and snap. The next thing I remember was I was floating on a board and someone’s arm was around me. It was my mother. I looked around. My dad was gone.

“Daddy! Where are you?” I got no answer. My mom woke up and she began to help me paddle our board as we searched for my father. But our cries were in vain. He was gone. Like a good captain he went down with his ship. Search and rescue came and helped us back to the island.

My mom and I cried for weeks after the funeral. I barely ate and barely slept. My mother was worried about me. We came to live with Mrs. Danny and slowly with her cheerful self our life became much brighter. My mother brought music into my life and kept my father alive with stories and memories.

My mind cleared once more. I was back to reality. There were a few tears in my eyes. I wiped them. The memory still haunts me. There is still some things about that moment that doesn't make sense. Like how my mother and I survived and how had we managed to be on that board. And how we had stayed a float during the storm. But either way they were answers that I could not find.

My father was my hero. His last words were of bravery and love. And that was all that mattered. I slowly walked back over to my students and told them that was enough for today and they were free to go home and play.

“Bye Ms. Paint. see you next time.” I waved goodbye and then turned to the front desk to finish some paperwork.

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