”...Mmm.”
She intended to say something profound, but her primitive utterance was more profound than any statement her education would have enabled her to create. She hugged him. He placed his horn on its stand and hugged her back. They leaned back and smiled at one another before she took Chapman by his hand, and led him back across the den to the lounge chair where she ate her dinner. Patting the seat of the chair was her signal to him as she insisted that he sit down and relax. Accepting her invitation, Chapman eased into the seat, and then reclined with his face toward the ceiling and his hands behind his head. Resting for a moment and gathering his thoughts, Chapman slid his hands over the top of his head and down his face to wipe away the leftover tears and sweat. Stepping back from the chair, Terri looked him over with approving eyes before she crossed the room to the sliding glass doors. She opened the vertical blinds just enough to undo the lock. Opening the door about six inches in order to let some of that cool South Florida breeze whisper in and possibly fan the smoldering passion that somehow entered their space. Her arm and leg were spattered with raindrops as they crashed through the screened portion of the sliding glass door.
Gliding to the stereo, she gently pressed the power button and the electric show of, green, red, and amber lights pulsated to the rhythm of the music. The timing was perfect. The sound of one of Chapman’s good friends and a fan of Chapman’s band, Hank the Hawk from WLOV FM was announcing the play list for the next half hour. The first song out of the box was Anita Baker’s, “Been So Long”. Hank had one of the smoothest voices ever to grace the radio airwaves. He not only announced the songs, but he gave you history lessons at the same time. That’s why Chapman liked him so much. Chapman loved people; generous, open minded, smart people and especially the kind of smart people with smarts that were not defined by schools, degrees, or some formal system. Making her way back to Chapman’s side; she curled up next to him like a little kitten trying to steal some of his body heat.
“I need to talk to you,” whispered Chapman in a weak strained voice.
Terri snuggled a little closer to Chapman. It had become cooler than she thought it would be, but she definitely was not about to get up and close the sliding glass door.
“I have been thinking about...You know?”
“If I knew, you wouldn’t have to tell me,” Terri poked in a soft voice.
“...Well, I’ve been thinking about what we have been talking about.”
“You mean about me having a baby? And destroying this fine body of mine?”
“No, but that has been on my mind too and we'll talk about that soon enough. But, I’m talking about the job.” Chapman shifted in his seat for more comfort since he was supporting Terri’s weight and his.
“Am I too fat for you?” Terri awaited Chapman’s answer.
“P.H.A.T., like I like it.”
This was one of the times she loved his quick wit and she rewarded his statement with a smile and a kiss.
“You know I have been going over this opportunity in my head. We’re not growing any younger, and the money I’m making in the classroom after ten years of battling with those kids is an insult. Don’t get me wrong, I believe my time in the classroom has been a lesson in life and that form of stimulation cannot be replaced. I figure if I am going to be in the system, I might as well get paid at the top of the scale. I can recommend that Terrance Goolsby take over the band since he has been my assistant, and the band director at the middle school that feeds our school anyway. This would mean one more job for a young brother. Mack Jones from the elementary school would then move up, and I am sure there is a young graduate just dying to teach an elementary school band program...Hell, just teach and get paid.”
“You sure you want this?”
“No. I’m not...But, I got to make a move sometime and there is no time like the present.”
Terri settled down into Chapman’s arms and you could almost see a hint of that devilishly sly smile on her face. You know the smile that The Grinch Who Stole Christmas had that rippled from one side of his mouth to the other? The moon seemed to take on a liquid quality as she became awash with a willing spirit...A WILLING SPIRIT! Hallelujah! A willing spirit! It must have been the spirit, because what she was doing was something she declared she would only do for him on his birthday or to save his life. Well, she was working like it was his birthday and he only had a minute to live… Amen!
Cut-N-Run
It seems as though Monday took the express train to get Chapman to the band room to face his first class. He sat alone in his office, looking at the plaques, trophies, and pictures, while reminiscing about the good and bad times he had amassed over the years. The times were mostly good. Ten years is not that long when you just get right down to living it. He thought about the first day he walked into the band room and almost tripped down onto the floor after getting his foot caught under a music stand. Boy did those kids laugh. He looked at the trophy for best band in the Orange Blossom Classic parade, Battle of the Bands, and the People’s Choice Percussion Section challenge contest. His mind took him back to when he told the students how he was going to be on the road playing his own music within two years, and now ten have passed him by. He reflected back on how, when he came here, he had a head full of hair and the young girls all competed for his attention. The young boys hated him because they thought he was cutting in on their territory. Now he’s got a little less hair and all of the kids just think of him as a father or some old bad ass. That is what they call him, “Daddy O”. A daddy is what he has essentially become to most of these kids. He knew when they were happy or sad, needed a hug or needed a kick in the seat of their pants, had sex for the first time, were thinking about doing it for the first time, or the part he hated most, was when they became pregnant or got somebody pregnant. He pushed them all to go to trade school, college or to the military. Exposure is a must. There is nothing like good ole’ exposure to this big ole’ world we lived in. It is the greatest step toward becoming your complete self, Chapman believes.
A child must grasp the controls of their own mind. A lot of parents liked him for encouraging that, and a lot hated him for the same thing. As he sat in his chair counting the holes in the ceiling tiles, a knock came at the door. He saw the face of one of his new sons. Little Willie McFadder had his head poked into the office door.
“What’s up Daddy-O?” Chapman tried to gather himself because he knew that in a few hours he was going to break these kids’ hearts and Willie would be one of them.
“It’s you Big Mac, it’s you.” That’s what Chapman began to call him when Willie made the decision to come to band tryouts instead of going shopping with his mom for new school clothes. Chapman knew he had been hard on Willie in front of the entire band. So, to build him up after he made the cut, Chapman slyly campaigned for Willie and the other students voted him freshman band officer.
“Just another day. Pass the word that we need to have a special meeting after school for about ten minutes.”
“What’s goin’?” Little Willie tried to pressure Chapman.
“Big Mac, don’t make me get up out of this chair, ‘cause you know I’ll eat you in two bites.”
“True, true,” chanted Willie in agreement as he walked over to give Chapman some love. The school bell rang and Willie darted out of the door.
“Man, I got out of that one,” thought Chapman.
He is feeling mixed