by D. Camille
“Yes, we will.” Caelum promised. “I’m marrying this goddess as soon as I can.”
“Aunt Leslie! Aunt Leslie!”
Leslie turned as two little boys came running up to her.
“Hey, you two! How did you like it?” She asked, hugging them both.
“It was so good!” R.J. told her.
“Ra was the best!” C.K. said looking at Caelum.
“Thank you C.K.” Caelum gave the boy a fist pound.
Leslie looked at him. “What about me?”
“You were good, too.” He smiled. “And you look so pretty…”
“Thank you.”
Their parents joined them, along with another couple and little boy.
“You two! That was incredible. The costumes, the scenery, the art work. Perfect!” Sydney told them, giving each a hug. “I can’t wait to replay it.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Caelum told her.
“Enjoyed it?” Sydney repeated. “This is Tasha and Rameses Whitlock, and they want to talk to you.”
Caelum greeted Tasha and shook hands with Rameses.
“Caelum, that was some interesting history and the kids loved it. It was impressive both visually and in substance. Whitlock Studios may want to produce something like this for our black children.” Rameses told him, and Caelum pulled Leslie to his side.
“As far as the visuals, this goddess right here made that happen.” He looked down at Leslie. “And we’re a team.”
Tasha smiled. “Oh, that’s so sweet.”
Rameses looked at his wife, and she linked her arm in his. “You know it is.”
“Let’s talk soon, Caelum.” Rameses said, taking out his card and handing it to Caelum.
“Okay.”
Caelum’s family joined them and his grandmother came to touch his face.
“Caelum…our heaven. I’m so proud of you.” She turned to Leslie. “Both of you…the ancestors are smiling.”
He hugged her close. “Thank you, Bibi. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Leslie then took her turn to hug the woman. “Thank you.” Leslie whispered.
After more hugs and congratulations, Leslie and Caelum went to catch up with the rest of the group, after all the well-wishers had departed.
Caelum held out a hand to Tariq. “Thanks man. You handled everything.”
Tariq smiled. “Did you doubt me?”
“Maybe…” Caelum answered, then both men laughed. He turned to Malik. “I’ve never seen a better Imhotep.”
Caelum then looked at the woman. “Nor a better Tiye or Goddess Ma’at.”
“It’s what we do,” Khai boasted.
“And very well…” Malik added, staring at Khai.
She looked at him. “Boy…”
He stepped closer. “Goddess Ma’at, the goddess of Truth…tell me now, when are you going to see me as the god for you?”
All the others watched Khai’s reaction.
“What?”
“You heard the question, goddess. Now answer in truth.” Malik persisted.
Khai saw everyone’s eyes on her, then turned back to Malik. “Soon.”
He bowed his head before her. “Ase’”
When he walked away, Tariq joked, “I guess he really got into his role tonight.”
Khai watched him go. “Yeah, I think he did.”
Caelum and Leslie looked at one another, before he took her hand.
“Leslie and I are going to celebrate, so we’ll catch up with you all later.” He told them.
Asha smiled. “Are you celebrating with your family?”
Leslie grinned. “No. We have a private celebration planned.”
“Don’t let us stop you.” Tariq said to their departing backs, as they headed to the door.
******
“We did it baby!” Leslie said happily in Caelum’s arms.
He smiled. “The beginning of many great things we’ll do together.”
She lifted her head to look at him. “I’ve been dreaming of them.”
“Tell me your dreams, goddess.”
“I dream of us, loving one another and enjoying this life as Ma’at tells us.” Leslie replied softly.
“You’ve learned a lot about the goddesses.”
She nodded. “I’m learning a lot about our beginnings, which makes me feel so good because I’d only looked at myself through the lens of who my parents were and what they’d done…but I’m so much more. I’m free to be Leslie, and to create any life that she wants…the ancestors have shown me that.”
Caelum kissed her. “Oshun lives through you. She has blessed you to be her representative.”
“And you are my very own Ra.” Leslie said, with a smile. “You’ve brought warmth and light to my life.”
Her eyes watered as she took his hand and placed it over her stomach.
“You’ve also given me life.” She whispered.
Caelum stared into her eyes. “Six months ago, I walked into Bantu Academy and it was a day I will never forget. It was the day, my vision became a reality…and I found my everything.”
“When do you think we should tell everybody?” Leslie asked quietly.
“When would you like?”
She looked thoughtful. “Up until now, I’d been consumed with the program…”
“We both were.”
“So, how about we get everybody together and tell them all at once?” Leslie suggested.
“Sounds good to me.”
“You didn’t promise C.K. anything else, like naming our firstborn, did you?”
Caelum scratched his head. “Uh…”
Her eyes widened. “Caelum!”
Laughing, he turned her over on the bed to look down into her lovely face.
“No, my love. I didn’t promise C.K. anything else, and certainly nothing to do with our baby.” Caelum began to kiss her lips.
“Thank you…”
Lifting his head, Caelum looked down at her stomach before gently massaging it.
“What else did the doctor say?”
Enjoying the feel of his hand on her belly, Leslie closed her eyes.
“She said that my rehab is complete, but as the baby grows, if I start to have trouble with my legs, to make sure I go back to using the cane to relieve the pressure.” Leslie relayed.
“Is that going to be a problem for you?” he questioned, lifting a brow.
Leslie opened her eyes and looked at him. “The cane started out as a comfort that made me feel safe, then it became an embarrassment as I evolved, and now I know what it’s intended to be…the cane was simply to help me take the next steps to where I’m going.” She placed her hand over his, where their child rested. “So, no…the cane will never be a problem, ever again.”
-The End –
A Lesson In Seduction…
Chapter 1
Kenya Barrett sat behind the desk, in her classroom at the Bantu Academy. She’d worked at the school for several years and it was like a second home to her. The students in her class were her children, and she worked diligently to teach and guide them.
This school year had brought a lot of changes to the Academy, in the form of new staff and curriculum. As a math teacher, Kenya taught numbers, but she also focused on teaching life lessons, by being a mentor to the young boys and girls.
Since the first time she’d arrived at the Bantu Academy, Kenya had felt a sense of belonging. She’d met one of her closest friends, Niyah Kendall-Miller, and had become very close to Niyah’s family. Family for Kenya, had consisted of a single mother, working to provide for her two young daughters.
Watching her mother struggle, Kenya had decided that wasn’t the life she wanted for herself. Hence the reason, she was now thirty-one, single, with no children of her own. While Kenya wasn’t against love, she also wasn’t wearing any rose colored glasses when it came to the subject.
A while ago, Kenya had been involved with one of the other staff at the Bantu Academy. She’d thought th
at Andre West had potential to be more than a fling, but he’d shown her that he was basic…like most of the rest she’d dated in the past.
So with that knowledge, this year, Kenya had decided to focus primarily on her job and changing the lives of the children placed in her care. A commotion drew her attention, as one boy began yelling at another.
“Shut up, you little bitch!”
Kenya blinked, then stood quickly. “Dameon!”
“You shut up, Nigga!” the other boy returned.
Both boys stood and Kenya rushed over to them, standing between them.
“Both of you, stop this right now!” She demanded. “We do not speak to one another this way!”
Kenya looked from one to the other. “Now what is going on here, Dameon?” she questioned.
Dameon looked at her angrily and remained silent, then she turned to the other boy.
“Isaiah?”
“He was trying to copy from my paper.” Isaiah replied.
“You a snitch!” Dameon yelled at the boy.
Kenya turned back to him. “You wanted to stay quiet when I asked you, so stay quiet now.” She looked back at Isaiah.
“Finish please…”
“He was asking me for the answers, and I said no…then he called me a little bitch!”
“Thank you, I heard that part and I don’t need you repeating it for me, okay?” Kenya told Isaiah.
Returning her attention to the angry Dameon, she asked, “Is this true?”
“Man, I don’t care.” Dameon spat. “I hate this school.”
“’Cause you dumb…” Isaiah taunted.
At those words, Dameon went to attack the boy. Kenya managed to grab him, and pull him away from the other boy, as the class looked on.
“Everyone, continue with your assignment.” She instructed, as she pulled a struggling Dameon out of the room.
In the hall, she released the boy and looked at him.
“What is the problem, Dameon?” Kenya asked.
“I don’t want to be here!”
She nodded. “Where do you want to be?”
“I don’t know! Not here!”
“What’s wrong with here?”
He angrily kicked the wall and Kenya watched his actions.
“Would you like to go to meditation?” she asked.
“No!”
“Then you’ll have to go to Ms. Adams office.”
He glared at her. “I don’t care.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
******
Josiah Webber, sat in his office, going over some files. He’d been at the Bantu Academy for a little over six months, and enjoyed his new job, as one of the school counselors. He’d specifically been brought in for boys in the fourth grade, although his case load also consisted of a few older students.
At one time, being a product of his environment, had caused Josiah to act out his pain and frustration. He understood the importance of black boys having positive black role models. Coming to the Bantu Academy allowed him to serve that purpose, in the lives of children who looked like him.
When there was a knock on the door, he stood and went to open it.
“Ms. Adams,”
“Mr. Webber. I’d like to speak with you.”
He nodded. “Of course. Would you like to talk here, or do you want me to come to your office?”
“We can talk here.”
Josiah showed her to a seat, then took his chair behind the desk, and waited for her to begin.
“I want to take a quick moment and tell you how pleased I am with the work you’ve done here.”
He smiled. “Thank you, Ms. Adams.”
“Ms. Barrett had an incident in her class today, and I have a student that I’d like you to speak with.” She explained.
“Okay. Do you have some background information?” he asked.
“Dameon Wilkins. He’s nine. In our fourth grade classroom.”
Josiah nodded and continued to listen.
“Ms. Barrett says that he was asking another student for answers then became angry when he didn’t receive them.”
“Does he have a history of disciplinary problems?” Josiah questioned.
“Just recently.”
He lifted a brow. “This school year?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“I’m familiar with that pattern.”
“Fourth Grade Failure Syndrome in black boys…your specialty.” Ms. Adams replied. “It’s why we brought you here.”
“I’d like to speak with Ms. Barrett before I meet with Dameon, to get her take as his teacher before I sit down with him.” Josiah requested.
Ms. Adams looked at her watch. “She doesn’t have a class this period, so you can drop in and speak to her.”
“Okay. Where is Dameon now? Is he still in school?”
Ms. Adams smiled. “Yes, we don’t believe in having children miss more school for problems at school. He’ll be in the meditative classes, until I meet with his mother.”
Josiah smiled. “I love that about this school.”
“Our focus is the well-being of our children first, educating them second.” She began to get to her feet, and Josiah stood as well. Walking around the desk, he met her at the door.
“I’ll go now and speak with Ms. Barrett, and I’ll visit Dameon afterward.” He told her.
“Thank you, Mr. Webber.”
“No problem, Ms. Adams. It’s my job.”
Josiah walked with the principal out to the hall, then headed in the direction of Ms. Barrett’s classroom. He knew who she was and where her room was located, because everyone knew Ms. Barrett.
A veteran at the Academy, she was one of the go-to people, if anyone needed assistance. Josiah had noticed her the first day he’d arrived, where she’d been sitting with women he now knew were, Mrs. Miller and Miss Benson.
The first thing he’d noticed was how sexy she was. Dark curly hair, with dark eyes under perfectly arched brows, and a pair of plush lips. Her dresses always accentuated her thickness in all the right places, and Josiah appreciated watching her walk down the halls.
He hadn’t approached her, for a number of reasons. Number one…this was his job and he wasn’t here fishing. Number two…Ms. Barrett looked like a lot to handle. And number three…Andre West had warned him about the fine ass math teacher.
Andre had told him how they’d dated and when it was over, she’d made his name mud at the Academy…something that Josiah had witnessed himself. People didn’t like Mr. West that much, but Josiah also could see another reason why. Andre West was an asshole.
Walking down the quiet hall, Josiah arrived at her room and knocked on the door, then waited until she came and opened it.
“Mr. Webber,” Kenya smiled.
“Ms. Barrett,” he returned her smiled. “I just spoke with Ms. Adams, regarding your student Dameon Wilkins, and I wondered if I could speak with you for a few minutes?”
She nodded. “Of course, please come in. I don’t have a class right now.”
Josiah entered, and Kenya closed the door behind him. He waited, then followed her over to the student desks, where she sat at one, and he took the one beside her.
“What can you tell me about Dameon and the incident today?”
Kenya looked at him. “Dameon has been my student since last year. I didn’t see any of this behavior before, but this year…he’s not paying attention, he’s angry, he says that he doesn’t want to be here.”
“How are his grades?” Josiah asked.
“Dameon is a smart boy. There’s nothing wrong with his learning ability.”
Josiah nodded. “Do you know if there have been any changes in his life recently?”
“I know that he lives with his mother, and he has an older brother.”
“Does his brother attend here?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Is there anything else that you think might be useful?” Josiah asked.
“Not that I can
think of, but if you have any more questions, I’d be happy to answer them. Dameon’s not a bad kid. I want him to get whatever help he needs.” Kenya told him.
“I’ll do my best.”
She stood, then he got to his feet. Looking down at the desk he smiled.
“I haven’t sat in one of those in a long time.” He commented.
Kenya looked at his tall frame. “It’s a good thing they’re making them bigger now.”
He laughed. “Yeah, it is.”
“Please keep me updated on Dameon?” Kenya requested.
“I will do that.”
Josiah headed to the door, and Kenya followed. When he was gone, she closed the door, then leaned back against it.
“Got damn!” she breathed. “Josiah Webber.”
Kenya took a deep breath, then walked back to her desk, re-taking her seat. Sitting back in her chair, she crossed her shapely legs and thought about the man who’d just walked out of her door. She’d noticed Mr. Webber, the first day he was introduced at the school.
Finding out that he was the new Counselor at the Academy hadn’t peaked her interest, since she’d dated one of the current ones, in Andre West. What had peaked her interest however, had been the man himself.
Josiah Webber stood about six-three and solid. He had dark eyes, that sat above a broad nose and kissable lips. The texture of the black beard that covered his face, matched his eyebrows and moustache.
Over the past few months, she’d seen the handsome man, dressed in nice slacks, shirts and ties around the school. His demeanor was that of utmost professionalism, and he both looked and smelled absolutely delicious.
She hadn’t approached him, for a few reasons. Number one…she’d definitely sworn off dating anyone at the school, because that got too messy. Number two…she had too many things on her plate. And number three…she was sure Mr. Webber was getting all that he needed.
******
Josiah left Kenya’s room and flattened his tie against his shirt, just to have something to do with his hands, because they’d wanted to touch the soft light brown skin that glowed over the neckline of her dress.
Continuing to walk to the separate building designated for the meditative classes, Josiah admired the structure. The Bantu Academy was a testament to excellence. From its immaculate halls and spacious classrooms, to the separate buildings that housed the upper grades and meditative classes.