The Friday before my birthday at school, a student asked me what I was doing over the weekend. I told her it was my birthday on Sunday so we had plans to celebrate.
Kahliya: How old you gonna be Miss Cook?
Me: Guess.
Kahliya: 30?
Me: down.
Me: down.
Kahliya: 29?
Me: down.
Kahliya: 28?
Me: down.
Kahliya: 27?
Me: down.
Kahliya: 26?
Me: Come on….
Kahliya: 31?
Me: Down…
Kahliya: uhh 25?
Me: Down
Kahliya: 24?
Me: down
Kahliya: 23?
Me: Finally!
Kahliya (in one breath): Ms. Cook!! How you a teacher? 23? Are you sure? Don’t tell the boys!
Me: Kahliya, I’m married. Even still, there are so many things wrong with that statement.
Kahilya: Ms. Cook! You married? When u get a husband?
(Sierra runs down 3 risers and up to my face, grabbing my left hand to stare at the rings)
Sierra: A husband? You got a husband?
Me: I got a husband this summer
Sierra: why you didn’t invite me to the wedding? Man, I be dancing up and all over the place and you gotta invite me to those weddings Ms. Cook.
Kahliya stands silently still stunned. Then interjects: I’m glad you cut your hair.
Last thing – I introduced myself as MRS. Cook the first day, and had a name tag on my desk for a month that said Mrs. Cook on it. I always wear my wedding rings and occasionally tell stories about my wonderful husband. These girls must take frequent trips to la-la land. Gotta love ‘em.
A woman who got a husband,
- MRS. Cook
