Salted Wound

Chapter 75 Anastacia- May 24, 2019

"But I don't want to go to school!" Little Anastacia, in two thick braids and the school's navy blue uniform, pouts as she stands near her new classroom.

    "Te va encantar, m'hijita. Mira a todos los niños adentro jugando con los colores y juguetes," You're going to love it, sweety. Look at all the other kids playing with the colors and toys. Julian, Ana's dad points inside the classroom. He is squatting next to her touching her small shoulders trying to make her feel better about entering kindergarten.

    "But I don't want to leave you or Mamí or Strella," Ana frowns and looks at her mother, holding her 3-year-old sleeping sister in her arms.

    "Tu mama, hermana, y yo vamos a estar bien. Estrella tambien va ir a la guardería y Mamí y yo vamos a ir a trabajar. Ya estas grande y debes de saber que tienes que ir a la escuela," Your mom, sister, and I are going to be fine. Estrella is going to the daycare and your mom and I have to go to work. You're big now and you know you have to go to school. His caramel colored fingers push a curly strand of hair away from Ana's face.

    "How long do I have to be in school anyway?" Ana asks, curiously. She sees some of the older kids walk to the bus stop in the mornings on her way to her Tia Gloria's house, but now she's stuck going to school, too.

Julian chuckles. "Pues estás en la escuela hasta tu senior year. 12 años," Well, you have until your senior year. 12 years.

"Twelve years?!" Ana's eyes pop out of eyes. "That's like a hundred days!" Julian and Lluvia laugh.

"No preocupes, esquincla. El tiempo se va ir volando. Y cuando te graduades yo voy a estar con tigo agarrando tu diploma. Y luego vas a crecer a ser una doctora, o una maestra, o una princesa," Don't worry child. Time is going to fly. And when you graduate, I'm going to be standing right there with you when you get your diploma. Then you're going to grow up and become a doctor, or a teacher, or a princess. He mentions princess and Ana giggles.

"Promise?"

"Te lo prometo. Y para que me creas," I promise. And so you'll believe me, he pulls out his gold chain from his front pocket. "Te voy adar mi collar, y te va dar fuerza hasta que termines la escuela. Y cuando ya terminas el high school te lo llevas al colegio, y cuando comiences a trabajar, y cuando tengas hijos, y para siempre." I'm going to give you my gold chain so you can have strength while you're in school. And when you're done with high school you take it with you to college, and when you find a job, and when you have kids, and forever. He gives her a sweet smile and Ana jumps into his arms.

"Te quiero, Ana," I love you, Ana. He says holding her in his arms.

"Yo tambien, Papí."

At the end of the day, Ana walked out of her kindergarten class adoring her teacher. She enjoyed learning and finding things to do. She even helped her teacher, Ms. Henry, teach addition to some of the students. From that day forward, Ana decided to become a teacher. And 12 years later, even if her father was not there physically, he was in her heart watching her get ready for her graduation.

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I run my fingers down my long straight hair. It is a lot longer when it's straight than when it's curly. It reaches all the way down to my butt. I add some highlight to my cheekbones and throw on some lip gloss and take another look in the mirror. I take a look at my graduation outfit hoping I'm not making a mistake with it. I decide to wear a strapless coral waterfall dress with a black belt and the black pumps I wore at prom.

I hear footsteps come from the door and I see Strella, not even close to being ready, cradling Bella in her arms and bouncing her up and down. "Look at Tia Staci. Isn't she pertty?" She whispers and I smile on how she pronounces pretty.