Tanesha & Dramel I

It’s springtime in the state of New York. On Long Island, at the home of Jermel and Anita Simms, a school bus pulls up in front of their home. The bus driver blows the horn. Tanesha who is a resident of the home is sitting next to one of her closest friends. She is in the third grade. She’s a bright young girl who is about three ft. five. Not as much as her older sister, but a lot, she resembles her mother. She has somewhat of a babyish sounding voice. Like her mother and sister, she also has black curly hair that extends to the middle of her back. It’s fashioned in a single ponytail. She’s wearing a style of the dress required by the school’s uniform dress code which is a dark blue color, white socks, and black shoes. Smiling, she looks at her friend saying,

“Bye Deedra. See you tomorrow.”

“Bye Tanesh!”

Deedra happily replies. She grabs her carrying bag and puts it around her back. Her mother who is an attractive and sweet-sounding woman is about five ft. eight. Wearing a dark blue cotton blouse with a design of small white roses, a pair of dark blue polyester slacks, dark blue socks, and black shoes she comes to the door. The bus driver acknowledging her presence opens the door of the school bus. Anita opening the screen door smiles as she waves to them. In return, the school bus driver and a lot of the kids greet her while waving back. Tanesha starts exiting the bus. As she leaves, she and many of her peers say goodbye to each other. After she gets off it, the school bus driver smiling looks at her saying,

“Bye Tanesha. Have a good day—.”

Smiling, she turns around waving as she replies,

“Bye Mrs. Jervel.”

As Mrs. Jervel closes the door of the school bus and leaves, Tanesha goes into the house.

“Hi, mommy!”

She happily says as her mother holds the screen door open for her. Playfully, her mother replies,

“Hi, Ta-ne-sha—!”

She bends down to her. Happily, Tanesha hugs her. Smiling, her mother looks at her happily saying,

“How was your day.”

“Mm—. It was alright.”

As her mother stands, she tells her about some of the inspiring things that took place at school. Inspiringly, she comments on them. She then joyfully says,

“Want some cookies— and milk—?”

“Yeah—!”

She happily replies. Smiling, they walk into the kitchen. It’s a large kitchen. It’s of an American eastern style design. It’s also a sunlight kitchen. It has a white ceiling revealing three large skylights trimmed in the color blueberry. Its walls are of a medium blue color. Two gold colored ceiling fans are a little distance away from the skylights. They’re running to help provide fresh air and to eliminate elevated temperatures brought about from cooking. The kitchen which consists of mostly electronic touchtone appliances has blueberry colored cabinets. In the middle of the floor is a large white and blueberry colored marble snack counter with a microwave stove outlet in the middle of it. On a counter, a little distance from the snack counter is one of her father’s inventions. It’s a combination of a small cooking grill and a microwave oven. In the middle of the wall next to it are the stove and ovens. After walking to the snack counter Tanesha takes her carrying bag from around her back. After setting it down next to the seat that she’s going to sit on she sits down. As her mother goes over to a cabinet Tanesha looks around the kitchen. She notices that dinner is being prepared but doesn’t comment on it. After her mother grabs a plate and glass from the cabinets she sets them down on the counter. She goes over to another cabinet opens it and grabs a bag of cookies. After opening it she put a few of them on the plate. After closing it she puts it back into the cabinet. Smiling, Tanesha looks on as her mother goes over to the refrigerator and grabs the container of milk. After pouring some into the glass she puts it back into the refrigerator. After grabbing the plate of cookies, she looks at her daughter smiling as she brings them to her. After setting them down in front of her she sits beside her. Looking at her she smiles as she takes a cookie and starts eating it. After she sips some of her milk her mother again smiles playfully saying,

“Tanesh.”

“Yes—.”

She replies and then takes another bite of her cookie. After she takes another sip of her milk her mother says,

“Wanna help me do something?”

Smiling, she looks up at her replying

“O.—k.—.”

Her mother laughs a little about her response. Afterward, she grabs a napkin from its holder. Smiling, she lightly wipes the milk from around her mouth. After setting the napkin down she folds her arms and looks at her. Bending closer towards her, she says.

“How would you like to help mommy fix a gourmet dinner for the family?”

Responding as if been told a great idea and want to participate in it she replies,

“O.k.!”

Not caring about eating her cookies she stops and starts to get up from the snack counter. Interrupting, her mother says in a humorous and yet mannerly way,

“Aun, aun, aun—.”

Pausing, she looks up at her mother. Her mother smiling looks at her saying,

“First eat your nourishment.”

Remembering from past experiences and her mother and father always told her about keeping nourished she smiles, and looks at her replying,

“Yes, Ma’am.”

She sits back down and eats her cookies. Her mother smiling looks at her. As she straightens her collar she says,

“Afterwards, go upstairs and change your school clothes.”

Again, smiling, she looks at her replying,

“Yes Ma’am.”

Smiling, her mother looks at her. To try and help inspire her, she humorously says,

“Hur—ry— up—!”

Smiling, Tanesha takes another bite of her cookie. As she starts eating a little faster, her mother gets up, puts back on her apron and continues to prepare dinner. After finishing her milk and cookies Tanesha grabs her carrying bag. As she goes to her room her mother looks at her smiling. Afterwards, she goes over to the snack counter, grabs her plate and glass and washes them. She then continues to prepare dinner. About five minutes passes. Tanesha comes back down stairs.

Wearing a light blue shirt, blues jeans that have over the shoulder straps, white socks and sneakers she comes back into the kitchen excitingly saying,

“Mommy! I’m ready!”

Her mother who is mixing some cake mix turns around and looks at her. Smiling, she replies,

“O.—k—.”

She smiles as her mother goes over to a cabinet and puts the bowl of cake mix down. After opening one of them she grabs an apron. After closing it and turning around she says,

“Come here sweetheart.”

Tanesha rushes over to her. After putting the apron on her she says,

“Turn— around —.”

Anxiously, she turns around. Her mother ties the apron around her waist. Again, she then says,

“Turn— around —.”

Smiling, Tanesha turns around. Smiling, her mother taps her on the shoulder saying,

“O.—k—! Now—, you’re ready!”

“O.k.! What do you want me to do?”

She eagerly asks. Her mother goes over to a counter and grabs the three rolls of biscuits that she took out for dinner. After putting them on one of two medium size baking trays, she inserts one into the other and grabs them. As she walks over to the snack counter she looks at her daughter. Smiling, and making a head gesture, she says,

“Come— with me—.”

Laughing, she follows her. Her mother puts the trays on the snack counter. Smiling, she looks at her daughter saying,

“Stay here.”

She goes over to another cabinet, grabs the can of cooking spray and walks back over the snack counter. After approaching it, she takes the rolls of biscuits out of the tray and set them on the counter. She grabs the trays and sprays some of the cooking spray in them. Lightly tapping the rolls of biscuits against the snack counter they open. After setting the last one down on it she smiles saying,

“Put the biscuits on the trays so that we could put them into the oven.”

She starts putting the biscuits on the trays. Her mother continues to mix the cake mix. About a minute pass. The experience makes her thinks back to the time when she assisted their house made Selene, and the good time that they had fixing dinner. Curiously, she asks,

“Mommy, how come you let Selene have the rest of the week off?”

Her mother still mixing the cake mix replies,

“She’s been working hard the last couple of weeks.”

Smiling, she then looks at her daughter saying,

“Besides, this is a good time to learn some of what it takes to become a good cook and a wife.”

Curiously Tanesha stops. Turning her head to the side, she looks at her mother somewhat awkwardly saying,

“Mommy, how do you know I’ll get married?”

She looks at her daughter. Again, smiling, she replies,

“Someday when you get old enough, you probably will.”

“But”

Before she could say another word her mother quickly interrupts,

“Don’t think because your father made a good life for us that you, and your husband will be able to do the same without knowing what it takes to be successful!”

Surprised, she replies,

“Successful? Mommy, I don’t hardly see daddy these days. He spends most of his time at the office, and when he is home, he spends most of his time in his office.”

Still mixing the cake batter she replies,

“Your father’s business has become more successful. He does take you out for a good time whenever he gets the chance, doesn’t he?”

She replies in a tone of resentment,

“Yeah——. Once a year——.

Surprised, her mother stops mixing the cake mix and looks at her. Speaking in a firm tone of voice, she says,

“Tanesha, when was the last time your father took you out for a good time?”

Blushing, she replies,

“Last week—.”

Her mother who was looking at her with a firm look stops and smiles. Joyfully, she shakes her head from side to side. While pointing to the biscuits, she inspiringly yells,

“Put the biscuits on the tray so that we could put them into the oven!”

Smiling, she continues to put the biscuits on the tray. Her mother continues to mix the cake mix.