Confirmation

*JAMIRA*

It’s finally the day of the festival! After all the stress and preparation, it’s finally here. Malaysia and I were in charge of decorating and overseeing the vendors, while the other committee members took care of food, safety, and maintenance.

The festival started at 4 p.m., giving us a few hours to prepare. Although it was a joyous occasion, I wasn’t particularly happy. Chris had mentioned he’d be there, which threw my nerves off. He’d never really been interested in the things I did, especially when it came to my job.

He was definitely up to something, but I didn’t know what.

“Okay everyone, this weekend, we won’t give you any homework, but I do expect you all to come in on Monday knowing how to read those maps.”

Everyone cheered and practically jumped out of their seats at that.

I smiled and released my class to the car rider and bus lanes.

Malaysia and I quickly gathered everything we needed.

“Girl, I’m so glad this is finally over with,” she said.

“What you don’t like parties,” I joked.

She shot me a glare. “Now you know I’m young, fine, and turnt.”

We both laughed at that.

“Do you think Malik’s dad is coming?”

“I sure hope so, that way you can get over him already. What did Malik say?”

“Me…over him? No way, girl! That’s my husband, and what does Malik know? He said he was coming, but he doesn’t know who’s bringing him. Cryptic ass little boy.”

“Malaysia, that’s not cryptic. The boy probably genuinely doesn’t know.”

“It is if he’s trying to get in the way of me and his daddy.”

I rolled my eyes. No way was I going to entertain her foolishness.

“Come on, let’s go ahead and get this over with. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish.”

By the time we finished setting up, the place looked immaculate with all the decorations. A banner adorned the school awning, illuminated by lights and adorned with pumpkins and leaves. Signs greeted visitors at the entrance of the school parking lot, and colorful balloons adorned the surroundings. A DJ played kid-friendly music, creating a lively atmosphere. Near the trees on the east side of the building, a hotdog stand, a taco truck, and a pizza truck provided delicious food options. Games were strategically placed in a circular arrangement, ensuring everyone had a chance to participate. At the center stood a dance floor, accompanied by a bubble machine, inviting everyone to have a great time.

With so many activities to choose from, we had to ask parents to volunteer to man the stations. They were more than happy to help, and we were grateful for their support. The stations offered a variety of fun activities, including apple bobbing, ring toss, apple and pumpkin carving, face painting, a bouncy house, a dunk tank, a gaming truck, fish bowl toss, cornhole, bowling, and even a station where kids could conduct experiments. To add to the excitement, we had prizes, often in the form of goody bags.

As the clock struck 4 p.m., the families began to arrive in droves, eager to enjoy the festivities. This year’s turnout was significantly better than previous years, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of my team’s efforts.

Shortly after 4 p.m., I noticed a medium-built figure in my peripheral vision. It was Chris, and he was beaming with a wide smile, his arms outstretched in a welcoming embrace. I was taken aback because it had been a long time since he had smiled, and I wondered if he had forgotten how. He appeared clean and well-groomed, as if he had just stepped out of a shower with a fresh shave and a neatly trimmed beard. When he hugged me, I was pleasantly surprised to find that he was wearing cologne as well. I had forgotten how pleasant his scent was when he wasn’t smoking constantly.

Then, something unexpected happened. Chris grabbed my face and kissed me. It was a deep and meaningful kiss, as if he had been wanting to do that for years.

Completely caught off guard, I couldn’t help but smirk to myself.

He placed a hand on my waist and led me to one of the games, where he started playing. This went on for about fifteen minutes before I spotted Eric, Kayla, and her mom. That made my heart sink. I tried to stay focused and avoid making eye contact, but he caught me looking and saw me with Chris.

Instead of approaching or saying anything, he narrowed his eyes and glared at me. That sent shivers down my spine. I tried to ignore him, but every chance I got, I looked in his direction, keeping an eye on him. I’d catch him staring back, but he didn’t look away like I did.

After an hour of playing games with Chris, we split up. I decided I wanted to win myself a goldfish. Chris went to carve fruit, and I managed to toss two ping pong balls before my arm was nearly yanked out of its socket.

It was Eric. He always had a way of pulling on my arms like he couldn’t just use his words. He pulled me to the side of the school, out of sight from everyone.

“Who the fuck is that?”

“Who is who?” I tried to play woefully ignorant.

“Don’t fucking patronize me. You know exactly who I’m talking about.”

I knew the day would come when I had to let him know I was involved with someone else. I knew I should’ve just told the truth from the beginning, but I thought that was further down the road. I didn’t imagine getting yanked up like a rag doll over it either.

I stood silent for a second too long, trying to come up with something to keep from facing the reality of my actions. Not here, not today. Ultimately, I came up short. I couldn’t lie or think for that matter.

“Is he with you?”

“I mean…”

“Answer the question, Jamira!”

I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. “Yes, but I meant to tell you, but—“

“But what? It wasn’t the right time? It never came up!”

“It didn’t, and I’m sorry,” I said softly.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Jamira.”

He paced a little, then stopped and looked at me with determination and anger in his eyes. Not enough to be afraid of, but to tread lightly.

When he returned to me, he was so close that I could feel his breath on my skin. Warm and gentle, he leaned down.

“Leave him.”

“Excuse me!”

“You heard me. As long as I’m here, that belongs to me,” he said, gesturing toward my body.

“You’ve got some nerve if you think—“

Before I could finish or even begin to give him an earful, he was already walking away. He stopped only to say one last thing that sent chills down my spine.

“Don’t let me see that shit again,” he said matter-of-factly. Then he disappeared.

I stood there for a while, gathering my thoughts and processing what had just happened.

When I finally felt comfortable enough to return, I saw Chris still carving deeply in concentration. However, Eric was nowhere to be found. I scanned the area again to make sure, and he had indeed left.

I approached Chris and informed him that I was going home. If he decided to finish carving, that was perfectly fine. He appeared to be having too much fun to be distracted.

Then, I went to tell my colleagues that I was leaving and wished them a great weekend as I departed. Once in the car, my mind unraveled, replaying everything that had just transpired. Then, I remembered something important: I had never won my goldfish. Damn!