Culturally Biased

"Must you do this every year?"

"I just feel like it was my fault."

"Don't say that." Annick said in more of a serious tone.

"I'm sorry, I'm just..."

"You're just overwhelmed, I know. And...your mom had the weirdest way of embracing her love for you. But she did, okay?"

Pricilla nodded.

"Okay well when you're ready, come to the kitchen because I'm not the only one who's gotten you a gift." She said getting up from her bed.

~

"Look what I got you. It's not an iPhone but it's something so you best be happy little girl." Daysia said, handing her the bag and smiling.

Pricilla opened the bag and pulled out the long purple dress.

"Wow...thank you auntie."

"You really like it? If you don't I can always return it and get you something else."

"No, I love it. Thank you." She said hugging Daysia.

"Didn't you say you got her something?" Annick asked Randy.

"I did." He said leaving the room for one second and coming back in with a pretty large wrapped up present.

He set it down on the table in front of Pricilla.

She tore open the paper and gasped.

A black, newly conditioned acoustic guitar.

"Oh my god, you...you bought this yourself?" She asked, knowing how expensive they could be.

He chuckled nodding.

"Yep."

She got up, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you." She said.

"No problem." He smiled.

He looked up at Annick who was smiling so hard and looked like she was about to cry.

She mouthed a thank you and and he nodded in response.

Dario leaned over to James.

"Yep, he is gonna make good dad one day."

~

Pricilla wasn't the kind of person who liked big things on her birthday.

So she was just spending it with Annick and Randy.

"I have a graduation requirement when I get back to school." Annick had said as they walked.

"What is it?" Pricilla asked.

"I gotta teach. For at least five months."

"What are you teaching?" Randy asked.

"Argumentative writing class for advanced middle schoolers." She answered.

"What school?"

"I don't know. They're just gonna give me one in town."

"Well that's cool. You'd be a great teacher." Randy grinned.

"She'd be quite complicated. Come in all cheerful but ten minutes into class you start yelling at everyone. Yeah, that seems like you." Pricilla stated.

"Hey, you wanna die on your birthday." She playfully shoved her.

"She does have a point. I don't know if I can tolerate those kids. Pricilla, how does Randy handle bad kids?"