Just One Kiss

Just One Kiss Ch 31

Rahul scooped up his child and carried her to the steps. Sitting down he cradled his baby for a while rubbing her back until her sobs turned to hiccups before stopping all together.

"Shaka, baby, tell Daddy what's wrong."

"Grandma said..." she began and began to cry again.

 Rahul pinned Johanna with a hard glare and she started to back away but she didn't get far because his father moved to her side and took her arm. "You're not going anywhere." He muttered "You're staying and facing whatever it is that you did."

Rahul was spitting mad Tia knew but his eyes and voice when he spoke to his daughter were kind. "Sweetling, look at me and tell me what Grandma said."

Hiccupping Shaka told her story. According to the little girl the day had started out great. She and her grandma had gone on grandma's errands then had gotten ice-cream in the park. They'd spent some time there laughing and reading 'til she had asked to go skating because she wanted to practice what Tia had shown both she and Caroline but grandma didn't want to go to the skate-park and had taken her shopping and to the bookstore in an effort to distract her. But it didn't work especially since Shaka had picked up a magazine and seen Tia on the cover. When she'd brought the magazine to her grandma showing her the cover and telling her that it was Tia her grandma had called her a liar and refused to add the magazine to the rest of her purchases. The little girl became upset. She wasn't in the habit of lying and her grandmother knew that. They left the store and Shaka asked her grandmother why she'd done what she had. The woman had said that it couldn't have been Tia because her Tia was dead. Shaka had been shocked and told her grandma that Tia couldn't be dead because she'd spoken to her before they left. Grandma responded by telling her that that Tia was an imposter and a harlot and that she must never talk or do anything with her again. Naturally the little girl asked what was a harlot and she hadn't liked the meaning at all. Stopping Shaka looked up at her father. "Daddy, Tia's not really a harlot is she?"

"No Baby, she isn't."

"Then why did Grandma say that she was?"

"Because Grandma doesn't really know her child."

"Oh. Daddy? Why did Grandma say that Tia was dead?"

"Because Grandma isn't well."

"Oh, so she sick?"

"Yes Baby she is. Tell me what else happened."

"Ok Daddy. I ..."      

 Apparently Shaka had tried to tell her grandma all the good things about Tia that she had learnt from her magazines and from being around Tia but the more she talked the more her grandma said bad things about Tia until the little girl had been reduced to tears. Knowing that skating would cheer her up the little girl had begged to be taken to the skate-park only to be told that she was never going to the skate-park again, that she must stop playing sports and take up things befitting of a little girl so she could grow into a becoming young lady. By this time Shaka had been too distraught over being told that she must stop playing sports to even ask her what 'things' she was talking about and had cried all the way home.

By the end of her tale Shaka had burst into tears again. Relieved that she had gotten it all out and that it was in her Daddy's hands now. "It's ok Baby, don't cry anymore." This spat of tears was brief and soon her eyes were dry. "Daddy is what Grandma said true? Will you stop me from playing sports?"

"No Baby. Never."

For the first time since she'd arrived home Shaka smiled and threw her arms around him. "I knew Grandma Jo was wrong! I knew that you'd never tell me to stop playing sports! Because you're my Daddy and you'd never do that to me."