It's A Match

21: First Day of Work

2009

The Hawkin Residence in Texas

*Beep Beep*

*Groan* The twenty-five-year-old lazily hit the snooze button on his alarm clock. He tried to go back to sleep but then his eyes opened, and he looked at the time. "Oh no, I have to get ready." He quickly got out of bed and rushed to the bathroom.

He walked into the kitchen to see his wife making breakfast he walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek then he sat down at the table, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because." She kissed his cheek, "You looked so peaceful." She said and set a plate of pancakes and eggs on the table in front of him. "Nora, it's my first day working at the school. I don't want to be late." He told her before eating.

"I'm sorry." She pouted.

"It's fine." He said cutting into his pancakes.

"Syrup?" She suggested to him handing him the bottle. "Thank you."

"Anthony, I know you'll do just fine."

He smiled at his wife, and they sat the rest of breakfast in silence. Anthony put his jacket on and Nora walked over to him and straighten his lopsided tie. He looked down at her lovingly at her and she looked up at him and pecked his lips. "I love you, have a good day at work." He grabbed his bag and put his hat on, "I'll see you when I come back home."

Nora closed the door behind her husband and after watching him drive off.

Anthony entered his classroom and set everything up before the school starts. The elementary school is pretty old, so they still have chalkboards, but the principal has been thinking about getting rid of them and replacing them with whiteboards. After Anthony got everything setup the school bell rings letting the children that it's time to get to class.

The first graders enter the classroom, looking at Anthony with a weird look wondering who he is and where their other teacher is. Anthony smiled at each of them as they sat down at their tables. He stands up and grabbed the white chalk and wrote something on the board the class watched him write, Mr. Hawkin.

"Hello, my names Anthony Hawkin and I'll be your new teacher." He introduced himself to the six-year-olds. One of the kids raised their hand, "Yes?"

"Um, where's miss Charlton?"

"She decided to retire since she's over the age of sixty."

The door opened grabbing everyone's attention. A little boy with curly black hair and brown eyes and he's wearing a button up shirt and jeans. The door opened wider revealing the principal behind him and ushered him forward.

"Principal Randall, what can I do for you?" Anthony smiled at the young boy who looked slightly familiar. "Mr. Hawkings, this here is Jaziel White. His family just moved here a few days ago and will be in your class from now on." The principal said putting hand on the boy's shoulder as the boy shyly looked around the class as everyone stared at him.

"Hello." Jaziel smiled up at Anthony.

"Nice to meet you Jaziel, I'm new too so we both can be new together."

Jaziel giggled and nodded.

"Okay, Jaziel, I'll leave you in the hands of Mr. Hawkin. I hope your first day goes well." Principal Randall waved bye and left the classroom. "Thank you, Principal Randall." 

Anthony turned back to the small boy, "Jaziel, you can sit next to-" 

A boy sitting at a table in the middle of the room raised his hand, "He can sit next to me."

Jaziel walked over to him and sat in the chair next to him. "Hi."

"Hi." The boy smiled and looked back to his teacher, well... new teacher. "Okay, I think introduction are needed." Anthony spoke, "There are twelve tables with twenty-four kids. I'm new and we also have a new student, so I think everyone should introduce themselves."

One by one a child introduced themselves then it got to Jaziel's table. The boy next to him that let him sit next to him stands up. "The names Christian Keith, I love to make friends and when I grow up, I want to be a doctor because I want to help people." Anthony grinned at the young boy, "That's amazing Christian, I went to college to be a doctor."

"What change?" Christian raised an eyebrow.

"I learned that it wasn't my calling to be a doctor, yes, it would be a great job to have to heal people, but I wasn't born to be a doctor. I was born to become a teacher and teach children like yourselves."

Christian smiled satisfyingly with what Anthony's answer and sat down with his arms folded across the table. Jaziel stands up to introduce himself, "My names Jaziel White and my family moved here from Philadelphia and are now leaving on a farm. I-" The thought, "I don't know what I want to be, but I trust God to guide me, and I'll find out one day."

"Jaziel, it's okay to not know what you want to be, and did you say you live on a farm?" 

Jaziel nodded, "Yes, my dad and mom bought the farm and dad is starting a business. My sister and I love our new home, we were sad to leave our old home, but the change ended up being good for all of us."

Anthony stared at him for a second and spoke, "Jaziel, you're a smart kid can I ask, is your father's name Marcellus?"

"Yeah."

"And is your mother's name Francesca?"

"How do you know my parents?" The small boy tilts his head up curiously at the man that will be teaching him for the rest of the year. "I'm friends with your parents and I heard about you and your sister. But we never met before, so this is the first time, we've met each other." Anthony can't believe that the new student is the child of one of his best friend's and on his first day too.

"Wow, cool." Jaziel says before sitting back down. 

Anthony laughed and the rest of the class introduced themselves and then he started class.

"Okay, since this my first day and Jaziel first day I think we should all get to know one another better, what do you think?" Everyone seemed to agree because they all cheered.

"Great, I'll go first, my names Anthony Hawkin and I'm married to a beautiful woman named Nora. I have a little sister and aunt who lives in Philadelphia, and I have four childhood friends who have helped me a lot growing up especially Jaziel's father." Anthony told them and looked to Jaziel when he mentioned his father. 

"Okay, I talked about myself now who wants to go next?"

Everyone raised their hands eagerly. 

Anthony chuckled and shook his head playfully.

'I love kids.' He thought.

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God Bless You :)

Thoughts?