She Can And She Did

Chapter 14

Lee and Amanda came into Lee's apartment that afternoon carrying Chinese takeout, which they placed on the dining room table, then went to get napkins, plates and cutlery, along with their drinks.

When they were at last situated, Lee asked Amanda, "Alright, so tell me again why you have to talk to the boys about all this puberty stuff?"

Amanda sighed as she dished small portions of each lunch item onto their plates, and passing Lee's plate to him stated, "Because Joe isn't available right now, and I have to nip this thing in the bud-"

With a confused look, Lee queried, "But it isn't a general conversation piece for girls to talk to guys about-"

Amanda interjected, "Lee! I'm their mother! It's only natural that I, as their parent, would-"

Lee chewing on an egg roll, commented after swallowing, "No, no! Guys should only talk to other guys about this! Mothers talk to daughters about the other stuff."

Amanda, digging into her sweet and sour chicken answered with a shake of her head as she then took a bite, " The...other stuff? Oh, you mean, menstruation and all that? Why shouldn't that be included in the talk?"

Lee took a sip of his drink, and swallowing, responded quickly, "Okay, okay! Think about it this way! If you had a daughter, would you mention the word, "ejaculation" to her?"

Amanda nodded remarking, "Of course! Because I'd want to be completely open and honest with her about the subject-"

Lee groaned, and shaking his head, answered, "You're unbelievable sometimes! I don't get you-"

Amanda sighed, querying, "Okay, let me ask you something...Did the Colonel talk to you when you reached the boys' age?"

Lee shrugged, replying, "Sure...Just not about the girls stuff! What he talked over, was just the basic boys stuff... He told me that women handle the more delicate subjects. Then instructed me on how to treat a girl on a date-be respectful, hold out a chair, open a door, pay for her meal...But also told me there would be hell to pay if I got a girl pregnant!"

Amanda queried, "So, the rest you got in school?"

Lee sighed stating, " Yeah, along with talking to Barney Dorsey, the base cook...He helped the Colonel keep an eye on me in my formative years. Whatever the Colonel didn't feel comfortable with talking about, Barney filled in..."

Amanda nodded, and then continued eating, not saying another word, which worried Lee...

They finished eating in silence, and cleaned up their lunch, and when they got into Lee's car to head back to the Agency, Lee answered to Amanda, touching her hand, "I'm sorry... I know it's not my place to say so, and I really don't mean to upset you, but it would kind of flip me out if I were your boys' age, and my mother was gonna talk to me and include everything with the birds and bees talk, you know?"

Amanda answered quietly, "Yeah, I get it...Guess I'm going overboard with this, huh?"

Lee squeezing her hand responded softly, "No, Honey, not really...You're a concerned parent who doesn't want her kids to get the wrong message, that's all."

Amanda sighed, stating, as she put on her seat belt, "Okay, so I'll just look at the books again, and go slow tonight with them, that's all...Or just cancel the talk until I figure out how to explain things to them."

Lee shrugged answering as he started the car, "Up to you, but I personally would go with the second choice..."

And as they made their way back to the Agency, Amanda knew Lee was right, but that didn't make her feel any less confused...

-SMK-

When Amanda came home that evening, Dotty greeted her in the kitchen stating, "Hi, Honey. The boys are upstairs doing their homework, but I think now that you should wait for another time to talk to them-"

Amanda, puzzled, asked, "Wait? So, you don't think I can handle it?"

Dotty shook her head stating, "No, no! Of course you can handle it, Darling. It's just that-"

The phone rang just then, and Dotty picked it up, answering, "Hello?"

She then said, "Y-Yes, she is, just a moment, please..."

Handing the phone to Amanda, Dotty whispered, "Phillip's Health class teacher... He had called earlier."

Amanda, taking the receiver, answered, "Hello, Mr. Gilland? How are you?"

Tom Gilland responded, "Hello, Mrs. King...I'm fine. I wanted to call you, along with the other parents in the school district, to tell you that the children in my class are getting a lot of mixed messages from outside sources in dealing with the puberty issue, and I feel that if the parents were to work with me, it would make this process a lot easier...Do you agree?"

Amanda stated, "Of course, Mr. Gilland. In fact, I was just going to talk to both of my sons tonight about-"

Mr. Gilland queried, "Uh, wait...Phillip is in my class, but I don't know your other son. Is he going to be a new student of mine?"

Amanda commented, "N-No, my other son, Jamie, is ten, and only in the fifth grade, but I thought of telling both to save time, you know?"

Clearing his throat, Mr. Gilland remarked, "Well, Mrs. King, I suggest you only tell what you need to, alright? Now, I sent home an introductory pamphlet with the children to help parents explain things correctly-"

Amanda asked blankly, "Um...Correctly? Mr. Gilland, unless the theories have changed since you and I were children, it's the same talk!"

Mr. Gilland then commented, "Yes, but-"

Amanda sighed and responded, "Thank you for calling, Mr. Gilland. I'll consider everything we've discussed here. Goodbye."

Hanging up before the man could say anything else, Amanda said to her mother tiredly, "Just what has changed since the time you explained things to me, and now, Mother?"

Dotty sighed and answered, "Well, Sweetheart, it was the '60's then, but now it's the '80s..."

Amanda nodded remarking as she headed up the stairs, "Right..."

Coming to the top of the stairs, Amanda heard the boys talking, with Phillip remarking to Jamie, "Boy, parents are sure hung up about this stuff..."

Jamie answered, "I know. Jeff Stanley, from down the block, is in my class, and his mom thinks he doesn't need to know, and then his dad got all mad, and now, he and his dad are going away this weekend to "talk about it"...Man!"

Phillip sighed remarking, "Yeah It's weird...Kind of makes me wish Dad was here for this. I mean, I love Mom and all, but I just don't think she gets it..."

Then Amanda tapped on the boys' open door, saying, "Hi, Fellas. Mind if I come in?"

Phillip commented, "Sure, Mom."

Amanda went to hug both Phillip and Jamie, and then sat down in the boys' desk chair, replying, "Okay, so I was just on the phone with your Health Class teacher, Phillip, and he mentioned a pamphlet that I should look at?"

Phillip nodded, and retrieving his book bag, pulled out the pamphlet from his notebook responding as he gave her the folded item, "Yeah, Mom...Now, don't get sore or anything, but Mr. Gilland wants all the parents to look over this, and then decide how to talk to us, so we don't get all messed up-Um, his words, not mine, okay?"

Amanda, taking the pamphlet, answered, "Duly noted, Sweetheart...Okay, let's see what this says here..."

And after a few minutes of studying the pamphlet, Amanda sighed, and clearing her throat remarked slowly, "Alright, Guys, judging by this, and your grandmother telling me it's been over twenty years since she and I had our talk, I will agree things have changed slightly, but the process is still the same, basically..."

Phillip asked, "So, what does that mean, exactly, Mom?"

Getting up from the desk chair, Amanda stated, "Just a minute...I'll be right back."

Leaving their room for a moment, Amanda then returned answering as she held the offending magazine in her hands, responding, "We'll start with this, and why it's wrong to be looking at something like this at your age..."

Phillip, blushing, looked over at Jamie, shaking his head commenting, "It's gonna be a long night..."

TBC