Page 219 - From the Outhouse 4 -21

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Gerald and Wendy Betts, had relocated from Pittsburgh as well. They were excited to hear from Carl, because they had heard about
Hurricane Andrew and knew he was living in Miami. It was truly a joyous reunion when they all got together! They were so generous

in serving Carl home-cooked meals while he was deciding his next move. Carl began to look for a home with the help of his son Keith

and a real estate agent.

Finally, he decided to have a home built in Orlando. While his home was being built, Carl lived for several months in a hotel, and he

started to get bored. He asked his friends, Gerald and Wendy, if they knew of a fine Christian woman that he could meet. They
immediately said, “We know just the lady…if you can catch her.”

My Side of the Story

I had launched my performing arts company, Tajiri Arts, and was extremely busy when the Lord led Carl to Orlando. Besides my
regular job of teaching special needs students from 8 AM to 3 PM, I was operating my after-school performing arts program from 4

PM to 8 PM. Much planning had to take place to keep both jobs at a professional level. On top of that, I had to take the best care

possible of my son Kamili as a single mother. Needless to say, there was little time for personal pleasures, like courting. However,
under God’s leadership – I worked it out!

As if that wasn’t enough, I was nominated as Teacher of the Year by my school, Midway Elementary. Competition for this great honor

was stiff because forty-two schools presented teacher packets to be judged. To participate, I had to prepare my application packet,

which also required much concentration.

Obstacles started to infringe upon my success. To my surprise, my principal felt there was a conflict of interest. Let me explain the

situation. I formed a Drama Club at Midway Elementary. A friend of mine, Mrs. Carolyn Raines, who was Tajiri’s first bookkeeper,