The Citadel

Daddy's Little Girl

The Citadel

She had stepped off the Airplane that day, one piece of luggage in hand.
I met her, hugged her, and told her how much I had missed her.
We went to my car and drove to the two bedroom apartment overlooking
Quail Lake,
Watching her explore her new home, I thought “What a wonderful day this
has been”.
We slept well that first night, finally both feeling that we were somehow whole again.

And that day:

I sat across the table from her, watching her read her newest book.
Her cheeks are like those of a baby, her brown eyes blink.
She is my Robin; she has come to be with me at 11 years old.
Oh God, how I love her as I feel the tears well in my eyes.

I have given her the master bedroom.
The room, that lets her see her beauty in the mirrors.
Most important for any young lady is her private bathroom.
Never to be invaded unless it’s a girlfriend.
The one with the wonderful shower and tub, the one she can
hook up 3 curling irons at a time in, important if two are
grooming at the same time.

I think as I study her, “how did I ever become so fortunate?”
” I was alone and here she is.”
“I will raise this beautiful girl, she will go to the best schools,
be with the finest young ladies.”

I softly say "Robin". She looks up and says, "yes Dad, what is it?"
"This is you're first day here honey, lets go shopping for some clothing."
Her face lights up. Oh Dad she says, “can I have Guess Jeans?”
I smile.

In my mind, this beautiful girl will have what she wants and no less.
The best that any of the girls from the wealthy families have. She will
have it, for the first time we can afford to buy her the “in style” clothing.

The school that I have moved close to, waiting for Robin to arrive, is
the best in town.
It is in the area called the Broadmoor here in Colorado Springs.
Cheyenne elementary is full of kids who’s Dads are Doctors or
Lawyers and she is about to find out that people are people and
it makes little or no difference in where you live or how much
money you may have.

In my heart I know that the other children will be the one's who
benefit from this sweet girl, my Robin.
Her friends will all gather at her home, she will have the Father
that will listen and try and understand.
The Father that is the Taxi diver to the places they play and back
safely to their homes.

So that summer day in beautiful Colorado we leave for her
shopping spree.
We only have to travel to one location in town called the Citadel,
a large Mall.

I'm interested to see what Robin heads for first; will it be
Jeans or cosmetics?
We enter through a large store full of just about everything
you might imagine, called Mervyns.
The first display is cosmetics, she doesn't even slow down,
now I see.
It will be the Jeans.

We walk beside each other; she has this cute look of
determination on her face.
I smile at the look, knowing we will soon be in a girl’s
fantasy world of Jeans.

Into a store called "The Gap" we walk. Her eyes light up,
she has found it!
As I sit just outside the store, she tries on pair after pair of
Jeans, I watch the other shoppers walk by, they are interesting
to observe.
They hurry by like they must get to their next location before it
closes or runs out of goods.
I think to myself "This is exactly the way life is". You hurry by;
never to enjoy what is around you.
Some have full bags of goods from several different locations,
but they still hurry on. Never slowing.

I hear my name, it's Robin with an arm full of Jeans. I ask, did
you find what you like?
She says. Oh Dad, I did but which ones may I have? They are so
expensive. May I have 2 pair?

I ask, "do you like all you have?". She says, "yes but I have 6 pair here".
“How long will 6 pair last?” I ask. Robin says, “all school year, Dad”
I buy them all.

As we walk through the Mall I carry the bags of Jeans, she bounces
along beside me. I smile.

We stop in a store full of blouses and sweaters; she goes from row to
row. Back again. Then again.
Finally stopping, she pulls one off a rack, moves to other rows she has
yet to investigate and pulls 4 more down asking, “Dad, I'm going to try
these on, OK?” “ I say "sure honey. I'll be right outside on the bench.”
Out she comes one half hour later. We end up buying five, 2 sweaters
and 3 blouses. She says “oh Dad, I have enough already for a different
outfit every school day”. “ I never had this before”.

As we stroll further into the Mall, I ask, “Robin, how about shoes, do
you need any?”
Her face lights up again. She says "Oh Dad, may I have a pair?” I say,
“Lets look"

It's the store full of sneakers first. Again I wait outside and watch the
others go by.
Some are smiling, most just have that hurried look on their face, or is
it "will I have enough money?" or “my credit card is nearly filled up”.

Robin comes out, motions me into the store, she has two boxes
waiting for me to examine. She has picked well, one pair of White
sneakers and one pair of Navy Blue sneakers.

We buy them both.

Now the bags of our spree take 4 hands to carry. She is still bouncing
and asks, "Shall we go now?"
I answer, "No, we have the cosmetics to look at" and she smiles even
more. She hurries. I keep up.

Into Mervyns we go and move to where we originally entered the Citadel.
The cosmetics area.
I stay with her this time, as she carefully looks at the lipsticks and the perfumes.
She ends up settling on 4 lipsticks and 2 perfumes. Looks at the price and
her face changes. “Too much” she says.
We buy all but one expensive perfume.

As we head through the parking lot toward the Car, she thanks me. I
smile, saying, "are you ready now?"
She says, "Oh Dad I have never had anything like this before, thank
you, boy am I ready"
I think, “she is thinking of that first day of school without fear and she
doesn’t know a soul here”

My mind smiles, we have another stop to make, my special stop for Robin.

We drive to the old downtown area and find a parking place
(not an easy thing to do), she asks, "Where are we going?"
I say, “Just follow me honey, you'll see.”

We walk into the Jewelry store I like. She looks at me wide eyed.
I say, “Yes You must have something to wear with your new clothing”

We look for what seems like hours at the rings. She likes the Opal
and Emerald. The Green stone is tiny but it’s perfect for her delicate
little fingers.
We buy them both.
As she slips them on her tiny fingers, they seem to glow.

Now a necklace for her to wear and never take off.
She finds a delicate Gold chain, one she loves and a tiny Opal to
wear with it. I slip it around her neck and fasten it and she picks up
the mirror on the display counter. She is ready to cry so we leave.

Over the years there would be many shopping days. But, never another
like the first with my Robin.

That first day of frenzied shopping has got her ready for her first day at
the School.
She will have as much as the rest this time here in Colorado, but as thrilled
as she is, someday she will find out that, what just happened makes little
difference in the real life of living.
This was my way of starting to build her pride and confidence, her trust
and security here in the Rockies.
I never let that work stop. I taught her what I had learned through the years.

"Don't listen so much to what people say, watch what people do"

"People don't change very much. Remember that if you are lied to once."
“The same person will lie again”

"Do the right thing, not what you may think is right"

"Be honest above all else, they will come to you when they need help"

She carried those beliefs into her marriage and now teaches my
beloved grandson Austin.

I have done my best. I wish that there was more I could have done,
but time took its toll.

She now is a fine Mother and Wife.
Her natural beauty still shines like the Sun.

This is the story about my Robin, coming with one piece of luggage
and leaving with her Dad's heart.

©Bobby..... 2002

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Music "Daddy's Little Girl"
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