13
It has been almost two months, I find myself back at the University. We are to pick our gowns for the upcoming graduation in two days.
My mind is focused on the building ahead of me. Kelly offered to escort me though she has decided to stay in the car. Over the time we have worked together we have grown closer. I feel I can trust her and with time she has proved that.
"Excuse me..." I barely hear the person trying to capture my attention.
"Excuse me..." The intruder taps my shoulder, I relentless remove my earphones.
I turn to find a man staring back at me. His mouth is hanging slightly open and I am left to wonder what was his motive by disrupting me if he is just going to stare at me.
He shakes his head from his thoughts. "Sorry, I don't mean to waste your time but it is my first time. Could you help me, I am lost. Which way is the psychology department?"
My moment of anger dissipates when I realise he is not wasting my time. "I am heading that direction," I state.
"Just my luck." He smiles and I note his perfect set of teeth, they are well smiles like some took time measuring them for a perfect fit.
I start to walk and he takes long strides to catch up with me. At the corner of my eye is can see his wide grin. I can't tell if he is laughing at me or he is just crazy.
I put my earphones back while Mr.crazy keeps on shooting me weird looks.
"You go to school here?" He asks. I can hear him cause I am not listening to anything. But he doesn't know that. I inwardly grin.
I don't respond I pretend to be deep into my music.
He taps my shoulder. I remove my earphones. I can sometimes be respectful. I look up at him. I realise how tall he is. "Do you go to school here?" He asks again.
I nod.
"And work at La Cooper Hotel?" He points at my windbreaker.
I nod again.
"Cara...i like the name." The uniforms at the hotel are sewed with our names and positions on them.
"Apparently my mother liked it too much she named me that," I answer.
"Your mother is a smart woman. It is a befitting name to the owner."
"She was..." I find myself correcting him.
His mouth forms an 'oh' "I am sorry." He consoles.
Everything turns weird. I am having quite a personal conversation with a stranger. Something I never do. I look in front of me to assess how far we are from our destination before I find myself telling him my life story.
"Jack, " Someone calls out.
We both turn to its origin. It is a middle-aged man. He is short, pot-bellied with an unkempt beard.
"I thought you had changed your mind." He keeps on talking.
My stranger, Jack, appears bothered by the man's presence.
"I didn't," I answer.
"This must be Emma, She is pretty." The man utters.
"I am not..." "She is not..." We both answer.
"I am not Emma I am just helping him to the psychology department. He was lost." I clarify.
Jack scratches the back of his head nervously.
"Nonsense. How can he be lost? He is an alumnus. The best student I ever taught. I have been begging him to come work with me."
The look on Jack is priceless. He has just been caught in one of his lies. I decide to play along.
"Really? He must have graduated a while ago. New structures have been set up. It is possible to get lost."
"Very possible." He agrees. "Not that I lied to you to just get to talk to you." He says embarrassed.
"No, you won't do that!" I say sarcastically. "Excuse me, I have urgent matters." I hurry towards the building. The building hosts school of business and departments of psychology and environmental science. Talk about an institute that is so good at planning.
The moment I lift my head I come face to face with Quinn on his side is Courtney. Just where she is supposed to be. I look at the intertwined hands and the gold rings on fingers.
Courtney is dressed in her graduation gown taking selfies in it. Quinn's eyes are trained on me. Unfamiliar feeling floats in the air. It is persistent and never leaves.
"Hey..." Jack catches up with me. He places his hand on my shoulder. Quinn is still watching me never partaking in his wife couple selfie. Oh my God, he is now somebody's husband. I am yet to see him in that perspective.
"I am sorry, can we start again?" Jacks brings me back to earth. I tear my gaze away from Quinn.
"Does it matter? We don't know each other." I state.
"I want to know you badly and deeply." I stare at his confused at his honesty. I don't think I can ever admit what I am feeling so easily especially to a stranger.
"Will you go on a date with me?" He asks when I don't speak.
I don't think a man has ever been this straightforward with me. I look again where Quinn is at. He is now smiling at the camera. He is wearing the oxford cap and holding on the tassel.
"Yes, I would love to," I answer.
I hear him mutter a thank God prayer. He is super excited which I can't understand why. We exchange details and when to pick me up before he leaves for his interview.
I slowly take steps towards the room where the gowns are being issued. I see almost all of my classmates. Most have already picked theirs. My student and National ID slip out of my hand, I pick them up. Everyone is giving me sorry looks. My affair with Quinn was the most publicised thing this year. Everywhere I go I don't miss condemning or sorry looks.
I don't know how I missed seeing Roxanna she is behind Courtney with guess who Chad. The estranged lover.
She steps forward with her fake smile. She was the first female friend I ever had and since I never went to High School to experience all those dramas and phoney friends it was hard to tell apart if Roxanna was fake or not. Thank God for Kelly, She has taught me a lot.
We give each other half heartfelt hugs. "I missed you. You just puff! disappeared." She says and her eyes land on my windbreaker. They widen in surprise.
"You now work as a cleaner, as in clean messes other people create?" She talks in a high pitched voice. Even the people who didn't pay attention to my uniform they are now interested.
"She was destined for that. Hasn't she been the one to clean the messes in our relationship?" Chad chips in.
"And we thank you for that," Roxanna adds.
Irritated I push between them into the next office. I produce my identification and wait as they process them. It doesn't take long, within minutes I'm out with my gown on my arm.
As I walk past Quinn I feel his hand brush on my left leg. I don't know if it was intentional or an accident. I am too tired to think into it.
Surprisingly, I find Kelly in the car. I know her as a busy body. She is either here, there or anywhere. The only time she is stationary is when asleep.
"How did it go?" She asks interested.
"I have a date," I inform her.
"What is with this place?" She scans the surrounding. "Wait for me." She lights the car.
I watch her intrigued. She removes her sweater, unbuttons her first two buttons and untucks her shirt ties it around her waist. She catwalks in the parking lot. The guys whistle at her. She disappears for a while before returning.
"What was that all about?"
"Make that double date, I got one too." She smiles at me.
"I can't get tired of reminding you how crazy you are."
"Don't, it makes me feel alive and I know if I won't be there you will screw up at the date."
"What can I do without you?" I ask her sarcastically.
"Sex. That you can have without me." She says and winks.