Annabelle reminded me immediately of Marie, as she had a very distinct motherly charm and appearance. A thick set of reading glasses hung around her neck and rested softly on her chest, and shoulder length, silky brunette hair surrounded a face that lacked a lot of punch. A simple, yet antique-looking diamond wedding ring sat perfectly on her left hand. But, over everything, it was the sweet, kindly smile that was so comforting and welcoming.
About five minutes had passed and my anxiety grew with each passing second. The flawless office and the motherly secretary were far above anything any of my other professors had. I started to bite my nails, which led Annabelle to give me a very polite and reassuring smile. All of a sudden, her phone rang.
“Professor Woodward is ready to see you now,” she said, opening up the office door.
I walked in and was immediately greeted by a powerful scent of fine wood and old books. The reputable aura from the exterior was clearly evident inside. There was a time honored respect surrounding the interior, as though a rich and powerful history was behind it. It wasn’t very technologically advanced as there was only a simple telephone and no computer or TV anywhere. He had thousands of books stacked on bookshelves that covered every spare inch of wall space, with many more neatly piled up in the corners. He had a beautiful mahogany desk, which gleamed as the sunlight bounced off of it. The top of the desk was the only messy, unorganized area of the office. There was a thin layer of papers strewn all over, which rested below what looked like old and fragile wooden artifacts. His desk was accompanied by an enormous brown oak, white clothed chair, which reminded me more of a throne, with its smooth scrolled arms and high back. His desk sat in front of a full window that covered the wall and faced out the opposite end of campus into the open desert, which reminded me fondly of the Johnson’s kitchen. I barely noticed that it was somewhat dark in there, with the only light coming in from outside. Finally, I noticed two more simple chairs on the other side of his desk that faced each other in an interview style format. It completed what was the most spectacular office I’d ever seen. As I looked up, a tall, thin, and surprisingly young man was coming around the corner of the desk with a huge ear-to-ear smile, showing a set of pearly white teeth. He was extending a large, but friendly hand out to greet me.
“Ah, Ms. Christensen,” he said politely, taking my hand. “It’s been a long time.”
Chapter 3: Change of Plans
The late morning sun shone brightly into the office, as the soft hum from the air conditioner filled the somewhat awkward silence that had developed. I was standing there, shaking hands with a complete stranger who seemed to believe we’d met before.
“Um, it’s a pleasure to meet you professor,” I said uncertainly after a moment’s hesitation.
“Please, come in and take a seat,” he chortled, looking amused and laid back.
“I’m sorry to be so straight forward, but have we met before?” I asked, unable to suppress my curiosity.
He just smiled wider and spread his arm out towards the two regular chairs on the opposite side of his desk. “Please, take a seat,” he said nonchalantly. “First, I’m interested to know how your orientation week has gone.”
“It’s been alright I guess,” I said somewhat frustrated, timidly taking a seat. “Nothing too special.”
It was difficult to focus on anything but his obvious assertion that we had met before. Any worries or nerves that had been building inside all morning had been replaced with pure wonder.
“Nothing too special,” he repeated to himself, taking a seat opposite me. “So, what have you been up to all week then?”
“Outside of Perspectives? Not too much. Mostly I’ve been in the library doing research on the school. I’ve been looking at the popular majors and studying a little bit about my professors,” I said sheepishly. “It’s probably a bit different than your other students, huh?”
“You could say that,” he grinned. “But it’s actually refreshing to meet a student who really does her homework before classes even begin. You’re a dying, but unique breed Zoe. You should embrace it!”
Even with my mind spinning from his initial insinuation, I couldn’t help but marvel at his appearance. From all of his accomplishments, it would have been safe to assume he was in his fifties or sixties, but he looked much younger than that. He sported a shiny silver colored vest and tie over a long sleeved white shirt. His pitch black, crisp slacks blended perfectly with his spotless black loafers. The natural grey streaks in his wavy black hair made him look more distinguished than old. His smile showed very few wrinkles along his clean and smooth face. He appeared very fit with prominent cheekbones and a thin waistline. I couldn’t help but wonder how he stayed so trim when he was probably busy twenty-four, seven. In actuality, the only trace of age I could really see was a slightly receding hairline.
“I guess so,” I shrugged.
“And how about everything else?”
“What do you mean everything else?” I asked, starting to feel uneasy.
“I mean how are you handling your newfound freedom here?”
“Oh, I haven’t had any problems really. It’s been a pretty easy transition for me.”
“That’s good,” he nodded. “It’s just that I see a lot of students usually having a difficult time adjusting to the college lifestyle. Up until one or two in the morning studying, then needing to be on campus at nine for class. It can be quite tricky for students. I’m glad to hear that you haven’t had any issues.”
“Yeah, it’s been pretty smooth for the most part,” I lied. “I normally don’t go to bed late anyways, so it hasn’t been an issue for me.”
But, sleep had gotten worse than ever during my first week. My dreams and nightmares were happening on an almost nightly basis. There was no way I’d go that in depth with him though. It was hard enough to talk to the Johnsons about my problems, let alone a complete stranger.
“Well you look pretty good,” he chimed in. “At least more refreshed than most students I’ve seen this week.”
“Er, thanks,” I said uncomfortably. The conversation had gotten a little too personal and awkward for my taste. No teacher had ever been so curious about my lifestyle, even counselors in high school. My feet began to fidget as I waited for what was next. He seemed to notice my impatience as he turned and reached for some of the scattered papers on his desk.
“Okay then, let’s get down to business,” he coughed, pulling a pair of thin-framed glasses out of his vest pocket. He placed them over his gentle brown eyes and started shuffling through the small group of papers he had picked up. “Why Intro to Religion?”
Of course the one question I didn’t have a good answer to was the first question he asked.
“Well, professor,” I said anxiously, my palms beginning to sweat.
“Are you okay?” he asked with mild concern.
I nodded. “Just a little nervous.”
“You can relax,” he smiled. “There are no wrong answers. I’m just trying to find out a little about your academic interests. Take a few deep breaths and talk when you’re ready.”
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. My shoulders dropped comfortably as my shaking hands came to a slow and steady stop.
“To be honest, I hadn’t even opened a Religious book until I arrived here, when Professor Franklin assigned us some early readings. I suppose the main reason I’m taking the class is because I love to study subjects that I’ve never been exposed to before. It’s kind of a challenge that drives me. I’m fascinated with learning and religious studies seems be an interesting new topic,” I answered.
Professor Woodward sat there and jotted a few notes down as I spoke. At times he lifted his head, nodded with a smile once or twice, and then went back to writing. When I finished, he looked up with a curious expression on his face.
“So, you are looking for a challenge, and think Religious Studies can provide that for you?” he asked, as his smile faded into a more inquiring gaze.
/> “Sure,” I said. “It seems like an interesting enough topic.”
“What exactly makes it so interesting to you?”
I sat there in silence, my hands rested on my lap, not really sure how to proceed. I had already talked way too much.
“It’s alright Zoe, please, I’m really interested in your opinion,” he reassured.
It took me a moment to accept the fact that he actually wanted to hear my opinions. An unidentified sensation swept over me. Nobody had ever really given me a chance to truly express my views. I closed my eyes for a moment in an effort to gather my thoughts as Professor Woodward sat there patiently.
“Mostly it’s how influential and powerful religion is to everyone. I mean, billions of people in the world follow some form of religion, right? You turn on the news everyday and it seems like it is always in the headlines. Somebody believes one thing and another person believes something else. I just assume there is something interesting and powerful enough behind religion that gets people so worked up.”
“Do you now?” he responded with a slight, but impressed grin. “And what do you think about all that?”
“I don’t really know,” I said honestly. “On one hand, I understand how religion provides comfort, safety, peace and happiness to its followers. And without it, there would be a lot of lost people in the world.”
He nodded, implying I should continue.
“On the other hand, I find it horrible that people fight wars and kill each other over something as subjective as religious beliefs. Violence is definitely not the answer. I mean, I disagree with my best friend on a lot of things, but I don’t slap her across the face every time we argue.”
He let out a gentle chuckle, shaking his head. “No, no, I’m sure you don’t. But I’m curious, why do you think people get so passionate about their beliefs that they’re willing to resort to violence?”
“I think it’s because people are afraid of anything different,” I said quietly.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, it’s just that most people are raised by a certain set of beliefs or principles. They grow up having specific ideas jammed into their head so frequently; they forget that there are many different ways to look at the world. If someone comes along with a different perspective, it’s hard for people to see the world through a different set of eyes.”
“Interesting,” he said, jotting a few more notes down on his pad. “Tell me then, why do you think violence is the result in most cases of disagreements?”
“I just think human nature is to turn violent when things get uncomfortable or challenging, especially when it comes to something as personal as someone’s beliefs. I’m not just talking about physical violence either; I also think people can say pretty nasty things to one another. As humans, we can get so set in our ways, that we forget a lot of the time that everyone is different. If people were just a little more open minded, and would realize that our differences are what makes us so unique, I think a lot of these violent resolutions would stop.”
He took off his glasses and placed them behind him on the desk. The brief moment of silence got me feeling guilty about being so direct. I may have offended him with being so direct in my opinions. Maybe he was disgusted that I came in and told him what made me so mad about his profession. Whatever it was, something didn’t feel right.
“Well Zoe, you’ve definitely impressed me,” he said happily, taking me completely off guard. “You are extremely well versed in your opinions, which are quite important when it comes to being successful in college. Have you put any thought into making Religious Studies a possible major?”
“Not really,” I said. “I haven’t put much thought into a major yet. Nothing has really grabbed my interest enough.
“If it means anything, I think you’d do well in it,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.
“What types of classes would I get to take if I chose it as a major?”
“You’d take a diverse, full set of courses that would expose you to numerous areas of the subject. Starting with Introduction to World Religions, you’d continue with a few religion specific courses such as Intro to the Old Testament or Middle Eastern Religions. There are quite a few electives too; Hebrew Prophets and Angels and Demons for example…” he stopped on the last class, and sported a rather inquiring look on his face.
“Angels and Demons?” I asked curiously.
All of a sudden, the phone rang, which startled me out of my chair. Our conversation had gotten so deep that I completely lost track of our surroundings.
“Yes?” Professor Woodward snapped into the phone. He listened for a moment, frowned and then finally sighed. “Okay, thank you.”
“I’m so sorry Zoe,” he said, sounding defeated. “I hate to cut our meeting short, but I have an urgent meeting that just came up across campus.”
“Oh, okay,” I muttered. “Thanks for your time Professor.”
“My pleasure, Zoe. Is there anything else I can do for you?” he asked as we both stood up.
“Actually, I was going to ask about your earlier insinuation that we had met before,” I said hopefully.
He just smiled and said, “Unfortunately, that’s another conversation for another time.”
“But,” I started to say.
“I’m sorry Zoe, but I really do have to get going. But, I want to see you again after the first month, just to check in on your progress,” he said as he grabbed his jacket from the chair and escorted me to the office door.
“Okay, have a good day Professor,” I said, feeling a slight twinge of frustration at the abrupt ending to our meeting.
“You too Zoe,” he said as the office door closed behind me.
**************************************
“No way!” Annie exclaimed over the blaring TV. “So, he didn’t tell you anything?”
“Not really, but the way he continued to sidestep the issue, it seemed quite obvious,” I said, reenacting the earlier conversation with Professor Woodward.
“That’s so crazy, how could he know you before you came here?”
“I don’t know, but it’s really freaking me out. I mean, the whole meeting was just odd. He asked a few personal questions, like how I was holding up and also checked to see if I was having any issues adjusting to college life. The only normal part of our discussion was the religion talk. But even that was strange, because nobody has ever wanted to hear my opinions so much. It was just a really bizarre meeting.”
“That is weird,” Annie said. “I wonder why he is so interested in you?”
“I don’t know, maybe he was just asking because he’s my advisor and wants to make sure things go smoothly?”
“My advisor didn’t ask me anything like that.”
My stomach took another downward spiral. “Really?”
“Nope, we just went over my schedule and then he sent me on my way,” she shrugged.
“He didn’t even want to have a follow up meeting with you?”
She shook her head and focused back on the TV.
“What should I do Ann? I don’t know if I can wait for a month until I can find out more!” I cried.
“Wait a minute,” she said unexpectedly. “What days do you have his class?”
“Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.”
“I think you should try and stay after class one of those days, see if he’ll answer your questions then. Don’t necessarily do it right away, give him some time to think you’ve forgotten all about it. I’d wait a week or two, then one day after class just ask him about it.”
“Okay, but what if he doesn’t give me a chance to ask? What do I do then?”
“Just be persistent. Men are easy to figure out. Have a little determination, you always get what you want,” she said with a diabolical smile.
“That’s disgusting,” I said. “But you do make a good point… That’s actually a great idea Ann!”
“It’s been known to happen,” she sa
id smugly. “Keep me up to date, I’ll be curious to know what he says.”
“Will do,” I nodded. “What have you been up to since class got out this morning?”
Her entire demeanor seemed to shift the moment the topic of discussion turned to her. She clicked the TV off, pulled both legs onto the futon and turned to me with a grin so wide, all of her teeth showed.
“Oh,” I said lightly. “Liam?”
She nodded feverishly, barely able to contain her enthusiasm.
“He finally called this afternoon while you were in your meeting!” she squealed, looking ready to burst at the seams.
“Oh yeah? What’d he want?” A big part of me wanted to ask if he remembered her name, but I was supposed to be on my best behavior.
“There is going to be a huge frat party at his house next Friday. I guess they have one every year the first Friday night, kind of a welcome back thing,” she said. “The best part is, it’s a toga party and we’re all on the guest list! You, me, Steph, Hope and the rest of the guys!”
“But, isn’t our party next Friday?” I hopefully asked. For the first time, a party at our house didn’t seem like such a bad idea versus the alternative.
“Oh get real Zoe.”
“What?”
“Let’s see,” she said, holding up both hands in front of her as though she were a human scale.
“A party at our place that can only hold a few people in regular clothing,” she said, lifting her right hand slightly. “Or a huge party at a frat house where guys will be half naked?” Her left hand flew high into the air as her right hand felt to her waist.
“Oh I dunno Ann,” I said reluctantly, biting my lip.
“Nope, you’re not getting out of this one,” she said with an air of finality. “We’re getting you into a toga and you’re going to actually have fun. After Liam called, I went downstairs and talked to Hope and Steph, and they were both stoked to go. We will have our party another time.”
Common Ground (The Common Ground Trilogy Book 1) Page 5