The Book Glasses

by Arthur Bozikas

  It was Monday morning and she intended to infiltrate a nearby investment company. She didn’t want to ring around for vacant positions within these companies or wait on the phone or arrange interviews. Instead, she would walk into an investment job by using her own money to prove to her employer that she had the skills and the talent to make money on the stock market.

  “Sam, I would like you to stay on? What will it take for you to continue working here at Mercantile Investment Group? The last two months have been memorable! You have done what you set out to do and then some. You’ve impressed us all, so stop and think about what you are doing.”

  The entire senior staff who were gathered in the boardroom waited in silence for Sam’s response as the CEO sat back down in his chair.

  “Thank you, Isaac. You are too kind, but I told you from the beginning that I would be here only for a couple of months,” she explained, looking around at all the shocked faces.

  “Our senior team has watched you and your predictions and, like you, they have been faultless. You have the uncanny ability to select stock at the right time with flair and know how the likes of which we have never seen before. I would like to offer you a senior partnership with full shares in the business. What do you say now—senior partner and full shares?” Isaac looked hopeful.

  “I’m flattered, Isaac, and it’s been an honour. You have my deepest respect and I’m sure you will take the company to much greater heights without me,” she replied with a sincere smile.

  “I’m never going to stop trying. I’ll transfer your earnings into your account plus a ten percent bonus at the end of trade today. Just remember, as long as I’m here, you will always have a job,” Isaac said, his crestfallen expression nagging at Sam.

  With a nod of her head, she was out the door and raced down the corridor to the toilets. Once in the privacy of a toilet cubical, she quickly took off the book glasses and hid them in her bra before collapsing onto the closed lid of the toilet seat.

  Fainting had become a regular occurrence as a result of wearing the book glasses for eight hours or more each day. Knowing she was unable to sustain this for much longer had made it easier for Sam to quit her financially rewarding investment job after only two months.

  Blocking out the frightening ghost-like figures that appeared after she’d worn the glasses for more than five hours was manageable to a point, but the associated headaches became unbearable from the eight-hour mark onward.

  Aware that her every move was being watched the entire time she was at work and every phone call was recorded, analysed, and scrutinised, she needed to keep the glasses on at all times. Yet, she could not afford to attract any attention to them and refused to enter into any conversation about the glasses, leaving everyone to speculate that her eccentric tastes were behind their unique design.

  The sound of the toilet flushing in the next cubical brought some life back into her. She waited until the bathroom was empty before going out and washing her face with cold water. With the book glasses still nestled in her bra, she took off home with her head thumping. She barely made it into her bedroom before she collapsed onto her bed fully dressed.

  She slept through until the next morning, waking up when her phone buzzed. Thinking it was her usual endearing morning text from Billy as she reached out onto the bedside table to search for her glasses, she was shocked to find them still in her bra. Immediately, she remembered the events of the previous day and how she had finished up at her investment job.

  She jumped out of bed, put on the glasses, and took out her laptop. When she logged into her online banking, she was pleasantly surprised to see a balance of over two point two million dollars in her account.

  Setting out to do this over two months was one thing, but she’d had no idea she could turn her five thousand dollars into two point two million dollars in such a short time.

  She tossed the laptop back on the bed and tears of joy and happiness rolled down her face.

  Twenty-Five Percent

  “Billy, stop that. I love you so don’t compare me with your ex-girlfriend. Going to university is not about you, it’s about me and I need your support to do it. It’s a big step for me and I don’t think I can do it without you. I didn’t even finish high school, for goodness’ sake, and I’m afraid. But I know that if I do this and, if it doesn’t work out, then I still have you. I know you’re afraid, but so am I,” Sam said.

  “You haven’t finished high school and yet you got into a law degree at one of the most prestigious universities in the country. How does that happen?” Billy asked.

  “I’ve been working on this for years. I’m not going to uni to pick up men. I’m not interested in anyone else. I love you!” Sam yelled back.

  “Okay, okay. I love you too. Does this mean we’ve just had our first fight?” Billy said and started to laugh.

  “You really are a dick, you know,” said Sam and fell into his arms. “I took the mature age entry test last Monday and they informed me yesterday that I was successful. I got the highest test result any mature age student has ever received, so how about that?”

  “I’m proud of you. Sorry, Sam, but when you told me you sat for a test to get into a law degree at of all places, Sydney University, and you got in, that freaked me out. I didn’t expect that you of all people would do that to me. All I was thinking about is what kind of new boyfriend you’re going to find at uni. I fucking hate universities, all they do is fucking go at it like rabbits. There is so much sex going on it’s amazing anyone graduates.”

  “Now that’s an idea. I’d never thought of that.” Sam giggled.

  “Don’t you dare. I couldn’t deal with it happening to me a second time,” Billy said, looking into her eyes.

  “I love you, you crazy guy. I will never leave you now that I’ve found you.” Sam gave him a tender kiss.

  The kisses continued into Billy’s bedroom and they forgot about the Chinese takeaway that had just been delivered, opting to make love instead. The food was just starting to cool when they took to it like starving hyenas, much in need of nourishment after their tiresome exchange and their makeup sex.

  “I’ve decided to take a room at the university dorms accommodation; a tiny studio apartment. It’s for studying and sleeping only so that means we’ll be at your place every weekend. Is that okay?” Sam asked with a mouthful of noodles.

  “Well, that’s what I was going to talk to you about,” Billy mumbled through a mouth even more full of food than hers.

  “Yeah, what?” Sam stopped eating.

  Billy swallowed his mouthful. “This apartment is up for sale and I’ve got four weeks to get out. Sorry, Sam. I’m nowhere near close to having the deposit to buy it like I’d always planned.”

  “Is that all? No worries. How much do you need for the deposit?” She took another mouthful.

  “Ha, ha. That’s a good one. Stop joking around, I’m serious.”

  “Look, I know how much you love the place and that you can go surfing anytime you like because it’s so close to the beach. So how much you need for the deposit?”

  “You’re not joking, are you?”

  “No, I’m not. How much?”

  “One hundred and twenty thousand dollars. It’s twenty-five percent of the asking price, which is four hundred and eighty thousand.”

  “Fine.”

  “What do you mean fine? Where are you going to find one hundred and twenty thousand dollars to give me? Are you going to rob a bank or something?” Billy joked.

  “I have some savings so let me do this for you, please. What yours is mine and what’s mine is yours anyway, so what’s the problem? But you are the one getting the home loan, so you’ll need to move fast. I’ll transfer you the money tonight after you take me home, okay?”

  Sam resumed eating as Billy sat back in the lounge, speechless. She spent the rest of the night convincing him to take the money and by the time they got to her apartment, it was finally settled.

  While Bill
y was in the bathroom, she put on the book glasses and transferred the money. Still wearing the glasses, Sam wrote a set of instructions and warnings about what bank and home loan to select, what was an accessible interest rate, which home conveyancing to use and when to inform the owner’s real estate agent of his offer.

  When she heard him coming, she slipped off the glasses and put them back in her bag, before turning and handing him the note. “Here are some instructions on what you need to do for the home loan. The most important is not to accept the sale price until you’ve exhausted negotiating the price down as much as possible. Then, once you’ve got their bottom price, negotiate it down further. I’ve transferred the entire amount into your account.”

  He looked confused. “Why did you transfer the whole amount if I’m going to negotiate the price down?”

  She shrugged. “If someone else is interested in buying the property, you may need to pay the full price to get it. That’s the worst-case scenario, but it could happen, so you need to be ready for it.”

  Billy stared at her with his mouth hanging open. “I guess you do belong at university!”

  With the set of instructions in his pocket and the deposit in his bank account, he wished her well for her first day at university with a passionate kiss and a huge hug. He then headed back to his apartment, looking as happy as she’d ever seen him.

  Welcome To Sydney University

  3rd March 2014

  As Sam walked into the crowded auditorium, she tried not to feel overwhelmed. It was Orientation Day at Sydney University, and it was easy to feel awed as she looked at the students milling around. She was sure all of them had finished high school, probably passing with the highest marks in their classes.

  She found a seat at the back, trying to blend in.

  Within a few minutes, Professor Grasim went to the lectern at the front of the hall. He waited until silence fell, then began to speak.

  “Good morning all and welcome to Sydney University Law Faculty undergraduate intake for 2014. My name is Professor Alexander Grasim.

  “On average, students doing a double degree full time will take six years to complete it. A double degree is now the standard. The most common double degree combinations are law and arts or law and business. However, there are many choices, and the choice is yours.

  “Whether you do a law degree only or a double degree, it is up to you. But remember, you have only four weeks from today to make your selection, so select wisely because after that you’re paying for it.”

  A murmur of conversation ran throughout the auditorium.

  The professor frowned. “Pay attention, people. On the screens behind me, I have put up our marking criteria: high distinction, eighty-five to one hundred percent. Distinction, seventy-five to eighty-four percent. Credit, sixty-five to seventy-four percent, Pass, fifty to sixty-four percent. Fail, zero to forty-nine percent.

  “For those students who think that passes mean degrees, I’m sorry to say, you are at the wrong university. Here, we strive for excellence and I have a formula for those undergrads interested in exceeding expectations within the law faculty.”

  The rumble of conversation began to rise again before the professor silenced it with a look. “So, listen up, everyone, you don’t want to miss this. All you need to do is to follow these three steps.

  “One—attend all classes, both lectures and tutorials. Although online resources are available to every student, by attending all classes, you will benefit from the interactions with your fellow students, lecturers, and tutors.

  “Two—participate in all classroom, lecture and online activities. Don’t underestimate the value of these activities. And everything adds up to your overall total mark.

  “Three—do the minimum readings. I am always amazed at how unprepared many students are, coming into class without doing this.

  “Following those three steps will give you a pass, but a pass is not what we aim to produce here at Sydney University. We aim to produce excellence. To achieve excellence, you need to make sure your essays and papers are handed in on time. What is not expected is that you leave them to the last minute.

  “When I mark undergrad essays or papers, I look at the student’s name first for two reasons: one—if they do not do well and have completed the three steps I have outlined, it may be enough to tip them over to a pass. Two—if they do not do well and have booked a meeting with me about it or have approached me in class, it may also be enough to tip them over to a pass.

  “Never leave your essays or papers to the last minute. To set yourself up for excellence, you must arrange a meeting with your professor first to see if you are on the right track at least two weeks before the assessment is due.

  “I would like to take this opportunity to wish you success in your studies.”

  Applause erupted from the crowded auditorium and the professor held up his hand for silence. “Thank you, but I’m not finished. Quiet, please. Every year, we have a large intake of mature age students whose acceptance is based on an entry exam and we acknowledge the student with the highest entry exam mark with an award. This year, I’m proud to announce the mature age student with the highest entry exam mark in the history of the university is twenty-three-year-old Samantha Page. Please give her a round of applause.”

  When Sam stood up from her seat, the roar of the crowd was deafening. Accepting this award didn’t sit right with her. It felt almost fraudulent, but she plastered a smile on her face and walked up onto the stage anyway.

  The professor stepped away from the lectern, showing a plaque displaying her perfect score. “Congratulations, Samantha Page. We are all expecting great things from you.”

  After shaking hands with the various faculty members on the stage, she followed the crowd of students to the administration building to pick her four units for the first semester. To lay the foundation for a double degree in law and economics, she chose two law units and two economics units.

  At the cafeteria at lunchtime, when a dozen or more new undergrads from all walks of life gathered around her to congratulate her on her award, she quickly lost her appetite. Reluctantly, she answered their questions, keeping her answers vague yet interesting. Despite feeling like a fraud, she enjoyed the attention and was soon caught up in the whirlwind of excitement as she looked around at all the keen smiling faces.

  Looking into their eyes, Sam saw glimpses of uncertainty and even despair in many of them; emotions she was all too familiar with, but she was finally free of that doubt and hopelessness.

  “We’re off to sign up at the library. Would you like to come with us?” asked one student.

  “Sure,” said Sam. No longer hungry, she wrapped up her half-eaten sandwich, placed it in her bag and followed the group of students to the university library.

  She took two steps into the magnificent building and stood there in awe. As the other students lined up at the front desk, Sam walked up and down the aisles with her arms stretched out, gently gliding her fingers over the books on the shelves. She put on the book glasses to find the first two books on her reading list—one law and one economics text—and took a seat and started reading them.

  Almost zombie-like, she consumed them, the books taking her to a place she had never been before. By the time she had finished them both, the front desk was clear of students and she hurried to sign up, quickly arranging to borrow the two books before anyone else noticed she had them.

  Keeping the book glasses on for the rest of the day, Sam was in her element and, by that afternoon, to her delight and relief, no one had questioned her about them. The university tour had satisfied her appetite for antiquity and, after enjoying some refreshments, she left the other students to pick up her award from the professor’s office.

  “Come in, Samantha.” Professor Grasim stood up from behind his desk.

  “Thank you, Professor.”

  “Those glasses are exceptional. Where did you get them?”

  It was unsettling to see the w
ay his eyes examined them. “These old things? They are a family hand-me-down that I got new lenses for,” she replied, trying to cover them with her hands.

  “They’re unusual, aren’t they? They look very old.”

  Sam changed the subject as she took off the glasses and swiftly placed them in her shoulder bag. “Thank you for holding onto my award, Professor. I’m still so shocked and also very honoured.”

  “The university and I are honoured to have you. How did you find the tour?”

  “It was great, thanks. A lot to take in all in one day.”

  “Good. Is there anything I can help you with in enrolment or anything else?”

  “Well, there is something I’m not quite sure how to go about, actually.”

  “If I can help, I will be happy to do so.”

  “I don’t know how to go about arranging university dorm accommodation. If you could tell me who to talk to it would be a great help.”

  “Leave that up to me. I’ll get administration to email you all the arrangements. I have your email address. It will be my pleasure, but I need to warn you, it is expensive.”

  “Wow, thank you. I don’t know what to say.” She got up from her chair.

  “We just need you to do your best, Sam. Congratulations once again. Remember, my door is always open. Good luck.” The professor handed her the award and walked her out of his office.

  Languages

  7th June 2014

  “Ciao, vorremmo una bottiglia del tuo buon vino rosso con il nostro pane all’aglio. Inoltre, siamo pronti per ordinare la nostra alimentazione, due spaghetti marineras. Questo è tutto grazie,” Sam said with a smile and handed both menus back to the waiter.

  “Grazie, un minute.”

  “Wow, you didn’t tell me you could speak Italian. You are amazing, Samantha Page. So, what did you say to the waiter? All I heard was spaghetti marinara.”