by Ryan Conway
As they passed an intersection, a ten-foot wrought iron fence supported by square brick pillars every fifteen feet or so appeared on their left, lining the road for as far ahead as they could see. Looking through the iron bars, Spencer and Thomas saw a lively college campus full of students walking in every direction, carrying books and backpacks, taking breaks under trees, and picnicking on an emerald sea of grass. The university was expansive, dominated by an enormous building with five floors of large, white, latticed windows and antiquated architecture, like a luxurious mansion from centuries past. The central part of the building, which housed most of the administrative facilities, towered high above the tree line, and the rest of the town for that matter. At a busy intersection, Tom had to follow a left turn into the main gate, whose sides were connected by an arching sign that read ISAAC FRANCIS CLAREMONT UNIVERSITY in bold iron letters. The road led them on a winding, scenic tour of the campus before arriving at a spacious but crowded parking lot, like a river emptying into a sea. "Oh man, I bet this place looks awesome in the fall," Spencer commented.
"In the fall? I think it looks pretty awesome now."
They were scheduled for a campus tour at four o'clock, and fortunately they'd arrived two and a half hours early. They decided to locate the administrative office first, in order to acquire their dorm room keys and find out where exactly their room was. That was simple enough, and afterward, they began shuttling their belongings up to the room, where they'd remain until school started in the fall. Between the two of them, they only had to make two trips, in which they both carried a stack of two or three boxes and one backpack each. The entire task only took about fifteen minutes, which granted them plenty of time to register at the library, map out their respective curricula, and head over to the cafeteria for something to eat before the tour.
The cafeteria maintained an atmosphere of academia and art that perfectly represented Isaac Francis Claremont University. It was round, with high ceilings and tall windows spanning almost as much area as the walls themselves, enabling sunlight to fill the large, magnificent room. The tables were designed in various shapes and sizes. Some were circular, some were square or rectangular, and others took on the shape of artists' palettes. Certain areas of the cafeteria had the appearance of little coffee nooks with coffee tables, lounge chairs, and sofas. Most of the floor appeared to be marble, though there was some carpeting, especially around the coffee nooks. Classical and exotic looking statues lined the walls, while other forms of three-dimensional artwork, most of which had been created by university art students, were on display in the center of the large room. Paintings were exhibited anywhere space was available on the walls, when they weren't supplanted by small bookshelves.
"See? Already awesome," Tom said. "Told you."
The meal selections and service area of the cafeteria were even more impressive. The floor was equipped like a food court, with its own bakery, deli, fruit and salad bar, sushi bar, coffee shop, and multiple buffets of various cultural cuisines. After all, cooking was also an art. There was an enormous bustling kitchen that kept the buffets stocked with fresh food at all times, specializing in everything from Mediterranean cuisines such as Greek and Italian food to Middle Eastern, Indian, and Far Eastern delights, to name a few. All the food was freshly made in its particular area, and the cuisines were authentic.
Even the fruits and vegetables, they'd learned, were homegrown in gardens and orchards on the campus grounds. Many of the chefs, bakers, and gardeners were alumni from the university who had studied in those fields, and represented some of the best in their respective trades. Spencer was awestruck by the amount and quality of food, not to mention its presentation. Everything was created to enthrall a person's senses of smell, sight, and most importantly, taste. In fact, the only complaint the cafeteria had ever really received from students was that it closed in the evening after dinner.
Spencer picked up a freshly made salmon roll at the sushi bar and grabbed an apple from the fruit stand. Tom piled raw strips of roast beef and mixed vegetables on a plate and brought it to a chef behind a large, smoking sautée grill and wok. Since Spencer wasn't waiting for a cooked meal, he was the first to pay and find a table. He pocketed his apple to eat later, and began picking at his salmon roll with wooden chopsticks from the utensils rack. Tom was soon on his way over to the table with a hot, steaming plate and sat down across from Spencer, whereupon he began digging into his beef and mixed vegetables with chopsticks. They were completely silent as they enjoyed their food.
When Spencer was halfway through his salmon roll, he paused and stared off out the window. Tom noticed a distant and disturbed look on his face. "Everything okay, Spence?"
Spencer shook it off and looked over at Tom. "Yeah. Just thinking about something."
"I could see that," Thomas noted, arching an eyebrow. "What's bugging you?"
"It's just that whole thing with Pastor Meadows," Spencer admitted. "Is he right about what he was saying, do you think?"
"Oh, that. I guess he's entitled to his own interpretation of events."
"But could he be right?" Spencer looked down at his plate and began to second-guess the scenario for about the hundredth time. "That thing that happened with Drake… could that have been caused by the medallion, instead of what I was thinking?" He looked back up at Tom. "And in all honesty, I really don't know what my parents' personal life was all about before they died. It's possible that they were into some kind of occult practice. Do you believe in curses and stuff like that?"
"Spencer, listen," Thomas said firmly. "You have to decide for yourself how you want to interpret the event. And I know you well enough to know that you're too much of a critical thinker not to examine it more in depth than that. Meadows is a superstitious old guy. You can't interpret life according to someone else. No matter who's theorizing or conjecturing, and no matter how much you respect that person, at the end of the day you have to interpret the events in your life and view the world around you based on your own reasoning and your own judgement."
Spencer grinned with relief upon hearing Tom's more logical opinion. But his smile faltered as he thought about the speculations and accusations against his late parents. When he saw that look, Tom left Spencer with one more piece of wisdom: "But you can't blame Meadows for holding the perspective he had either. That's how he was taught to interpret the world. I'm sure he means well, even if his reasoning is ill-informed and his approach is a little on the belligerent side." Tom's tone changed to reprimanding. "And don't stress out thinking about this stuff, Spencer! It's bad enough when other people do it to you, but you're gonna give yourself a migraine if you keep it up."
Spencer's face lit up, and he started chuckling at his own moment of mindlessness. "Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry." Then he immediately changed the subject. "So, what's the plan for tonight? You want to come back to the food court for dinner?"
"Let's see what they've got in town." Tom suggested. "I don't really want to stay on campus tonight, you know?"
"Sounds good to me."
As they got up to leave, a young couple passing out flyers on the other side of the room caught Spencer's attention. They stood at the entrance to the cafeteria, handing the ads to people exiting. Spencer was curious to find out what they were advertising, because most of the other students seemed quite interested.
They enthusiastically greeted Spencer and Tom as they walked toward the hallway. The couple stood on either side of the exit, each holding out a flyer that advertised a talent show for that evening at a local coffee shop in town called The Bodhana. "Perfect," Thomas said to the young man. "We were just talking about what we wanted to do tonight."
"That means it's meant to be," the girl responded, grinning. "You wanted something to do for the evening, and here we are, providing it. Synchronicity. Everything happens for a reason."
"Are you two students here?" Tom asked them.
"Yep," the guy answered. "My major is quantum physics, and I'm minoring in
philosophy. Not that big a difference, really."
"And I'm a graduate student of sociology with a minor in religious studies," the girl added.
"Wow, the hard sciences and the humanities," Spencer commented. "That's a pretty diverse list."
"Well, that's what you can expect to find here at IFCU," said the physics major. "The university encourages and supports everything higher education has to offer."
"In a way, all subjects are related anyway," the girl added.
"You're right about that. It's the fabric of knowledge. The more you interweave into it, the stronger it gets." Tom glanced down at his watch. "Hey, Spence, the tour is starting in a few minutes. We should get out to the fountain now."
"Well, we hope to see you tonight," said the young man. "Enjoy the tour."
"Thanks, we'll be there," Tom replied as he and Spencer left the cafeteria.
The tour group assembled in front of the fountain statue at the entrance to the main hall. The statue was that of a gallant-looking man in eighteenth-century attire on horseback, one arm raised, holding a saber straight up in the air. The tour guide stood right in front of the statue as a small group started growing around her. "Good afternoon, everyone," she announced. "My name is Celeste, and I've been majoring in communications at IFCU for four years. If anyone has any questions at any point during the tour, feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to provide you with an answer—or at least the right resources for finding the answer."
She turned her attention the fountain statue to initiate the tour. "This is a statue of Sir Isaac Francis Claremont himself, who not only founded this institution, but also this wonderful town in 1755—well before the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of our great nation." She paused briefly. "Even though he's not as well known in history textbooks as our Founding Fathers and other prominent historical figures, he was extremely instrumental in influencing and promoting the ideals and principals upon which the U.S.A. was established. According to legend, he was an enigmatic and very private individual, who arrived in the New World from England with valuable cargo and settled in this area, far upstate in the wilderness of New York, to avoid the oppressive powers of that time period."
Celeste briefly described Claremont's life, profession, and interests before moving onto the next part of the tour. "Mr. Claremont was a pioneering scientist for his time, and an inventor in addition to being an experienced sailor and ship's captain. He was considered by many to be the epitome of the Renaissance man." She paused briefly and took another breath. "Accounts say that Mr. Claremont spoke twelve languages fluently, and that his ship's crew was made up of skilled sailors from countries all around the world, even some from as far away as India and China. One could say his ship truly represented a melting pot of cultures and he, himself, embodied the ideals and philosophies this university espouses and tries to instill in its student body to this day."
The tour lasted about 45 minutes, and provided Spencer and Tom with a plethora of information. At the end, they received handouts with service information and a calendar of upcoming academic and social events. All the students in the tour received welcome packets when they visited the library. In their bags were complementary pens and pencils, day planners, curriculum guides, and blank-paged journals, in which they could chronicle their studies. Everything was, of course, emblazoned with the university's emblem. The tour ended in front of the main entrance, from where all the new students could easily find their way back to vehicles or dorms. As soon as the tour finished, Spencer and Tom headed back to their dorm room and prepared for a night on the town.
Later in the evening, they arrived at the Bodhana where the talent show was being held. It was located on the outskirts of town not far from the university. As they strolled in the door and looked around, they noted that the clientele consisted mostly of students already formed up into study groups, and individuals using various electronic devices like laptops and tablets. The coffee shop itself was enormous, with an open-plan layout and a second level accessible by spiral staircases at four different locations. Bookshelves and potted plants adorned the walls on both levels. The upper floor was open in the center, providing a clear view of the lower floor. The main counter and the stage were directly visible from just about every location on both floors.
At the time, a male/female duo was on stage, singing folk songs accompanied by an acoustic guitar; but four unique-looking musicians occupied a table in the corner, obviously waiting for their turn on stage. Next to them was one of the only available tables, just large enough for two. Tom immediately led Spencer over to it, grabbed a chair, and hung his backpack on it. He sat down, turned to rummage through his bag, and looked at Spencer. "If you want to get a drink or something, I'll just be right here holding down the fort."
Spencer walked over to the counter and joined the line, which consisted of three customers ahead of him. When he turned back towards the table, Tom was leafing through a notebook. Spencer watched him curiously for a moment, until the girl behind the counter got his attention. "Sir, are you ready to order?" He turned around, surprised that the line had moved so quickly. He ordered a green tea and a pastry from the case, and waited at the end of the counter for his order near the pick-up ledge. When he turned back toward Tom, he was still studying his notes.
Spencer received his order and started heading back toward the table with his tea in one hand and his pastry in the other. When Spencer was halfway to the table, Tom closed his notebook and turned in his chair to stick it back in his backpack. Then he pulled another book out of his backpack as he glanced up at Spencer, placing the book on the table in plain sight. "What's this?" Spencer asked as he sat down opposite Tom.
"This is the history book about Claremont I was telling you about," Tom responded.
Spencer picked the book up and began leafing through the index. "So, does this book include all those mysterious stories you were talking about earlier?"
Tom grinned. "There're even more stories than the ones I told you about earlier. Go ahead and flip through it while I get my chai. I'll be right back." He was only gone for about two minutes before he returned to the table with his hot beverage.
The four musicians sitting next to them possessed a collection of peculiar looking instruments: next to their table stood a lute, a sitar, tom-tom drums, and a keyboard. One of them sat at the table as the others were busy toying with audio equipment. "That's an interesting set of instruments you've got," Tom commented to him. "What style of music do you guys play?"
"Well, we play our style, I suppose," the musician answered quietly.
"But do you guys play folk music, cultural music, or what?"
"I guess we dabble in all the genres, but honestly, I could never put a label on our music. If we take a little from all genres and combine them, we can create our own." Then the musician leaned in as though he were emphasizing a more profound point. "It's kind of like water. There are many different kinds of bodies of water: oceans, lakes, rivers, lagoons, ponds, swamps, even rain puddles. But if the water level rose high enough, they'd all be connected. Then you'd realize that regardless of where it lies, water is just water. We're the ones who label it according to the shape and size in which it rests and flows. In the same way, music is just music."
The musician glanced at the book Spencer was holding. "Are you two new in Claremont?"
"I've been up here a few times," Tom responded.
"I've only toured the university campus today," Spencer replied. "It's my first time here in town."
"Oh, you're attending the university. Good, you're both going to have a great time."
"We're starting in the fall," Tom said.
"What are your names?" the musician asked. When they introduced themselves, he said, "Nice to meet you both. I'm Chao Yue."
"Are you a student there too?" Spencer asked.
"We are indeed students, but we're also professors," Chao Yue said. "You never stop learning."
"Is musi
c your field of study?"
"Music is our area of expertise. We're are actually music teachers, but we also attend classes in other fields. So, what are your majors?" Chao Yue asked them
"I'm majoring in archaeology," Tom said without hesitation.
"Then you're in for a treat. The anthropology department at IFCU is incredible. It's actually one of the best in the world. Some might even say that IFCU has unique insider knowledge on archaeological research, so you're in good hands." Chao Yue turned and looked at Spencer. "What about you?"
"Actually, I haven't made up my mind yet." Spencer admitted a bit timidly. "I think I want to work in the medical field, but I'm not sure which discipline."
"That's okay," the musician reassured Spencer. "You'll figure out what you want to do eventually. You've got time. This school has a way of inspiring people to pursue their true passions and find meaning in their lives." Then he glanced again at the book about Claremont. "I couldn't help noticing your book about Claremont. That's a really fascinating one."
"Yeah, I've been hearing a lot of really interesting stuff about this town."
"But remember one thing," Chao Yue cautioned. "The most interesting thing about Claremont is the people."
"Historically or today?"
"Well, both… But especially the historical figures who had a hand in establishing Claremont. And whatever you do happen to read about them is only the tip of the iceberg." Chao Yue saw his band buddies and motioned for them to join him, Tom, and Spencer at the table. The three weaved their way across the floor among the other tables. "Hey guys, come meet my new friends. This is Spencer and Tom. They're starting at IFCU in the fall." Chao Yue looked back at Spencer and Tom. "Tom, Spencer, these are my best friends, Ping Heng, Man Yi, and Tong Qing. Heng is our pianist and keyboardist, Yi plays all the percussion instruments and chimes, and Qing plays string instruments, like this sitar."