The Professor Ch. 11

I woke up at 0430 hours and stared at the clock's radium impregnated dial and hands. I was always afraid that I'd be late for an exam or when a paper was due which was my premier, scary nightmare. I didn't know the nightmares that awaited me in my future I'd just deal with the crazy ones right now. I pushed the alarm tab in and got up, fumbled around for my flashlight and found my running clothes and got dressed for a long run. A lot had happened in a few days. It was cool enough outside where I could get a ten mile run in before class. It took about 90 minutes to cover that ten miles unlike the high school track days where the coach would crawl us for running 'slack times.' I walked the last quarter mile to the house to cool down. It didn't take long for me to sweat like I had cut a sweat artery. I walked into the garage and went into the house. Dad was surprised to see me coming in.

"Steven! How was the run?" he smiled. He looked good.

"It's good Dad. How're you feeling?" I smiled and went over and hugged him.

"Actually feel good right now. Tell me more about the meeting yesterday," he was really interested. I told him all the details and he smiled, "So Phylissia was on the committee? Did you know it beforehand?"

"No sir. She was very professional, very tough, Dean Kaplan was a bit of a pain though but I listened to him very carefully and answered his question and then put it back in his court. I don't think he liked that -- he voted against me but it was a 10-1 decision so when I graduate I'll have a BS/MS History undergrad and Mathematics in graduate level work along with a commission to 2nd Lieutenant."

He was proud of what had happened and of me, "You know son I got my GED in the Army. The Depression was hard so we had to work to help feed the younger ones. What you've accomplished is icing on the cake for Momma and me. We're proud of your courage too, son."

I must have had a strange look on my face, "Thanks Dad but it doesn't take courage to do what I've done it's just as you say butt-in-chair work so I did that thanks to yours and Mom's training."

"No Steven, with Phylissia. I couldn't do what you two are doing even if I had a love like yours. You have the courage of ten lions, son. Your brothers are terrified of you right now. They didn't know the courage in your good heart. I hope they come around. She's a fine young woman. I never thought I'd say that about a black woman or man but you've taught me something about living son."

"I wasn't trying to teach anyone anything Dad. I was respecting your wishes. You told me to bring her home so I did," I told him.

He patted my arm, "Let's eat some breakfast." He and I made coffee, scrambled some eggs, fried sausage and toasted some wheat bread. We ate our fill, talked and then cleaned up the dishes. It was a good morning with Dad I didn't know how many more there would be. He seemed to know it too.

I went to shower, shave and change for class. It didn't take long. I had my routine down to sixteen minutes. I gathered my books and papers and stuck my head in the den and told Dad, "I'm heading out Dad!"

He waved as he sipped coffee and read the paper in his chair with the dog in his lap -- they were a real pair of pals, "Have an easy day son and give Phylissia a kiss from Momma and me."

"Will do sir!" That was an easy one. I checked to make sure I had all my papers and books. Did one last check of the car and hit the road. I was at school earlier than usual so I went to Cullen to check my library books in and clean up the mess I made in the carrel. As I was walking toward Cullen Dr. Hunter hailed me, "Steven!"

I turned, "Hi Dr. Hunter!"

"How are you this morning? You're up early," he allowed.

"I couldn't sleep you know the old nightmare late for the final and all," I smiled and patted my briefcase.

"If you have your paper ready I'll take it and you don't even have to come to class," he was such a great teacher and friend.

"Oh and Mom sent you and Mrs. Hunter some shortbread," I told him as I set my books down.

"I'll take the shortbread first if you don't mind," he laughed.

I smiled, "Yeah her shortbread will give you a heart attack it's so rich."

"Yes indeed it will unless you have it with a cup of strong, black coffee," he smiled as he handled the foil-wrapped shortbread as though he was handling gold bullion. Then I handed him my paper. He smiled, "So did Phylissia read your paper?"

I was caught like a deer in the headlights, my face flushed red, "Yes sir."

"It's okay, I figured it out. She's a wonderful teacher and a sweet friend of ours. I had told her about you for quite a while I just didn't tell her your name," he confided.

I didn't know what to say. I was mortified for a lack of a better term.

"Steven? Steven?" Dr. Hunter was worried.

"I'm sorry sir I just can't think straight right now. I don't want anything to happen to Dr. Wright," I was shaking all over.

"Sit down here Steven. Let's get this straight between us. I wanted her to meet you she is so misunderstood by her students and colleagues. I know her as charming, intelligent and compassionate, but she apparently has the reputation of being a bitch when nothing could be further from the truth," he confided in me. "I noticed something different in her yesterday -- it was like a light switch had gone on in her -- she was different in a wholesome way, in a very human way. When I saw you and her together it was so obvious to me it was practically shouting from the rooftops. I don't want you to worry, I know you will even though I tell you not to worry. I hope you'll trust me with this. Okay I need to go and you need to have coffee with a beautiful sociologist whom I would bet is waiting to see her champion." With that he got up and headed toward his office with my final paper and Mom's shortbread.

I sat there like a lump of cold, wet clay. I finally got up and trudged over to Cullen and checked in the library books then went upstairs to the carrel, the door was partially open so I tapped on it and Lissia opened it. She was radiant, "Hi baby," her voice was husky and barely audible. The look on my face said it all as she pushed the door shut behind me, "Oh Steven what's wrong baby?"

I broke into a cold sweat, "Dr. Hunter knows for sure now."

She smiled, "I know -- he was just here. He told me that you're the young man he'd been trying to set me up with."

I sat down, "I am...I mean I have no idea what's going on..."

She patted my thighs, "Sweet lover listen to me...it's okay Dr. Hunter is a dear friend his wife Estelle is a black woman he met in France and he could bring her here because they were already married."

I was stunned I had known Dr. Hunter for two years and didn't know that his wife was black. I just knew that she was younger than his first wife who had died then he met Estelle in France, "Whew!" was all I could utter.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" she asked me.

"I need to drop this paper off with Dr. Quinones, then go over and cut the grass and lay out the flower beds along the porch so we can start getting the right plants in place; after that I'm wide open. Tomorrow I need to go to the ROTC Supply and pick up my uniforms and three sets of orders," I laid out what was on the agenda.

"What if you cut the grass tomorrow and we drove to Galveston today after I post the grades?" she smiled ever so sweetly.

"I'd love that," I breathed out deeply.

"Good let's take my car. Do you need to get anything out of yours or can you just park it in my garage?" She persisted getting very domestic.

"Lissia there is one thing I want to do with us," I softened my voice.

"What's that baby?" she wanted to know more.

"I have a savings account at the university credit union and I want you to have access to the account in case anything ever happens to me...you know in basic training or wherever," I confessed frankly to her.

She sucked a small breath in, "No Steven let's not talk that way. Okay baby? You're scaring me."

"I'm trying to be realistic. I worked too hard to leave this kind of money to my brothers. Mom and Dad refused it, telling me that it should go to you," I held her hands and studied her beautiful, dark eyes.

"Oh Steven I don't know what to say...you've caught me off guard," she was very still as I handed her the pass book. She opened it and almost dropped it, "Steven! What kind of work have you been doing? There's over $8,000 in this account...my house didn't cost that much."

"I've been working and saving since I was eight. I had $13,500 when I started college I built it back up after I bought my car back in '63...so I just work and save. Lissia it's important to me that your name is on this account. I told you that I love you...that means forever..." she put her finger on my lips.

"I...I...I...I need to think about this I won't say I won't do it but Steven this is a pile of money baby...isn't there anyone else?" she pleaded.

"We can talk later - right now I need to drop off this paper, get over to your house and park my car to get ready for a drive to Galveston," I smiled. I kissed her slowly and thoroughly. Her lips and tongue were so sweet and hot I loved kissing her. I especially loved the feel of her lips; I guess their plushness just made her kisses so exciting and delicious for me, "Lissia I love kissing your sweet lips."

"Do you enjoy my thick lips?" she smiled.

"I really do and your soft smooth skin excites me," I confessed my secret.

"I'm glad baby because our physical characteristics are different and that can be intimidating even to some black men," she admitted.

"Not to me, your beauty haunts me when I'm not with you," I was embarrassed to tell her that.

"Steven! You're such a romantic man," she stroked my face. "I didn't know I haunted anyone."

"Lissia I can't stop thinking about you day and night...you're always on my mind and in my heart," I told her as she massaged my forearms with both of her hands. "Why don't we get going so we can enjoy the day in Galveston? How long will it take to post the grades?"

"Long enough to walk over to the Liberal Arts building and tape them to my office door," she smiled, "then I'm yours for the day."

"Cool," I smiled broadly, "I stuck my chest out. I like this. I know a really good seafood restaurant in Galveston, the Seaview we can eat and watch the waves. Great fried shrimp and trout, with hush puppies and cole slaw."

"Stop it! Stop it right now I'll be so hungry by the time we get there I'll eat the putty out of the windows," she joked. She leaned toward me and we kissed one more time.

I was off like a shot toward Dr. Quinones' office. His office was in the Engineering Building near the student parking lot where I could park. I ran up two flights of stairs and knocked on his door. Dr. Q was a slight man who was originally from Cuba. He possessed two doctorates: one in applied mathematics and the other in spatial mathematics. His brilliance blew me away. He was quiet and very perceptive. He opened his door, "Esteban, it is so good to see you! You did very well yesterday -- we're so proud of you! Come, come sit down tell me what's gotten you so excited."

"Thank you Dr. Quinones...I...well I need to give you this paper," I was flustered; he was so polite and so genuinely nice.

I handed the paper and he shook his head, "Esteban you didn't have to write this paper, you did very well this semester."

"I know what you told me sir but you know how much I wanted to increase the use of derivatives in modeling in a more varietal way...well I think I've come up with the foundation for my master's thesis," I told him eagerly.

"Really!? Already?" He asked.

"Yes sir. If you could look at it and maybe we could talk about it Friday or next week some time I sure would appreciate it...I want to plan my course work around this concept but if it isn't feasible from your perspective that is how the non-positives function then I need to rethink the domains and possibly the whole perspective," I explained.

"Okay Esteban, school is over for the semester, relax...take a break you work too hard my son...go play...go do something where you can smell the fresh air away from here...go find a pretty girl and take her dancing but leave here...now go...go and have some fun!" He shooed me out of his office with the promise that he would look at my premise.

I walked quickly to the car and piled my brief case and a few text books in the back seat and made the fifteen minute drive to Lissia's home. I backed the car in near the garage and opened the garage and the car trunk. I took the mower and other tools out and found a place in the garage where I could keep them and still back the car in -- it looked like I was going to have to straighten out that garage too. I had backed my car into the garage and was closing the garage door as Lissia pulled her TR-3 into the driveway. Her smile was radiant. I had my sunglasses and baseball cap as I strode across the drive to greet her. I took her in my arms and kissed her, "Hi beautiful."

"Hello my handsome man," she absolutely glowed. "I need to tell you something."

"Okay, what is it?" I grinned.

"Well it seems several of the female students decided that I must have changed my hairdo," she smiled.

I didn't know what to say, "Okay...since when?"

"That's just it I haven't, they've noticed something different. In fact two of them noticed I was smiling during the exam while I was writing this to you," she handed me a note. "They wanted to know who the man is."

I could feel my face blush, "Wha...uh...well...what did you tell them?"

We walked toward the house, I said that some real joy has come into my life and I thanked them for noticing," she stopped me on the walkway; "Steven baby they told me the sadness is gone from my eyes. I didn't know it showed so apparently even to my students."

I put my hand on her shoulder and rubbed her neck lightly, "There is a wonderful light in your eyes that emanates from that healing heart of yours. The clouds are rolling away and the light is shining through. Lissia you are the most wonderful woman I've ever know and those students will learn that too now that the 'barbed wire fortress around your heart' has opened. I am so thankful for you; you're stunning and brilliant," I kissed her and held her tightly as she sniffled a bit.

"Let's go inside before I turn into a blubbering baby out here," she breathed out a short ah. "I'm going to change into some comfortable clothes, help yourself to some iced tea."

"Thanks sweetie, do you want some?" I asked.

She stood in the doorway undressing as I stared, "Yes but this," she motioned with her opened palms all the way from her breasts to her knees, "will wait until after our Galveston adventure."

"Aw shucks," I snapped my fingers and wolf-whistled.

"There a small ice chest in the pantry that we can put the iced tea jar in and some Cokes if you want them," she slowed.

I found everything and she came out wearing a beautiful pink sun dress, sandals and floppy straw hat. She certainly knew how to dress, "How many dresses do you have?"

She laughed, "I make them all and save hundreds of dollars."

We gathered up her things and loaded the car. She handed me the keys, "I want to watch you drive the TR." It was an easy drive to I-45 and it took about forty-five minutes to get to Galveston. We got off at 61st Street and drove to the first left onto Seawall Boulevard and headed to the beach ramp that allowed us to drive onto the beach and park. As we came to a stop, she looked at me, "Steven this is beautiful. You seem to know your way around pretty well I guess you bring all the little chickies here." She winked at me.

"No, Dad and I fish two of those jetties right over there, plus we bring him to the USPHS Hospital on 103rd Street," I confided in her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't aware that this is where he had to come," she got quiet.

I stroked her cheek, "Lissia you wouldn't have known this. It's okay baby. Come on let's walk down the beach."

We raised the top on her car to keep the sand and sea air out of it. We took our shoes off and walked at the water's edge watching the flivvers and sand pipers running just out of reach of the growing surf as the tide began to change. We talked and shared our dreams and how we could forward together. There were very few people on the beach since it was the middle of the week and school wasn't out yet. The few who were there were shocked to see this white guy with his black girlfriend walking hand-in-hand on the beach. We walked and talked for two hours...it was long enough for us to get hungry, "How about some lunch?" I asked her.

"Yes! I'm famished. Fried shrimp?" She was like that school girl who had never lost her effervescence. We went back to the car and I had her sit in the passenger seat so I could wipe the sand form her feet. She was astonished that I would do that as I slapped her sandals together to get rid of the sand. I then went to the driver's side and did the same for me. We drove up to Seawall Boulevard and parked across from the Seaview Restaurant. I held her hand as we crossed the street together.

As I opened the door to the Seaview the rich aroma of fresh seafood and baked bread trapped you and drew you in. Effie Spanos, Georgie's wife met us, "Steven, how's you daddy. He feel better? I pray so hard for Major." Effie was short, deeply olive complexion and wonderful Greek accent. She hugged me like her son, "Now who is this beautiful young woman Steven -- you never bring girls so this is special."

"Mrs. Spanos this is Dr. Phylissia Wright, Dr. Wright this is Mrs. Spanos," I smiled as Lissia took Effie's hand.

"I am so happy to meet you Mrs. Spanos," Lissia charmed her.

Effie hugged her and kissed her, "Steven is in love with you so that is good. You two sit and my name is Effie. You sit I'll bring your food and some nice tea."

Lissia was in shock, "Steven?"

I looked at her and winked, "Yes baby?"

"How...I mean...what just happened?" she didn't know what to say.

"She knows everything just by looking at you, it's eerie but she's never wrong and even if she was who would tell her -- she's a romantic," I smiled.

Effie doted on us and kept coming over to check on us. The Spanos'loved my Mom and Dad especially my Dad. He helped liberate Greece during World War II so he is a hero to them and to me as well.

I held Lissia's hand and stared into her eyes, "Lissia I really want you to be the beneficiary on my account and my SGLI (serviceman's group life insurance)."

"I will only say yes if you're serious about us getting married," she was quietly serious now.

"I am very serious about us," I told her. "I could die tomorrow having found my true love in you. I honestly need nothing more."

"Oh my God Steven, you are so dear to me and I love you so much," she held onto my hands, her eyes softened and her smile crumpled into that innocence that turns me into a gooey mess.

Effie and her daughters appeared with fried shrimp, freshly caught and fried speckled trout, hush puppies, cole slaw, tartar and cocktail sauce and giant glasses of unsweetened ice tea with lemon, "Eat, Dr. you and Steven must eat -- lovers need their food." With that she kissed Lissia on both cheeks and me -- as always on the mouth. She squeezed my head, "He's Greek can't you see?"

We both laughed and began enjoying our meal. There was no way we could eat that much food and when we stopped Effie brought some lemon meringue pie and strong Greek coffee along with more kisses. While we were drinking our coffee Effie and Georgie came out and sat at the table with us. Georgie smiles, "Steven how's you Poppa?"

"Well Mr. Spanos he's holding on as well as we could expect. You know how tough he is," I told them rather solemnly.