A Trip Back Home Pt. 01

I went off to college because that is what my Mom expected of me. According to her, no way was I staying in our small town and working for some farmer for a living...let alone my father. She didn't care if I succeeded at school; I just had to give it a try. See if I could find what I wanted to do. So I went off across the nearby state line to a neighboring state's university, and, lo and behold, I did okay. Better than okay. I found out I was as well prepared for the collegiate experience as those who had many "advantages."

Hell, I was eager to experience everything I could. I walked on with the football team that fall and found out I competed well with all of the guys that were recruited. It was a revelation. I had grown up and played high school ball within twenty-five miles of this university and they had had their eyes and efforts focussed on kids who lived where newspapers reported on the name teams in larger cities. Head to head they were no better than me. In fact, they were not as good as me.

By spring ball, I was in a good spot and I enjoyed turning out and doing my best. My best was showing up more than a few of the guys who had scholarships. By the end of spring ball several of them had disappeared from the practice field and from school while I was still out there plugging away at both.

I had taken a fairly light load in the classroom, so I stayed on campus for the summer semester. I picked up a few credits to keep me from being a freshman for two years, hit the weights, and was looking forward to the fall.

With no football to fill up my spare time and the light summer class load, I got a part time job to make some walking around money. Well, it was really a full time job with part time responsibilities. I'd study for fifty-five minutes of every hour and then take a bunch of readings from various dials and meters in the University power plant. If an alarm went off, I had to call someone who knew what to do.

One day in early August my phone rang. It was the head football coach, Jackson Walters.

"Hey, Kelly. Just checkin' in to remind you that practice starts on the tenth."

"Thanks, Coach. Does this mean I'm on scholarship?"

"No, Kelly, I couldn't swing that for you." 

I frowned. "What d'ya think about getting my out of state tuition waived? Coach Linders mentioned that."

"Ohhh, I'm sorry, Kelly. The new freshmen took all the aid we had."

I frowned. "You're not giving me much incentive, here, Coach."

"Incentive? I want you to be a part of the team. A part of some success."

"Coach. Do you really think I'm that dumb?"

"Dumb? You're not dumb."

"No, I'm not. What do you need me for if you have all these new guys?"

"Well, you have experience; you know the defense."

"So, if there is an advantage to you having me out there over these freshmen, why do they have scholarships and I don't? I think I showed you I was as good or better than some of your recruits last year."

"Well...well..." he sputtered.

"I think that answers my question. Thanks for the offer. I gave you two chances and showed you my best. Good luck this season. I think I'll just see what else the world has to offer." And I disconnected.

Because I'd been out for football my freshman year I had gotten away with not declaring a major field. I was "undeclared." By the middle of August I had most of the general university requirements out of the way and I started to look around for something to get my degree in.

The required classes eliminated some of my curiosity about math, science, and social sciences. I was leaning toward the arts. Singing and theater had always been strong areas for my family and me. In fact it was one reason I'd had to walk on last fall. I'd been in Europe with a national High School Choir the summer after my high school senior year and hadn't gotten back until after the scholarship kids were practicing. However, I'd managed to include non-major voice lessons and some drama classes in my Freshman class schedule.

I went to the Music Building before work one afternoon the last week of August (I always worked swing or graveyard and I was presently on swing shift.) and dropped by my voice teacher's studio. The faculty were all doing office hours during freshman orientation.

The door was propped open, so I leaned in and knocked. "Come in!" I heard.

"Hiya, Mrs. Shields."

"Hello, Kelly, what brings you by? We don't start the semester until next week."

"I wanted to ask your opinion about something." 

She nodded.

"Do you think I would make a good voice major?"

She tipped her head contemplatively and turned in her chair toward where I stood at the door. "Vocally, there is no problem. Even as a non-major with only one lesson a week last year you held your own with the other Freshmen and many of the upperclassmen. There are other classes that you don't know much about...Music History, Theory, some techniques classes."

I nodded. "Yeah, but that's just learning stuff. I'm pretty good at that." I smiled.

"There's some paper work you'll have to get done." She took her glasses off and looked at me intently. "Are you still out for football?"

"Nope. That's done with."

She nodded. "That'll make the transition easier. You'll need all the extra time you'll have." She checked her clock. "You could probably get the paperwork done if you get up to the Ad building now." She smiled. "Unofficially, I'm very pleased. Now get a move on."

Out the door, down the hall, I turned right into the lobby outside the Music Department office. My feet stopped moving at the foyer doorway; I blinked, and shook my head. There were three girls outside the recital hall standing each on the point of an equilateral triangle. There was nothing unusual about two of them, but the third, the one most directly facing me, was standing in a glittering shaft of light. Sparkling motes swirled and danced around her. I blinked. The light faded gradually and I watched it until it was gone. 'Weird,' I thought. I got my feet to start up again...one in front of the other.

Still shaking my head I went on into the office. Sandy Kolb, the work-study aide at reception, looked up and smiled.

"How can I help you?" she asked.

"Mrs. Shields says you have a packet for the Admin office so I can change my major."

 You could see her searching her mind for info about me. "We're not losing you, are we?"

"Nope, coming on full time. Say, do you know these girls out in the lobby?" I looked through the door.

She craned her neck and I turned aside so she could see easier.

"New freshmen. Violin and two pianos."

The one that had caught my attention had a violin case. "K, thanks. She studying with Dr. Fischer?"

"Yes, she is." She coaxed a folder out of a vertical file. "You can do most of this online," Sandy said as she handed it to me.

"The Ad building is closer than my apartment. Besides, I always have questions and they're the experts. It generally saves time in the long run."

"Sounds good. Nice to have you on board. There's a new student orientation tomorrow. Info's on the bulletin board and the website."

I smiled and waved. The foyer was empty when I exited the office. I took a right hand turn and went out the main doors, down the steps, and out to the street. I looked both ways and jaywalked to the Ad building lawn angling for a sidewalk that led to the east door. Violin girl was up ahead. I adjusted my stride so I wouldn't overtake her. I was still puzzled about the light show. Never in my life had I had such an experience. She veered off toward the dorms at an intersecting walkway and I continued on to the Administration Building still thinking about how unusual it had been.

They sorted me out in less than a half hour at registration and I was on my way down the hill to the Power Plant. I was there by 3:50 and clocked in for the turnover at four.

My shift was uneventful--most of them were--and I managed a couple hours of sleep in a chair between readings. At midnight, after my shift, I headed home for some real sleep.

I hit a nearby fast food joint for their famous breakfast sandwich on the way to the Music building the next morning. It occurred to me that I might be able to make good use of a bicycle to cut my transportation time as I would be having more classes this fall in addition to work.

A lot more people were on campus today. Still mostly new students and folks like me who had lived here through the summer. I blended into the new majors in the Recital Hall and listened to Dr. Sorensen's welcome and general information. Most of it was helpful as I hadn't had to follow Music major rules last year. Violin girl was there, but without her violin case.

The meeting broke up and I was headed down the back stairs and through the parking lot taking the shortest path to my apartment. Just off campus there was a bike shop, and I stopped there to take a look around. I'd gotten my August pay check and I needed to price that bike I'd been thinking about.

They had one of their "summer specials" marked down for clearance. I wasn't really excited about the color, but I knew it wouldn't last long on the display floor when everybody got back to school. After an hour of shopping, I bought it and a new backpack full of lights, locks and all the stuff you need to ride safely and pedaled on home wearing my new helmet.

I pulled into the parking lot at the same time as Barry Silva, now a fellow voice major and also a student of Mrs. Shields. We pulled up next to each other and dropped a foot to the asphalt.

"New bike?" Barry asked.

"Yeah, I've got to get around quicker now that I have a job."

Barry hiked his leg over the seat of his bike. "Can I give it a try?"

I didn't think fast enough to counteract my good nature and I said "Yeah, sure."

Barry traded handlebars with me and took off out into the street. After a moment, I figured I'd have to follow him, so I got on his bike and did. He angled back toward campus and managed to show me a few unpaved shortcuts I'd never noticed in my walking days. We ended up by one of the several identical dormitories lined up at the edge of the university. He already had dismounted and used his lock to secure my bike to a stand. I locked his cycle up with my new lock and he waved me forward into the dorm lobby. We hit the elevator and rode up to the seventh floor. I followed as he sought the door with the number he was looking for. When he found it he knocked.

The door was opened by a pretty blond girl who seemed to not know Barry.

"Yes?"

"Hey, is Cygne here?" Barry inquired.

The blonde turned and called out, "It's for you, Cyg." She pulled the door fully open and waved us inside.

There she was. Violin Girl from Love at First Sight Light was seated at a study desk next to the window. 'What were the odds,' I thought to myself. In fact, the coincidence was unsettling.

There were two desks and two beds that served as sort of couches when pushed up against the wall. Besides violin girl and the blonde there was a third girl sitting at the second desk in the room at the window overlooking the parking lot.

I realize my size can be intimidating...it was more than my good looks that enabled me to stay welcome on the football field...so I often seek to find places to sit to lower my profile. Barry was greeting the girls and learning names for the ones he didn't know. I continued my strong silent routine near the door kicking myself that I'd let Barry switch bikes.

Barry took the last chair and I figured we'd be there for some time, so I looked around for a place to perch.

"Can I sit on your bed?" I asked.

The violin girl, Cygne, looked at me and grinned wickedly. "Are we going to bed?" she joked. Everybody laughed. Everybody but me.

I met her eyes then slid off to get Barry's attention. "Hey, man, I need to get home and get ready for work. Let's go swap our bikes back."

Maybe Cygne realized she had stepped over a line with a virtual stranger. "Oh! I'm sorry. I don't know you well enough to joke like that. I'm sorry. Please stay. Have a seat." Her sincerity was obvious.

"Sure, no problem. I've got a little time." I nodded as I perched on the edge of the nearest bed. I watched and listened as Barry schmoozed the trio. Finally, he ran out of things to say, and we took our leaves. I got home without incident, got some sleep, and rode back to work.

I was on graveyard shift when the first day of classes arrived, and I worked from midnight to 8:00. There weren't any lunch hours on any of the shifts, and I find it hard to eat in the middle of the night. I had a 9:00 class in the Music Building, so I went straight across campus to the Lookout, a coffee shop near there. Midge took my order, and I started to look through the newly purchased text for my Music History class.

The door swung open, it had one of those tinkly bells above it and my eyes were drawn to the sound and movement. Cygne entered and went up to the counter to order. She spotted me and smiled. When her coffee was ready, she moved in my direction. She raised her eyebrows inquiringly. I gestured to the seat across the table. Midge handed me my breakfast wrap.

"We must have the same 9:00 class," she said looking at my book.

"Yeah. I suppose there's only one section. I've always liked History, but this will be the first class that's specifically about Music. There's a lot of specialized vocabulary."

She broke eye contact and looked into her coffee cup. "Barry didn't really introduce us last night. I'm Cygne Thalberg."

"I'm Kelly, Kelly Carroll." I extended my hand and she took it.

"Glad to meet you, Kelly."

"Yeah, me too. It's nice to have a name for your face." I thought back to the first time I'd seen her in the Music Building lobby. I bit my tongue because telling her about the glittering light would just make me sound crazy. "Do you want to walk over together?"

She checked her watch. "Sure. Won't we be early?"

"Dr. Sorenson will be there. We'll make a good impression." We were up and moving to the door and out. I walked my bike. We carried our coffees.

"Where are you from, Cygne?"

"North, up on Parson Lake. Bayfront."

I nodded.

"You?"

"Little farm town just over the border. Schyler."

"How do you know Dr. Sorenson will be here already?"

"I'm not really a Freshman. I was here last year. I'm just a Freshman when it comes to being a Voice major. He's kind of notoriously early."

"Ah."

"When it comes to Dr. Sorenson, well, you know what they say about first impressions."

"True," she said. A pause. "If you don't mind me saying so, you don't seem to be the run of the mill Music major."

"What...my lack of scruffy beard?"

"No," she laughed, "You look a lot more like a football player."

"I was one once. Now I'm a music major. Addicted to the spotlight, I guess."

We had reached the stairs up from the parking lot. I secured my bike to the rack. At the top, I held the door for her. Our class was in one of the lower level classrooms at the end of the hallway. Sure enough, we made our good first impression. We couldn't sit next to each other as the seating chart was set up alphabetically. We each got our syllabus and an interesting lecture about music of antiquity. Filing out, I lost track of my new acquaintance. I made my way to one of the oldest and most run down buildings on campus, Rheingold Hall, an old, early 20th century dorm that had been repurposed as practice spaces. I had my favorite rooms from last year and lucked out getting the best one. The pianos varied wildly. I spent some time on a Mozart aria Mrs. Shields had given me to work on the previous spring.

Forty minutes later I set out for the rest of my classroom day. At 3:30 I headed for my apartment. As I pedaled up to my unit, I was surprised to see Cygne sitting on the stairway outside my door.

"Wow. Fancy meeting you here," I said as I wheeled my bike toward my apartment.

"Oh? I was waiting for my sister."

"Upstairs Tall or Upstairs Short?" I said, thinking of my neighbors at the top of the stairs.

"Tall."

"You wanta come in and wait for her? You'll hear her when she climbs the steps. You can have the comfy chair. It beats that concrete step." I unlocked the door and wheeled my bike through.

Cygne looked up the stairs then at me. She shrugged and grabbed her backpack. "Sure. Thanks."

I stowed my bike on its hook and held the door. "Where's your violin?"

"In my locker at the Music Building. We can't practice in the dorm, so it's no use lugging it around."

"Ah. You want something to drink?" I mentally reviewed what I had available.

"You got a diet...anything?" She said glancing around my apartment.



"Diet root beer be ok?"

"Yes, thanks." She stepped into the main room.

"Have a seat. I'll be right there." I took two diet Barqs from the fridge. "You want a glass?"

"Yes, please."

I tested her. "Ice or no ice?"

"Ice?" She said incredulously. "In root beer? No thanks...just the straight stuff, please."Her eyes twinkled. 

I smiled and mentally nodded. I gave her her glass of root beer and I drank mine from its plastic bottle. I took a seat on the end of the couch. "You know, we have to stop meeting like this. This is three, no, four for me, very coincidental crossings of paths."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Day before orientation I saw you talking to two piano majors in the lobby. I followed you...not on purpose...toward the Ad building until you turned off for the dorms. Second, when Barry kidnapped my bike and brought me to your dorm room. Then at the Lookout the other morning and now, here, just outside my apartment. Doesn't it seem strange to you?"

She paused in thought. "Hmmm...I've met lots of new people this week."

"There are three hundred new music majors this fall. How many of them have visited your dorm room AND you've dropped in on them at their place?"

She looked at the ceiling, "None, I guess."

"Except for me." I heard a footstep on the stair. "Think that's your sister." I hustled to the door and opened it. "Miss?" I called to the girl ascending the flight. "Are you Cygne's sister?"

She turned and looked at me over the slats in the railing. "I have a sister named Cygne, yes."

At that point Cygne edged past me in the doorway. "Hey, Lizzy, I got here a little early. Do you know Kelly?"

"We've never met officially, but I've seen him around. He's a topic of conversation because he has a ground floor two bedroom but no roommate."

I shrugged and smiled. "I've got friends in high places."

Cygne shrugged one shoulder into her backpack. "Thanks for the root beer." She returned my glass to me. "I'll get out of your hair now."

"No trouble." I decided to take the leap. "Say, would you like to go to the football game with me Saturday? Then maybe out for something to eat?"

"Oh! I'm sorry. I already have a date." And that's where she stopped. No 'maybe some other time' or anything.

I nodded. Awkward. "K. I'll let you get on with your afternoon. Nice to meet you, Lizzie." I closed my door, hiding my red face.

The football game was horrible. We got crushed. I got blasted and woke up the next morning hugging the porcelain throne.

My job was supposed to end when school began, but they kept me on to help paint portions of the heat tunnels. I could name my schedule and even work on Sunday. It never hurts to have a little cash on hand.

Being a voice major was my niche. The History class didn't even feel like learning. It was like I was being reminded of information that just sprang from slots already in my brain. Music Theory was a little harder, but just because it was so much like a code. It got easier as I built on the foundation. Ear training seemed to be my real weakness. Mrs. Shields was sure it could be remediated, so she put my name in for some help from a tutor. It would cost a few bucks, but would be worth it.