Oscar Meyers Part 2: Academia By Lazlo Zalezac Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2005 Chapter 13 "Come in." Oscar stepped into the office and looked around at the plain furnishings. For the most part, it looked like an office that hadn't been assigned to anyone. There was a desk and two chairs on opposite sides of the desk. The desktop was bare of anything other than a telephone. The plain white walls were bare as well. The high-backed chair behind the desk was turned so that all he could see was the back of it. He didn't see anyone in the office. He frowned and wondered where the person who had called out was. He was about to leave when the chair behind the desk swiveled around with a slight squeak. Much to his surprise, Oscar found that he was staring at a kid who couldn't have been more than fifteen years old. The blue robe with white arms identified him as a graduate of the Druid College. Oscar studied the kid with a little more attention to detail. The boy was clearly of Native American heritage and wore his long black hair back in a braid. There was a strength about him that suggested he was a warrior. His dark eyes seemed to see beyond the here and now. Voice cracking as a result of his age, the boy said, "My little sister sends her regards." "Who is your little sister?" asked Oscar taken aback by the greeting. He didn't recall ever meeting a young Native American girl and wondered if the kid thought he was talking to someone else. "Betsy." "Oh," said Oscar putting two and two together and getting four. There was no way to forget the hyperactive young girl who had been on campus the first week of school. He asked, "So which of the Carter kids are you?" "I am William Redman Carter. My birth-father was John Carter and my birth-mother is Linda Carter." Stepping over to the other chair, Oscar sat down and made himself comfortable. Expecting to find his advisor here, the presence of William made him decide that he was there for some other reason. He had no idea what that reason might be, only that he had been sent to this room. Relaxing, he asked, "What can I do for you?" William laughed at the suggestion that Oscar was there to help him. Leaning forward, he said, "You can declare your major." "Huh?" "I asked Oliver to be your academic advisor on this single occasion. It is time for you to declare a major," answered William. He sat back and watched the expressions flash across Oscar's face. They changed too fast to categorize them. Somewhat irritated at having a kid for his academic advisor, Oscar asked, "So what do you suggest?" "How about pottery?" asked William, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Are you kidding?" "Why are you asking me what I think your major should be? You have already been told what some of your instructors believe it should be. You know what it has to be," answered William. He studied the young man seated across from him. Oscar was definitely the man in his vision. "You're talking about Religious Studies, aren't you?" asked Oscar. He recalled the conversation with his literature instructor two months earlier. He hadn't thought about it, but ever since that day he kept getting assignments with major religious elements to it. Only three days earlier, he had been assigned the Crusades as a special study topic in his history of war class. "Of course," answered William. "What makes you think the Two-Sided One wants me to major in that?" It was a question that William didn't know how to answer. Looking at Oscar, he said, "I don't know if the Two-Sided One wants you to major in it. All that I do know is that you will major in it and you will bring peace to the Middle East." "I will?" asked Oscar with a grin at the suggestion that he would bring peace to the Middle East. Realizing William was serious, a look of concern came over his face. He said, "I don't know anything about you, but you may consider talking to someone about your mental health." "A lot of people would agree with you on that," answered William with a sigh. He was saddened at the fact that Oscar did not believe him. It had been his hope that the Druid would accept what he said without requiring proof. He stared into space for a minute and then said, "After leaving here, you are going to go across the street to Daddy Ed's house. That is the only thing that will go according to plan tonight." Friday nights were used to relax and unwind after a week of school and work. The plans for the evening were very simple. It was their usual routine to go for quiet walk through the woods that were behind the house. A simple dinner prepared by Debbie would follow the walk. The rest of the evening would be spent cuddling with his two girlfriends and talking about the events of the week. Oscar knew there wasn't much that could disrupt their plans. Convinced that William was wrong, Oscar said, "So my evening is going to be ruined." "Yes." "And then?" "Tomorrow morning, you will come here and fill out the papers declaring your major," William said. Oscar stared at William wondering if the boy was for real. Standing up with the intention of finding Oliver, Oscar said, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." "No. I'll be at the glade. Tomorrow is mid-summers day." "You've been called?" asked Oscar. "No, but I shall go there anyway," answered William wanting to end the conversation. He kicked the desk such that his chair swiveled around and his back was to Oscar. "Oh." Oscar stared at the back of the chair for a moment wondering if there was more to the story than William had told him. He turned and then left the office. Before he passed through the door, he said, "I wish you luck." William didn't answer. His mind was on the visions of the future involving Oscar. The Druid didn't know that it was going to be very necessary for him to understand and respect other religions before long. His thoughts then went to the glade and what wouldn't happen there. He closed his eyes and the image of a fat man came to him. The fat man said, "Not yet, little one." After searching unsuccessfully for Oliver, Oscar walked down the driveway connecting the campus with the road. It was a beautiful day and he considered the sky in light of what William had said. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, the temperature was perfect, and the wind was gentle. It was clear to Oscar that weather wouldn't be a factor in ruining their plans. The boy had spooked him and he kept looking over his shoulder for some sign of a disaster. The walk to the house was about a mile and normally was the beginning of his weekend relaxation. This particular afternoon the walk was not serving that purpose. He had to pause at the road when a black limousine left the campus. For a second he wondered if William was in the back of it, but dismissed it based on the boy's assertion that he was going to the glade. It was with an uneasy feeling that he walked up the driveway to the house. Georgia's car was not parked in its normal spot. She very seldom used the car since she typically walked across the road to go to work. Shrugging his shoulders, he hoped that it wouldn't delay their walk too much. He entered the house and found Debbie seated on the couch in the living room. She looked over at him and, based on the expression on his face, said, "Georgia went grocery shopping." "Okay. Any idea when she'll be home?" asked Oscar. He went into the kitchen to get something to drink. Opening the refrigerator, he saw that there was absolutely nothing to drink or eat. He thought to himself, 'Scratch that plan.' "She should have been back by now. I'm sure she'll be here anytime now," answered Debbie as she ran her fingers through her long red hair. "She has her cell phone with her, doesn't she?" Oscar asked feeling uneasy. He wondered if Georgia was going to be in an accident. He knew that would definitely ruin any plans they had for the evening. The conversation with William had him spooked. "Sure." Going to the couch, Oscar sat down next to Debbie and took a moment to look at her. As always, he was amazed at her beauty. Her milky white skin was so soft to the touch that there were times when he worried about hugging her too tightly in fear that she would bruise. Her red hair curled and cascaded down to the middle of her back. She had eyes that were such a startling shade of green that he felt he could get lost in them. In contrast to the fiery temper associated with others of her appearance, her demeanor was kind and gentle. With the recent conversation with William still on his mind, he asked, "Did you meet with your academic advisor today?" "Yeah. It was a rather trivial exercise. I went in and said that I wanted to major in Chemistry. Oliver said okay and that was it." The fact that her meeting didn't last long wasn't a surprise to either one of them. Debbie had discovered how much she enjoyed Chemistry and had decided, before the course was even half over, that she would major in it. Oscar's meeting had been short, but of a different flavor. He asked, "Have you ever heard of William Redman Carter?" "Isn't he one of the Carter Kids?" "Yeah. What else do you know about him" "That's all I know about him. He's one of the Carter Kids," answered Debbie with a shrug of her shoulders. She didn't follow the lives of the rich and famous. Curious why he would be asking about him, she asked, "What about him?" "Oliver assigned him to be my academic advisor," answered Oscar. He wondered why Oliver had done such a thing. "So what was he like?" "He looks like he's fifteen years old. Even though he's a graduate of the Druid College, I'm halfway convinced he uses drugs," said Oscar knowing even as he said it that he was not being fair. That suggestion surprised Debbie since she couldn't imagine any of her classmates getting involved in drugs. She asked, "Why do you say that?" "He was telling me that I'm supposed to bring peace to the Middle East." "What are you going to do? Kill everyone there?" asked Debbie figuring that was the only way that area would ever achieve peace. It only took two people to create a war in that part of the world. "No, I just thought I'd make them coffee," said Oscar with a wink. "Now that is a catastrophe of Biblical Proportions," said Debbie. She burst out laughing at the idea of Oscar let loose in a kitchen somewhere in the Middle East. Her laugh was contagious and it wasn't long before Oscar was rolling on the floor. Once they had recovered somewhat, Oscar asked, "Who knew that Armageddon was Aramaic for I'll take mine with cream and sugar?" The comment caused them to burst out laughing once again. It took a while before they calmed down. Still chuckling, Debbie said, "I know what it means - oh, no Oscar's in the kitchen!" Carrying two bags of groceries, Georgia entered the room just in time to overhear Debbie's comment. She didn't see Oscar on the floor at Debbie's feet. In a very concerned voice, she asked, "Oscar's in the kitchen?" Seeing the look of horror on Georgia's face, Debbie started laughing even harder. Oscar recovered long enough to sit up and say, "We were just giving possible translations for the word, Armageddon." "You in the kitchen wins my vote," said Georgia relieved to learn that Oscar had not been in the kitchen. He'd been responsible for more than one disaster in the kitchen and it had become a firm rule of the house that he was not allowed in it. Her comment just made Debbie laugh even harder. Realizing that Oscar and Debbie were laughing too hard to help her with the groceries, Georgia carried the bags to the kitchen. When Georgia was about to empty the bags, the telephone rang. Overhearing Oscar give another translation of Armageddon, she knew that Debbie and Oscar hadn't noticed it. She picked up the phone and talked to the party on the other end. The conversation lasted less than a minute. "Debbie," said Georgia on entering the room. The laughter died after Debbie looked at Georgia. The expression on her face suggested that something horrible had just happened. Suddenly serious, Debbie asked, "What's the matter?" "Oliver just called over here." Oscar sat up and looked over at Georgia. He didn't like the solemn tone of voice she used. Concerned, he asked, "What's the matter?" "Debbie, your father was taken to the hospital a half hour ago." "Daddy? Daddy is in the hospital," repeated Georgia sounding like a little girl. Visions of her father lying in a hospital bed hooked up to equipment and with tubes keeping alive flashed through her mind. Those visions were replaced by visions of her father dying. "Oliver is coming over here to take you to the airport so that you can see your father," said Georgia. Debbie heard the news with a sickening feeling. She didn't know what was the matter with her father or how serious his condition was, but the fact that Oliver had released her to travel to visit him seemed significant. Terrified that she was going to cause his death by even asking the question, she asked, "Is he dying?" "I don't know," answered Georgia truthfully. Oliver had not given her any details. "Don't read anything into Oliver taking you to the airport to be with your father. He'll do that for any student when there is a family crisis," Oscar said trying to reassure Debbie. He didn't know if it was true or not, but it wouldn't surprise him. The college was very tough to get into, but the faculty and staff worked hard to retain students. As visions of losing her father rose in her mind's eye, Debbie's hands started to tremble. Oscar moved back to the couch beside her and put his arms around her. He gently hugged her. She turned to him and wept on his shoulder. Not quite twenty years old, she was still young enough to react to catastrophic news like a kid. She whimpered, "I love my daddy. I don't want my daddy to die. He can't die." There was a knock on the door and Georgia went to answer it. Oliver stood at the door with a serious expression on his face. He asked, "Is she ready to go?" "She doesn't have anything to wear," said Georgia amazed that Oliver had managed to arrive so quickly. She hadn't had a chance to pack her clothes. "I've packed a couple of spare robes for her," answered Oliver pointing in the direction of a black sedan. The name of the college was written in white letters across the door. Seeing that his girlfriend needed support during this time of trial, Oscar looked over at Oliver and said, "I want to go with her. She needs me." "You have to stay here. I already told Georgia that she can go," said Oliver. He didn't want to establish a precedent for several students leaving the school when one student had a problem. It didn't matter that Oscar was a Druid. He understood what Oliver meant about him having to stay there. At least Georgia could go with Debbie to provide the necessary emotional support. Although they shared a boyfriend, they were not lovers. The women were close like sisters. "I'm going," said Georgia, "just give me a minute to throw some clothes in a bag." "Go," said Oliver with a shooing motion of his hands. He gestured towards the door with his head when he caught Oscar's eye. Understanding that he was being asked to get Debbie to the car, Oscar said, "Let's get you to the car, Debbie. Georgia is going with you. I'll ride to the airport and we'll get more details during the drive." "Just hold me for a minute," begged Debbie. She didn't think she could stand. "The sooner we get you to the car, the sooner we can head to the airport," said Oscar. "Okay," she said, but made no attempt to stand. She wrapped her arms around his neck even tighter. Realizing that she wasn't able to stand, Oscar put his arms around her back and legs. With a groan, he stood up with her in his arms. After adjusting her in his arms, he carried her out of the house and to the car. It looked so easy in the movies, but the reality of lifting and carrying someone was quite different. Of course, in the movies the hero was six feet tall and the damsel was small. Oscar wasn't five foot tall and Debbie was six inches taller than he was. Oliver raced ahead to open the car door. He beat Oscar to the car by a few steps. With a great deal of care, Oscar set Debbie in the car. When she didn't release him, he slid into the seat next to her. It was awkward. Once he was sure that the small man was safely in the car, Oliver closed the car door. He went around to the other side of the car to get the door for Georgia. He didn't know when the flight left, but didn't want to miss it because they were slow in reacting. After a few minutes, Georgia came out of the house carrying an overnight bag. She'd thrown a couple of outfits in it without worrying too much about what they were. If she needed more clothes, she'd buy them where they were going. It wasn't until she arrived at the car that she realized she didn't even know where they were going. Oscar had expected Oliver to head directly to the airport and was surprised when he pulled onto the road to the college. As the car made its way down the tree-lined driveway, he asked, "Where are we going?" "We're stopping here to pick up Bonnie Mann," said Oliver. He pulled up in front of the administration building. Georgia looked up in surprise at the name. She knew Bonnie and liked her a lot. She couldn't think of a better person to have with them. Bonnie was always calm and collected. "Who's Bonnie Mann?" asked Oscar. It was understandable that he didn't know her. He hadn't had a chance to meet the most of the college staff. Only twenty percent of the staff ever came in contact with first year students. "She's one of our counselors. We usually send a counselor with a student when they have a family crisis," Oliver said as Bonnie stepped out of the building. She was a slightly overweight woman with a matronly appearance. For a fraction of a second, Debbie was gripped with the fear that she had just been assigned some sort of chaperon who would censor her conversations with her family. Unable to believe that the Druids would violate family relations in such a manner, she asked, "Why?" "She'll facilitate things for you. She made the flight reservations for you. She can interface with hospital officials if you need help cutting through red tape. As a trained counselor, she'll be there for you and your family if you need to talk things out," answered Oliver. Breathless from rushing down the sidewalk, Bonnie got into the car after stashing her carry-on luggage in the trunk of the car. After taking a deep breath and exhaling loudly, she said, "We've got a direct flight to Cincinnati. It leaves in an hour and a half, so we should just make it." Oliver pulled out and headed towards the airport. Bonnie turned to look at Debbie and said, "Debbie, I just got off the phone with your mother five minutes ago. Your father had a minor heart attack and is currently resting comfortably in the hospital. They are monitoring his condition and will run some tests in the morning." The impact of the news on Debbie was immediately obvious. She relaxed against Oscar with a smile. She felt a great deal of relief at learning her father wasn't dying. The mental fog slowly lifted and she said, "He's okay." "That's what your mother said," replied Bonnie trying to remain factual. The worst thing she could do would be to lie about his condition. Promises that things would be all right often came back to haunt the one that made the promises. Trying to turn her head enough to face Debbie was beginning to hurt her neck. Bonnie shifted around in her seat to face the young woman. Once she was more comfortable, she said, "Your home is pretty far from the city, so I reserved three rooms at a hotel down the street from the hospital. You'll share a room with your mother. I'll share a room with Georgia. The third room will be for your brothers. If that isn't acceptable, I can change it." "We can't pay for that," exclaimed Debbie. With her father in the hospital, money was going to be very tight. Her father had been willing to send her to the local college, but she had chosen to go to the Druid College to save the family some money. She felt her two brothers deserved a chance at an education even if neither one of them had been as a good of a student as she had been. Smiling at the concern about her parent's money, Bonnie said, "John Carter set up a fund for just this purpose. He wanted to make sure our students didn't have to worry about their families during a crisis. Life takes precedence over school, but that doesn't mean that life should destroy the chance to finish school. If you need to leave school for a couple of months, we can help you through those months and bring you back into the program." Even Oscar was impressed on hearing that. Looking over at Bonnie, he knew Debbie was in good hands. Debbie said, "I'm overwhelmed." The remainder of the drive was made in silence. Once at the airport, there was a flurry of activity as the three women were ushered through the large building. The presence of the Grand Druid seemed to expedite check-in procedures. The gray robe, Oscar's red robe, and Debbie's blue robe attracted attention from other passengers. Crowds parted as they walked down the terminal. When they reached the gate, Bonnie and Oliver gave the trio a little privacy. Debbie had recovered and was now nervous about flying. Georgia was treating it like a grand adventure. Oscar felt bad about being left behind. It was an emotional parting with Georgia and Debbie giving Oscar farewell kisses that could have melted the north pole. Once the three women had boarded the plane, Oscar and Oliver went over to the window to watch the plane pull away from the gate. Oscar watched the plane take-off knowing that he was going to miss both of them over the next couple of days. He wondered how long they would be gone. "I guess they're gone," said Oscar once the plane was in the air. "They'll be alright. Bonnie will take care of them," Oliver said. "Is it true that you provide someone for any student who has a family crisis?" asked Oscar. Despite the fact that he trusted Oliver to be honest, he couldn't help wonder if extra effort had been taken because he was a Druid. "It's true. Just because you're a student at the Druid College doesn’t mean that your family is immune to illness and death. Considering that our program requires six years for a student to complete, about ten percent of the students have a major family crisis during that time. John Carter recognized that and took steps to assure that our students returned." "I'm impressed," said Oscar. His stomach rumbled and he added, "I'm also hungry." Oliver laughed and said, "Well, we'll stop somewhere on the way back to the college. I consider airport food to be somewhere between airline food and hospital food in quality." "That's like saying that zero is between nil and none." It was late before Oscar returned to the house. The trunk of Georgia's car was open with several bags of groceries visible. He picked up a couple of bags and carried them to the kitchen. Two bags of groceries had been left on the counter. In one of them, a container of ice cream had melted and ruined the other groceries. It took him some time to clean up the mess. The milk had sat outside in the warm weather for more than six hours. The idea of drinking the milk reminded him of the Russian rations he had forced himself to eat. Looking at the carton, he knew what he had to do. He threw out a lot of perishable goods feeling guilty with each item tossed in the trashcan. Having restored order to the house, he sat down on the couch and thought about Debbie's reaction to the news about her father. Her reaction suggested that she had a very good relationship with him. It reminded him that he hadn't talked to his own parents in ages, not since the call after his last service to the God. After glancing at the clock and seeing the time, he picked up the telephone and dialed the number to his parent's house. He spent an hour talking to his mother catching up on family news. The conversation with his father was a lot shorter, but more rewarding since the man had said how proud he was of Oscar. Having nothing better to do, Oscar went out to the back porch and sat on a chair. The air was filled with the sounds of life calling out in the dark. Insects, amphibians, and other animals of the night made their presence known. It was the calling card of the Goddess. Looking out into the dark, Oscar felt alone and realized that it had been the first time in ages that he had been away from people. The last time he had spent any time alone was when he had been lost in the deserts of Iran and Afghanistan. The life here contrasted with the isolation he had experienced there. The events of the evening had been tiring. Reflecting on them, he said, "That sure wasn't what I expected to happen tonight." He recalled the warning that William had given him. "After leaving here, you are going to go across the street to Daddy Ed's house. That is the only thing that will go according to plan tonight."