Oscar Meyers Part 2: Academia By Lazlo Zalezac Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2005 Chapter 14 The first year dining was a large hall with tables well spaced apart. The spacing of the tables allowed students to talk or study without interfering with individuals at adjacent tables. There were a few tables capable of seating twelve, more tables capable of seating eight, but the most common tables were capable of seating four. The tables for four were often paired up to create seating for six. Given that the same people visited the same dining room three times a day, Oscar found it surprising that it was not the case that the same people sat at the same table every meal. It was true that roommates usually ate together for breakfast and spent most of the time talking about what was going on among the students. However, lunch and dinner dining companions were usually based on study groups of eight and project groups of four or six. Meal times were spent discussing course material or projects. After spending the weekend alone at the house, Oscar returned to the school early Monday morning and headed directly to the dining hall for breakfast. The people seated around the table were quiet. Oscar sat down and looked around at the unhappy faces. After a quick glance at him, they each turned to look at the table. Wondering what was the matter, he asked, "What's up?" "Cole is missing," answered Gabby with a mixture of anger and concern in her voice. She had spent the weekend looking for Cole on campus wishing that Oscar would show up to help her in her search, but he had been nowhere to be seen. "Missing?" asked Oscar with a frown. He hadn't heard anything about that and he was sure that Oliver would have asked him to help search for him. "He disappeared Saturday," said Mark realizing that Oscar had not known. "At least Saturday was the last time anyone reported seeing Cole." "What did Oliver say?" asked Oscar curious about the official response. As far as he knew, no student had ever left the campus without formally withdrawing. "At first he was real concerned, but then last night he said was that Cole would show up in a day or two," answered Gabby. She was very worried about Cole and didn't know what to do. She'd been harassing Oliver to do something, but he'd given up on Sunday. She was on the verge of giving him a taste of her mind and she knew it would leave him with indigestion. "Saturday was mid-summer's day," said Oscar thoughtfully. With all of the excitement Friday night, he wouldn't have remembered that fact except for the conversation with William. He wondered if there was something significant in that. The waitress showed up and asked, "Can I take anyone's order?" "I'll have two eggs scrambled, bacon, and white toast," answered Oscar absently. His mind was still considering the Cole situation. After thinking about it, he came to the conclusion that Cole had gone to the glade. After taking breakfast orders from Mark, Lisa, Sharon, and Abby, the waitress left. Sounding very worried, Gabby said, "We have to find him. Doesn't the second rule say that we have to search for him?" "It won't do any good," answered Oscar. Angered at the idea that Oscar would abandon Cole, Gabby shouted, "What? He's your friend. Aren't you worried about him?" "I'm not worried. He's not in this world at the moment," answered Oscar. Confusion and fear quickly replaced her anger. Afraid that he meant Cole was dead, she bit her lower lip. She couldn't accept that. Staring at Oscar, she asked, "What do you mean?" "I mean, he went to the glade. He's with the Gods and Goddesses at the moment," answered Oscar. A smile came to him as he thought about how Oliver, ever since Saturday, must have been going crazy over this. He'd never heard of a first year getting called to service. All eyes were on Oscar as they thought about what he had said. Objections of all kinds came to mind. Finally, it was Sharon who said, "He can't become a Druid." "Why not?" asked Oscar very surprised by the assertion. "He's a first year student. It's not supposed to happen until the sixth year," she answered. "Tell that to the Gods and Goddesses," said Oscar in a serious voice. The Gods and Goddesses weren't bound by the rules of the college and could do as they pleased. At the shocked looked on their faces, he said, "We serve them, not vice versa." His words were greeted with silence as everyone considered the implications. Gabby looked at Oscar trying to decide if he was right. She didn't know if she wanted him to be right. The waitress arrived with their food. As she set plates in front of people, Oscar looked up at the middle-aged woman. She was naked except for her apron and tennis shoes. Noticing the attention that Oscar was giving her, she smiled and, in a teasing voice, asked, "So where are your girlfriends?" "Debbie's father had a heart attack and they went to see him," answered Oscar. The fact that Debbie had left the campus sounded ominous. It also explained why Oscar might not have known about Cole. Concerned, Lisa said, "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he's going to be okay." "They are going to put in some device that will open up his artery today," said Oscar, "but the prognosis is pretty good." "I'm glad to hear that he'll be alright," said the waitress. She looked around the table and noticed that one of the people at the table didn't have any food. Concerned, she asked, "Gabby, aren't you going to eat something?" "I'm not feeling hungry," said Gabby coming to accept what Oscar had said. With acceptance had come a feeling like something had been stolen from her. She didn't know what it was, but there was a definite sense of loss deep in her heart. "You've got to eat, dear. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," said the waitress. She could see that Gabby was upset and wanted to help her. "I just need to be alone," said Gabby while pushing her chair away from the table. She stood and walked away without giving anyone a chance to say something to her. Although Cole wasn't a boyfriend or anything like that, she had decided that that he was going to be leaving the college now that he was a Druid. The idea bothered her much more than she would have thought possible. Abby stood up to follow her friend in the desire to comfort her. Oscar grabbed her arm and said, "Sit down Abby. She needs some time alone." "It's about time she figures it out," said Sharon cutting up her over- easy egg into thin strips with a knife and fork. Confused, Abby looked from Gabby's retreating figure to Oscar and then to Sharon. Gabby was her roommate and in pain. There had to be something she could do for her. "Figured what out?" "That she loves Cole," answered Sharon as if it was a widely recognized fact. She piled some of the egg on a piece of toast and took a bite. "Cole?" asked Abby in surprise. She'd watched Gabby experiment with men and women for months. As far she knew, Gabby had never treated Cole special. Considering his role in past events, Oscar asked, "Who was her first man?" "Cole," answered Abby. In light of that, it made sense Cole would be special to Gabby. A woman always remembered her first man with strong emotions. If it had been pleasant, then those emotions were positive. However, that didn't mean that Gabby was in love with Cole. Mike said, "I thought she had some football player back in high school." "That was heavy petting," said Abby. Gabby had considered it having sex because she had an orgasm. There had been no naked bodies moving against each other. "Who does she go to when she has a problem?" asked Oscar. "You," answered Abby to the agreement of everyone around the table. Everyone went to Oscar when they had a problem. "I meant besides me," said Oscar waving off her answer with a negligent hand. His roommates shared a look and exchanged winks knowing that he had not even considered himself as an answer to that question. "Cole," answered Abby deciding that he was everyone's second choice. After considering her behavior over the past few months, Mark was confused by the discussion. He said, "I don't understand. I know for a fact that she's tried to fix him up with other women." Hitting his forehead, things fell into place for Greg. Excited by his revelation, he said, "She only started doing that after Oscar announced he was in a triad. She's been looking to create a triad with Cole!" Interrupting Greg with a dismissive wave of her hand, Sharon said, "She might have been doing that, but I can assure you that she didn't know what she was doing. If you were to ask her, she'd say that she was just trying to help him find a girlfriend." The group argued about the relationship through the entire breakfast. Oscar watched the group thinking how much they loved to gossip. It dawned on him that it wasn't harmful gossip, but friends wanting to find ways to help those around them. Nothing was asked or spoken of in a harmful manner. Later Oscar sought out Gabby, locating her in the library where she was crying. He sat down beside her and said, "It is okay to love a Druid." Face puffy and eye red from crying, Gabby looked up at Oscar and said, "He's going to leave now that he's a Druid." "I seriously doubt it," replied Oscar staring off across the library. "Why?" asked Gabby. "Druids tend to place a high value on love. He's crazy about you and will find some way to stay," answered Oscar. Letting her fears overrule her common sense, she said, "Oliver will force him to leave." Oscar laughed at that. He thought about how Georgia and he had negotiated with Oliver for them to be able to stay together somehow. He replied, "You'll find that Druids are not quite so slavish to the whims and desires of Oliver as you might think." "What? You kept your secret about being a Druid," charged Gabby. "There was a bigger picture there. I was following the two rules more than Oliver," said Oscar. "How did you know that I love Cole? I didn't even know it." "Easy. I listened to Sharon and she's seldom wrong when it comes to observations about people." It wasn't until Tuesday when Cole finally stepped out of the glade onto the path to the college. He was naked except for a gold medallion around his neck. His features looked gentler. The rough angular lines of his face had softened. His sharp nose had lost some of its edges. Gabby was the first person to see Cole. Oscar had to hold onto her in order to prevent her from rushing over to the young man. He knew there were things that had to be accomplished before Cole could talk to her. He nodded in the direction of Catherine and Oliver even while restraining the struggling Gabby. Catherine, carrying a number of robes in her arms, walked over to Cole. The delivery of robes and what ever tools were necessary for the newly created Druid was her service to the God. It was one that she enjoyed. In a commanding voice, she said, "Let me see your medallion." After hesitating for a split second, Cole held out the medallion. Catherine examined it and said, "I see that you serve the Goddess." In a soft voice, Cole replied, "Yes, I serve the Goddess." Catherine handed him a green robe and a large quartz crystal on a chain. Gesturing in the direction of her husband, she said, "Talk to Oliver." Cole looked at Oliver and then over at Gabby. A smile came to his lips at the sight of her struggling against Oscar in her desire to come to him. With a gesture in her direction, he said, "I'll talk to him in a minute. I need to talk to Gabby first." "Of course, I'm sure the Grand Druid will understand," said Catherine with a slight grin. Cole had only stepped out of the glade a minute ago and already he was demonstrating the same independence shown by all Druids. Watching as Cole strode off to greet Gabby, Catherine looked at the other robes she had with her. Atop the pile of robes was a small wooden box for use by one of the new Druids. It contained items normally used in Druid rituals. Two more students were still in the Glade. She would remain waiting by the path from the Glade for another hour. If the students didn't come out by then, they'd return to the Glade the next day before noon. She returned to where Oliver stood. He was watching Cole. A self- satisfied grin was plastered on his face as if he understood some cosmic joke. Shaking her head, she asked, "What's the point of being the Grand Druid if the other Druids ignore you?" "I've gotten used to it," answered Oliver looking at something that always made him feel good. He could see a golden thread connecting Cole and Gabby. It was clear to him that there was love between the two. Looking at Gabby, he could tell that she didn't feel complete with just that one love. "You're the Grand Druid," said Catherine sounding frustrated. She loved her husband and loved his easygoing manner, but felt he deserved more respect from her fellow Druids. She added, "They should respond to your orders." He thought about the responsibility that would come from having to direct all of the Druids. With a shudder, he said, "In a way, I'm glad they are so independent." "Why?" "Two hundred of the most dangerous people in the world are Druids. Can you imagine the responsibility of directing each and every one of their actions? I'd be so paralyzed with fear of ordering them to do the wrong thing, that they'd do nothing. I'm glad they are independent even if it means they ignore me at times," he answered. He imagined setting Oscar, Penny, Jimmy Lee, and a dozen of the other servants of the God loose on the world with orders to create peace. The death and destruction that could result would be a disaster. She couldn't believe that he would be happy to be ignored. In an apparent change of topic, she asked, "Speaking of which, do you want me to do anything special this evening?" Looking at her with lecherous expression on his face, he said, "I can come up with an idea or two." With a very serious look on her face, she said, "Well, I'm busy tonight so hold that thought." She burst out laughing at the frustrated expression on his face. Realizing she had been teasing him, Oliver said, "I just got another idea, naughty girl. You are going to pay for that. I'm going to put you over my knee and demonstrate on your pretty bottom that you are to respect the Grand Druid." "In your dreams," Catherine said with a smile. Seeing Cole heading towards Gabby, Oscar released her arm. She took off like a shot and nearly bowled Cole over in her enthusiasm. It was nice to watch Gabby give her heart to Cole, but Oscar didn't feel comfortable in the role of voyeur. Not wanting to impose any further than he had, he returned to the college. Oscar was working on a paper in the library when Cole sat down at the table across from him. Looking up, Oscar examined Cole noticing that he was naked rather than wearing the green robe. The medallion was clearly visible on his chest. He said, "Hello Cole." "Hello Oscar. I just wanted to thank you." "Thank me? For what?" asked Oscar. He was confused by the thanks being given to him by his fellow Druid. "Your words enabled me to truly understand the two rules. I'm convinced that let me become a Druid. I don't know if I would have been called without the understanding that you gave me," said Cole. That morning had been enlightening. After years of trying to live by those rules, he had decided that they were rules for the masses while something else applied to Druids. Oscar's words had put everything in perspective and given the rules new life for him. "It would have happened sooner or later," Oscar said not wanting to argue the point. "I also want to thank you for the help you've given Gabby." "I knew that you needed to talk with Catherine before going to her. I just held her back a little bit," Oscar said referring to his actions when Cole had come out of the glade. Cole laughed at the suggestion that was what Oscar had done. Shaking his head, he said, "I'm talking about the morning when she was going to quit the Druid College. You accomplished a lot that morning and I've been a direct beneficiary. I'm talking about Monday afternoon when you talked to her about my visit to the glade. She needed to know that she could still love me and there was hope the love would be returned." "Oh, that," Oscar said. "Yes, that," Cole said appreciating the slightly embarrassed expression on Oscar's face. He added, "There's one more thing that I wanted you to know." "What?" "I don't think I would have ever sought out service to the Gods and Goddesses if I hadn't seen you that day when you left for your trip to the Middle East with Ed Biggers." "Why?" Oscar asked confused by the revelation. "I know you talk about your height as being five foot less a quarter inch. The fact is that you project an image that is six foot tall. You look confident, strong, and capable. Don't deny it, my little friend. It is true and everyone here will tell you the same thing. "However, that morning when the Medallion flew to your neck, it was different. You looked complete and powerful. You looked like you were ten foot tall and nothing on this planet could stop you. I knew that I wanted to feel like you looked at the moment that Medallion settled around your neck," Cole said. He didn't want to say that before that moment he had his doubts about serving the Gods and Goddesses. "Thank you," Oscar said. There was no way he could deny how he felt when the Medallion had settled on his chest. Words couldn't express how he felt when it had dropped off on his return. Wanting to change the topic, he asked, "So what you are going to do now?" "I'll continue through school, leaving on those occasions when I'm called to service." "I'm glad to hear that. I bet Gabby was glad to hear that." "She was ecstatic." Eleven days after flying to see her father, Debbie returned to the Druid College with Georgia. Oscar stood outside the house waiting for the car to pull up with them in it. The afternoon had been spent getting ready for their return. He had gone shopping and refilled the pantry. There had been an incident in which he had dropped a pie, but that had cleaned up pretty well. At least he thought so. Debbie stepped out of the car and raced over to Oscar. Throwing her arms around him, she said, "It's so good to see you again. I've missed you so much." Georgia came out of the car and slipped behind Oscar. Wrapping her arms around him, she whispered in his ear, "That's her way of saying she's horny." "I heard that!" said Debbie in mock outrage. Whispering in her other ear, she said, "She's only saying that because she's horny and wants you first." With a woman in front of him and one behind, Oscar said, "I feel like an Oscar Meyers sandwich." To punish him for the bad joke, Georgia grabbed his arms and held them behind his back even as she started laughing. Debbie reacted by ticking his ribs. Unable to defend himself, Oscar said, "I give up. Do with me as you will." The pair of women dragged Oscar into the house. His protests were loud, but not heartfelt. Several hours later, Oscar was sandwiched between two naked women relaxing after a hard work out on his part. There were times when he regretted that the two women wouldn't have sex together. Even making love to one while the other was riding his mouth was out of the question. They wouldn't share him at the same time. It was tough having to focus on one woman and then the other in turn. It hurt to have to choose which one he would make love to first. Recovered from their activities, Debbie asked, "What happened while we were gone?" "Cole became a Druid. He serves the Goddess as a healer. I'm not sure of all the details, but you might say he's a psychologist," answered Oscar. He had heard Oliver refer to a Druid by the name of Lily Green as a role model for Cole's gift. The Grand Druid had expressed relief that her service had been passed on to someone else after her death a few years earlier. "What's going to happen to him?" asked Georgia. She imagined that a first year becoming a Druid had caused all kinds of problems for Oliver. "He's still in classes. Apparently, he wants to get the appropriate credentials so that he can run a private practice sometime in the future." "That makes sense," Debbie said. The idea that she could be called at anytime made her a very uneasy. She wondered what effect becoming a Druid would have on her relationship with Oscar and if it would freeze Georgia out of the relationship. She didn't want to hurt the relationship between Georgia and Oscar. She understood that it complemented her relationship with him. "I'm glad that we had this time together," Oscar said, "since I don't expect to see much of you for the next week or two." "Why not?" "Don't you have classes to catch up on?" "Not really. Bonny had tapes of the lectures delivered. I watched them while waiting around the hospital," answered Debbie. So much of the time had been spent waiting. Watching the lectures had provided a great distraction to worrying about her father. Her brothers had watched the tapes, but she suspected that it was because of the occasional shots of naked students rather than the material. "I didn't realize that," Oscar said. He knew that all classes were taped so those students who were ill could watch them while recovering. "Yeah, my mom and dad watched a couple of the tapes. I think they were impressed by the quality of instruction," Debbie said. Her father had been particularly interested in the history of warfare. The instructor had taken a historical war and presented it without giving names or nations. As events unfolded, it was without the clarity of twenty-twenty hindsight. He had presented it in terms of what people understood was happening and it was easy to see how misunderstandings and distrust had led inevitably to war. She grinned and said, "Dad decided that he wanted tapes of our lectures to replace the History Channel." "He sounds like a neat guy," Oscar said noticing that she referred to her father as Dad now. When she thought she was going to lose him, she had called him Daddy. "He is," said Debbie. She ran a hand over his stomach as she said, "You're going to love meeting him when he comes to visit." Winking at Debbie, Georgia said, "Yeah. He said something about grievous injury to the man would couldn't commit to his little girl." Oscar sat up with a concerned look on his face and asked, "Really?" The two women giggled at his reaction. Georgia said, "Actually, he said that Debbie was a harlot for trying to break us up." "He didn't?" asked Oscar unable to believe that a father would dare say something like that to a daughter. The idea angered him. Debbie laughed and said, "No, he didn't. He was surprisingly understanding and wants to meet you. He's heard about your career in Afghanistan and is really impressed by what you accomplished there. You should have heard him talking with Georgia." "He grilled me about the details of our work there," Georgia said. She had expected a man who lived in a small town to be less informed about international affairs than someone who lived in a big city. She had come to the realization that it was a consequence of cable television. "You've never told me what your parents do for a living," said Oscar. Surprised they had never discussed the topic, Debbie said, "My dad owns a store that does photocopies. My mom is a secretary at the local elementary school. They don't make much, but they always provided for us." "They sound like good people." "They are. What do your parents do?" "My dad is an electrical engineer. He does power systems. You know -- transformers and power supplies. My mom is a stay at home housewife," Oscar said. He knew he didn't think often enough about his parents. A stray thought went through his mind and he blurted out, "At the end of this session, we have a week off. How about we go visit our parents?" Georgia stared at Oscar and asked, "What? Spend one or two days with each of our parents?" "Every session, we have a week free. How about we take turns visiting our parents?" Sitting up, Georgia said, "My parents really celebrate Christmas. I've always enjoyed that holiday. I know you're a Druid, but do you think we could go there at the end of the fall quarter?" "The fall quarter ends at the end of November," said Debbie. "Oh, I forgot. I keep thinking of my university where winter break was during Christmas," said Georgia. Debbie and Georgia shared a look. Nodding, Debbie turned to Oscar and said, "We'd like to meet your parents. How about we go there at the end of this session?"