The Road Home by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 4

Waking the next morning, Maya began her usual routine—a shower, dress, and, of course, coffee. She couldn’t function without it and often took a stainless steel water bottle filled with the steaming nectar to class. She saw it as something of a first aid kit for mental exhaustion, and when it became empty she reacted with a slight feeling of hopelessness, but there would always be more.

One or two of her roommates had already left for class and walking out to the living room she found Dave, Jackson, and Aurora looking at her with great concern. As soon as she appeared, they stood up, offering them both questions as well as support. Aurora was the first to address the matter.

“Maya,” she said. “What happened?” Approaching her, Aurora embraced her, thinking that Maya had been traumatized by her experience in the cafeteria.

“Guys,” she began. “I’m fine. I just want to go to class and forget the whole thing.” Taking Maya’s shoulders, she gently backed away. Not wanting to be abrupt, she knew that Aurora was only trying to be supportive. The two, being the only women in the apartment, had grown close and when they weren’t studying they would often talk about anything other than school. Neither had time for a social life, so conversation was all they had, and sometimes spent hours sitting together in silence. Both found the lack of conversation as its own interaction, bringing an unspoken intimacy to their friendship. Grabbing her day pack, Maya briefly checked to make sure she had packed all of her books and, walking towards the door, turned to reassure her roommates.

“I’m fine,” she said. “I really am. So don’t worry, okay?”

She struggled to bring a slight smile to her face and, turning the doorknob, left for class. The truth was she was not fine and the sight of someone lying on the floor in a state of unconscious still haunted her. Fearing this would only serve as a distraction from her studies, Maya tried to erase the image from her mind. The key to academic accomplishment is not only a clear mind but absolute commitment, and Maya could not afford to get side-tracked.