Cara Ellis sat down in a booth in the back of a restaurant. She looked down at her watch. It was five after seven, and she was late to meet Damon Smith, her boyfriend. She hoped he wouldn't be too upset. She looked around to see if he had come in yet. No sign of him. She sigh and sat back in her seat.
Cara began to drum her fingers on the table. She looked down at her watch again. Ten minutes after seven. He should be here by now, she thought. Oh, well. She opened her purse and pulled out her CD player. She put the headphones in and pushed play. "Where's the love? It's not enough. It makes the world go round and around, oh......"
Cara and Damon had been seeing each other for about three months. He was the nicest guy at Georgia Tech, as well as the cutest. They had met in English Lit 101, one of Tech's most popular classes. There were at least a hundred students in the class, but that first day, their eyes connected from across the room. It was certainly a magic moment. They had been inseparable since. Until now....
"Look at you, look at you baby. Look at you, look at you baby. Standing in the shadows wondering what I'm doing here...." the Hanson brothers sang.
Cara's thoughts began to wonder onto other things. She had gotten a letter of acceptance from Oklahoma State University earlier that day. She was only going to Tech for one semester, until she had enough money saved up to go to Oklahoma State. She planned on living there with her widow aunt while she studied to be an architect. She wasn't sure how Damon would take her leaving in a month, but she didn't care. He had classes and a football scholarship to keep him busy.
"When you have no light to guide you, and no one to walk beside you, I will come to you. Oh, I will come to you......" Cara was a die hard Hanson fan, no matter how old she was. She fell in love with their music the first time she heard them in 1997. Most people thought the three boys were annoying, and Damon thought she was silly for liking them, but it didn't matter. Their music put her in a good mood, and she didn't mind the teasing she got about it. She looked down at her watch again. It was seven-thirty already. Where is he? she thought. She stood up and grabbed her purse about to leave, when she felt someone put their arms around her. She knew the aftershave.
"Damon!" she said turning around. "Where have you been?"
"What? I don't even get a hello?" the blue eyed boy said, feigning innocence.
"Sorry....hello. Now where have you been?" she asked again.
"Sorry, Coach held practice overtime today. I couldn't help it," he replied. They sat down in the booth. "But we finally got the new play down."
"Well that's good...but it doesn't excuse your tardiness," she said curtly.
"Sorry, ma'am," he said making a goofy face.
"Oh, hush up," she said smiling. "I have something important to tell you."
"What? Tell me, tell me!" he said, almost like a little boy wanting to know what he got for Christmas, even though Christmas was days away.
"Well, here. Have a look for yourself." She pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed it to him. He opened it and read over it.
"You got into Oklahoma State! That's wonderful!" he exclaimed. He leaned over the table and kissed her.
"So you're not upset that I'll be leaving at the end of the semester?" she asked.
"No.....well, actually a little. But you're going to the school of your dreams! That's what matters!" he said.
"Yeah, I guess," she said, quietly. She looked down at her hands.
"Aw, sweetie, it'll be alright. We can make this work, even long-distance," Damon said, getting up and coming over to sit beside her. He put his arm around her as she cried.
"But we're going to be over a thousand miles apart. And we'll both be so busy," she said between sobs.
"If anyone can make a long-distance relationship work, it's us. We will succeed," he said. He had the most serious look on his face. She started giggling. "What?"
"You just make this whole thing sound as though we're going to war with the Germans," she replied. She looked down at her watch. It was almost eight. "I have to get going. I've got a big test tomorrow in Physics. I haven't even begun to study for it."
"Aw.....I was hoping I could spend some more time with you," Damon said pouting. She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I'd love to...but I can't," Cara said. "I have to pass this class, and I'm not doing too well right now. I need to study." He was making puppy dog eyes at her. She stood up to leave.
"Oh, alright," he said, frustrated. "I understand."
"Good. I have to go," she said.
"Just one more kiss?" he asked. She leaned over and kissed him lightly. He put his arms around her waist and held her to him. Finally she pushed him away.
"I have to go now, okay? Bye!" she said, quickly walking away.
"Bye!" he said, waving. He plopped down in the seat and stared after her.
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One Month Later
"Now are you sure that's everything?" Liza asked for the tenth time.
"Yes!" Cara exclaimed.
"Man, I'm gonna miss you," Liza said, giving Cara a big hug.
"I'm gonna miss having you as a roommate, too," Cara responded. " I'd better go before I start getting all weepy." She picked up her suitcase and walked out the door and downstairs. She opened the trunk to her car and put the suitcase in. She got in the car and turned on the engine. She took one last look at the dorm, as her eyes began to tear up. Then she drove off.
Cara popped in a tape. It was a copy of Hanson's Three Car Garage. "Well, the day has come to where I've never thought of anyone......" Her thoughts began to drift.
Cara and Damon had said their good-byes the night before. It was very romantic, a picnic and a concert. He had told her that he loved her. They exchanged addresses and parted ways. It was somehow easier to do that, rather than waiting until the last minute to say good-bye. But still, it didn't make leaving any easier. The emptiness she was feeling was tremendous.
"I guess we'll never know...Exactly where this river is gonna flow. And I guess we'll never understand...Until we reach that promised land........"
Cara couldn't wait to see her Aunt Maggie. Aunt Maggie was a very interesting person. She had started out adult life training to be a nun. Then she went to France as a nurse in WWII, and met Uncle Philip. They were married after the war ended, totally ruining Maggie's career as a nun. After that they lived in Lipo Lipo as missionaries for seventeen years. Uncle Philip had died when Cara was seven. After that, Aunt Maggie moved to Oklahoma City, where she had been raised. Out of all of Cara's family members, Aunt Maggie was her favorite. Aunt Maggie and Uncle Philip never had any children, so Maggie had always doted on Cara. Living with Aunt Maggie was going to be fun.
Cara pulled up at a gas station in Memphis, Tennessee. She got out and filled the tank, then ran inside to get some snacks. After paying for a bag of Doritos and a Coke, she went back out to her car. She pulled back onto the road again. She decided to stop at a hotel for the night in St. Louis. She found a Best Western that had a vacancy. Once she had gotten settled, she called her Aunt Maggie to tell her that she had stopped for the night. Then she called Damon.
"Alpha Beta Frat House. Damon Smith speaking," he answered.
"Hey!" she said, trying to sound cheerful. She missed him like crazy.
"Cara! How are you? Where are you?" he asked. She felt as though she could hear him smiling through the phone.
"I'm fine. I'm staying at a hotel in St. Louis for the night. How are you?" she asked.
"I'm alright, but I miss you," he said.
"I miss you, too. I'm feeling so lost without you here," she said.
"Me, too. But we'll survive this. I know we will," he responded.
"Well, I have to go...I just wanted to hear your voice."
"Ok, I love you," he said.
"I love you, too," she responded. "Bye."
"Bye." She hung up the phone. She layed back on the bed and started to cry. How was she ever going to make it without him? She set the alarm clock for seven, turned off the light and went to sleep.
"Beep-beep! Beep-beep!" the alarm went off. Cara reached over and hit it. It became silent. She sat up in bed and yawned. Seven ‘o clock already? She rolled out of bed and padded into the bathroom. She got dressed and brushed her teeth. Then she loaded up the car again and left.
"As surely as the sun rises each day...so my love will never change...and though the years may come and go...."
At about eight-thirty, she stopped and got breakfast. A cold cappuccino and a bagel. Then she set out on the road again. Mile marker, after mile marker flashed by. Finally she saw a sign that said, "Welcome to Oklahoma!" She breathed a sigh of relief. Only one more hour until she was at Aunt Maggie's.
"Pictures on the wall, pictures everywhere....."
Cara arrived at Aunt Maggie's at about seven. She quietly pulled into the driveway and turned the engine off. Aunt Maggie's house was a huge log cabin, of sorts. It had three stories, and a gigantic back yard. After sitting and staring at the house for a few minutes, Cara got out of the car and went to the door. She pushed the doorbell.
"Just a minute!" a voice from inside said. Then the door swung open. There stood Aunt Maggie, covered up to her armpits in flour. "Cara! You're here!" She motioned for Cara to come inside.
"Hi, Aunt Maggie!" Cara said, smiling for the first time since she had left Atlanta. "What in Heaven's name are you doing?"
"Making bread," Aunt Maggie replied. "The store bought stuff is alright, but there's nothing like homemade bread. How was your trip?"
"Great! A little lonesome, but that's okay," Cara said. Maggie grabbed Cara by the arm and went into the kitchen. Maggie started rolling dough.
"Keep talking sweetie."
"Well, I stopped last night at a hotel, as you know. After I called you, I called Damon. He's doing alright. Probably better than I am at this point," Cara said. Maggie nodded. "I'm hoping this school is as good as they say it is. Or else I've caused myself and Damon all this pain for nothing."
"Yes, dear. But I think it's a little late to be worrying about that now. A letter came for you today from the University. It's on the table over there," Maggie said, nodding her head towards it. Cara walked over to the table and picked it up. She ripped the envelope open with her finger nail. The State University seal was at the top of the piece of paper.
Dear Ms. Ellis,
We received your pre-registration for classes recently, and we have tried to work out a schedule of courses that accommodates your major, as well what you wished to take. Your schedule is as follows:
M, W, F: History of Architecture, 8:30 a.m. in Lerner Hall, Lec. Rm. C
T, Th, Sa: Drafting and Engineering 101, 10:00 a.m. in Lerner Hall, Lec. Rm. B
M, W, F: Computer Sciences 201, 11:00 a.m. in Baxter Library, Computer Room
T, Th, Sa: English Literature 301, 1:00 p.m. in Main Building, Rm. 400
M, W, F: Calculus 501, 2:00 p.m. in Main Building, Rm. 305
T, Th, Sa: Basic Architecture, 3:00 p.m. in Lerner Hall, Lec. Rm. D
The new semester begins on January 17th, 2004. We have enclosed a map of the school as an aid, and a list of books needed for each class.
We look forward to having you at our esteemed university.
Dean of Students,
Mikaela Landry
"What does it say?" Maggie asked. She started to knead the dough.
"It's just about my classes," Cara replied.
"Did you get what you want?" Maggie asked.
"Yes...but I have to go book shopping tomorrow. Are there any places in town?" Cara said.
"I believe there's a bookstore on the campus. And if my memory serves me correctly, they're looking for help, too. It was listed in today's paper. Employee discount on books, good pay, too. You ought to look into it. You're gonna need the money, and it'll make buying your text books cheaper," Maggie responded.
"Thanks, Aunt Maggie! I think I will," Cara said, giving the old woman a hug from behind.
"Why don't you go unload your bags and bring them inside? Your room is the usual one that you stay in when you visit," Maggie instructed.
"Alright," Cara said. She walked out to her car and started picking up boxes and carrying them inside. Things are going to be okay here, she thought.
