Stronger than the storm

Researcher for passion

Alex

My name is Alex, I'm thirty-six and finally I've been an assistant professor for few years at the Metropolitan University of London.

I was born and grew up in New York, but here is where I studied.

I live in a quiet residential neighbourhood with my friend Jenny and my dog Poppy, and I don't complain about it.

I've always loved literature, so when they told me there was an opportunity to apply for a teaching assistant, I didn't even think about it for a second.

I submitted my application and it's been taken. Here I am.

Tomorrow I'll have my first lesson: alone.

I'm really excited about it, but I know that I can do it.

I've dreamt so much this moment... all the students pending from my lips... it's an idyllic sensation.

I wouldn't like to talk about my family: it wouldn't be nothing interesting to tell, but I'd like to talk about what happened this morning.

I had decided to drop by Piccadilly Circus to finally buy a pair of shoes.

Having the morning off was really new to me, so I thought it best to dedicate it to myself.

I was walking when suddenly a blonde girl with a distracted look started jumping and ran into me, hitting me.

"Ah, these young people of today.", I think to myself.

I look at all my things scattered on the floor and pretend to be angry, even though the scene amused me a lot.

I look at her for a moment and she is speechless.

I have always known that I have a certain charm, but that someone was left speechless then ... I had never taken it into consideration.

I smile at her and leave.

The strange thing is that while I start walking again, I can't get the image I have of her out of my head.

Shortly after I return to what is my home. I throw the bags with my purchases on the bed and check my mail.

"Bills, bills, bills!", I exclaim.

" Can you find out why only bills come into this house? "I ask my room friend, Jenny.

Jenny is younger than me. She was born and grown up in Brooklyn and here she's found the job of her life.

She's engaged with Josh, a very famous guy in this neighbourhood because he plays basketball and he's very good at it, ma she doesn't love him for that.

Sometimes I remember her than they've been together for eight years, and that it should be time to move on, to do the big step. She laughs, because she really would to, but he has a different opinion. He says that it's possible to be together even without marriage, because it's a bullshit, a kind of contract signed on the paper, ecc, ecc.

I believe that there's more that he doesn't tell, like for example the other morning. He was having shower while his phone rang in the other room. I peeked it and I found out that there was a message from a girl or boy - I don't know – named sweetheart, and I decided not to tell Jenny.

I remember over the next few days I had to refrain from wanting to slap him and throw him out of the house while he flirted with Jenny and told her she was the only reason in his life.

"Come on ... how can you bullshit a girl like this?".

However, I decided that it was none of my business for the moment, and that I would wait for things to evolve.

"The bills come because they have to be paid!" Jenny exclaimed from across the room.

"Thanks for telling me, I would never understand that." I retorted sarcastically.

"How's it going with Josh?", I asked, joining her in the kitchen.

"It could be worse.", she replied with a sigh.

"You'll see that everything will be fine.", I tried to encourage her by giving her a light pat on the shoulder.

"Sometimes I wonder how you like women ... we're so unbearable sometimes." She laughed.

"You're right. Let's say I like to complicate my life.", I smiled at her.

I remember well the day I finally admitted that I liked women and not men.

It was perhaps one of the best days of my life, because I finally understood, I finally had confirmation.

Throughout my teenage years I had continually wondered who I was, what I wanted. And then I realized there was nothing to fear: there was time.

"Do you have to go back to work?", Jenny asked me shortly after.

"Yes, tomorrow morning. I'll give my first lesson alone."

"Wow. That's great!" she replied.

"It is, truly it is!" I said pouring water in the glass.