A College Seeress' Diary

Aerial

Dear Jesus,

"I will not tolerate lateness to any of my classes, even starting from today," the stern-faced lecturer (a woman; a complete picture of an irked mother dog) barked.

I gulped.
I was in neck-deep trouble. Well, it wasn't as bad as that, at least I wasn't about to be strangled or squeezed to death.

I was officially late for my first lecture in McCheyenne.
What a nice record to begin with, Ray!

I couldn't have been more embarrassed when, as I tiptoed in through the back door fifteen minutes into the lecture, the lecturer, whose name I later got to know was Mrs Zaria Holten, stopped me in my tracks, successfully calling the attention of every living soul in the lecture hall to me.

It was a general course-Bio101- for all science students in my set and the big hall was filled and overflowing with students.
I'm still trying to understand how she'd easily spotted me. I was silent about my entry, and besides, she had many distractions to deal with already. Oh, my luck!

I felt stripped. My not-so-classy outfit that I had jumped into in a rush, my hair which I let down by fingering my hands through it in an attempt to groom and pat it into place, combined with my nerdy glasses that framed my eyes which were still slightly puffed from sleep, did nothing but add salt to my open wound of humiliation.

I who am terrified of being the center of attraction in a crowd was at laser gunpoint here, in my mind.
Forget that I said I wasn't about to be strangled. I could hardly breathe.
The strange faces all peered at me, some giggling and whispering, a few shaking their heads with pity for despicable me, majority with a bored, blank expression.

She, Mrs Zaria, proceeded to glamorously send me out of the lecture room. She was obviously in a sour mood.
Or maybe it was just her temperament. Choleric, I'll bet.

"Who is your class rep?" she demanded, scanning the lecture room with hawk-like eyes.

Murmurs of response filled the lecture hall and both Abdul and Shelly stood up.

"Pass the attendance sheet now! Whosoever is absent should mourn his or her lucky head. Such nincompoop," she glared at me and spat, "has just lost 10 marks that will accumulate to your GPA!"

I sighed and closed my eyes.
My dreams of a spotless grade was just flushed down the drain right before my eyes.

Well, it wasn't her fault that I was late, so maybe I deserved the harsh treatment.
The blame is on my guardian angel who was teaching such a deep thing to me that she lost track of time.
Not that I'm complaining...

Rewind the time to five hours earlier. I was still turning on my bed like a rolling pin on a wooden board, unable to sleep.

I had been so uneasy ever since I had a glimpse of those ghouly creatures/humans.

I eventually struggled to close my eyes and fall into a fitful sleep at around 3:00am.
Not long after, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Gloria smiling softly into my face.
I was so startled that my eyes widened to saucers.

She was looking beautiful and full of light as usual. But somehow, to me, she looked dishevelled as though she had been busy with many things.
I hadn't in any way been expecting or preparing to entertain an angelic visitor.

"Come," she said, her voice like a melodic string instrument.

I gently took her hand in a daze and I was shot up out of my body.
I flew upward with Gloria, through the storeys above my room, past the ceiling.
Her golden halo and shimmering wings lightened the dark barriers that we passed through easily.