Folie A Deux

Chapter 2

After weeks of research, I finally found out where Professor Carl was living. I think I should go and visit him. So I take a taxi there. Besides it’s Friday anyway, so even if I don’t get any sleep tonight I won’t be late for class. When I got to the house I was speechless. It looked as if the house was gonna collapse on itself, the paint peeled off, the windows unhinged and slightly crooked, the porch seemed to be rotting in itself. At least it looked worse than it smelled. Actually, scratch that. Its smell was equally as repulsive.

 I don’t know how someone so great could end up falling this far below.

What happened?

I hesitated to ring the doorbell, but somehow I managed to ring it. Hmm... it seems to be broken, lemme try knocking on the door. He came to the door; it was still locked from the inside. He opened it just enough for him to see me.

I caught a glimpse of what was inside. The floorboards half rotting, parts of the walls laced with torn bits and pieces of wallpaper, the other parts riddled with shaky handwriting. I barely make out what was written on the walls, seemed to be programs, very complex ones at that. I look a little to the left and I see something that breaks my heart, written on the wall in all caps, ‘FAILURE.’

“Who are you? What do you want?” He said, his voice was shaking.

“M-My name’s Jimmy sir, and I wanted to know what happened with the Briarcliff University.”

“Briarcliff University?” He then paused, “I-I still have a class, excuse me I-I have to get to my class.” He said as he slammed the door on me. I sat down on the porch thinking to myself, ‘I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.’

The following morning I decide to go to the university and talk about this matter, I mean aren’t they doing anything? I go to the dean’s office but right away his assistant stops me in my tracks.

“Where do you think you’re going? The dean’s busy.” She says as she sort of blocks the way.

“I need to speak to him about something, it’s urgent.”

“Ha, urgent? The only things you kids find urgent is wasting the faculty and staff’s time,” She then took a pad and pen and began to write some numbers, “If you have any real complaints then you should take it up with the—”

“I need to tell him something important, please!” I said, almost begging

She sighed, but she finally gave in. “Fine,” she said as she was leading me up to the dean’s door. I reached out to open the doorknob, she stopped my hand, “But be warned if this is some kind of prank, I’mma whoop yo ass”

“Understood,” then she let go of my hand and I opened the door.

“I know that our football team is better than yours Harvey,” he then spots me, “I’ll call you back,” he puts down the phone. He had this serious look on his face, “Didn’t anyone teach you to knock?”

“Uh—sorry, sir.”

“Can I help you with something?” He asked as motioned for me to sit down.

“Sir, I need to talk to you about something important,”

“If this is because you’ve knocked someone up then that’s not my prob—”

“I-it’s not that sir,” I paused wondering how to say this, “It’s about professor Carl, Carl MacMillan.”

“Well, he’s not a professor here anymore—”

“I know that sir, and I know that it’s because he had some kind of nervous breakdown here or something.”

“And?” He asked, gesturing for me to carry on.

“And I was wondering what the university gave him when he resigned.”

“Well son, to put it bluntly. He resigned from the university in mid-October, we gave him his salary for the rest of the school days, but that’s pretty much it.” He replied

“But sir, have you seen the condition he’s in?!”

“Yes, yes I have. The drive to my house takes me down into his neighborhood,”

“AND?” I asked raising my voice just a little

“What do you want me to say? It’s sad, I know, but there’s nothing that this university can do”

“Nothing this university can do, or something you won’t do?”

“Now young man, I will not tolerate you speaking ill of this school!”

“Oh trust me, it’s not the school I’m referring to,” This phrase of mine is what probably pissed him off because the next thing I knew.

“Get out of my office,” and I did.

I went home, if the university won’t take action then I will.