People Can You Hear Me? [A Brian May Story]

[2]

I rolled out of bed, extremely reluctant to start the day. I didn't want to go to my afternoon class. I didn't want to do anything at all. I had given my essay to three other professors and none of them would let it be published in the school paper.

It was ridiculous. It was either because I was a mute or they didn't want students 'starting a rebellion.' The classic old-timer excuses.

Oscar jumped up on my bed, meowing at me to pet him. I picked him up and set him on my lap, stroking his head for a few moments. I wonder if cats could sense humans with a disability like mine. Maybe that's why he was so affectionate towards me.

Oscar jumped off my lap and made his way toward the kitchen, signaling he was hungry. I got off the floor and made my way through my cramped apartment. It was provided by the foreign exchange program. It's not very comfortable to live in, but it's better than living with another foreign exchange student.

It has ugly, worn-out green carpets and paint-chipped walls. The cabinets in the kitchen need to be readjusted and polished. Tiles in the bathroom have grime stains no matter how hard I scrub at them. And the windows never shut properly so there's constantly a draft in the room.

But I can't complain too much. It had hot water, electricity and gas to cook with. And the neighbors were nice enough to me. So I made do, trying to make the flat a little more cozy with some knitted blankets of my own and some pictures from back home. Not being able to talk granted me with resourcefulness and I made the best of whatever I could get my hands on.

After pouring some food into Oscar's bowl, I pulled out some coffee beans and placed them into my automatic coffee maker. My parents sent me that as a present two weeks ago for my twentieth birthday and I was extremely grateful. It was the only thing keeping me awake throughout the day.

While the coffee was being made, I put a few pieces of toast in the toaster and pulled out some jam that I bought at a market a mile from my apartment.

My mind thought of those boys on the train and how obviously, they ran some kind of stall near Kensington. That was their stop on the tube. I didn't know what kind of market was near Kensington or how it even looked. Maybe after class, I'll go check it out. I was in another country after all. Might as well get familiar with it.

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"Remember, your next essay is due on the 10th. Do not forget it!" The professor reminded us as class was dismissed.

I packed up my knapsack and made a mental note to start brainstorming for it. The topic was awfully boring. I couldn't even remember the entire prompt but it had something to do with Aristotle and all those ancient philosophers that make no sense to me.

Looking at my watch, I had almost five hours until my next class. Too much time to sit at the campus and do nothing. A part of me tells me to write my essay and get it over with, but I ignore the voice and decide to go explore Kensington instead.

I walked for a bit, stopping to get my map out of my backpack. I stared at my map for a moment, trying to figure out how to even get to the heart of Kensington. Before I could figure anything out, someone bumped into me.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" A young woman said, adjusting her wallet in her hands. "I'm afraid I need to pay better attention to where I'm going!"

I gave her a reassuring smile and went back to my map.

"Do you need help?" She asked. "Forgive me but, your bag is from America, yes?"

I looked up at her surprised and nodded. This woman obviously didn't miss much.

"Thought so, they don't sell that brand here in the UK," she sighed and looked at the map I was holding. "Where are you trying to go?"

I circled the center of Kensington on the map, my finger shaking slightly. The woman hummed and nodded, "Okay. Well, I'm going to Kensington market if you want to just follow me or if you don't, I can try to give you the best directions I can."