a work in progress

Chapter 3 - Winnie the Pooh

"Good morning Joyce."

Joyce is my administrative assistant. I love her. She's always so festive, even on the rainiest of days. She's 57 with a salt and pepper bob like Diane Keaton. She has two daughters – Morgan and Heather. I've never met them, but I hear about them all the time. They're not too much older than me, in their early 30s. They both have families and they're Joyce's pride and joy. Morgan lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young boys, and Heather lives not too far from here, in Cleburne with her husband, three daughters and two parakeets.

I've worked with Joyce since starting at Texas International College. It's just a small school, only about 1200 students and Joyce and I are the Student Conduct dynamic duo. I'm like the judge here, and she's my bailiff. Joyce has worked for Texas International for over 20 years so she knows everybody here and everyone loves her just as much as I do – maybe more.

"And what a lovely morning it is MC."

"I brought us quesitos today. My dad made them."

"I love your dad's cooking. I wish you'd bring some of your mother's famous cheesecake," she smiles patting her stomach. "I just put on a pot of coffee, and I'll bring out the orange juice for you," she finishes.

"Great. Lemme turn on my computer then I'll meet you en la sala," I look at Joyce expectantly.

"Sala. That one means...ah, uh...sala..."

I'm teaching Joyce some Spanish. She wants to go to Spain and run with the bulls in Pamplona, but she wants to know the language first. We learn new words each week, and I test her vocabulary by throwing in a few words in our sentences every now and again.

"It's another word for room right?"

"You got it Joyce," I say, calling from my office space.

I sit rather gawkily, crack my knuckles, and pull up my email. Alright, inter-office email, what do you have for my life?

TIC ITS>>>Subject: Your password will expire in 30 days.

What am I going to change it to? All the good ones have been used before. No time for this now. Next.

Harper Harrison>>> Subject: Brunch Friday

Mental note: put that in your calendar. Read this email post-breakfast.

Hayley Martin>>> Subject: I must know where we're going to eat brunch...

I need to remember to let her know the proper usage of the subject line. There are way too many words here.

Raymond Dinet>>> ON BEHALF OF THE VICE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE

Nervous, I am.

"You ready?" Joyce calls out to me.

Careening into the corner of my desk on the way to the breakfast area I say, "Sugar, honey, iced tea. Crap. Joyce did you get an email from Ray in the Vice President's Office?"

"You alright hun? Yes. I got it. The one about Mr. Callado?"

"The Matthew, Mateo guy?"

"His name is actually Matias. He's from..."

"Matias..."

What kind of name is Matias? Where is that from? It sounds awfully...um, well...like Matias. I think that's proper. What's he doing here?

"What's he going to be doing again?" I ask Joyce waking from my trance.

"Well, he's from Spain, and over there he worked at a University. He's here on a teaching fellowship and he's going to be the new Vice President for Academic Affairs."