SUNGLASSES AND ROCKETS Part 1 : New Moon

THE PROFESSOR'S EXAMS

My heart skipped a beat; I did not dare to respond. I stayed there, petrified, staring at the telephone. The ring was insistent, stubborn. I finally decided to answer it. I fearfully lifted the headpiece to my ear.

"Hey Gordo! Are you there?"

It was Darwin. Thank heavens.

"Hi..."

"How's it going with the documents?"

"Fine...what about the hole in The Garage?"

"Don't worry, I covered it with some boards and piled some debris on top of it." "Where are you?" I asked, nervously.

"At home, I just got here," he paused and then continued, "Did you notice something strange about the documents? Something about the eyes?"

I knew what he was talking about. Of course, by telephone, we could only hint vaguely at what we wanted to say.

"Yes," I replied, "a pair of very exclusive eyes, that's what got my attention...we should put the exams back in their place, before the professor comes back in the classroom."

It seemed to me that communicating in code was the safest thing to do.

"The exams, yes, of course; I understand that the professor is coming back to the classroom at about 10 a.m.. But it would be best to arrive first thing, to get a good place."

"I agree."

"What time do you give your presentation?"

"At eight-fifteen."

"Then we'll go afterwards."

"Understood. You know what? I feel responsible for all of this," I lamented. "If I hadn't talked to Vanessa..."

"You were brave. You did the right thing! By the way, how was the date?"

Oh! My heart ached!

"Forget it," I responded, dejectedly. "I didn't have much luck...."

"All is not lost. Remember that women are unpredictable."

My good friend's words consoled me.

"Well said, Darwin. I'll see you in the morning."

The conversation, although brief, brought me some relief. I felt a bit more cheered up, and I began my task of doctoring the secret documents.

After several attempts, which ended up in the trash, I managed to make some almost perfect reproductions: a simple look, and you could not tell them from the originals. Basically, the difference could only be told by touch.

Satisfied with my good work, I felt confident, even ready to go on to prepare the physics presentation. It was three in the morning.

I decided, however, that a half-hour nap would do me good. I'll sleep until three-thirty, I told myself, yawning. I'll have four hours to get the presentation ready, and at seven-thirty I'll be done.

What's more, according to my calculations, I estimated that I would have half an hour to take a refreshing shower and have myself a nice breakfast.

After so many years at school, I had finally learned how to manage my time.