Chapter 6

In the months to come, Michelle visited nearly every week, and on the weeks that she couldn’t make it, I found myself longing.

The terrible part was that I knew she was going to be leaving soon, going back to school in Rhode Island, and that our visits would come to an end.

We would spend the vast majority of visits discussing sociology topics. Michelle would pick a topic, conduct some research during the week, and then during our visit, she would take a stance on an issue. I would probe her with questions, find faults in her position, and exploit them. Many a time, I would see the frustration of defeat arise within her, but as these discussions progressed, she would come better armed with research and documentation. It was most exhilarating to debate issues of social impact while four feet away, two people were discussing better ways to sneak drugs into the facility.

It was a hot day in August when she addressed her departure to the Ivy League school. Our visit was coming to an end, and we’d had a particularly good talk on the human condition of overcrowding in cities.

“I can’t believe the summer has flown by and that I start school up again in less than a week.”

There seemed to be a sparkle in her eyes, and I surmised that there was a special boy that would be waiting for her back at school. She was wearing a short skirt, and her tanned legs looked nice.

“Well, it’ll be good for you to get back to Brown, it’s a good school, and you need to be interacting with kids your age vs. old fogies like me,” I said, perhaps a little more briskly than I felt. I could see a small smile trying to form on her face, and I found it more than mildly annoying.

“I’m not going back to Brown. I just don’t think it’s a good fit for me,” and I cut her off with a sharp reply.

“Stop right there, Michelle! You cannot give up on Brown or your education. It’s a fine school with top-rate instructors and...” I saw her openly smile now, and that broke the dam. “What the hell is wrong with you? You think it is funny that you are giving up your educational goals...” It was her turn to cut me off.

“Professor Kellerman, I didn’t say I was giving up college. I said I wasn’t going back to Brown. I transferred to another school. You might know it. Columbia?”

I sat back in my chair.

“You weren’t looking forward to me going back to Brown, were you, Professor?”

“Not particularly.”

“Me neither. I realized that I no longer wanted to become an inane business manager. I’m switching my major to sociology, and I’m going to be here for the next couple of years, at least, perhaps longer. And I really like you.” She blushed a bit at that, and I noticed that her nipples were slightly poking through her thin blouse. The monster stirred.

I heard the 2-minute warning bell go off, signifying the end of this get-together.

“Professor,” she started.

“It’s Joe. Or Joseph. I’m no longer a professor.”

“Okay, Joe. Do you know what next week is?”

I thought for a moment, but nothing came to mind. I shook my head.

“It’s your six-month anniversary,” she said, rising out of her chair in preparation to depart, “and I made an appointment for us. You know...” and then she lifted her short dress a bit, showing me that she was not wearing panties, “ ... conjugal.” She said that last word as a stage whisper and dropped her dress, smiled, then turned and left.

The monster was now fully awake.