Keep Me As An Apple of Your Eye - 18. December 18

Wednesday, December 18

The Light of Joy

These are the things you are to do:

Speak the truth to each other,

and render true and sound judgment in your courts;

do not plot evil against each other,

and do not love to swear falsely.

Jeremiah 1:16-17

Erick knew that he had made a huge mistake. On Monday he had planned to write the questions for the last exam but had ended up in bed most of the day. There were too many things going on the prior week and weekend for him to be fully prepared. He gave each class a different set of exam questions even though it might be the same course number. He knew about sharing exam questions among students especially since exams had started the week before. He hated being cynical but he knew that with enough money and ingenuity students could find out anything they wanted. He had seen that the day before when he handed out a fill-in-the-blank exam when students were expecting a multiple-choice test like he had used the previous Thursday. The looks he got were murderous. He inwardly smiled.

Today was even worse. He heard several students use the f-bomb when he stood at the black board and wrote a simple statement: “Describe the philosophical search for truth during the Enlightenment Period.” Of course, he was going to be punished in the end because he would have to read each paper. He told the students that their responses had to be between 1,500 and 2,000 words. Hands flew up across the classroom. Many students thought it was a trick. He saw a few students who brightened and actually smiled when he wrote the statement on the board. Those were the ones who knew the material inside out and wanted to show their prowess at assimilating knowledge into a meaningful essay. Nash was nodding his head and smiling. He immediately starting writing in his blue book.

Erick had actually smiled when he wrote the exam statement the day before. He had the “brilliant” idea while he was sitting in a class where students were trying to fill in the blanks of the complex word puzzles that were a mixture of sentences and quotations. Erick’s years of doing crossword puzzles had trained him well for writing the exam. Many of the blanks needed clever thinking to lead to the correct response. Erick had never thought of himself as clever in conversations; it was when he sat down to write that this talent presented itself. He heard lots of huffing and puffing. Some students actually threw their papers on his desk as they were leaving. Apparently, not many students in that class appreciated his wit and cleverness. He was already thinking of the grading curve that might be needed on that iteration of the exam.

Now today, he had another unhappy group of students. He didn’t fret about the final student evaluations for his course. The department chairman had already told him that his contract for next year was being prepared. He also knew that the department chair would appreciate the extra work that Erick had put on himself during the exam and grading period. Many of the professors gave a multiple-choice test and used bubble sheets for the students to complete. Grading was a simple matter of putting a punch form on top and marking the incorrect answers and then doing some simple arithmetic. Not Dr. Emmanuelson!

That morning Todd had been frothing at the mouth as he headed to his final exam. Erick wondered how it was that Todd was so brilliant yet was so uncertain of his intellect. Todd had an “A” in every course. Perhaps it was this dogged pursuit of excellence that made him such a stellar student. He never assumed anything.

They each finished exams that morning. They met in the student cafeteria for lunch. Todd was all smiles and knew that he had aced the exam. He recognized that he would over study and then wind himself into a knot of uncertainty but it paid off in the end. Todd was already sitting at the table when Erick arrived. Bowls of soup and a large Farmer’s salad were on the table. There was also a basket of hot Italian bread. Todd was feeling so good he had also bought a large slice of chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting for them to share for dessert.

Erick slid into his seat and grinned at Todd.

“Were they ready to string you up?”

Erick laughed.

“Let’s say they were caught by surprise. Especially those who had purchased exam questions.” They both laughed remembering when they had done that very thing.

Nash walked up to the table with a tray of food and asked if he could join them.

“Of course, do you have any more exams?”

“Nope, your doosey of an exam was the last. I am heading home this afternoon. Please think of me over the holidays. I have decided to tell my parents the day before I return. I have a scholarship so I don’t have to worry about a place to live or tuition for school for the next semester.”

“Dr. Emmanuelson?”

Erick looked up and saw an attractive young woman.

“Yes?”

“I am Jan Chamblee. I am in one of your freshman classes. I know you have a lot of students and wouldn’t know me.”

Erick knew exactly who she was.

“I know your face, name and grades this semester. It has been my pleasure to teach someone so eager to learn.”

Jan’s smile spread across her face.

“I just wanted to say I enjoyed your class very much. Your exam question was great but my answer may be a little off-track. I added some additional information we did not cover in class but I felt it was important to better explain my thoughts.”

“Outside resources are always welcome in my course. Most students only want to read the book and then quote to me what some another college professor has written. What additional resources did you bring?”

“I brought African wisdom and knowledge. It was from the pre-Enlightenment Period but informed what some of those great philosophers were thinking. I did a graph on a sheet of paper that outlined the transfer of knowledge over time. I have bibliographies if you need to verify my sources.”

Erick sat for a moment wondering where these philosophers came from in Africa.

“So, you are a freshman, and you know the critical thinkers in Africa from times before the Enlightenment and you were able to trace the transfer of this knowledge over time?”

“Yes sir.”

“Have you eaten? If you would like, get something, bring it back and join us, please. I am interested in learning more.”

Jan was all smiles as she dropped her books in a chair and headed to the salad bar. When she returned, she found Erick and Todd in a deep discussion. She saw Todd make emphatic statements to Erick and then grab his hand. She shyly sat down not wanting to disturb them. Nash was at the table and she knew he was a football player who was in her history class.

“I would like for you to meet my partner, Todd Reynolds. He is a senior math major. Also, I am not sure if you know Nash Gillette. He was also in your history section.”

They nodded their heads at each other and said it was pleasure to be introduced. Todd was preparing himself for a boring conversation between three history nerds.

“So, tell me about truth in Africa philosophy.”

Jan gave a hearty laugh and told Dr. Emmanuelson that was a course in and of itself.

Erick laughed at his overbroad request. Todd became interested in her intelligent response.

“Okay, I assume there was more than one pathway for this knowledge to be transferred from Africa to Europe and did this knowledge follow the traditional trade routes?”

The four then spent an hour talking about knowledge transfer in general and the philosophy of truth specifically. She had correctly assumed that Erick was Jewish and talked about the impact of the Jews in Egyptian exile on the culture of learning and knowledge transfer into the land currently known as the Middle East. All four were hungering for more knowledge when they realized the afternoon was slipping by. Todd had joined in the conversation and talked about the transfer of mathematical knowledge from Arabia to the continent.

“I need to leave. My granny will be worried. She knows that today is my last day for this semester and is planning a celebratory dinner.”

“The holidays are going to be very busy for us but please stop by my office when you return next semester because I think we have many things to learn and share with each other.”

Jan got up from her seat. She leaned over to Dr. Emmanuelson and said, “Not only are you kind and smart but you have great taste in men.”

Todd jumped up and hugged her. He then kissed her cheek. “Remind me to tell you how I fell into his arms the first time we met.” Todd gave her a wicked grin and she returned it in kind. Nash pulled her in for a hug and said it felt like she was a sister. He then asked if he could talk to her in private. She nodded but gave him a wary look. Jan had just met this big man and didn’t know what he wanted to ask that was so private. They got up from the table and moved to a quiet corner of the cafeteria.

“Jan, I know that you don’t know me but I feel that somehow we are connected. There is a huge athletic dinner and dance coming up and I was planning to go alone. I am required to attend. Would you consider being my date? I think we would have fun.”

Jan looked at him pondering the question. “Okay, so let’s get something out on the table. Are you straight or gay? I am only asking because you seem to be so comfortable with Dr. Emmanuelson and Todd. You might just be an enlightened white straight man and if you are, I say hallelujah for that. Also, I am focused on school and taking care of my granny right now.” She could see Nash’s eyes were wide and scared. “Also, I don’t know if I have anything special enough to wear when I am on a date with a football hero like you.” She smiled and grabbed Nash’s hand.

“I am gay.” His voice faltered. He hadn’t said that enough to get used to it. She grinned and hugged him.

“I am proud to have you as my date and as my gay brother. You are a good man, Nash Gillette.” Nash shared the information about the dinner and told her that he would pick her up. She kissed Nash on the cheek before walking back to pick up her things and head out. Nash was right behind her and gave her one last kiss before she left.

Nash then kissed Erick and Todd on the mouth and told them that he loved them. There was much hooting from the “football table” and Nash hollered that they were just jealous that he had three people to kiss and that it was only lunch time. The football players laughed and told him to have a good holiday.

Erick felt that the entire semester of teaching had been worth it to have that very discussion and the burgeoning friendships. Erick and Todd held hands as they left the cafeteria and went by Erick’s office to pick up some papers before heading home. They were in a loving, caring mood.

“Just think, we are finished with the semester. Well, I am anyway. You have to read 30 awful papers. I hope you learned your lesson about essay exam questions.”

“Twenty-eight potentially mediocre papers. I will save Jan and Nash’s papers for last. Hopefully some other papers will be as good. I can always hope.”

They arrived at the apartment and put on gym shorts and tee shirts. After lighting a fire, they grabbed a quilt and cuddled on the floor. They enjoyed talking and teasing each other about their habits. The comments led to laughter which led to rolling around and hugging. They knew each other so well after only a few weeks and the honesty of who they were individually and collectively led them to understand that they brought out the best in each other.

Suggested Music:

Jeremiah Symphony

Composer: Leonard Bernstein

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XZUhHAftgI