Chapter 8
Riley and Day
"Hey, girl, you settled in at the dorms, yet?" Riley asked Day.
She had just finished registration and was sitting in her dorm looking out over the Trevecca campus with boxes stacked all around her, not having completely unpacked yet.
"I am not! You should have come here to help me, you dog! I know, I know, you got your own first class tomorrow. I miss you, though," she responded.
"And I, you," he whispered back in an Anglican way.
"Good, you'd better! I've got to go out in a second with some of my new girlfriends. We got some new free vouchers from Jerusalem giving us extra eating bonuses at some of the best places. It's a present for entering back into school. I feel like a freshman again, even though it's my masters this time."
"Will you be ready to go to Jerusalem with me at the end of this semester, Day?" he asked as he crossed his fingers. He knew it was the first time he had mentioned it this way.
"Well, now is a fine time to mention that. Here, I'm setting sail for 20 months of heavy-duty master's program, and you're asking me to marry you. Isn't that what you're asking me?" she shouted on the phone, surprised, shocked, and dumbfounded that it was coming like this.
She always knew that Riley was a little slow on the uptake after she had hinted a thousand times that she'd like to get married. She just kept getting these blank stares; and wondered, why he wasn't getting it. They both knew they loved each other, although their meeting was planned, another of those Abigail suggestions. Their meeting was planned, but her feelings weren't.
"Mr. Riley, you better shoot straight with me. I've been hinting around for months about getting married. What are you doing laying this on me, now? You know I'll go with you. Of course, I will! Why now?"
Riley slumped down in his desk chair at the dorm and said depressingly, "I guess I'm afraid I'll lose you. I'm afraid you'll meet someone else, 'cause I never had the guts to ask you. But, I love you, Day. I want you to marry me. I want us to go to Jerusalem together."
"Riley," she whispered back, "how I love you. I already said I would. Don't worry about the credits. I'll transfer them to a Jerusalem University. And, stop that other people talk. I was committed to you long ago, whether you knew it or not."
"Yes, I knew it. And, I to you. I can't imagine not living with you. The Lord has great plans for both of us," he replied, then they just sat still not talking, just listening to each other breathing.
"Riley," she said, breaking the silence. "I have something to say, and you have to listen very carefully. You listening?"
"Sure, what's up? You want ten kids, right?" he answered, laughing, but didn't hear her join. "Okay, what's it about? Don't scare me, Day."
"You and I both promised not to let your dad know about us. Part of it is unspoken. We both know that you can only be married after you are officially chosen as a Jesus Priest and not before. Am I not right? Answer me, Riley, right?"
"Yes, yes, of course, and because my dad is a little concerned about the need for me to have the 4.0 even to be in the running. Girls are a distraction. I can hear him saying it right now. He was never mean about it, but I know how he feels. Why do you think I live on campus when he's only five miles from here at Red Fish?"
"Okay, but it's going to get harder for you soon," she replied as she thought of his Advanced English Class with Star.
"How? I'm not planning on doing anything different. What's up?" he asked, very perplexed.
"You're going to an Advanced English Class tomorrow afternoon, aren't you?" she asked.
"Sure, English 700. I understand it's a tough course, and we have a new professor, a Doctor of English. We'll be breaking her in right. We'll make her take it easy on us."
"Listen to me, Riley. I have a twin sister. I've never told you. Are you okay with that so far?" she asked as she built up her courage for the rest. "Sit down, Riley. Are you sitting down?" she commanded.
"Okay. Okay. I'm sitting down. Had been anyway. Just me and my swivel with my feet up on my desk. I don't care about you having a sister. Family is great, a twin? Who would have thought? Just make sure you give me the telltale differences so I know who's who."
"Well, that's not that difficult. She has a white, blonde streak of hair on the right side. She keeps it cut short just like me. My real mother used to wear it in a crew. I'm not quite that bold."
"Let's see," he said as he pulled her picture from his wallet and looked at the blonde streak in her black hair on the opposite side. "Like you said, that won't be a problem. Thanks for the tip."
"Your new English professor?" she said.
"Yes, what about her?" he asked while getting tired of the suspense. "Will you please tell what you're building up to? You're driving me crazy!"
"She's my sister, Riley. Her name is Star," she replied quietly and didn't hear anything on the other end of the line.
Suddenly, it hit him. "Are you telling me that your sister is the new Doctor of English teaching my class? Is that what you just said?"
"Yes, it is," she replied simply.
"You mean I'm going to be looking at a replica of you all semester without you actually being around? Girl, talk about making it hard on me. How long have you known about this?"
"About two weeks. I just didn't have the courage to tell you. Now, you see. I just made it pretty hard on you. I also made it harder for you to keep things a secret from your dad, didn't I? You're really going to have to be more careful, now."
"Man, with the campus being the gossip mill, he'd be the first to know.
The administration doesn't like him that much because he makes them toe the line on biblical stuff. He's like a watcher and drives them crazy. They'd love to get a hold of something like this, just to aggravate him."
"Obviously, it's not an issue if you keep quiet. You can't tell him about us. Do you understand? Please, don't tell him a thing. Star won't either. We both know how important your graduation is. Please, as your fiancée and future wife, mother of your children to be, don't say a word," she begged, then teared up and sniffled a little.
"There's more to it, isn't there?" he replied knowingly.
"Yes, but I can't talk about it. You have to trust me, Riley. I've never ever given you a reason to distrust me since we met, have I?" she responded, which made it sound like a proclamation of absolute truth that ought to be gospel somewhere.
"Calm down, Day. I trust you. I trust you. So, I just keep my mouth shut, and so does everyone else. Man, I'm glad we kept our "oath," like you call it. I don't think I could make it through the class thinking about you and watching her all the time if we hadn't. That would be way too hard."
"We're keeping our oath because it's the Godly and right thing to do! I'm glad that it's making things more convenient for you. Just don't let a bird build a nest in your imagination, okay?" she rebuked.
"I won't think about her that way. I promise. I don't even think about us that way, not much, I mean. It's hard, but I keep myself straight that way. Hey, that's why my dad says you women are a distraction."
"I want you to be distracted by me. I don't want to lose you to anyone else, either. Just graduate, and let's finish this last leg the right way. Get that 4.0, big guy, will you?" she commanded again.
"Hey, is there anything else I need to know about your sister while you're at it?" he asked, not expecting an answer.
"No, I haven't talked to her in about two days. Well, one more thing," she replied hesitantly.
"Oh, no, not another bombshell!" he answered, laughing again.
"A little one. She's going to UT Chattanooga and taking a political science class on her day off."
"Oh, no! You mean, she's in my dad's class? Day, what are you two trying to do to me? Holy Mackerel!" he shouted. "I don't think I want to know anything more, not for a while! I'm about saturated on my Day surprises for now!"
"No more surprises, love. Just take each day a step at a time and call me a lot, will
you? You know calls don't cost anything anymore. You have no excuse, and I've got to go. You okay, Riley?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. In fact, I think this whole thing is rather fun and funny. Who would have thought? It's like someone is writing a script, and I'm just one of the actors."
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