Malayali in London ~ Part-14

Chapter -3:

… College …

I’m in the kitchen again, making myself a cup of coffee, the chai wasn’t strong enough. My father’s sleeping, I can hear him snore. I grab my coffee and head to my room, sipping it on the way there. I draw the curtain of the window above my desk. The sky is nice pastel blue with pink clouds, and the golden fireball we call the sun is rising in the distance. I open the window to let in the morning breeze. I lean over my desk to look out the window, the trees are all starting to turn orange and most of the city is still asleep. The morning jolts motivation in me and I pull out my textbooks, notes and stationery and begin to study.

.       .       .

Two hours later I’m getting ready to go to college. Mother makes me some breakfast and I head to college with William. It’s been a few days since the semester began and I like the place so far, though I haven’t exactly made any friends other than Theo.

The day goes on as usual. I take my seat for journalism, when this girl comes over to me, “hey! I’m Twyla, nice to meet you. What’s your name?” I like the vibe this girl is giving off. She has a warm smile and welcoming brown eyes. She seems like a very genuine person.

“Harvey, Indrakshi Harvey.”

“Nice name, how do you pronounce it again?”

She takes the seat next to me and I try to teach her how to say my name right. She eventually gets it. The teacher comes in and begins her lecture. After class, Twyla shows me around and we chat. “you’re an Indian, right? It must be so cool. I’ve always wanted to go there. Tell me, what’s India like?” I tell her about all the places I’ve been to and the cultures I know about. She seems fascinated by it all. “I’m from Russia, the side that’s in Asia. I don’t really have many friends, to be honest. By the looks of it, you don’t either. I saw you sand up to that bully a few days ago and it was so sick, I loved it! Someone had to put her in her place. Want to be friends?” she lets out a hand for me to shake. She’s so easy to approach, and I’m surprised at the fact that she doesn’t have many friends. I smile and shake her hand, “sure.”

.       .       .

Ah great! It's that girl again.

At the end of the day, I waved Twyla goodbye and was just about to join Theo on the walk back home when Charlotte had to show herself. She walks over to me and says, “you managed to get away last time, but there is no professor Sterling around right now,” I roll my eyes, like how I’m forced to every time she’s around, “Actually idiot, you were the one who got away and you should give a second thought about the fact if professor Sterling is here or not.” She huffs and says, “why should I?” I make a face that explains it all and then say, “turn around and you’ll find out,” her eyes widen and she turns around to see professor Sterling right behind her. “You’re coming with me Charlotte, I’ll see you in my office.” She huffs and follows professor Sterling to his office while I wave at her, smiling.

Later Theo says, “Looks like you’ve made yourself a mortal enemy,” he says. “Looks like it, but it’s only for this year and the next, she’s graduating afterwards,” I tell him, “It also seems that you made a friend,” he says I smile and reply, “yes, she’s really sweet, have you made any?”

“A couple, I met them in class.”

“Nice, looks like you’re getting better at socializing.”

“I think so too, and by the looks of it, you’re adjusting pretty well too other than the fact that you can’t seem to be able to become respectful.”

“Well, I’m never becoming any more respectful than I am now but as for adjusting, you could say so but I wouldn’t be too quick to judge,” I sigh at the thoughts of Kerala, “back when I lived in Thiruvananthapuram, our house was so close to the beach. I loved going there, I loved the ocean. It was a huge part of my life and I miss it. The sounds, the salty air and the smell of fish, all of it. Too bad there are no beaches in Southwark, so I pass my time studying.” He gives me an empathetic look and changes the subject. We chat on the way home and as usual he stops at his house and I walk over to mine.

I get home and finish my homework as usual. But instead of sitting at the TV like I usually do, I decided to do something I used to love doing, climb a tree. I walk over to the backyard. I grad two of the lowest branches of the tree and set my food against its trunk, push myself by my other foot and pull myself upward with my hands. I climb for the next two minutes and then I sit down where I find a nice fork in the branches at a height I like. It feels good like it always has. But it’s not the same. The trees here and in Kerala were different.