Nora Ray (Ray Trilogy)

chapter Eighteen

It was time to prepare to go back to college. They consoled themselves that this would be the last year they would have to be separated. It was a tearful separation but they were determined to make it work.

Nora consoled herself that once she started back into school and started getting involved in her studies she would be alright.

Jeremy went back to Harvard with a box full of papers he had written during the summer to describe and illustrate his theory.

He made an appointment with his biochemistry professor that he studied under last semester. The professor listened to Jeremy present his theory as he described what he had studied and the experiments he had done. When Jeremy finished, he asked the professor, “What do you think about it?”

The professor basically scoffed at him and said, “Jeremy, all you have is a box of papers and a hypothesis. You haven’t proved anything at this point. You’ll need several generations of plants providing fruit and test each one. If anything comes to fruition, then come to me and I’ll look closer at what you have.”

Jeremy picked up his whole summer’s work and took it back to his room discouraged. After all that work I did he thought.

He wanted to call Nora, but long distance calls weren’t in his budget unless it was an emergency. He didn’t think this qualified.

He enrolled and bought his books. This time he went to his counselor and changed his major to horticulture with a minor in business administration. This time besides his basics that were required, he took entomology, chemistry, and genetics. Also, Jeremy sent off for an application to transfer to OU in Tulsa to study horticulture.

After a week of waiting for the application, he received a letter stating that he would be better served by enrolling in Oklahoma State University Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. He immediately sent off a letter requesting an application to OSU.

After another week of waiting, he finally received his application. On the application they asked if he wanted to transfer for the Spring semester, the Summer semester, or the Fall semester. Well, I hadn’t thought of anything but the Fall semester. I just changed my mind. He filled it out for the Spring semester.

He sat there toying with his pencil. It really made sense to go to Stillwater for the Spring semester because he could drive to Tulsa to find a house for them. He would be closer to home. He could easily go home on the weekends.

The way he figured it, he would save his dad so much money by changing universities; he should love him for it. He could save those big bucks for Jeffrey or one of the other boys.

Nora, on the other hand, had gone back to school and immersed herself in her studies. She missed Jeremy every moment that she wasn’t disciplining herself to concentrate on some school work. At night she lay in bed remembering every touch and sensation. Gosh! I’m worse since our vacation than I was before. She had immaturely thought being with him might relieve some of her desire so she could make this year easier than the previous year. Her body ached for him.

I am used to studying through all kinds of circumstances. I can do it now she told herself. This time though it was her body that wasn’t cooperating. She had trouble sleeping. Her eyes were getting hollow with dark circles around them.

After the first month, her calculus professor, Mrs. Timmons asked her to stay after class. Nora picked up her books, which seemed twice as heavy as usual, and went to Mrs. Timmons desk.

“Nora,” Mrs. Timmons began, “Are you ill?”

“No,” was Nora’s first response because she never was sick. Then she shook her head after she thought about it, “I-I-I don’t know,” she stammered. She hadn’t thought about being sick. The only thing she had thought about was missing Jeremy.

“You don’t look well. You missed three problems on your quiz. You don’t usually miss any.” Mrs. Timmons apologized, “I’m sorry. I don’t intend to probe, but I am concerned. If you want to talk, make an appointment and I will help you if I can.” She smiled at Nora in dismissal.

Nora walked out in a daze. It hadn’t occurred to her she might be sick. She snickered to herself. I sure am love sick.

She pushed the incident out of her mind until she fell in bed that night feeling as heavy as a log, she was so tired. She lay there wishing Jeremy was there. She had written him a letter tonight as she had each night, and included the incident with Mrs. Timmons. She had dismissed the idea because she didn’t have any sniffles or sore throat. What else could it be?

She sat up straight in bed, “Oh! My God! Jeremy!”

She lay back down slowly. Jeremy had insisted on using condoms. After a while they seemed to be more trouble than they were worth. They definitely weren’t staying in place and containing the semen which they were designed to do. Well, she thought now I have something else to worry about.

Okay, think about the last period. God! She thought I’m not used to worrying about things like this.

She remembered finally that she had just gotten off her period the day before they went on vacation. Calculating one year forward, three months back. That should put me somewhere in the middle of May or so, give or take.

No way, I’m not having a baby during finals week. I’ll flunk every class I’m in and lose my scholarship. She pictured herself waddling in swollen and barely able to sit in one of the chairs to take her tests. I don’t think so. No, way.

By calculating up her last period, she knew that she was two weeks late. “Oh, My God!” she muttered. She pulled the covers over her head and curled up in a fetal ball. She knew when Jeremy read her letter; he would come to the same conclusion.

Finally, she slept the sleep of exhaustion.

She dragged herself out of the bed when the alarm rang. She went into the bathroom to shower and get ready for school. She pulled the gown over her head and stood looking at her stomach in the mirror. She turned sideways and imagined her belly already swelling with a bump.

She thought of her mother, wondering what she would say. Would she scold or jump up and down for joy?

She thought of Jeremy’s parents. They were predictable. Samantha would be happy where Donald would get angry and say, “I told you so.”

Knowing she didn’t have to get up early on Saturday morning, Nora took two aspirin and went to bed. When she woke up she took too more aspirin and went back to bed. She was tired of being tired.

When she woke up in the afternoon, she felt more rested than she had in days. She went to the bathroom and she had gotten her period.

She got dressed and went to find some food.

Monday she wrote a quick note to go out in the morning mail to let Jeremy know that he could stop worrying.

She received a letter from Jeremy that he would be moving to Stillwater, Oklahoma to attend Oklahoma State University for the Spring semester.

She was so happy that he wouldn’t have to go back to Harvard. Stillwater would be only two hours away from OKC but so would Tulsa. They could be together on weekends. Would that make it harder or easier? She puzzled on it for a while before she made up her mind.

Nora went to the Dean’s office the next day to ask how would it affect her circumstances if she transferred to Tulsa for the Spring semester rather than wait until Fall semester. They told her basically it wouldn’t affect her in any way as long as her paperwork was filed in sufficient time for them to send her transfer over to the other office. She immediately started the process.

She was so excited but she wasn’t going to tell Jeremy, yet. By moving to Tulsa, she would be between Pryor and Stillwater and be closer to home.

Nora had kept herself busy studying and the semester was finally over.

She finished her last final for the Fall semester this morning. In January she would start classes at the Tulsa campus. Change can be scary but also a challenge. She accepted challenges as a game to conquer, most of the time she had been successful. She hoped Jeremy would be as excited as she was about the early move.

Nora pulled into the driveway anxious to see her mom and Danny. Jeremy would be home tomorrow. She could hardly wait.

Danny wasn’t home from school for the day, and apparently Laura was at work or just out somewhere. She hadn’t sent a note to tell them when she would be home. It felt strange to come home to an empty house.

Funny she thought. It doesn’t feel like home as much as it used to. Sort of like coming to Mom’s house.

She set her bags down and looked at the Christmas tree that her mom and Danny put up. She remembered the first Christmas after they had moved in town where Jeremy had brought all those beautiful decorations for them to put on the tree and around the house. It was their first real Christmas with all the trimming. Jeremy is so good to us she thought. Her heart filled with gratitude that she could be fortunate to love someone so kindhearted.

She remembered how she used to push him away and ignore him. Well, she excused herself he was just plain annoying. His advances embarrassed her. She smiled remembering how they had made that deal, totally out of her comfort level, to go on that first date. How it changed my life!

She unpacked her bags then looked around for something to do. In the refrigerator she found a cut-up chicken. She peeled and sliced up potatoes to fry. Soon aromas floated from the kitchen of frying chicken and potatoes. Next she stirred up some biscuit’s for the oven.

She stood looking at what she had cooking. Some salad sounds good, so she pulled out the lettuce, tomatoes, a green pepper, and green onions. Next she put her mind on what should be for dessert. She found some fresh apples in a bowl on the cabinet. She opened a can of fruit cocktail. She chopped an apple, poured the fruit cocktail over the apple and sprinkled pecans and marshmallows over it and stirred. There she thought now all we need is some good cream gravy for the mashed potatoes.

She placed the chicken and potatoes in the warmer drawer of the oven and placed the salad and fruit salad in the refrigerator to rest until Laura and Danny came home.

She called her friend Jamie to see if she was home from college. Jamie’s mother answered. She told Nora that she would have Jamie call her when she got home.

Nora found a book that apparently Laura was reading. It had been a while since she had time to read for the enjoyment of reading. She sat down in her Dad’s big comfortable chair to read.

An hour later, Danny burst in the door and threw himself on her to give her a hug. Soon Laura came in sniffing the air, “I can’t remember when someone prepared the evening meal for me.”

Nora laughed, “Today is your lucky day.”

Later Jamie returned her call, after a chatting for a while, Nora asked, “When is the Christmas party at the hospital? I think I would like to go and help out.”

Jamie replied, “I don’t work there now but I heard that they don’t have a Santa this year. If Jeremy would like to fill in for them, they would really appreciate it. They had so much fun when he played Santa for them. It is usually the Monday night before Christmas.”

“He won’t be home for a couple of days. I definitely will ask him. It sounds like fun to me. I’ll call them to be sure on the day,” Nora declared.