MRS. LOCKHART

ALEX's POV

The sweet twittering of the birds pulled me out of my deep slumber. I felt so cozy and serene. I sat up and stretched my arms. Taking my surroundings in, I realized that I was in my hostel room. Last night I was so tired that I couldn’t appreciate my room.

The walls were newly painted unlike my room in the orphanage which had the same whitewash since the time I had come to live. The bed here was soft and cozy. I had a wardrobe all to myself but the irony was that my clothes didn’t even take up a shelf. The room even had a study table with a pre-set computer.

How did I get so lucky?

The room was undoubtedly grand as per my standards but I was more grateful for the peace and quiet the room offered. In the orphanage I slept with 20 other boys. The mornings were utter chaos with everyone trying to get ready. This was the reason I always stayed up at night and studied and slept at daybreak.

Though I liked that it was quiet here I missed their cheerful banter. I opened the window and the soft sunlight streamed in. Energized by the cool breeze I got dressed up quickly. There was still an hour left for the bell to ring but It would be best to find out the classroom beforehand.

So I locked my room and went out to the playground. I had expected it to be empty but all the students had already gathered in the playground. They had formed themselves into groups and were chatting merrily.

I felt a bit embarrassed when I took in their branded clothes and stylish shoes. I looked out of place. I straightened the creases on my clothes nervously contemplating whether I should go and try to talk to someone. Just then I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned around.

The boy who had tapped on my shoulder looked like he had come out of a fashion magazine. He was flanked by two boys and two girls on each side. He seemed to be their leader. Their expressions were arrogant and their eyes were evil. These boys were trouble.

“ Fresher Huh?” The leader said in a stiff voice.

I just nodded my head hoping that they would leave me alone given my lack of response. I was so wrong. They had come looking for trouble.

“ Don’t you know how to greet your seniors when you see them?” The muscular boy next to the leader barked.

“ Say Good Morning, Sir. You dumb ass.”

I felt anger surge through me but I didn’t want to make a scene on the first day itself. So I whispered, “ Good morning, sir.”

As soon I uttered these words the muscular boy grabbed my collar. “ Do you think that is enough? You insulted our leader by not greeting him. Now you have to pay for it.”

“ Easy now, Joe. Be kind to him.” The leader said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“ Your wish is my command, John,” Joe said leaving my collar suddenly. I staggered backward due to the sudden impact.

My ears burnt with embarrassment as they snickered.

“ We will let you go if you do a task for us.” The leader said in a serious voice.

“ What do you want me to do?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“ Do you see that girl in a black dress. You just have to go and slap her. That is it.”

My heart sank. How could I do such a brutal thing? There was only one way now. I had to fight with these boys. I let out a deep sigh. There goes my first impression.

I closed my eyes recalling all the techniques I had learned in karate. I heard the sound of wheels rolling on the ground just behind me. I turned around instantly.

A well-built boy was coming towards me gliding on his skateboard. He smiled brilliantly at me. He skid to a halt right before me and said, “ You must be Alex, Mom is looking for you.”

Then he held my hand and pulled me along before I could respond. I had to run along to keep pace. He Didn’t show any signs of slowing down even after getting out of the main gate. So I stood firmly. This made him turn around.

“ Where are you taking me and how do you know me?”

He flashed me one of his dimpled smiles and said,” I already told you. I am taking you to meet my mom. She would be delighted to see you.”

Why would a stranger take me to meet his mom out of the blue? I wasn’t going anywhere until his intentions were clear. So I prodded again,“ How do you know me?”

“ Don’t ask me. My mom has been going on and on about you since the time you got a complete scholarship. She would have traded me for you in the blink of an eye if she could.”

I was appalled by those words but then he winked and said,” Just kidding, bro.”

“ I didn’t catch your name.”

“ Oh yeah! I never even told you my name. I was in a hurry to help you get away from those imbeciles. So, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Aaron Lockhart. I am in a class senior to you.” He said extending his hands towards me.

I grasped his hands and shook it firmly. “ Thanks for helping me out. I didn’t want to get into a fight.”

“ Any time, Buddy. Though meeting my mom was just an excuse to get you out of there, I think you should come and meet her. My ears have already burnt out from the unending praises she keeps singing about you. Let’s see if she recognizes you or not.”

“ Won’t we get late?” I was a bit reluctant to go. I didn’t want to be late on the first day.

“ Don’t worry. I live very near. We would be back in a jiffy.” Aaron said confidently. So, I relented. Moreover I didn’t want to be rude. After all he had helped me out.

He lead me to a small cottage right across St. Normans’. It wasn’t anything fancy but I liked the feel. He led me straight in through the open door. The furnishing was simple yet classic. Everything was tastefully decorated. The hall was decorated in shades of brown and white giving it an exquisite feel. The couch was dark brown with white cushions, the dining table and chairs were made of solid teak wood.

A woman was packing lunch boxes on the table. The gray strands of hair among the luscious brown strands indicated that she was in her fifties. I assumed that she was Aaron’s mother.

Aaron skated towards her throwing his arms around her from behind when he reached near her.

“Aaron!!! Why are you here? Had I not send you off to the college? Hurry up and go. For God’s sake be on time, at least on the first day.” His mom rattled without even turning around.

“ I have a surprise for you, mom.”

“ I don’t have any time for surprises. Unlike you, I prefer to be on time.”

“ But mo…om. I have brought my friend to meet you.” I felt like an intruder. I wasn’t used to seeing such interactions. From their conversation it was evident that Aaron’s mom was late for work. It was best if I left.

“ It’s ok Aaron. I will come some other time. I am getting late for college too.” I said in a low tone and turned around to leave. I stopped in my tracks and turned around when I heard Mrs. Lockhart’s voice.

“ Please wait!! I thought Aaron was just kidding as usual.”

“ I challenge you to guess who my new friend is mom?”

I opened my mouth to speak but before I could utter a single word he grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth with his hands. If I didn’t know he was my friend I would have thought he was trying to choke me.

“ Leave him right away, Aaron Lockhart.”

Surprisingly Aaron’s hand dropped right away.

“ After torturing me for weeks with his praises you don’t even recognize him. Here I thought you would be glad that I brought him home.” He muttered and skated towards the door.

“ I am leaving for college. I don’t want to be late.” He called out before leaving.

Mrs. Lockhart shook her head from side to side and sighed in resignation. “ This boy is going to be the death of me someday. Please sit down, Alex. Would you like to have something?”

I looked at her in shock. She had guessed my name. I was going to question her about it but she spoke up, “There are only 20 minutes for the college to start. So we might as well leave.”

I wondered if she had said ‘we’. I didn’t want to be late either. So I decided to suppress my curiosity for now and walked towards the door. Surprisingly Mrs. Lockhart followed me out of the door. Not only that, she even locked the door and walked alongside. It would be rude to speed on. So, I just walked along. The first day had already become a confused muddle of events. It couldn’t get worse.

Maybe I was wrong. As soon as I entered the college I saw the same imbeciles right across me. I tried to ignore them but they walked towards me. Someone had jinxed my first day.

 “ Don’t believe a word he said, ma’am. We didn’t trouble him. We were just teasing him.” John started blabbering nonstop.

Mrs. Lockhart raised a hand and said in an authoritative tone, “ Go to your classes right away. I am not interested in your banter.” They turned around and left immediately. 

Before I could beat myself up Aaron came bounding towards us and said, “ Madam, should I show Alex his classroom?”

His respectful words sounded a bit funny after the loving banter I had witnessed at his house.

Mrs. Lockhart nodded and left. Aaron put one of his arms on my shoulder but I shrugged it off. I looked at him in the eye and said, “ Explain.” I had enough of beating around the bush.

“ My mom is the principal of this college. That is why those imbeciles ran away with their tails between their legs. She was one of the judges who selected you for the scholarship. She was so impressed by your answers that she kept talking about you for days. That is how I recognized you. I had seen your picture on the form.”

“ Why did your mom not recognize me?”

“ I don’t know. Maybe she was more concerned about your answers than your face.” He said with a grin.

“ Since everything is sorted now. Can we officially be friends?” Aaron asked with his dimpled smile.

“ Friends,” I confirmed shaking his hands. He then led me to the right classroom. He met me during the recess too and shared his delicious mom-made lunch with me. He explained all the big and small details that would be helpful to me. He even came to bid me farewell when then the final bell rang.

“ I am grateful for your guidance, Aaron. I would be willing to do everything I can to repay you.” I said genuinely.

“ I will hold on to those words Alex. Don't regret later. Aaron said waving to me.

 I felt really lucky to have found a friend like Aaron. The stay at St. Normans’ won't be so daunting with Aaron around.