Professor Woods

“I can’t be late again Raven!” Clarke said as Raven turned into the campus coffee shop.

“Relax Griffin. It takes 2 minutes to get a cup of coffee. We have plenty of time.” Raven responded with an eye roll.

Yesterday Raven had announced that she was adding Clarke’s English Class to get her Western Women Credit. Clarke was initially glad that another senior would be in the class with her. A 100 level elective English class was mostly full of bright eyed freshman and the occasional sophomore. Now that Clarke thought about it, she was really closer in age to Professor Woods than to most of her actual classmates. Raven interrupted her thoughts.

“You want a coffee Griffin?”

“No. I want to get to class!”

“You will get to class. Only you have the possibility of getting to class with a coffee. Or no coffee. Which is better?” Raven said as if speaking to a child.

“Fine. Buy me Latte.” Clarke grumbled.

“You got it princess.” Raven grinned.

10 minutes later Raven handed Clarke a Latte and Raven sipped her mocha with an extra shot of expresso.

“Ok. You’ve got coffee. Time to get to class.” Clarke said as she headed toward the door.

Shit they were late. Normally when realizing she was late Clarke would have power walked or even jogged to class. Raven would try to keep up with the pace Clarke set and Clarke wasn’t going to do that to Raven and her leg. Clarke walked with a slow but deliberate pace.

Raven was in a car bad car accident a few years ago. Drunk driver. Clarke could still remember that night. She was with Bell and she got a call from Octavia who was hysterical. Crying into the phone as she tried to tell Clarke that Raven was in the hospital. Raven had a concussion, a broken rib, numerus cuts and bruises, but the worst was her leg. It was broken in several places and had severe lacerations.

Raven was in the hospital for what seemed like weeks. It had been a rough time. Raven’s leg would never fully heal. The doctor said she would walk with a limp and never be able to run or jog again. Raven was stubborn though. After hard work she could walk most of the time without limping. It only came out when she was tired or walking quickly.

So Clarke strolled with Raven toward the Arker building. Raven sipping her mocha and Clarke her latte. Glancing at her watch when they arrived at the door, Clarke saw they were 7 minutes late. Damn.

“Well, we’re late.” Clarke sighed.

“Well, someone can do math. Nice job.” Raven replied.

“Raven….”

“Relax Clarke, just follow walk in behind me and no one will notice you. Trust me.” Raven said as she opened the door and took a step inside. Clarke sighed again but followed Raven.

***

“Ok so I choose this poem to start the class with because this is an intro class and this is a relativity simple poem. Now it’s incredibly moving but you don’t have to be an English Major to understand it.  Gwendolyn Brooks was raised in Chicago and she was the first Black person, man or women, to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry. She . ………….” The annoying sound of the squeaky door once again interrupted Lexa’s lecture.

Lexa eyes locked with Clarke’s who also gave her another apologetic smile. Clarke was following another girl who didn’t look apologetic in the least. The girl had dark tanned skin along with dark hair and eyes. She was a bit on the short side but she carried herself with the confidence of someone like the old spice guy.

“Thank you for honoring us with your presence Miss Griffin.” Lexa said curtly as Clarke and her friend took their seats.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again Professor.” Clarke responded sheepishly.

“See that it doesn’t.” Lexa redirected her attention to the class. “ As I was saying, Gwedolyn Brooks spent her first few years of marriage in a place very similar to the place described in this building. Now ‘Kitchenette Building’ is easy to understand but a wonderful poem none the less. Gwendolyn Brook’s was a black women living in 1930’s Chicago. Obviously a time of turmoil. Does anyone know what a Kitchenette means in this context? It’s not as cute as it may sound.”

Lexa looked around the room for hands. To her surprise Clarke’s friend raised her hand. Lexa nodded for her to speak.

“Wasn’t a Kitchette basically a really tiny apartment? Like one or two rooms and you like shared a bathroom with a bunch of other families. And the apartments were really shitty like a modern day slum.” The dark haired girl said.

“Yes. Basically it was. It was a, as you say, shitty little apartment that your whole family lived in and you shared a bathroom with your neighbors. Not a nice place to live.” Lexa paused here for a moment and looked at the faces of her students before she continued.

“I’m sure you all understand the basic concept behind the poem. But let us focus on how and why it’s so powerful. Why do you guys think “Dream makes a giddy sound? Not strong; like ‘rent,’ ‘feeding a wife’, or ‘satisfying a man’?””

The class was silent. No one wanting to risk a wrong answer.

“Come on guys! I don’t want to be one of those professors who call on people randomly. So someone give me something.” Lexa pleaded.

A few quiet minutes later and a voice from the back spoke up.

“Well dreams aren’t solid, they aren’t pressing, they aren’t now. If your poor and trying to feed your family you don’t have time to dream. You don’t have time to as she says “time to warm it, keep it very clean.”

Lexa smiled. It was a very good start. Soon another student joined it.

“Brooks also says “We are things of dry hours and the involuntary plan”. It seems like the involuntary plan part could be she’s talking about poverty at this time and how it’s a cycle. It’s involuntary but most black children know will continue to live in poverty because it’s a vicious cycle.”

Another student added, “Yeah. Her situation makes her took concerned with eating and sleeping and just living day to day. She won’t have a dream. She can’t have a dream. The only thinks she dream of is “lukewarm water, and hope to get in.”

Lexa smiled as more student’s started commenting. This was exactly what she wanted. Her students having a lively discussion of poetry that concerns real life issues and real life topics. Students could read about poverty and the civil rights movement in a history book, but a poem could make the feel it.

***

“Ok, that was awesome. We just talked like the whole time. And it was interesting too.” Raven said to Clarke as they packed up to leave. Raven had fully immersed herself in the discussion and Clarke had never really seen Raven so animated in a class before.

“Yeah, I…………..”

“Hey, do you think I should introduce myself to the professor? You know because I added late and then we walked in late.” Raven asked rapidly. Her eyes watching Professor Woods as spoke with another student.

“I mean…………..” Clarke started.

“I’m gonna introduce myself. Come on Clarke.” Raven said as she grabbed Clarke’s hand and dragged her to the front. Clarke rolled her eyes but let herself be dragged. Raven stuck out her hand as soon as they were near.

“Hi, Professor. I’m so sorry Clarke and I were late. But, I just wanted to introduce myself as I just added your class and wasn’t here the first day. I’m Raven.” Lexa took the offered hand a smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Raven. Please just don’t be late again. Clarke seems to be making a habit of it.” The professor said as she gave a toss of her head in Clarke’s direction. Clarke bit her bottom lip and could have sworn she saw Lexa’s eyes move to her mouth for the briefest of moments.

“That’s partially my fault actually. I made Clarke come get coffee with me. But, I do assure you that she really wanted to get here on time. She told me she really likes your class.” Raven said. Professor Woods arched an eyebrow and looked at Clarke. An amused expression on her face. Clarke’s face reddened.

“Happy to hear you like the class Clarke. Maybe you’ll be here on time next class.” Professor Woods said.

“I’ll even sacrifice coffee if it means getting here on time.” Clarke responded. Just after she spoke a young women walked into the classroom. Her skin was dark and her eyes a beautiful brown. She walked up to Professor Woods and gave her a quick kiss on the check.

“Hey Lex, you ready to go for coffee?” The girl said after a quick smile to Clarke and Raven. Lexa looked vaguely uncomfortable but she did give the girl a one armed hug as the girl kissed her cheek. 

“Yeah, just give me a second. Costia this is Clarke and Raven. Students in my class.” Professor Woods introduced.

Clarke couldn’t help but study the body language between her professor and Costia. They stood quite close and their method of greeting with a cheek kiss and hug seemed very natural and practices. Costia stood close by professor wood’s side and while the professor was a little tense, Costia seem relaxed. There was also a certain chemistry around the two women. A sense of familiarity. Being well versed in the manner of polite society, Clarke knew that social convention prevented her from asking the question she desperately wanted to the answer too.

Raven however, had no such concerns.

“So are you two dating?” Raven asked as she studied the two women intendly. Professor Woods seemed to choke on pure air while Costia smirked.

“No, no Costia and I dated at one time back in undergrad but we broke up. We’re just friends now. Just friends.” Professor Woods said rapidly. Her face a bit pink and she seemed to be looking anywhere but Clarke’s face.

“No need to sound so happy about it Lex.” Costia said with an eye roll.

“Isn’t strange how it seems girls can manage to be friends with Ex’s who are girls. But end up hating guy Ex’s. I mean Clarke and I both hate our Ex, Finn. But we both are pretty good friends with previous girlfriends. It’s weird.” Raven responded. Lexa’s eyes flicked to Clarke’s face for a moment before returning to the ground.

“Well, Lex wouldn’t know she only into girls I’m afraid. As for me I only have one guy ex and I can’t stand him. Don’t know what ever possessed me to ever date him. Its women for me from here on out.” Costia replied.

“Not that this isn’t a lovely and inappropriate conversation to be having with students but I need to cut it short. Let’s go grab coffee Costia. I’ll see you next class Clarke and Raven.” Lexa mumbled as she took Costia’s arm and headed for the door.

“Oh, nice to meet you two. Sorry about Lex but she has a stick up her ass about rules sometimes so we better go. If you’re ever on the History Building come by my office and we can chat.” Costia called out as Lexa practically pulled her out the door. Raven turned and grinned at Clarke.

“What an interesting professor we have.”

Clarke rolled her eyes in response.