The Start of Events
"Hello my name is Julia Wholeheart, from Coven Hurst." I said; as I shook the Dean of Admissions hand of my fourth University tour. It is a warm, sunny May afternoon. Mr. Marcus Johnson is the dean of admissions to my first choice college Coven Hurst University. Mr. Johnson looked like my grandfather short balding and around seven months pregnant. I laugh to myself but it actually makes me more comfortable since he looks so much like my grandfather.
"Miss.Wholeheart how are you? So nice to see you again! What area of study are you looking to major in?" Mr. Johnson asked. Very confidently after a few minutes I answer; "I would like to major in Psychology and minor in Criminal Justice! Also, I am doing great, excited to start a new chapter in life." Mr. Johnson looked curious "Um, Interesting and what is the exact career path you are looking to explore?” I looked him straight in the eyes, stood straight with my head held high and stated matter of factly "My ultimate goal is to become a Homicide Detective. I want to follow in my father’s footsteps." Mr. Johnson smiled and said "I thought that is what you might say! Let me take you on a tour of the Psychology department." Mr. Johnson has known my father for many years, actually since my father has been the town Sheriff about 10 years now; he was a homicide detective with the Franklin County Sheriff Department for 15 years before that.
I finished my admissions application and handed it to Mrs. Adrienne Smith who was Mr. Johnson's secretary. She was a polite woman she looked to be around her mid 30's with reddish brown hair and big brown eyes. I swear I have seen her before I just cannot put my finger on where. I smiled at her and said "Thank you!" Mrs. Smith looked up at me with a large smile and said "You're welcome and good luck!" I turned from her and met Mr. Johnson in the Award Hall.
Mr. Johnson was standing in the award hall in front of a trophy case. He pointed out the many awards that the University has received for academics and sports. I giggled to myself over how he gloated over the sports awards namely Football! Mr. Johnson and I turned and continued on the tour of the University. We stopped in front of a pair of double doors Mr. Johnson opened the double doors to the Psychology Department. As I stepped through the doors into the hallway I got this feeling in the pit of my stomach that I have never felt before. It was not a sick to my stomach feeling or a cramping feeling, but it felt like I had a million butterflies rippling up my body. I was embarrassed of the sound that had come out of my mouth. Mr. Johnson gave me a look of astonishment. He walked down the hall ahead of me. When I got my bearings back together I found Mr. Johnson talking to a very handsome gentleman. Mr. Johnson looked at me over the gentleman’s shoulder and he turned to look at me as well.
OMG! he is so good lucking! I cannot help but think to myself. I felt my cheeks and ears start to burn as he turned towards me. The gentleman reached out his hand to take mine and what it looked like to me was as if he was bowing to me. As he stood he introduced himself to me in a silky kind of sexy Irish accent "Hello Miss. Wholeheart, my name is Redmond O'Connor I am the head of the Criminal Justice department." He maintains eye contact the whole time and the feeling in my stomach was getting stronger the more he looked at me. I could feel my cheeks heating up even more than before just from him staring at me. As I blinked myself back from embarrassment I said "Call me Julia, Mr. O'Connor I see that Mr. Johnson has been talking to you about me." He quickly corrected me and said "Call me Detective O'Connor." I was filled with excitement I wanted to sit and talk to him for hours about his career as a detective. But all I could think of was how young he looked to be the department head of Criminal Justice or a detective even.
"How much longer, until you graduate? And when will you be 19?" Detective O'Connor asked
How did he know I was not 19 yet! I thought to myself Duh Julia could it be that most potential students that tour the University have not graduated or turned 18 or 19. I laughed a little he gave me a confused look then bent to whisper with a smirk “It is the detective in me, sorry!"
"No, No worries! I graduate on my 19th birthday, next Saturday May 22nd. I guess you can say that I will truly walk into adulthood that day." I said.
He smiled and I blushed again. For some reason I did not want to walk away from him. Again I felt like I knew him from somewhere. He took my hand again and kissed the back of it.
“I hope to see you in my class soon. Good Luck!" He nodded and said as he walked away. I shivered and got the feeling that I missed him already.
Mr. Johnson and I finished the tour of the Psychology Department. I met Mrs. Claudia Rivera Department Head for Psychology. Mrs. Rivera is an interesting woman; she is in her mid-40, Hispanic, 3 children, husband of 18 yrs. and a Psychologist for 15yrs. The whole time she was speaking all I could think of was Detective O'Connor and the feeling I got around him and when I first walked into the Psychology Department What was that I have never felt that before I kept thinking. I shook Mr. Johnson's hand and said "Thank you for the tour of your wonderful University. I hope to hear from you soon with hopefully an acceptance letter." I smiled and walked back to my car. As I got to my car I looked around it felt like someone was watching me from close by.
As I pulled down the long drive to my house I could see that the kitchen and living room lights were on. That meant one thing people were starting to arrive for the weeklong event scheduled before my birthday/graduation. I parked my car next to my mom's 1965 Ford Mustang GT350 "James Dean" Model as she called it. My mother is 5'3", 160 lbs. of facts and heart. Mrs. Jacqueline Wholeheart, town Historian. She can give you the history on any person in town and the town itself. We live on our family’s farm in Coven Hurst, Ohio. My mother's great grandparents named the farm "Gypsy Cove" I still have not got the story behind the name. My mother says I will learn the story of our land at the right time. I would laugh she always made it seem like it was a secret. My mother loved the name I thought it was because her favorite song is "Gypsy" sung by Stevie Nicks. People around town would talk about it having a mystical meaning. Either Way I loved the name "Gypsy Cove" it just rolled off your tongue when you would say it.
Mrs. Wholeheart is up to her usual antics and gave the week of events a theme "A Trip Through Time". The night before my tour of the University she came to my room and told me "Julia, this week you will become a women. By the end of the week you will find out who you really are." Mrs. Jacqueline Wholeheart the woman that never cries started to shed a tear. She almost looked afraid of what I do not know. "Mom I will be fine! I have you and dad who have taught me to be the best person that I can be. Please do not cry." I shook as I felt scared myself to see mom that upset. My dad who was 6’5” & 295lbs of burly man comforted my mother it always made me laugh to see him engulf her into one of his bear hugs, because she basically disappeared. My father Dale Wholeheart was the town Sheriff. He kept the town in order he was a tough cop but as my father he was all love.
I walked up to the back door took a deep breath and opened the door. OMG! My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends where in the living room, kitchen, some even spread to the basement game room. "What is going on?" I asked as I walked in. Why did I open my big mouth? I was swarmed with hugs, kisses, and congratulations from everyone. I do not think I have said "Thank You!" so much in my life. Finally I made it to the bathroom. Shut and locked the door turned to look at myself in the mirror and stared at all the different shades of lipstick that was on my pale peachy cheeks. I looked at my hair that was a bluish black color in a high pony tail now it was completely mangled and falling out everywhere. I quickly fixed my hair and cleaned my face. Took a deep breath cracked the door found my opening and darted across to my room. Fell on my bed and thought "I will let mom and dad enjoy tonight". As I got ready to go to bed my phone chimed alerting me that I got an e-mail. So I walked to my desk and opened my Mac to bring up my e-mail. A feeling of surprise and excitement came to me as I looked on my screen to see an email from Detective O'Connor. The email read:
Friday 05/14/2013
Dear Julia,
My detective skills kicked in and I investigated the dean’s office and found your e-mail address.
Congratulations and Happy Early Birthday. I wanted to contact you because we really did not
get to talk about your career path, and interest. I spoke to the dean in the hallway before you
came around the corner. Mr. Johnson mentioned you wanting to be a Homicide Detective if
you would like to go on a ride along to see if that is the career path you really want to pursue.
I hope to hear from you soon with your response.
Detective Redmond O'Connor
Am I in shock or am I supposed to feel this excited! Do I tell him I know for sure that I want this career I have been on plenty of ride a longs. Or do I tell him I would love to go with him just to see him again. But my body is reacting differently it is excited and tingling and the butterflies are back. What is this? Why am I feeling like this? I start writing my e-mail back to the Detective:
Friday 05/14/2013
Dear Detective O'Connor,
Thank you for your offer to have a glimpse into the career as a Detective. But I am positive that I
Want to be a homicide detective. My father is the Sheriff of our town and I have done plenty of ride
A long’s with my father. Very good detective work by the way! Thank you for the birthday wishes. Have
a great evening and hope to see you in classes in the fall.
Julia Wholeheart
No comments:
Post a Comment