Read Online Fare Forward by Wendy Dubow Polins - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Wendy Dubow Polins
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that now, okay? Please?" Her voice is soft, gently changing the subject. "How about all this?" She points to the campus and the people all around us. She is exuberant at the thought of moving forward into our futures. "Please, stop worrying about everything. It's time to meet some new people, get invited to the best New York parties."
I roll my eyes. "That's the last thing on my mind, Emily."
"You can still design things, silly, but it's time for you to have some fun."
"Emily," I say and laugh at her single-minded focus, "you're too much."
"No, really, we've waited a long time for this."
Things seemed to be playing out as predicted. In a crazy way it was a comfort to know that she was orbiting the same campus as I was. She knew to respect the boundaries I had created around myself. It was for her own good, I remind myself. I'm like a bad luck charm when it comes to relationships.
"Hey guys, look who's here." I see one of my new roommates approaching us with a group of friends. "It's Gabriella—
Vogel."
I can see them all sizing me up, looking for any evidence of extraterrestrial traits.
"Do you girls want to join us for coffee? We were just going over to the student center."
"Great idea we would love to—" Emily starts to accept the invitation.
"Not now," I cut Emily off. "I'm going to be late." I realize that I sound abrupt and try to soften my tone. "But thank you, anyway."
"We absolutely have time, Gabriella."
"No." I glare at Emily. "We don't."
"Well, we wouldn't want you to be late for your first day of classes now would we? Not the famous Dr. Vogel's granddaughter!" one of the young men says sarcastically.
"Yes, right." I force a smile. "That wouldn't be a very good idea."
He runs over to one of the many posters of my grandfather's face and tears it off the wall, pumping it up and down in his arms as if he was a political fanatic celebrating a martyr.
"Look guys, we live with a celebrity," he says to no one in particular.
"Leave her alone!" Emily says protectively.
"It's all right." I push her away from the group and turn quickly, relieved to escape the conversation. I reach out and link my arm through Emily's and I see her grinning at me.
"See, Gabriella, you're a normal student. Just like the rest of us."
"I love you, but I really have to go."
"Making new friends and everything. You're getting your life back."
"Thanks—but I never knew I'd lost it."
"You know what I mean; you've been sad for so long. But all of that's in the past. This is going to be the beginning of everything." She points to the campus. "Just like your grandmother always said."
"What?"
"She told us don't you remember? That we would go to school together in New York. Just like they all did, your grandparents and your parents. She said that it would be the beginning of everything for you. That's exactly what she said." Emily waits.
I stand very still as the memory washes over me. I realize that I hadn't thought of her words until this very moment and, in remembering, everything suddenly made sense.
"Yes, actually, now I do. I felt it at the beach the other day, and, now, I know why." Unlike my grandfather, Emily loved to talk about the past.
Her eyes fill with tears. "She said she would be with you, to always remind you of who you are, who your family is, and, especially, everything you love about this world."
"This
world?"
Emily shrugs her shoulders, as if to indicate that she's not sure exactly what it means either. I look down at my hands held firmly in both of hers, squeeze them back tightly, and brush the hair away from her eyes.
"You're my family too, Emily."
----
13
----
H OW MUCH THIS building has seen. Standing sentry like a parent watching its children, Hamilton Hall was the home of undergraduate life at Columbia University. I enter the great lobby, a central core filled with stairs and elevators so characteristic of the buildings of this era designed by the architects McKim, Mead and White. Often furnished
I roll my eyes. "That's the last thing on my mind, Emily."
"You can still design things, silly, but it's time for you to have some fun."
"Emily," I say and laugh at her single-minded focus, "you're too much."
"No, really, we've waited a long time for this."
Things seemed to be playing out as predicted. In a crazy way it was a comfort to know that she was orbiting the same campus as I was. She knew to respect the boundaries I had created around myself. It was for her own good, I remind myself. I'm like a bad luck charm when it comes to relationships.
"Hey guys, look who's here." I see one of my new roommates approaching us with a group of friends. "It's Gabriella—
Vogel."
I can see them all sizing me up, looking for any evidence of extraterrestrial traits.
"Do you girls want to join us for coffee? We were just going over to the student center."
"Great idea we would love to—" Emily starts to accept the invitation.
"Not now," I cut Emily off. "I'm going to be late." I realize that I sound abrupt and try to soften my tone. "But thank you, anyway."
"We absolutely have time, Gabriella."
"No." I glare at Emily. "We don't."
"Well, we wouldn't want you to be late for your first day of classes now would we? Not the famous Dr. Vogel's granddaughter!" one of the young men says sarcastically.
"Yes, right." I force a smile. "That wouldn't be a very good idea."
He runs over to one of the many posters of my grandfather's face and tears it off the wall, pumping it up and down in his arms as if he was a political fanatic celebrating a martyr.
"Look guys, we live with a celebrity," he says to no one in particular.
"Leave her alone!" Emily says protectively.
"It's all right." I push her away from the group and turn quickly, relieved to escape the conversation. I reach out and link my arm through Emily's and I see her grinning at me.
"See, Gabriella, you're a normal student. Just like the rest of us."
"I love you, but I really have to go."
"Making new friends and everything. You're getting your life back."
"Thanks—but I never knew I'd lost it."
"You know what I mean; you've been sad for so long. But all of that's in the past. This is going to be the beginning of everything." She points to the campus. "Just like your grandmother always said."
"What?"
"She told us don't you remember? That we would go to school together in New York. Just like they all did, your grandparents and your parents. She said that it would be the beginning of everything for you. That's exactly what she said." Emily waits.
I stand very still as the memory washes over me. I realize that I hadn't thought of her words until this very moment and, in remembering, everything suddenly made sense.
"Yes, actually, now I do. I felt it at the beach the other day, and, now, I know why." Unlike my grandfather, Emily loved to talk about the past.
Her eyes fill with tears. "She said she would be with you, to always remind you of who you are, who your family is, and, especially, everything you love about this world."
"This
world?"
Emily shrugs her shoulders, as if to indicate that she's not sure exactly what it means either. I look down at my hands held firmly in both of hers, squeeze them back tightly, and brush the hair away from her eyes.
"You're my family too, Emily."
----
13
----
H OW MUCH THIS building has seen. Standing sentry like a parent watching its children, Hamilton Hall was the home of undergraduate life at Columbia University. I enter the great lobby, a central core filled with stairs and elevators so characteristic of the buildings of this era designed by the architects McKim, Mead and White. Often furnished
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