Karma by Monique Jewell Anderson

Author:Monique Jewell Anderson [Anderson, Monique Jewell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Brown Girls Publishing
Published: 2016-10-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Nicole

“You’re eight weeks in...do you want to keep it?”

I held my midsection, unable to concentrate on much of anything my advisor, Mrs. Barker said.

“Can you do it?” she yelled, which was so out of character for her. I chalked it up to a post-menopausal outburst.

I thought about what she asked. “Of course I can. You wait and see. You know you’re looking at the next Summa Cum Laude graduate.”

Money issues aside and even with my current class load, I was pretty confident that I’d surpass my current 3.18 GPA. It wasn’t enough for me to go to college, it wasn’t enough to take higher-level courses and it wasn’t enough to study and study and study. I had to be at the top, and in my book, Summa Cum Laude was the pinnacle.

“Well, if you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll certainly reach your goals.” Mrs. Barker searched the clutter of papers on her small desk.

“Goals, Mrs. Barker? C’mon now, goals are too small, too mundane. I have dreams, visions, a destiny.” I sounded like Mother. It made me grin and miss her a little.

“Go ‘head, girl. That’s what I’ve always liked about you from day one, your attitude and your perseverance. I must say, when you came in here four years ago and told me what you did, I thought you were crazy. No freshman walks in to their advisors office and says, ‘I will be a Summa Cum Laude graduate.’”

Fanning myself, I remembered saying those exact words. I thought that was kinda bold too, but truth be told, I did it because Mother told me to. “I didn’t believe it then; but I do now,” I confessed.

“And so you should. Especially after you see, I know it’s here somewhere, honey please learn to be organized. Ah, here it is.” Mrs. Barker passed me a wrinkled copy of the semester student standings. “Are you hot?” she asked, alarmed.

I was sort of warm and a little queasy now that she mentioned it.

“You’re a little flushed.” Mrs. Barker leaned over and opened the door several inches. The breeze from the hallway gushed inside the room.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Barker, but here’s the current financials on Nikki you requested.” Bella, the assistant to Mrs. Siegel in Finances, flashed me a quick grin.

“Nikki?” Mrs. Barker asked her.

“Oops, my bad, wrong person, I meant to say Nicole.” Bella snickered as she left.

Mrs. Barker glanced at the report, then up at me and moaned.

I moaned too because my account was again in a delinquent status.

“Did you see your name…on the list, child?”

I read the words at the top of the page. “Number one, Nicole R. Henry, English Major.” I got up to do the Nae-nae but it wasn’t really appropriate at the time. So I sat back down and did it in my head.

“In my tenure here, there’s only been one other student that has rivaled you.”

“Wow, really?” I blew air down my blouse to cool myself more.

“Really, and it’s so funny because I ran into her at homecoming.

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