The Dorm.
Elizabeth waited.
She was nervous.
Her Mom was thinking time was dragging on.
'It's too long to talk to someone'.
'Mom'.
'What, Elizabeth'.
'The door's opening'.
Elizabeth saw a woman.
She glanced at the other girls, as the summer heat caused everyone to faint.
And Elizabeth and her Mom went through the Office door.
***
Miss Schaeffer looked at the new dorm student.
'Not many girls are selected for the sorority house. There's a process. For all sense and purposes, several girls aren't suitable. There's drug uses, like smoking. Are you a smoker, Elizabeth?', she asked her. 'Yes, but not too long. Besides, I am sure most girls I know are smokers'. Miss Schaeffer nodded. 'The Dorm as a tradition that stems from the war days of 1941 onwards. We won't stand intolerance'. Elizabeth nodded. 'I'm Catholic'.
'I'm Jewish'.
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'That's not a problem', Miss Schaeffer said.
'Is there a form to file? Write in, I mean?'.
'Yes. At the bottom of the paper. There...and there'.
Elizabeth signed.
***
'That's great. Now, would you like a tour of the Dorm?'.
'Yes, that would be great', Elizabeth's Mom smiled, as her daughter made sure she didn't fail. The door opened, and Elizabeth knew that her name was on the creamy colored wall.
***
Elizabeth waited.
Again.
She glanced at some of the girls who were termed 'outsiders'. Some smoked cigarettes; some were whispering in small voices; some were eager to get rid of the feminist label. In short, Elizabeth walked boldly towards them.
'Do you all smoke?', she asked them.
'Yes', one of them answered.
'Here's one. Elizabeth Markham'.
'Tracey Holden'.
'You're new here?'.
'No. But I was here before. Miss Schaeffer is a lesbian'.
'Oh, is that all? I'm bisexual', Elizabeth said.
'Bi'.
'I think you need to clean your ears out. I am bisexual', she repeated.
And then her Mom said: 'Elizabeth'.
'Yes, Mom'.
'Why are you ignoring me?'.
'I'm not ignoring you'.
'I see you've met some friends'.
'Maybe they're my friends'.
And Elizabeth sighed.
***
'I'm sure the Dorm is the perfect place for your education, Elizabeth'.
'I'm sure you don't mean that, Mom'.
'I do know that, Elizabeth'.
Elizabeth was frustrated, as she smoked a cigarette.
***
By 10:00 AM, a Monday morning, the New York weather was 75 degrees. Everyone was at work. People were going about their business, while other people dithered in the summer heat. Some drank bottles of water; others drank from the water fountain. Businessmen were eager to get to work. If they were late, their boss would fire them. Shadows hovered above the Empire State Building; more shadows lurked around the brown colored benches inside Central Park, and Bryant Park. For a long time, Elizabeth was sure that the darkness had gone away. But she sighed, again. She stomped on the right shoe. The fiery embers sparked; the sparks consumed her thoughts. Consequently, Elizabeth waved 'Good bye' to her Mom. As she left in her 1971 brown colored Ford, the silence was loud.
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