Freedom Without Consequence

The sound his fingers made, typing away at his keyboard, made a rhythm that he had grown to despise. The constant necessity of having to read and write e-mails, draft letters and create new tests was not why he had become a teacher. Richard wanted to teach, to stand before a class of eager college students and tell all about the wonderful, sometimes mythical history of our world. But half the time he spent sitting behind his computer, another quarter he spent in meetings and the last quarter he was to rouse the least bit of excitement from a classroom full of bored young adults. He tried to think back to the days when he was still in college, so many summers ago, but now at the age of 42, he could hardly remember if he was as useless of a student as most of his pupils turned out to be.

Richard pushed a hand through his salt and pepper hair and leaned back in his chair. Somewhat absentmindedly he read back the e-mail he’d just written, telling one of his classes that they had a test the coming Monday. He knew most of them wouldn’t read it, but at the very least he could tell himself that he had tried. As he stared out of the window, looking down onto the courtyard below, his phone suddenly rang.

‘Professor Baker speaking.’

‘Hey Richard, do you always have to answer your phone so formally?’

Richards flip phone did not have the luxury of caller ID, so he rarely had any idea of who was calling him, but this voice he recognized easily enough, as he answered her question.

‘It’s a false sense of bravado I suppose, clinging on to my professionalism or whatever. You’re the psychologist, you tell me.’

On the other end of the line he could hear Jean Haas laughing and the sound managed to make him smile.

‘I’ll write it up to mommy issues, that’s usually the answer anyway.’

Now Richard laughed aloud, closing his laptop in front of him and leaving his work for another time.

‘Listen Richard, I was wondering what you are doing on Saturday evening? Me and Melissa were meant to go to the theatre, see that play that everyone’s been talking about, but her kid got sick and she just cancelled, care to join me?’

Jean was a psychology professor at Brightsdale College, the same college that he worked at and also a very good friend. She was without a doubt his favorite colleague, though she did not have very strong competition. It was already Friday and he wasn’t too sure if him and his wife had made any plans for tomorrow… Lisa liked to lounge around on Saturdays, work in the garden, at most she’d insist on visiting her parents. He’d have to come up with some excuse to spend the evening with Jean anyways, Lisa had never liked her much.

‘I haven’t got any plans, I’d love to join you!’

‘That’s great! How about you come pick me up at 7, we’ll get some dinner first.’

‘Sounds good to me Jeanie, looking forward to it’

Richard was sure he’d be able to come up with some excuse as to why he wouldn’t be home tomorrow night, maybe this time he’d just be honest with Lisa, it wasn’t like he was planning on anything nefarious.

After some quick, friendly goodbye’s Richard hung up the phone and stood up from his desk. Suddenly his day was not so miserable anymore and as he studied the clock that hung on the wall of his classroom, he saw he’d only have to teach one more class today. Before that class started however he decided he’d have just enough time to go smoke a cigarette, so he grabbed his coat by the door and hurried his way outside.