CHAPTER1 - I MEET FAITH
I spotted her the second week of the semester. I was working part time in the Financial Aid office at Strictland College. My dad is a chemistry professor here and had arranged for the job for me. But I also had another reason to be there. My Uncle Gene was a photographer and had asked me to keep an eye out for potential models and actresses. I had actually sent him two already, and he had been moderately pleased, but he had asked me to watch for a certain type.
Uncle Gene's words were going through my mind when I saw her come in. "I need someone that doesn't know she's beautiful. She needs to be completely inexperienced. Watch for someone that appears shy, looks down a lot. She'll probably be a freshman, away from home for the first time, and maybe from a small town. She'll dress conservatively, but you will be able to notice that she could be pretty, if she knew how. You'll know her when you see her."
I had seen this girl the first week, so this was at least her second visit. She was scanning the part-time jobs, looking for something. The first time I had seen her she was wearing baggy sweats. This time, she looked like she had come straight from a PE class. Fortunately for me, the weather had turned hot. She was wearing red gym shorts and a red T-shirt; both lettered in white "Strictland Athletics" and a pair of white Adidas. Her mousy brown hair was pulled back in a ragged ponytail that hung past her shoulders. She looked to be about five-six or seven. Her face was hidden behind large square-framed glasses, but her lips were full and alluring. In the athletic garb, I. could see her legs were gorgeous, but the clothing was baggy enough to give little else away. She looked frustrated, chewing her lip as she ran her finger over one job listing after another.
I went out from behind the counter and approached her, "May I help you Miss? You seem to be having some difficulty."
She looked at me briefly, then looked down. I could see that she was near tears. She still said nothing, so I spoke again, extending a hand, "My name's Rob. I work here Miss. If you'd like to go to one of the cubicles behind the counter, I'll see what I can find for you."
She never looked up to see my offered hand, but just sighed and slowly shuffled in behind me as I went through the gate and into an empty cubicle. I gestured to a chair and she sat down as I maneuvered behind the desk and moved the mouse to awaken the computer. I glanced at her, still looking down, knees together, hands wringing in her lap. "Name?" I asked getting her to look up momentarily.
"Faith. Faith Rubichek." I had her spell her last name and soon had her file open.
"Oh, a freshman from some place called Shady Valley, Pennsylvania, I see. So this is your first semester in college." I looked up and she nodded.
"Is Shady Valley pretty small?"
She brightened a bit as she spoke. "Yes, it's very small, only 280 people live in the town and I actually live two miles out on a farm. My Dad farms and preaches at the Community Church. My Mom teaches piano and voice part-time." The glow faded a bit and she looked down again.
"A minister. That explains the name?" When she nodded, I continued, "I see you have four brothers and two sisters still at home. Do they have biblical names too?"
Faith looked up shyly, "The girls are Hope and Charity. The boys are Matt, Mark, Luke, and Thomas." She smiled wryly as if expecting some sort of comment.
I resisted the urge to ask about missing John and including Thomas, and went on. "I'm surprised you are not receiving a Pell Grant or some other assistance."
"Daddy doesn't believe in handouts. He worked his way through Bible College and Momma worked her way through too. She was a waitress and he was a carpenter. I'm expected to do the same, but I just can't find anything I can do." She hadn't looked up once. The tension in her voice was obvious.
"Well, there's lots of waitress and available. Why not one of those?"
She sighed deeply. "I tried being a waitress back in Shady Valley. I was always mixing up the orders and spilling things, and that was with people I know. The caf‚ owners were thrilled when I left to go to school. They never had the heart to fire me. I just can't do that here." Still looking down, she added, "And I don't type well enough to do secretarial work.
I tried another angle; "I see that you're planning to be a Theatre Arts major with a minor in Art." In my mind I couldn't imagine this shy girl getting up on a stage, let alone acting. "Maybe you could treat a waitress job like a role on the stage. You know, act like you're a waitress."
Faith actually giggled. She looked up with a slight smile on her face. "I may be a Theatre Arts major, but that doesn't make me an actress. I am interested in set design, costume design, and that sort of thing. I acted in a play in my high school and nearly died of fright. After that, I've stayed behind the scenes." The smile disappeared and she looked down again. "I just have to find something. My whole family is counting on me to make something of myself. Are there any jobs that require art skills? With all those younger brother and a baby sister, I'm also a great babysitter. Any of those jobs available?"
I knew there were a couple of openings for nannies in our database, but I was nearly convinced that this girl was what Uncle Gene was looking for. "Well, I might have something that would be a good fit. This may sound like an odd question, but do you have to wear those glasses?"
She dryly replied, "Only to see."
"Well, take them off for a second and look up at me."
She complied. Without her glasses, she was an angel. She had big green eyes with long lashes above a slender nose and those full lips. There wasn't a mark on her pale skin and not even a hint of makeup. Her cheeks had a natural rosy hue and her lips were a little darker. She blinked at me a few times trying to focus without her eyewear.
Now, it was time to drop the bomb. "My uncle shoots ads for several clothing web sites. I actually model some of the menswear for him. He asked me to keep an eye out for models for him."
Faith stared at me open-mouthed and returned her glasses to their perch on her face. Slowly a smile spread across he mouth and I could see a sparkle in her eyes, even behind the thick glasses. "You have got to be joking!" She laughed. "I am not pretty enough to be a model. I'm just plain. He'd never want me as a model."