Thanks everyone for your comments. I didn't know people would miss Noah so much until I got caught up writing the new series. I got a flurry of messages demanding to know what we're up to. I'll be a little better about updating this one. :)
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[Now that it's raining more than ever
Know that we'll still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella]
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"What's wrong, Noah? What hurts my love?" Navid squatted down in front of me in his business suit. He looked so handsome and grown. He barely resembled the easygoing foreign muscle-jock I'd met a year and a half ago.
He never just flopped his black hair back anymore. Now he had it cut shorter, gelled into spikes combed to the right. It was thinning in some places. It looked good though, added to his daddy appeal. Graduation, a career, the little home we shared were turning him into a man. I felt like his child sometimes when he picked me up from campus.
I knew he wanted to lift me up from where I perched atop a low wall that held in the plants outside the health building where he usually met me. I had my knees drawn up into my chest with my arms folded across them. My chin was resting on my knees when he found me. He was on the phone, but quickly finished up when he saw my face and came to squat in front of me.
"I failed... I failed," I said quietly. I was beating myself up pretty badly and lost in my thoughts. I needed a hug, but didn't feel like I deserved one. I wanted him to yell at me. I reached down to take the folded paper out of my pocket. It was the grade sheet from my project for the Biology class. Science always bites me in the bottom, and not in an enjoyable way like Navid does.
"You work hard to study for this, my love. I hate that you hurt," Navid whispered.
"It sucks. I did my best and... it sucks," I sighed. I had a hard time meeting his eyes.
"Well... I tell you this, Noah. Taking five classes is hard for you. You are good boy who does too much. You take care of the home for perfect condition, take care of me, and then take five class. We try this and it does not work, so next semester we know. Ok?" Navid explained.
I wasn't in the mood for an "I-told-you-so" speech, even if he looked handsome squatting in front of me and putting his hands on my legs. Was he saying he expected me to fail? I always suspect he just has me in college so he knows where I am during the day, something to keep me entertained. Did he really not expect me to succeed?
He squeezed my right calf muscle and looked at me with sad eyes. He knew I wasn't happy. He got that fatherly look like he just wanted to give me whatever it was that would pacify me.
I just shook my head. I didn't have it in me to argue with him. He knew his answer didn't make me feel better. He stood and offered me his hand.
"Come, my baby. We get take-out food tonight and I make you feel better at home," he said in a low voice. I sat there for another minute berating myself in my head for imaginary things I could have done to get a better grade. In reality I'd done my best. I hate science.
"I'm going to fail and have to take it all over again. I wasted your money on tuition. All this work was for nothing," I looked at his eyes. He was trying to figure out what to do with me. I always felt like I was his child when we had these talks. He was so authoritative, parental.
"Noah please. We talk about this at home. I am hungry and tired for day and need hold my baby at home. You always feel better in my arms." He sat down next to me and put his arm around me. He pulled me against his side and laid his head on mine even though people were passing by and could see us. "Do you want I carry you? I will do for you, but please is time to go home."
"I belong at home? That's where I should be the rest of my life? I should stop wasting your money on classes?" I whispered. The tone of his words made it seem that way.
"What you are saying? What waste of money? You always belong in my home with your protector, my love. You always have place in my arms," Navid brushed back my hair and tried to comfort me. I sighed. He was confused by my response. He wasn't trying to pick a fight so why did I feel defensive?
"Let's just go home then so I can be your quiet boy who just smiles and says 'Yes sir!' to whatever you wish. I don't need to be smart there," I said and put my feet down on the ground. Navid slipped off my backpack and carried it. He never let me carry things.
We started towards the car, but then he stopped and turned back towards me.
"You are not happy with this," he said and turned to look at me.
"I belong at home, not learning anything, just being your obedient boy," I echoed his sentiment, but then it hit me that he wasn't saying that at all. I was so busy beating myself up in my head that I had started to take it out on him.
"That is not what I say... You are smart boy! So capable! What did professor say when you talk to him about your grade?" Navid asked, realizing he'd made my hurt worse.
"I couldn't talk to him, Navee... I just left! He's so mean! I wouldn't even know what to say. That's the grade he gave me. I would have just cried in front of everyone," I reasoned.
"Noah you have to talk to the teacher to find out what you can fix! They are paid to help you grow and instruction. This failing mark is not carve in rock. You negotiate! Let us go talk to your professor. I have him two years back. He is very nice man. Maybe he tells you how to fix this for best grade," Navid said and turned back towards the campus.
"No! We can't go talk to him! I'll look like an idiot for bothering him. He hates me!" I protested.
"He is not mean. He wants that the students take this serious. He wants that they respect him as professor and not behave like bad children in his course. You are serious student. You sit in front row and study hard. You are early every day and never skip away the class. He will help if you ask with respectful attitude," Navid assured and led me to the science building.
I'd never gone up to a professor's office before. It seemed scary and off limits. It was late afternoon so I prayed that he was already gone for the day. Navid knew right where his office was. When we approached, the door was open and some old orchestra music was playing.
"Professor Redman? I don't know if you remember me. I took your class a few years past," Navid said as he peered into the open door. I felt like I was back in high school with my dad having a parent conference.
"Navid Naseri! Of course! How are you? I still have that article you sent me that your father wrote. Very interesting research! Come in, come in!" A jovial voice sounded from the room. It didn't sound at all like the guy who barked lectures from the front of the auditorium class.
"Terrific! I graduate last year thanks to your help, sir!" Navid turned on the charm. "Do you have time to talk? I know you are very busy!"
He invited him inside and I followed. His smile turned to confusion when he saw me, but they made happy small talk and Navid opened him up. I could see the professor's eyes begin to glow as Navid praised him and recollected old times in his course. He was working his charm. It was like watching two old friends. They ignored me as I sat by his side. Finally though Navid turned to the topic of me.
"I am tutoring Noah here. He is very troubled for his grade. He tries very hard but maybe he misunderstands what to do? I try to work with him on his science. We always review your lectures from the notes he takes. You always explain things so perfect, but he still need to review from the textbook with me. He wants to know how to be successful in the course," Navid took the grade sheet with my failure and handed it to the professor.
He put on his glasses as though he hadn't seen it before. He went over to a box and pulled out the nice presentation folder I'd prepared with Navid. We used one of his clear plastic business presenters and even made a cover page in color. We'd worked hard on it together. The professor brought it back and thumbed through it with Navid. They looked over my errors.
I didn't say a word as they discussed my project and where I had gone wrong. They were men, grownups, negotiators. They formed a connection I didn't share. Navid turned on the charm again and the professor began to soften on my work.
He said he had seen me working hard and taking notes in class. Navid pointed out that I never missed a day. The professor admitted that an assistant had graded some of the projects and was probably too hard on me. He also said I needed to speak up in the class and answer some questions when he asked them to show I was paying attention. Navid had told me that a hundred times. He looked over at me with those I-told-you-so eyes. Once again I felt like I was in grade school with my dad going to parent-teacher conferences.
The professor gave me a few things to redo from the project and Navid assured that we would spend the weekend fixing it. The professor smiled and said I should do just fine in the course. He agreed to give me a fresh grade when I turned it in. I couldn't believe that worked. Navid was my hero. He really could fix anything. They went back to small talk about Navid's career and how the Dodgers were doing this season. I tried to smile and nod, but I had zoned out.
"Well thank you so much, sir! I know my Noah will work harder. He just need the direction and guidance to do better. I tell him to speak up and talk with professors. These young generation does not know to do that," Navid assured. The professor agreed and ranted for a few minutes about my generation. With that we all shook hands and left.
"You were SO awesome in there! You were crazy good! He was ready to give me an A! We could have gotten anything," I squealed as we bounded down the stairs.
"I am your man. This is what I do. I make things work so everyone is happy," Navid laughed as though surprised by my response and lack of confidence in him.
