Email: Thomas Matthews
RE: Chair of the Science & Technology Department
Effectively immediately, I'm appointing Alison to be the next Chair, even though some faculty members are strongly against it.
There are three reasons Ms. Alison Bailey is a controversial pick. 1) She's only 29 years old, which would make her the youngest Chair in the history of this prestigious institution. 2) She comes from a wealthy family with ties to this university, so it looks like a nepotism hire. 3) People think she's odd.
Here's my rebuttal; Ms. Bailey is a literal genius. Full stop. She is a genius. The woman is a prodigy and her record reflects that.
Perhaps more importantly, we've accepted the all-female Afghanistan science team to join our student body. It's a last minute decision, based on political circumstances, and we think the national coverage is a great PR move to boost enrollment.
With the promotion of Ms. Bailey as the new Chair, she will A) serve as a spokeswoman to the media when necessary and B) use her personal relationship with the Afghan students to help them adjust.
Ms. Bailey, as a professor, had previously worked with the all-girls Afghan college students on a national science competition last year.
Let me know what you think. I may need your support if faculty members voice opposition to my choice of appointing a 29 year old to the job. I'll admit it's a crazy decision, but I have positive feelings about this.
Be well,
Tom
Perspective: Ms. Conway
The breakfast is prepared in a meticulous manner. It's placed on the dining table; granola cereal, milk, with chocolate chips on top. Beside it is a cup of water along with natural supplements. She likes everything arranged in geometric patterns. It looks prettier and piques her intellect.
I go upstairs where Alison left her bedroom door open. It's always a treat to summon her for breakfast. Her bedroom is like a rustic library. There are a variety of colors, mostly dark, somewhat gothic, and the wall is lined with crime novels and literature.
On the table there's a small, toy-sized robot that she's working on. Every time I come to her room, there are new additions to this robot. She makes these as a hobby; sometimes she gives them away, sometimes she shows them to her students.
Alison knows I'm here but she's watching tv while sitting on her bed. She's a thin girl with snow white skin. Her face is innocent. Her long black hair is wavy and the only makeup she ever wears is mascara. She's fresh from a shower and is wearing a thin gown.
"Your food is ready, Ms. Bailey."
She keeps watching the market news. Aside from her teaching job, she trades stocks and gives her father advice on when to buy/sell. It's a side gig that nets them a lot of money, more than they already have.
"This sucks," she says of the news reports.
Alison stands while watching the markets. With little effort, she pulls the gown overhead. When her arms lift, I can see her ribs and pale skin. Her small breasts look flat when her arms go up. Her nipples are so pink they almost glow. Her pubic hairs, for whatever reason, are trimmed at the exact same length, all year round. Half an inch.
I open a drawer (yes, a drawer) for the stacks of dresses that I wash, iron, and fold for her. The thing about Alison is that she always wears a dress, usually a sundress. It's her favorite. She's more than capable of dressing herself, but she loves being spoiled.
Sweet, spoiled girl.
Today she's going to campus for meetings, so I select a white dress with black flower patterns on it. A matching white bra and panties underneath. If she's at home, she'll be without the undergarments.
She watches tv and lifts one foot at a time while I put her panties on. I clasp her bra. Then I put the sundress on her body.
Alison looks at herself in the mirror. Every angle of her dress must be right. Every strand of her wavy black hair must be symmetrical to the other side. She does a twirl and smiles at her reflection, then smiles at me to show approval.
While she eats in the dining area watching a different tv, I arrange her supplies for the short work-day, including her laptop and purse. She'll be meeting with faculty and the Afghan women's science team that was recently granted admissions.
Alison loves these girls. She first met them a year ago when they traveled to America for a global science competition. They connected instantly and remained email buddies ever since. In the last month, Alison donated $50,000 of her own money to help them adjust to life in this country. That number is expected to grow.
When she's ready, I give her the car keys and she takes her things. She puts on black sunglasses and drives to work in a sports car.
***
Alison is reading a book by the balcony of her bedroom. She's reading Sara Gran's
Claire Dewitt
series. She's on a lounge chair and her feet and calves are under the sun, while her face is under the shade. She believes this will help avoid future wrinkles.
If she wants, she can finish this novel within a day. Tomorrow I can test her on the contents of the book and she'll know all the answers. When she was younger, that was a game we used to play. I stopped playing because defeating her is futile.
She reads with a quiet intensity as I clean her bedroom.
"Do you know how to cook lamb?" she randomly asks.
I give her my full attention. "Sure, what are you in the mood for? Whole roast or lamb chops?"
"Well, it's for the Afghan students. They mentioned they like eating lamb. But I was thinking they might want to try some American food, like burgers or pizza. It could be a cultural exchange."
"Are you inviting them for lunch? Or are you bringing food to campus?"
"I might invite them here," she says. "None of them have ever gone swimming before. It makes sense, but that's shocking to me."
"Are they going to swim here?"