"Hey what's the matter there? Why the long face. Can I help?" Marie asked.
"I'm two weeks late for school. I didn't have enough money for the plane or train, so I hitchhiked across the country. I can't seem to find any housing; every place is full. I can't afford a hotel room. I think I'm just gonna have to pack it in and hitchhike back home." Sam said to her, looking up into her sympathetic face.
"Hi, my name is Marie, what's yours?"
"Hi Marie. I'm sorry to be a downer in your day, my name is Sam, Sam Dale."
"Well Sam Dale, we have a room that isn't currently being used for anything in the basement of our sorority house. You could probably stay there for a while. Come with me and I'll ask our president about it."
She helped him with his bags and piled them into her Geo Metro and headed off with the grateful Sam to her house. They walked into the large house and plopped his bags down in the hall. A short sprightly blonde named Candice was bounding down the stairs and yelled "Man on board," rather matter-of-factly as she turned the corner and headed to the kitchen.
"Wait here while I go find Stella." Marie directed, leaving Sam to look about actively from his stationary position in the hall.
Members of the house found excuses to walk through the hall to satisfy their curiosity at the announcement of his presence. He was getting pretty excited at the prospect of living for a while in the basement under the same roof with this bevy of beauties. Finally, Marie came back with a tall blonde whose potentially stern face was broken by a welcoming smile.
"Why don't we go in here." She said leading the way through a pair of sliding pocket doors into a formal study. She signaled two studious sisters to take their studying elsewhere for the moment so the three of them could have some private time. Stella faced Sam and Marie as she slid the doors together behind her. "So Marie, what are you up to?"
"Sam here was late for the beginning of the semester and has been unable to find a place to stay. I thought he could make something of that empty room in the basement until other housing opens up for him. He's a guy, so maybe he could make it up to us by fixing things when we need it." Marie explained.
"Are you handy that way Sam?" Stella asked.
"Well, not really." Sam said embarrassed.
"What can you do, Sam?" She asked.
"I . . . um. Well, I suppose I could help with the chores." He said hopefully.
"The chores, I see. That would go without saying. What are you good at, Sam? What's your major? Let's start there." She asked.
"Um, art. I'm specializing in photography."
"Photography, um, I see. Well, you could be our official photographer I suppose." Sam brightened with anticipation of her next words, "We've been talking about having a yearbook for the sorority, but no one has the time to organize it and follow it through. Would you like to do our yearbook for us on top of the chores we'd have for you?" She asked somewhat seductively.
Sam eagerly nodded his head before he uttered, "Oh yes. Yes I would."
"Well then, it's settled. You will do chores around the house, be our own photographer, and follow our rules we might deem are necessary from time to time, having a male in our house you understand. Is that okay with you?" Stella asked.
"That's great. You don't know what a load this takes off me, Stella." He said gratefully.
"Rule number one. I am the head of this house, duly elected by my peers, so you will show me proper respect and address me and the others as 'Miss' or 'Ma'am,' are we clear on that?" Stella advised.
"Yes Ma'am." Sam said with a note of shock in his expression.
"Good, then Miss Marie will show you to your quarters." Marie started for the door. "One more thing, everybody here who has joined this house has done so by initiation. I don't see why that wouldn't apply to you as well. If you have no problem with that, go get settled, clean up, and report back to this room at eight o'clock tonight."
Sam swallowed hard, looked at Marie somewhat peeked, then looked back at Stella, swallowed hard again and said, "Okay Ma'am."
The basement room was once winter storage for tubers and other provisions. Marie gave him a broom and showed him where he could find a mattress leaning up against a wall. He used the shelves to set out his clothes, camera equipment, and school supplies and felt grateful for the temporary shelter despite its austere nature. There was a frilly bathroom off of a rec. room in the basement, which had no bath or shower. He used it to give himself a sponge bath and wash his hair to get off the grit of the road. He was heading back to his room when he heard someone call from the stairs, "If you want anything to eat, you'd better get up here and help with the prep."