Rosie stayed awake for most of the journey and, accustomed to not sleeping at all thanks to the war, she barely noticed the fatigue during the day. With her large hat, sunglasses, and a scarf covering her face a little, she managed to reach the luxury hotel unnoticed. She was given the room key and went up before time ran out and it was time for her appointment with the Harvard dean. Rosie needed many hours in advance, in fact, she needed the whole day dedicated to the activity she had because she was terrible at improvising and needed everything planned: from the wardrobe to what she would say. So, Rosie started her routine immediately.
"Eigth hours starting..." Rosie looked at the clock on her wrist and waited for six o'clock to strike. "Now."
First, she went into the bathroom. She prepared the scented bathwater and let her muscles relax after the intense journey and the accumulated emotions from the previous days due to her encounter with him. Rosie didn't want to think about him, or that he would be looking for her (again) like an animal hunting its prey. She hated him!
"Don't think about him!" she shouted when her mind betrayed her.
She was doing a good job of becoming independent. Nancy and Robin had never been so proud of her as they were now, seeing her fiercely embracing the qualities of a woman taking control of her life, separate from what she knew, from what made her feel secure and loved, separate from him after ten years of a relationship, the only person she could understand, the only one she wanted to talk to. Rosie was grateful to have Nancy and Robin, her only friends, the ones she made on her own, without having to ask Soldier Boy for anything or because it was related to him, like Steve. She made friends, and then when she went to university, she could make more friends.
She got out of the bathtub and dressed, trying to look like a cultured woman, educated in good schools, with a friendly smile. She tried to wear calm colors and white gloves. She styled her hair up and adorned it with a bow on the side. And so, Rosie went out for breakfast, with six hours until her interview.
In the same hotel, there was a restaurant where she ordered something light. Rosie noticed a few clothing and accessory shops on the other side, including a beautiful light pink dress with a tartan pattern. Rosie took out the script she had to deliver to the admissions officer from her briefcase and confirmed that she had all the documents and papers from her private education within the military base and her experience in the military. Rosie knew it wasn't much, and she was being greedy in wanting to get into one of the most prestigious universities with a terrible academic record, but she had the money to make a donation that would secure her a spot.
What if they didn't admit her? That worry triggered her desire to go back to the room and not go out. It didn't have to be the end of the world; she could study medicine somewhere else, some university had to admit her. She loved medicine, she had learned a lot from the nurses and military doctors, she had spent her time taking care of the soldiers, making thousands of remedies with her plants, doing bandages and splints. Rosie loved helping people and making them feel better; she thought it was a quality she could acquire in other careers. If she got rejected, she would pick herself up and look for another university. She made a promise.
Rosie went over all the topics she had to discuss for the next few hours. She mentally prepared herself to fight for a spot. So, when it struck one o'clock, she got into a taxi to be dropped off at the campus.
As Rosie approached the Harvard campus, a sense of awe and anticipation washed over her. The imposing entrance of the campus loomed before her, exuding a majesty that made it clear why Harvard was considered one of the finest academic institutions in the world. The wrought-iron gate slowly opened before her eyes, revealing a wide and well-maintained path. Lush trees extended on both sides of the walkway, seemingly greeting her with outstretched branches, as if welcoming her to her destination. The air was filled with the fresh scent of the surrounding vegetation.
#25. the end
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