Sprigs from Ice

Part One// 11. Buoyant

The table erupted into laughter. All the while a voice in my head whispered repeatedly, menacingly; liar.

Liar.

Liar.

...

I'd been placed in a time machine and transported back in time. At least, that was the sentiment as I stood in front of one of the oldest universities in the world, properly starstruck. Oxford University was a culmination of every bit of English architecture over a period of nearly eight centuries. The cathedral style Bodleian Library stood tall with elegant columns supporting it, the Ashmolean Museum proudly sported Grecian architecture, and the entire campus gave the feeling of walking through an ancient city right out of a storybook.

The illusion wasn't quite lost, even with all the modern touches like the elevators and automatic sliding doors. A tour of the campus was a must. We'd arrived an hour earlier than the conference was scheduled to start, just so mum could show off all the places she'd been. She wore a belted navy pea coat over a grey pant suit, and looked right at home with everyone else.

That was the Department of Chemistry, a modern building that didn't quite fit in with the others. Across the road was the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, and behind it was the Department of Pharmacology, where she'd done most of her post graduate research work.

I was grateful for the warm leather seats of the car that had been assigned to us. My hands had stayed in the pockets of my coat the entire time, and my cheeks were stinging from the cold. As the driver began to drive towards Exeter College, where the conference was actually happening, mum spoke.

"If you want to apply here, you're free to do so. The opportunities you'd get from graduating from this place will set you up for life. An engineering degree here would qualify you for work in any place you choose. That's what Kevin is benefitting from."

I wanted to bury myself in the leather seats. In her mind, I'd already agreed to electrical engineering, and there was no further discussion needed on the topic. "Tech will be fine." I mumbled.

"If you say so." She pursed her lips. "But a master's degree here, or even a Ph.D, is a must. With that kind of education, you can take your father's company to the next level."

"I've got four years to consider it, mum."

She glanced at me, but said nothing.

I didn't realize it then, but I'd already laid my dreams of pursuing medicine to rest, strutting forward with blind ambition and a hardened heart.

...

Every city in the world seemed to have a permanent sound track of traffic. London was no different. Even though the street was narrow, it was still congested with cars and pedestrians in thick coats holding up different colored umbrellas as the rain came down softly.

I stepped away from the balcony with a warm cup of tea in my hands and walked towards the desk in the suite, which was covered in my school books and stationery, and my laptop. On the screen, Kevin stared into the camera, wearing a dark blue sweater that complemented his dark skin, airpods in his ears.

"So, you saw Oxford?" He asked, as if I didn't tell him that five minutes ago. "Lovely place, isn't it? You should definitely go there."

That prompted a groan from me. "You know, 'go to Oxford' may as well be the soundtrack for this entire trip. It's all everyone's telling me." I said, settling into the plush chair before the desk.

"It's because everyone wants the best for you, Tricia. Don't be dramatic." He rolled his eyes. "But if you don't want to go there, it's cool."

"Thank you."