Even as time seemed to move on the goosebumps did not give even the littlest remorse for me. After all, why should the cold even take into account a speck of dirt or anyone else.
The exam had not even started yet, even if I ignored them the butterflies and mixture of cough syrup anxiety would just sit in my growling stomach. "College is different than what they tell you it is like in high school, but they did get one thing right, life sucks" after all that had happened to me in the last two hours that was the only thing swimming in my mind.
The howling wind wailed through the tent as the young lady continued patching the holes of my pants, she scoffed at my comment "you may think you are older in suit and mind, but you are still young in both" her words reminded me of my mother's when my father was visiting my uncles' home for the day.
Just like with my mother I gave the lady my answer but had to change it a bit "shouldn't you walk a bit more in my shoes before lecturing me" it was not my best reply but it's what I could come up with at the time. It was the reply that she came up with that almost killed me where I stood even when I took the time to think about it.
"I am double your age young one, despite my appearance in body I am three hundred and two," the young lady said with a completely sincere tone accompanied by not even a little bit of a snicker but with a smile a god could not deny was innocent.
"you don't even look half my age there is no possible way you are that much older than me, that would put you at the same age of my great-great-grandmother if she was still alive." If she was not lying, then I was talking to someone that was not only older than me but had pulled one of the best power moves I have ever seen.
she spoke again with her face still unchanged from before "in this wide world as it is you younger generations have no imagination, but you are not the first to tell me that today, Ryan Libics " it was odd having someone call me by name so casually this was made even more apparent by the emphasis put on my name.
"wait when did I ?" at this point it would not have mattered if I understood I would have been confused all the same.
the lady changed to a devilish grin then spoke again "sharpen up some young man this world is full of all types of skills, now get over here your pants are done".
Even if I was confused at the time there was no doubt in my mind she was teasing me on purpose. The feel of the place changed ever so slightly even if the air was chilled the blistering heat of her warm demanding personality changed everything in the room. I made my way over in an orderly fashion after prying myself off the metal chair. Being about two feet away I stop after having my pants thrown at my head. They landed with the utmost grace or that is what I would like to say but in the reality of if it felt more like getting hit by a large rock covered in sandpaper. The pants not only looked thicker but felt it too, taking a closer look at them even though they were tattered even when I first got them they looked almost brand new even with the patches.
"well, I am waiting" she said.
patiently waiting to hear the results of her hard work I had no idea what was in her head, and I did not want to know. I was hesitant to give my answer "thank you a lot at least now I won't get mud in through the holes." As easy as ever I had managed to have not a single ounce of tac in my answer. The young lady's smile changed again it was soft now there was not even a hint of the grin from before.
"I think you better get going you don't have much time left, that's if you still want to meet your friend at the front gate that is.". The sad part was she was right about that.
"wait how did you…." For the second time that day, I had been shown up by an old lady, or at the least, that is what she claims to be with half my height.
As soon as I had gotten my pants back on, I could feel the difference but it was short-lived as the lady pushed me from the backroom to the main. "Now I think that is all that you need mister Libics" even if the lady was wrong, I did not have the time to fight her on it. Just as eager as before the lady pushed me to the front next to the exit then out. However, before pushing me out all the way, she said something rather cryptic "one last parting piece of advice dodge to the left, not the right." With those parting words, she went back into the tent after pushing me out.
With that I began the short walk back to the front gate to meet up with the man from the Gate ,he may have been a little bit on the rough side but out of everyone he told it like it was, not what I wanted to hear. The undisputable fact was everyone was here to see someone off or here to take the exam for their own self-loving greed. It did not matter how one got here the fact was they were here, and it was shaping up to be bad not for just myself but many of the others as well.
A little bit of time went by before I noticed that the nice refreshing street had all but vanished being taken over by the murky mud that had almost led me to an early grave not too long ago. At the same time one thing that I was not missing rearing its ugly head made its come back. Once more the fumes quickly picked away at my senses slowly making themselves the center of my attention. With the pain in my stomach making it crystal clear the heavenly fumes were swamping the air giving no chance for a reprieve from the pain until the matter was settled. Even considering if I was willing to beg I don't think I would get any food, at the very least not while within walking distance to the gate on the day of the exam.
"I need to get some food in me even if it is just a piece of bread". However, this was no time to be complaining about these things after all it was out of my control. After about another ten grueling minutes of pushing my way through the crowds that had surrounded the gate. I had finally made my way to the front again only to see not the old staff member I had seen before but a much more welcoming face. "crooowaaw" Shadow cried with a scream that made the little kids nearby run away as if a demon had come to life. The person I was referring to was none other than Chase who had kept his promise to meet up with me.
How he knew where I would be was rather puzzling to me. Chase was not your average person by any means, in all his family puts him leagues above where mine is now. Even after we got out of high school Chase was the only friend of mine to stay in touch with me.