Yasmin Fayyad, the first female president of Caledon University, was forced into resignation after the so-called allegations that came to light of a recent incident that had led towards the sad faith of another student… Maya Okada.
There she stood in front of the entrance of the Bar feeling depressed, showing signs of sadness and disbelief... Yasmin was the one who was interested in my work during my freelance years and has offered me a position at Caledon University as a photography professor. I was flattered and amazed to have my work recognized by one of the highest Universities of all time. However, seeing her in a time like this, no one questioned her reason as to why she would wind up coming to a Bar, like the Snapping Turtle at a critical time like the one we are dealing with right at the moment.
"I'll have a Brandy please!?" Said Yasmin as she stumbled towards a booth that was at the far end of the bar located next to the restrooms.
Everyone was surprised to see her and kept a distance away from her. Everyone feared her, due to her strong will and demeanor of wanting to keep things in order. However, things were different and as the sun was setting, Amanda didn't ask for much details and nodded in agreement as she made her way back to the bar area and began to search for a Brandy.
"You're in luck Madam, this is the last Brandy" Amanda replied as she waved the bottle of Brandy to Yasmin.
Ms. Yasmin gave a smile on her face as Amanda brought the bottle with a glass filled with ice to her.
"Here is your Brandy…" Said Amanda as she slowly placed it in front of Yasmin's view with a small glass filled with ice.
She didn't hesitate at first and decided to fill her glass with Brandy to the brim. The coolness of the drink was enough to get someone all anxious for a quick drink. As I observed her holding her glass bottle of Brandy she turned to Amanda and offered a 100 dollar bill to her for her service. Amanda at first was hesitant to get her hands on the bill, but retracted…
"No need madam, it's on the house. You might need it more than I do for now."
"Are you sure young lady? I don't want you to offer me free service; we all need to pitch in for once. Since I am a customer at your establishment it is wise for me to pay for the drink that I requested," Said Yasmin with a sad look.
"Not to be rude Madam, but I heard through the grapevine that you as well have been let go from your position," Replied Amanda.
Ms. Yasmin didn't argue back and knew too well that she was indeed unemployed and accepted Amanda's kindness and waved a hand gesture, a sign of wanting some alone time to herself. Amanda made her retreat back to the safety of the bar counter and decided to scroll on her cell phone. Meanwhile, I took the liberty to excuse myself from Victoria. She didn't hesitate and nodded while she as well took out her luxurious phone and began to scroll on her private website and the pics that she had online of herself and her fashion designs.
The environment of the bar has shifted from relief to a feeling of discomfort. As I made my way to Ms. Yasmin's booth, I felt nervous. To the point that I ended up talking to myself mentally, wanting to see what was on her mind, and how she was holding up regarding the disappearance of her Daughter, Safi; who was presumably dead, but turned out to be alive after the collision of the two alternative Universes.
As I approached her booth, Ms. Yasmin shifted her gaze toward me and smiled… "Hi Max…"
"Hello Ms. Fayyad, how are you holding up?" I replied knowing too well that nothing was alright with her and the weird event that she had experienced, regarding her Daughter. She was spooked to see her daughter, whom she thought she knew too well. But didn't after seeing Safi shapeshift into other people… including herself.
She fondled with her glass that was still filled with Brandy and scoffed a sigh of relief while having her eyes shut for a minute. She gestured me to sit, for she has indeed some news she wanted me to hear first…
"Please Max, don't stand there, and join me… I need someone to talk to," She said while fiddling with her drink.
I nodded and without a word, I took a seat that was across from where she sat.
"To be Fair Max, I don't know what to do, nor do I have any answers to what my faith holds. However, I am sad and confused about what is happening to us and these strange events that happened on our campus." She said while feeling sad and nervous. She continued with the conversation of the things she had experienced and how she was shocked to see all the things that she had built were starting to fall apart.
"Ms. Fayyad, I too am shocked that things here have indeed gotten stranger, and let's be honest I too am scared," I replied, feeling sarcastic.
She gave a small giggle and shifted to another conversation and what she had said next… "Max, please be honest with me, what did my daughter tell you? I do miss her, but the things she did and what became of her has put me on edge…"
I looked at her with sympathy and decided to tell her the whole truth, and was willing to do anything to get her back. I hesitated at first, to tell her the reason what Safi has told me. But, knowing too well what Safi had told me and her plans of assembling others who have the same abilities as her; I couldn't hold back and eventually told Yasmin everything… "Mrs. Fayyad?"
"Please, Max. No need to act professional in front of me, I am no longer the president of the University anymore…" she said while showing me a smile of sympathy… "Call me Yasmin."
I gave her a warm smile and told her what I believed Safi's intentions were… "Yasmin, I believe that Safi has been going through a lot lately, and the loss of her friend…Maya Okada and the cancelation of her Publishing book has led her to feel this way…" I said while reaching out to hold Yasmin's hand for comfort, and she without a word held mine as well as I continued saying what needed to be said… "She felt betrayed by the ones who truly care about her… and she also still blames Lucas Colmenero for the plagiarism he did of having her friend's work been stolen and used as his own work."
Yasmin feeling regret has scoffed and admitted her mistake… "I understand Max, and sadly I am lost for words, for I felt like in one alternative reality she is gone… like dead, while in the other she is not, but is physically lost… I admit my mistake of convincing the publishers to canceling her book, and if I could just go back in time and undo what I never should have done, then Safi would still be here with us… But she is gone." She finished saying what was in her heart and shifted her conversation to another important subject that will forever change my career path as well, and I may not be the only one affected by it.
"Max… I don't how to address this appropriately to you, but, I am afraid that I have some sad news," Said Yasmin with a sad expression.
"Sad news you say?" I replied with a worried look.
Ms. Yasmin was scared to tell me what she needed to say at first, but preceded without any hesitation… "The School board of Directors and the investors all have taken a vote, that vote was that… Caledon University will officially be shutting down its educational program… effective immediately… all employees will have to vacate the premises by the end of this week."
The moment she announced the school's closure, all eyes from the bar shifted in our direction. No one said a word, and almost immediately Moses jumped into the conversation,
"What!? You mean to tell us that we are officially unemployed?" He said all shocked and worried.
"It seems that way," I replied all shocked and sad.
I was shocked at first with Safi having a secret of her own, but now this. Realizing too late that I am back to square one as a freelancer, and sadly I just don't know what to do next. I usually have backup plans when Chloe was with me, but now I am indeed all alone and afraid of what to do next. I am financially stable for now, but sooner or later I will have to find another stable job elsewhere.
"So what now?" Replied Amanda, she was just as shocked as everyone else. Amanda didn't hesitate more but began to press further as to why the school was being foreclosed. "Why did they choose to foreclose the school? Was it due to budget cuts, or what?"
"I am afraid it is worse than that." Replied Yasmin as she turned her gaze to the full glass bottle filled with Brandy. As she stood there fiddling with her drink once again, she gave the reason as to why the school was shutting down… "They found out that the school had a bunch of defects in the old building itself, and was deemed unsafe to function. But the worst part had to do with this devastating storm that has put on edge the investors and they decided to cut their losses by no longer investing in the school programs."
"So, it's official they screwed us up, and now we are jobless." Said Vinh in an angry tone.
"Vinh don't say that… They assumed that the school itself wasn't securing enough revenues in the long run, and due to their greediness and the storm that hit Lakeport, they couldn't risk losing any of their investment in the school, and they just came up with an excuse to just shut down the school." Replied Yasmin as she showed sympathy towards Vinh and the rest of us, peers. "Who knows why they did this to us, but what I do know is that their so-called excuse was that the school needed a full restoration after the devastation of this storm, but with the investors pulling their investments out and the school board's shifting their attention elsewhere, it is no wonder why they forced me into resignation. They assume that restoring the old campus itself will be a waste of valuable resources and money…. Other than that I don't know." Said Yasmin as she scoffed with annoyance having her gaze shifted on her Brandy glass.
That was pretty much what Yasmin had in mind, but other than that, I and everyone else are officially no longer professors of a school that is officially shutting down.
"Wait, what about us the students of Caledon University? Where will we go? Plus will the rest of the students be informed as well?" Said Reggie who was listening in… on our conversation.
Meanwhile, Yasmin was back at fiddling with her drink. "All college students who have been attending the Caledon University will be given an ultimatum. Transfer to another school or get dropped and receive your full refund from the tuition expenses and from the most recent classes that you or anyone else is enrolled in. That is all that I know from them." Replied Yasmin briefly.
Victoria without a second to think stood up from her booth and walked over towards the booth Yasmin and I were sitting at and began to say something that would shift our worrisome look to a curious look…
"Excuse me, guys!?" Everyone began to shift their gaze towards Victoria who was approaching us with a gleaming look, as if she had something exciting to say.
"Oh boy, Here we go again" I replied mentally, as I knew far too well where all this was going to lead us.
"Now… now everyone. I overheard that some of you who were professors of this school are no longer employed… correct?" She said while waving her hands as a gesture sign of calmness.
"That's right?" I replied while feeling uncomfortable at her gesture.
"This is a great thing," She said with a smile.
Glenn who had been quiet for quite some time spoke up feeling a little annoyed at her attitude… "Ms. Chase, for the love of GOD! This is no time for a fuckin Joke. Can you see that all of my colleagues are jobless? We just got out of a crucial storm that nearly cost us our lives and now you are telling us not to worry at all?"
"I apologize for my so-called attitude, but my reason for being here is that I wanted to share some important news with Max here… about an opportunity of wanting to teach photography lessons at the new campus that my family and the Prescott family have developed over the last 5 years. It is indeed a fresh new opportunity for her since she has some credentials to teach new students the art skills of Photography. And I was hoping to see if she is interested in teaching at the new Black Well Academy and The Nathan Foundation University of Arts at Arcadia Bay" Said Victoria with a sincere look and a gesture of wanting to share a new opportunity for me to join. "So, what do you say Max? Will you take this opportunity and teach Photography at the new Academy and University over at Arcadia Bay?"
Victoria who I hadn't seen for nearly 6 years dared to ask me for a job opportunity at a new school that was located in the last area that I chose to never go back to again after the devastating storm that hit Arcadia Bay… 10 years ago.
"I will have to think about it… But, I will give you a call sometime this week about my decision regarding your offer," I said feeling kind of nervous and scared.
"Great and the same goes for the rest of you, the new school needs fresh new professors and students who are willing to relocate to this new academy, and yes… we will provide housing board, and other traveling expenses if you guys choose to relocate to Arcadia Bay," Said Victoria as she pulled out a bunch of business cards with her contact information. With all said and done, she waved a final goodbye to everyone as she gathered her things and headed out the door.
With Victoria now gone, everyone begins to reminisce to see if they should take this opportunity that Victoria has offered regarding the new and improved academy and university back in Arcadia Bay.
"Well with all that said and done, I am in. What's there to lose… obviously I am unemployed and am looking for work elsewhere, and Arcadia Bay of all this." Said Glenn who is gleefully all excited to give a new shot of opportunity at another town called Arcadia Bay.
"If Glenn is taking this opportunity, then yeah I will too." Said Moses with a calm smile.
"What do I have to lose? I'm in" Yasmin replied while finally taking a sip of her brandy, realizing that the ice had diminished within the glass bottle.
One by one, all of my peers have finally decided of wanting to transfer to the new schools at Arcadia Bay. However, I am still debating whether or not I should take this opportunity of wanting to go back to my old hometown of Arcadia Bay.