A Love Like This (Book 1) (7 page)

I pick up my drafting supplies and leave the room in sweats and a hooded sweat shirt. I sit on a bench in front of the dorms and take out my sketch pad, chalk and colored pencils to sketch the landscape.
 
It
’
s foggy and virtually desolate outside.
 
I
’
m sitting close enough to the buildings to see every detail but passersby look like walking shadows.
 
I draw
a
replica of the cluster of dorms then add a living
 
roof
 
filled with perennials, purple love grass and butterfly milkweeds.
 
It
’
s moments like this that remind
 
me why I chose architecture as a major. I feel so peaceful sitting here drawing.
 
I use gray chalk to create shadows and fog around the buildings.
 

“
That
’
s hauntingly beautiful,
”
 
I hear a woman
’
s voice behind me say. I turn to face her.
 
 
“
Is that purple love grass?
”
 
She is an older woman with long dark hair streaked with gray and eye
’
s the color of the ocean at night.
 

“
I honestly didn
’
t think anyone else would pick up on that.
 
Don
’
t you just love the name, purple love grass,
”
 
I say?

The woman walks around the bench and sits next to me. She takes a closer look at the drawing.
 
 
“
The only thing missing from your design is black eyed Suzan
’
s.
”
 

Black eye Suzan
’
s are daisy-
like flowers with
 
a huge
brown center that look like
giant black eye
s
.
 
 
“
I was thinking about adding them but I ran out of space.
 
A green roof could be very efficient.
 
It could help the university save energy by insulating against heat and cold.
”

The woman nods thoughtfully,
 
“
Are you an agricultural major?
”
 
 

“
No architecture.
”
 
 
I
’
m Leila by the way I say offering my chalk covered hand.
 
 
“
How do you know so much about plants?
”
 
I ask.

“
It
’
s just a hobby of mine.
 
My son and I do a lot of landscaping around the house.
 
You have really good ideas.
”

“
Thanks, I love architecture more for the artistic aspects rather than the practical.
”

“
I run a small non-
profit in Marin. If you ever want to come out and do some community service we could really use your help.
”
 

She hands me a b
usiness card.
 
T
here
’
s something calming about her demeanor.
 
She reminds me of my mom.
 
The card says Joan Noland
 
‘
Room for Growth Disabled Services
’
.
 
 
“
I
’
ve never really given much thought to volunteering but I
’
d love to help out.
”

“
It
’
s a program for disabled adults.
 
We help them learn independent living skills.
 
 
We teach them things like money management, how to use public transportation and other skills that most of us take for granted.
 
You can come
and teach some of the residents
about saving energy and different species of plants.
 
You can also just come and hang out because interaction helps them develop social skills.
”
 
 
The woman stands to go.
 
“
I should head out I
’
m supposed to meet my son for breakfast.
 
Give me a call and we
’
ll set something up if you
’
re interested.
”

“
Thank you I
’
ll do that.
 
Nice to meet you,
”
 
I say.
 

She smiles warmly and pats my shoulder before walking away.

_____

Tucker and his best friend Mike are sitting side by side at a juice bar on the Berkeley campus after completing a five mile run.
 
They met in the seventh grade at Longfellow Junior High School.
 
Mike was dating a girl named Samantha
 
Ceballos.
 
She was the daughter of a famous guitar player and the prettiest girl in school.
 
 
Mike was a gangling pimple faced boy with thick glasses and a dry Jerry curl.
 
He pursued Samantha
 
tenaciously buying her candy and stuffed animals even giving her money on occasion. He showed up at her house nearly every day to carry her books to school.
 
She finally relented and agreed to go out with him and he was thrilled.
 
She said,
 
“
You can be my
 
boyfriend if you promise to carry my books to every class.
”
 
She crossed her arms over her budding chest and added,
 
“
But you
’
ll have to walk behind me when I
’
m with my friends and we can
’
t hold hands in public.
”
 
 
Mike happily agreed to all of her terms he didn
’
t care if no knew she was his girl as long as he knew.
 
They were going out for nearly a week and Mike was euphoric.

He would have happily gone on
 
being her lap dog forever if it wasn
’
t for Tucker walking
 
into Mrs.
 
Armstead
’
s
 
homeroom one sunny day in May. Tucker with his sapphire blue eyes and his shiny braces made all the girls swoon. Samantha stuck a note in Mike
’
s locker that very day informing him that her father said she was too young to date.
 
The same day she had her friend put a note in Tucker
’
s locker.
 
The note said,
 
“
Do you like Samantha,
”
 
with the words,
 
“
yes or no,
”
 
printed in bold letters at the bottom of the page.
 
Tucker and Samantha
 
were
 
an item by lunch and Mike was destroyed.
 
He confronted Tucker after school and a crowd quickly gathered chanting,
 
“
fight, fight, fight.
”
 
 
They pushed Mike into Tucker and both boys ended up in
detention for fighting.
 
Samantha sent Tucker a note w
hile he was in detention informing
him that she could never date someone so barbaric.
 
Tucker and Mike have been friends and rivals ever since.

“
So what do you think of what
’
s her face?
”
 
Mike asks snapping his finger.

“
Who the waitress from the bar the other night,
”
 
Tucker says.

“
No not her you know what
’
s her nose with the ass and the cute face,
”
 
Mike says with a playful smile.

“
It
’
s Leila dude.
”

“
Yeah that
’
s right Leila.
 
She
’
s like a sexy librarian,
”
 
Mike says chuckling.
 
 
“
I
’
m thinking about asking her out.
 
She might be the one man,
”
 
He says nudging Tucker
’
s arm with his elbow.

“
No you
’
re going to have to step down this time.
 
I
’
ve had my eye on her since the semester began.
 
You only want to ask her out because you know I like her.
”

“
Sorry bro you mi
ssed your opportunity.
 
Little Momma
is going to be riding big Mike by the end of the week.
”

“
First of all stop referring to yourself as big Mike, it
’
s just weird and secondly Sarah told me that Leila
’
s interested in me.
 
I
’
m just waiting for the right time to ask her out,
”
 
Tucker says sipping his drink.

“
That
’
s just a formality,
”
 
Mike says.
 
 
“
Anyway aren
’
t you still dating
 
ol
’
 
girl with the softball boobs?
”

“
No Amy and I broke up.
 
I
’
m going to ask Sarah to invite Leila the next time we all go out,
”
 
Tucker says.

“
Yeah that
’
s a good idea.
 
She might just be
 
wifie
 
man,
”
 
Mike says.

“
You
’
ve only seen her twice and you
’
ve never talked to her.
”

“
Again just a formality, I
’
ll bet you a thousand dollars
 
that I can get her to fall in love with me by the end of the semester,
”
 
Mike says.

“
Nope I
’
m not playing that game with you again,
”
 
Tucker says annoyed.

“
You clearly have the advantage.
 
You see her every week in class and you
’
re friends with her roommate.
 
What do you have to lose?
”
 
Mike says.

“
I can
’
t ask her out while student teaching her class.
 
That would be unethical.
”
 

“
Ok, we
’
ll wait until the semester ends.
”