Luke and Laima

            Two guys are chatting on their way to music class at the Fine Arts.  They have gel-styled hair and are wearing dress-shirts, ties, black pants, and shiny black shoes.  They periodically burst into little bits of song duets and stuttered dance steps as they walk down the flag path.  A girl with red, wavy hair, wearing black leggings, a pair of black flat suede boots, a navy blue and white striped shirt-dress, and a thin strap black shiny purse crosses their path whilst making a video with a pocket digital camera.  One of the guys stops and watches her with fascination.  She points the camera at herself and speaks something very fast in a chatty sort of tone that it is hard to make out.  During her speedy dialogue, she points the camera up at the second to last flag for a while, then back at herself, then at the clock memorial pausing for a close-up of the clocks for Maryville and Turkey.  She points the camera back at herself, her tone of voice obviously brining the presentation to a close, and with a smile, shuts it off.  The young man approaches her while she is busy stashing the camera in her purse.

                “Wow, what were you doing just now?”

                “I was making a video from my camera for my friends and family back home.”

                “I see, where is home?”

                “Lithuania.”

                “Ah, where is that?”

                “In Europe.  That over there is my country’s flag and then I came over here to show the time difference between Maryville and Istanbul since Istanbul is close to Lithuania.”

                “That’s great.  How did you end up here in the Midwest?”

                “I was studying in a college in Denmark, then I decided to come to America—so I guess I’m studying abroad…not abroad but abroad-abroad.”  She giggles.  “Northwest was my second of three choices.”

                “Wow, that’s really cool.  By the way, I’m Luke.”  He shakes her hand.

                “Hi Luke, I’m Laima.  What were you doing?”

                “OH, I was just…walking to class and I saw you talking and I was like, that’s interesting and it doesn’t sound like English so I wondered if you were an international student which I guess you are.  I like your hair.”

                “Thanks.  Are you going to study abroad?”

                “I did already; I went to Italy summer before last.  I really enjoyed it.  Are you enjoying yourself here at Northwest?”

                “Yes, very much!  It’s so great that people stop to talk to international students here.  Everyone seems very nice.”

                “Yeah, I guess they are.  Well, good luck with your video for your family and have a nice semester.”

                “Thanks, you too!”

                Luke walks up the steps to the Fine Arts, then stops and turns back to look, but Laima is already halfway to Colden Hall, strolling lightly across the grass beside the pond.