o

dinners. Being a professor doesn't mean you won't have time

sy right now. Once I've cleared up my schedule, I

ar, and the two years before that. I don't b

ods my mind as I fight to s

not the best years for me... and you kn

nderstand. We all do. At least let your fathe

ully, my voice dropping. "I cannot sen

him over. Or better still, I have a p

g. "I will bring Ace when I can. If you can't com

my hands and leaned back, pushing my head against the headre

tant knock ca

my voice barely ris

She carried a pair of thick documents. "Sir, the list is

briefly, the text blurring slightly before my eyes

t.... the requirement you need, an

, my eyes tracking t

ggested she was weighing the risk of speaking. "I have a cousin

ing up. My gaze pinned her to the sp

rained of col

did y

all back to the stack of documents before me. I turned a page, the crisp

.rig

o leave almo

nnect the number on the adve

mall nod and hurried out, the

. Johnson's "unavailability" was a headache for the entire department. The Vice Chancellor had been vague,

tting college students was a

ing to do a small revision of my lecture notes. The hall was m

nto the right side of my head. I kept my focus locked on the wor

high. I stood up and walked toward the front of the ha

a young woman sitting near the front. The look of sheer surprise on

ern henceforth," I said, trying to keep my voice calm,

eyes, filled with a mix of confusi

the back of the room. "I expect everyone to continue taking this course seriously. In fact, I will be significantly

looked across the room to ensure ev

he lady in the front, the one who looked a bit chubby, pr

y a vibration in my pocket. A text message from Ace's school. It was

. As I drove toward the edge of campus, my phone rang. A

omeone from the advert b

nd the Chairman of the school waiting

do you do?" he aske

e tension in the air. "Mr. Charles, care to expla

little situation that we felt should be brought to

h an intensity that mad

o straight to the point. Your son, Ace, has been d

owed. "How d

ough, he tends to push or unnecessarily cause harm to other children

o his. "Are you by any chance saying

ased on our observations, it seems he needs more... attention and care. Not jus

ns, Mr. Charles. I will do what I n

, looking visibly an

*****

houghts. I couldn't take him to his mother, never again, not after the disaster of last tim

and noticed the mis

ce before you hang up next time!" a vo

aid, my voice cutting t

could feel the sudden sp

e at 3:00 PM

uh... I called about t

calculation for

ow at 12:00 PM noon. Bring every form of

for a reason; if she couldn't even manage a simple app

rof. Johnson's "wrong affairs" investigation sat, and my heart stopped as I realized the girl in the photo was