Aurora My Love 1

Meanwhile, Kelvin left without responding to her apologies because he considered her a mannerless child. Aurora felt the same way about him. She glared at him and Mr. Napoleon noticed it and called her to the present.

“Young lady, speak with me. What assistance do you want from me?”

Aurora recalled herself, and spoke, “Thank you, Sir. I have searched for any book on war and conflict management, but I can't find any.”

Mr. Napoleon could not imagine what she could be doing with a book on 'war' and asked her in astonishment, “War?”

“Yes, Mr. Napoleon. My lecturer gave me an assignment.”

“ I see. If you don't mind, may I hear the question?”

“The question is – How can you Maintain Peace Between Two Waring Nations?”

“I see. The only book on war is off the shelf. You have to be patient for the student to return it.”

“Oh! My goodness. I need to submit this assignment at 8 AM tomorrow.”

“Wow! That is unfortunate. This is 7 PM and the Library will close at 8 PM.”

“Only an hour left,” she murmured. 

Howbeit, she was distressed, and the Librarian was touched and willing to help her out. 

Then, he inquired, “Why did you not come earlier? The book was just taken a few minutes ago?”

“The assignment was given a few minutes ago, too. It was shared on our group platform.”

“So impromptu?” He asked her with concern.

“Yes, Mr. Napoleon. That is part of the assignment. It was to determine whether we could work under pressure and submit before the deadline. That is what makes us good Conflict Managers.”

Aurora was unexposed to difficult experiences. She was learning it the hard way, and the Librarian noticed. 

Meanwhile, he asked her, “Can I direct you to the student with the book? He may be willing to share with you if you talk to him.”

Aurora's face beamed with delight, and she praised him, “That is thoughtful of you, Mr. Napoleon. If I may ask, where is the student?”

“Good. Go to the last row on the right. He usually sits on the chair by the window.”

“I appreciate it, Sir,” Aurora said.

She followed Mr. Napoleon's description and walked briskly to the window. She jolted when she saw Kelvin and he was so engrossed in the book that he could not notice her

“This Perverse! I can come in the morning and quickly do the assignment before lectures,” she resolved,  looked daggers at him, and left. 

Meanwhile, her colleagues were as disorganized as she was. They never deemed it necessary to ask Mr. Napoleon if there was a book like that. Kelvin continued with his studies, and when it was a few minutes to 8 PM, he walked to Mr. Napoleon, and stated, “It's almost time, and I have a lot to do with the book.”

He was delighted to hear that because he thought that he was helping Aurora out with her assignments, and concurred, “Yes, it's a few minutes to closing. What do you want to do?”

“I would like to borrow the book.”

“Ha, ha, ha. To borrow your book? Do you need permission for that?”

“Oh!” Kelvin exclaimed.

“You can take it. After all, no other person uses it.”

Kelvin laughed too, “Ha. I got it. Good night, Mr. Napoleon”

“Good night to you.”

The Next Day 

Aurora was in her first semester, and the increment or reduction of her pocket money depended on her academic performance as her parents promised her. Before 7:30 AM, she was at the library and had to wait for it to open at 8:00 AM. Now, she was down from her high horse and needed a favor. Then, she walked up to a cleaner and tried to buy him over by volunteering to assist him.

"Good morning, Sir, I can assist you with the cleaning.”

The surprised janitor cast a puzzled look on the fragile student, and declined, “Never mind, young lady. It is against the school rules, and I might be punished.”

Nevertheless, she wished to get into the library and grab the book before her coursemates would arrive. So, she pressed on, “I volunteered. I don't think you will be punished.”

“You are a student and not a janitor. It is wrong enough to earn me a query,” the janitor clarified.

“You are right, but can I get into the library?”

“Certainly, but why so early? The staff members are not here yet.”

“I am aware, but I have an assignment to submit at 8:30 AM, and I cannot afford to joke with it.”

The unschooled middle-aged janitor recognized the serious-minded students when he saw them. So, he opted to help the one in front of him.

“I see. I have an idea, but it may be absurd.”

“Kindly let me hear it,” she anxiously requested.

“You can access the book section through the scuttle attic.”

Aurora could not believe that the middle-aged janitor, who talked about school rules a few seconds ago, could propose such a cynical manipulation. 

Instantly, she exclaimed, “What! Do such things happen in this school?”

The janitor smiled weakly, and clarified her, “It is a suggestion. You can accept or reject it.”

Afterward, he ignored her and faced his work. She looked at the time, and it was fifteen minutes to the resumption time. Quickly, she walked to the library door and stood. Out of the blue, she saw about one hundred of her fellow students running to the hall. 

To secure a better position, she leaned on the door, and shouted, “Kindly queue up behind me. I'm the first in the queue.”

“Aurora is right. I am behind her,” another student added.

“I am number three. I am number four. Number five,” the others stated simultaneously.

Instantly, the students took their positions accordingly and waited. At 7:55 AM, another Library Staff, Miss Stella Bernard, who was on the morning shift, opened the door, and they rushed in.

“What is the meaning of this?” She flared up.

“We are sorry, Ma'am. We are seeking any book on war.”

“War? Do you wish to start one here?” Miss Bernard mocked them.

“No Ma'am. Where can we get them, please?”

Presently, Aurora miscalculated. She hoped to see the kind Mr. Napoleon, who was on duty the previous night. So, she walked to his desk, and asked in bewilderment, “Where is he?”

“Where is who?” Stella asked her angrily.

“I am sorry for barging in. I met a man last night. He knows the book that I am looking for.”

“Oh! He is off-duty this morning. If I may ask, what is the name of the book?”

Unfortunately, she could not give the name of the book but looked on in silence. At that point, about four hundred students were in the library searching for the same book. When they found none, they returned to the lecture hall in dejection.

“It is all the faults of that perverse. I would have been through with my assignment by now,” she murmured as she walked on.

In the Lecture Hall

It was 8:25 AM when they got to the hall. Mr. Mark, the thirty-two-year-old lecturer, was furious when he walked into the hall and met only a handful of students, and he shut the door.

“You are late by twenty-five minutes. I forbid you from coming into the hall,” Mr. Mark announced. 

Meanwhile, the latecomers pleaded, “Mr. Mark, it's not what you think. We were trying to …”

He interrupted them, and shouted, “Shut up. I need absolute quietness. Or you will be suspended from my lectures indefinitely.”

Instantly, the students calmed down and listened to the lecture from the window. Meanwhile, Mr. Mark continued, “Our topic today is: The Role of Ammunition Dealers in the Sustenance of Global Peace.”

After the lecture, Mr. Mark addressed the few students in the class, “Submit your assignments. All of you.”

The few students obeyed and submitted their incomprehensible assignment. From the look of things, they were the lazy ones among them, who did not bother to be thorough, but had turned out to be the smart ones. 

"Thank you for being punctual," he said.

Then, he faced the latecomers and continued,  "Twenty marks have gone out of your Continuous Assessment.”

“Oh! No Mr. Mark,” the latecomers cried out.

“Yes. Twenty marks. However, I will give you a second chance by giving you another assignment. I expect you to submit it in the morning before I come to the class. Did you get it?”

“We got you, Mr. Mark,” they chorused.

“Now, take down the question – How would Ammunition dealers contribute to the Sustenance of Global Peace?”

The students wrote down the questions at once. Afterward, Mr. Mark left the class. The other students rushed into the class and began to study. 

Meanwhile, Aurora had more burden -her pocket money and she hissed, “I will die of starvation if I don't do well. Twenty marks are gone already, just like that.” 

The other lecturers walked in for their lectures, and thereafter, the classes were over for the day. At that point, the fragile but beautiful Aurora had grown lean and tan-skinned due to improper feeding and exposure to the sun. She quickly walked to the hostel and hurried her lunch. At 4 PM, she was at the library.

At the Library

“Good evening, Mr. Napoleon,” she greeted him.

“Young lady. How may I help you? I hope you were able to get help from the young man yesterday?” Mr. Napoleon inquired.

Instantly, she was ashamed of herself and looked down. Then, he waited for her response.

“I could not,” she replied shyly.

“Oh! I got it. He was too busy to attend to you. Right?”

Aurora rode on his coattails and concurred, “You are right, Mr. Napoleon. Can I have the book?”

“No. You can't,” he responded forthwith.

Aurora gave him a pleading look and asked him, “Why, if I may ask?”

“He borrowed it, and has not returned it,” he informed her and studied her expression.

Instantly, she had no other wish but to skin Kelvin. She realized why a student said that freshmen talk to themselves, and it reduces when they are penultimate. Nevertheless, a patient must look out for a doctor.

“Will he return it today?” She inquired.

"He may or may not, but …. “

Instantly, a large teardrop ran down her cheeks. The Librarian showed concern and paused.

“Not again,” she lamented.

“… but he must come to the library today,” Mr. Napoleon assured her, and she was encouraged.

“I got it, Mr. Napoleon. I will wait for him,” she stated and dried her tears.

To avoid missing him, she walked to the window and sat on the very chair that he sat on the previous night.

Back to Kelvin's Room

“Talk to me, Big Brother,” Ramon persuaded him.