Six Miles From Nashville Read Free Page B

building and on her way to her dorm building.
    As she approached her car, a campus policeman placed a yellow ticket under her wiper blade.
    “Sir, what did I do?”
    “You freshmen are all alike. Just because you are ignorant, you think you can park anywhere you want, even if there are signs warning you not to park here.”
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
    “Don’t get all riled up. We are only allowed to give warnings today. Now, tomorra is another thing. Don’t let me catch you parking in a no parking zone again or it will cost you.”
    “Yes , sir.”
    “Go on now. Clear this spot for the next person who isn’t payin’ attention. I don’t know how some of you folk ever graduated.” He continued his tirade as a muffled mumble.
    She got into her car and turned the key. The motor groaned and she realized she had failed to turn her lights off.
    “Please God! Let it start this time.”
    It sputtered and the engine turned over, allowing her to find her way to the next stop. The cafeteria building was abuzz with activity as she entered. There were three distinct lines. One indicated lunch plan payments/tickets, one was for teachers, and the last was for student employee forms.
    It seemed to take hours before she was face to face with another middle-aged woman looking for her name. “Now Betty, you will need to fill all of these forms out along with your W-2 form. There is a hairnet in the manila envelope and you must wear it when you are working in the cafeteria. Some of you kids think the staff will not notice, but I am telling you that you will lose your position the first time you show up without it. There will be no discussion and no explanations. If you lose the hairnet, we have a stock of them available for purchase in the cafeteria office. Your pay for employment in the cafeteria will go directly to the college to pay on your tuition and meal plan. There will be no extra pay. Only meals taken in the cafeteria are paid for by your labor. You will miss no more than ten days total per semester for illness or family emergency. You will begin working tomorrow morning at six a.m. so that the cooks can give you the tour. If that is understood, I need you to sign your full name here.”
    The weight of a dulthood hit her hard as she sat filling out the forms. She didn’t know if she should claim herself on the W-2. Would Mama be mad if I did? She decided to go ahead and write down zero dependants including herself just in case. The paperwork she had been given was a thick handbook on procedures and operations within the cafeteria. It seemed overwhelming. I will have to study this tonight.
    She spotted her car in the parking lot and was glad the lights were off. It started easily and she pulled out slowly looking for a dorm building by the name of  ‘Ruth’.  The dorms for women were on the east side of the campus, whereas the men’s dorms were across the campus to the west. There were many duplexes for the married students . Finally, she saw the multilevel buildings named after women Bible characters. She found the parking lot for Ruth and Mary before she saw the building. She pulled in and stopped the car. Now was her moment of truth. She was to live among strangers. The thought sent a shudder down her back as she crossed the street with her large suitcase in her hand.
    The dorm had been constructed within the past year. She was to live on the third floor in room three seventeen. Girls stood in line for the elevator  and mashed themselves along with their possessions in the small area. Betty heard their giggles long after the doors closed. She was glad to not be in their company.
    Another elevator door opened and three girls exited. Their arms were empty and they were talking animatedly about how many trips it would take to get all their stuff into their room. She entered the elevator with two other girls and was soon on her way to her room.
    Everything was new. There were three twin beds in the large room.