SeanWard.org

“You have a fine on your record. Eighteen dollars. Apparently you didn’t return the key on time last week.”

“Sure I did. This must be a mistake. I just put in my hours and go home.” He can’t stop thinking about the cat. It wolfed down a lot of food and Alex will be on campus all day.

He taps more keys.

“You had the key checked out for almost nine hours. You’re only allowed to check it out four hours at a time.”

“What? But I have classes all day on Fridays, and the room’s reserved for the whole day. And I’m late, I have students waiting.”

The librarian picks up the phone and dials the Library Director’s number. Alex listens. “He’s an instructor with the program but the computer has a hold on his record. He has a fine.” He pauses. “Uh-huh….Uh-huh. I see.”

Alex thinks about the cat.

“He says he’s scheduled all day on Fri-days….okay. I’ll tell him.” He hangs up. “She says to go to circulation and pay the fine.”

“But I have students waiting and the room’s reserved.”

“She says if you have a problem to take it up with your Division Director.”

His first day in the program they wouldn’t give him a key and he had to see his Division Director who told him to talk to the Library Direc-tor who had his name and would let him in. He went to the Library Director who smiled and said that yes, she knew who he was and yes, she knew he needed the room, and that yes, she knew he had students waiting, but until she received an official notice on University letterhead signed by his Division Director, her hands were tied. It was a rule, one that she made up personally. She couldn’t go around breaking her own rules and expect anyone else to respect them, now could she? Everyone had to follow the rules. Everyone but cats of course. They can shit on your carpet and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.

Alex dismisses his students and leaves a note on the door canceling all classes until after the lunch hour, and then leaves to see his Division Director. He has to wait. She says that this hap-pened to two other instructors last week, but the Library Director agreed to waive the fines. Alex waits until she gets ahold of the Library Director. Everything is fine. No problem. Go after lunch and they’ll let you in.

It’s lunchtime. He checks his notes. The worksheets are still where he left them at home. Fucking cat. Probably destroying my apartment. I should have left him outside. He takes a bite from a cafeteria sandwich. There’s not much to it except price, soggy white bread, a thin meat slice, lettuce leaf, tomato. The cat’s bound to be hungry. Did I leave him any food? He ate everything I gave him. What if he’s screaming at the door? What if the neighbors complain and I get fined for having a pet, or worse, evicted. They’ll at least want a hefty deposit. He’s probably screaming. Pissing and shredding and scream-ing.