The Watcher II: The Time of Suppression

by Saxon Robinson

  • • •

  That evening, Allison saw Gregory walk out wearing jeans, t-shirt, and a jacket; he was going to turn her down. She reached across and opened the passenger door. Gregory stuck his head in, and Allison said, “It’s cold! Get in and shut the door!” Gregory sighed and got into the car. He turned to Allison and was stunned by her appearance. Before he could say anything, she pulled off. “Allison…”

  “Hold it until we arrive.”

  Gregory stared at Allison wearing a thigh length black outfit with matching leggings. He sat back in his seat and knew he had no choice but to wait until they arrived at a restaurant. Allison drove to Faneuil Hall Market Place, parked in a garage, and stepped out of the car. Gregory got out and looked out at the old and modern buildings outside. Allison took his hand and pulled him out of the garage. They arrived outside on the streets and Allison smiled, “I’ve always like coming here. Look at the things in the window.” Gregory looked in the store front and saw high-tech toys. He shook his head and Allison took him inside; a sales man tried to convince him to purchase an X-box. They left the store and Allison kept a running commentary on the history of the market place along with information about many of the stores. After an hour, Gregory stopped in front of a store and said, “What are those?”

  “Lobsters.” Gregory stared at her and Allison smiled, “You’ve never eaten Lobster?”

  “Can’t say that I have.” Allison laughed and pulled him into the Lobster Hut. Allison showed him how to open a lobster and Gregory took a bite of the meat in one of the claws. His head went back, and Allison smiled, “Good! Right?” Gregory smiled and closed his eyes; it was fabulous. After they finished Allison took out a credit card and Gregory put his hand on her arm, “I’ve got this.”

  “Gregory, I didn’t intend to take you to an expensive place…”

  “Allison, I can afford this.” Allison’s expression showed her doubt and Gregory shrugged, “I received all the money I made while incarcerated at the Port. The State also paid a significant amount as restitution. I invested the money from the port as well as most of the restitution. Pat gave me the name of a good stock broker and the accounts are now worth a few million. I can afford to pay for dinner.”

  “Then why do you continue to live in that rundown building?”

  “Because it’s inexpensive and it allows me to invest most of my pay from the factory. It suits my needs fine.”

  “And that’s why you haven’t bought a car?”

  “A car is a huge expense with operating costs, insurance, and the initial purchase price. Besides, running to work each day is good for my health.”

  Allison smiled and said, “Well, since you’re paying, I have a dessert place you need to see.”

  • • •

  The night seemed to fly by, and the stores began closing. They went to Allison’s car and she pulled out of the garage. They were silent until they pulled up in front of Gregory’s apartment and Allison said, “I knew you weren’t going to go out with me when I arrived. I tricked you into the car and drove off before you could tell me.” Gregory stared at her and Allison sighed, “I’m sorry; I was just so looking forward to tonight.”

  “I noticed your apprehension most of the night; that’s why you kept talking most of the time to not allow me to bring it up,” Gregory replied.

  “Was I that obvious?”

  “Yes, you were. Maybe next time we go out you can relax and enjoy the moment.” Allison’s eyes flew wide open. “You are incredibly beautiful tonight and even with the constant gab, I’ve had the most enjoyable experience in my entire life. I didn’t have to worry about how to conduct myself around you; you made me comfortable Allison. I realize that my fear of being with you is misplaced. If you still want to spend time together, I really look forward to it.”

  Allison leaned slowly across the seat and kissed him tenderly. She broke the kiss and said, “I’ll pick you up at three tomorrow afternoon.” Gregory laughed and Allison added, “Monday is a workday and we ran out of time tonight; we’ll start earlier tomorrow.”

  Gregory opened the door and said, “I’ll see you at three.” Allison watched him walk to the apartment and her heart was singing. She drove off and Gregory watched until she disappeared from sight. He went in and thought about how nice she smelled until he fell asleep.

  • • •

  Sunday morning at ten Martha’s cellphone rang and she answered it. “I’ve spoken with Dr. Ridgeway about the test. He tells me that no student has ever answered more than twenty percent of the questions in the fifth section correctly and that this Mr. Jennings correctly answered all of them.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “I have decided to offer Mr. Jennings a full scholarship to MIT. Go to the registrar’s office to assign him his classes. Dr. Belew is waiting for you and you should contact her immediately.”

  “Thank you Sir. I know you won’t regret this!”

  “I won’t regret it Martha. I know this is what Lou would want.”

  Martha yelled, ALLISON! GET DRESSED NOW!” Allison walked in and Martha smiled, “He’s in!”

  • • •

  Gregory arrived back at the apartment at one in the afternoon and saw Alison’s car in front of the apartment. He jogged up and saw Allison and her mother get out of the car. What was going on? Their date was still two hours from now. He walked up and Martha said, “I need to speak with you.”

  Gregory smiled, “About my scores on that test?”

  “Well, sort of.” Gregory’s head tilted and he saw Allison looked nervous. “That test you took was the entrance exam to MIT’s undergraduate school. You did exceptionally well on it Gregory.”

  “So, taking that test wasn’t really just to challenge me? You weren’t being honest about it.”

  Martha blew out a breath, “Yes I was. I really didn’t think you’d do as well as you did. It was the results of that test that changed things.”

  “In what way?”

  “You answered every question correctly; that has never been done.”

  “So?”

  “The President of the University is offering you a full scholarship to the Graduate school in Mathematics.”

  Gregory stared at her and said, “I don’t have a Batchelor’s degree Mrs. Silver.”

  “Your test results allowed me to convince the President to offer you the scholarship to graduate school. He agreed with my recommendation.”

  “Why?”

  Martha saw the tension in Gregory’s expression and knew this wasn’t going well. “Do you remember the last section of the test?” Gregory nodded. “No one has ever answered more than twenty percent of those questions correctly. You answered all of them correctly. That shows that your talent in mathematics is far above most of the best mathematicians in the country. I also convinced him that if we didn’t offer you a scholarship to graduate school, many others would.”

  “Why?”

  “Do you recall the last question on the test.”

  “I do.”

  “Well, that question is known as Fulmer’s Axiom. It’s been around for more than forty years and no one has been able to solve it, you did. Once it becomes known that you solved it, you will be recruited by most of the universities in the nation. The prize for being the first to solve the Axiom is a million dollars and we will be notifying the committee offering the prize that you are the recipient. You will receive the prize no matter what you decide. We want to be the first to make you the offer.” Gregory stared at her and Martha rushed forward, “The scholarship gives you free tuition, room, board, and books. It is an incredible offer Gregory.”

  “I have a job Mrs. Silver I can’t just walk away from.”

  “I’ve set up your classes for this semester so that all of them will be taken at night. You can work at your job until they find another to replace you. At that time, you will have a room waiting for you in the dorm.”

  Gregory stared at her and looked at Allison, “Did you know about
this?”

  “No! I just found out this morning.”

  “Then why do you look so apprehensive?”

  “I’m frightened to death Gregory.”

  Gregory’s eyes narrowed, “Why?”

  “Because you and I have just started, and I’m scared out of my mind that I will lose you over this.”

  Gregory stared at her and said, “What do you think I should do?”

  Allison shook her head, “I wouldn’t try to make a suggestion. You have to decide what you feel you should do. But I want you to know that whatever you decide to do, I will support your decision and never question it. I know your heart will guide you and my heart will be there with you.”

  Gregory stared at her and turned to Martha. He was silent and Martha pulled a document out of her purse. She handed it to Gregory and said, “Do you remember how to get to the lab where you took the test?” Gregory nodded slightly. “All of your classes are on the bottom floor of that building. Your first class starts tomorrow night at seven.” Gregory stared at her and Martha said, “If you don’t go to the classes tomorrow, the offer is off the table; you must be there!”

  Gregory continued to stare at her, and Gregory finally said, “I’ll let you know.”

  “Gregory, this is a wonderful offer!”

  “I SAID I’LL LET YOU KNOW!!” Gregory said harshly.

  Martha knew he wasn’t going to do it. She hesitated and then said, “Did you know that Lou Kessler was a professor at MIT when he was taken to the docks?” Gregory’s expression changed and his eyes narrowed. “He was a personal friend of the President and he told me that losing Lou was a huge loss to the University. It was his feelings for Lou that caused him to make this offer. Gregory, what would Lou want you to do?”

  Gregory’s eyes were moist as he turned around and started walking toward the apartment building. He stopped before he entered and turned to Allison, “I can’t keep our date today.” Allison nodded and he saw tears in her eyes. He paused and said, “I’ll see you at seven this coming Saturday.” He turned and went into the building. Allison closed her eyes and said, “THANK GOD!” in a shaky voice.

  • • •

  Martha and Allison got in the car and drove off. Martha blew out a breath and said, “He’s not going to do it.” She looked at Allison and asked, “Do you agree?”

  Allison’s eyes were still moist, and she said, “There is no way for me to understand how his mind works; he’s too far beyond my ability to reason. I have no idea what he will decide.” Martha turned back to the road and Allison said after a few minutes, “Whatever he decides, it will make perfect sense afterwards.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Martha finished her last class and sat at her desk going over the rolls of the students in her classes. She examined their high school transcripts and at five to seven, she stood up, grabbed her purse, and went to the elevator. She arrived outside of a classroom and looked through the glass in the door. She closed her eyes and sighed. She moved so she could see the row of desks next to the wall and saw Gregory sitting in the back desk, “Thank God!” She walked down the hall and called Allison, “He’s here!” Allison screamed and Martha smiled.

  • • •

  Gregory arrived fifteen minutes early and sat down on the back row next to the wall. A large man came in and sat down next to him. Well, he really wasn’t large…he was…solid. The man smiled at Gregory as the bell rung starting the class. A woman walked through the door and stood in front of the class. Gregory stared at her; she had to be younger than him. She had striking blonde-colored hair and her eyes were green and intense. She looked out at the class and said, “I’m Doctor Merry Guetteur and I’ll be your professor this semester. Welcome to graduate school and your success or failure in this class will depend on your efforts.” Gregory glanced at the man sitting next to him and saw him staring intently at the professor. It was clear he was smitten by her. That was a recipe for disaster; that professor was all business. He turned back to the professor and saw her glaring at him. She glanced at the monitor on her desk and said, “Mr. Jennings, I notice you were not present at yesterday’s orientation.”

  Gregory smiled slightly, “I received my class assignments late yesterday.” The woman continued to glare at him, and Gregory said, “I’ll try to catch up.”

  “See that you do!” She turned to the class and paused before saying, “This class will be different from any class you’ve taken in the past. Each evening when you arrive, you will see a math problem on the monitors at your desk. You will immediately start working on that problem. If you have issues with solving the problem, raise your hand and I’ll come to your desk and make suggestions. However, I will not solve the problem for you.”

  A student raised his hand and she turned to him, “Yes?”

  “I thought as our professor you are supposed to teach us how to solve difficult problems.”

  “You are graduate students and you’re supposed to arrive with an ability to learn how to deal with difficult concepts. Your entry scores indicate that you possess the intellect to solve difficult issues and I expect you to use that skill in this class. We have found that the mental skill needed to be a good mathematician is not something that can be taught; either you have it or you don’t. All the instruction in the world won’t pour that talent into your heads and would be a waste of time. My purpose here is to challenge your skills and force you to grow in your understanding of mathematics.”

  Gregory smiled. Now this was good to hear.

  The Professor stared at the class and said, “Each day, the problem on your monitors will be more difficult than the previous day. If you don’t complete the problem during class, you may copy it and take it to work on during the evening. The next evening you will enter your answer and move to the next problem. Should you be unable to solve the problem, you will not move to the second problem until you do answer it correctly.” She paused and added, “There will not be a final exam in this class. Your final will be completing all the problems given to you. If you can do that, you pass and move on to the next class. If not, you will fail the class and may only take it one more time.”

  The man sitting next to Gregory raised his hand. The professor glanced at her monitor and said, “Yes, Mr. Kamerov?”

  “What if I complete the problem before class is over?”

  The professor smiled, “If you manage to do that, another problem will appear on your monitor and you will work on that problem. It will not be the problem you’ll get on the next day. It will be a problem to challenge you, but I will not allow some of the class members to move ahead such that everyone will have an opportunity to succeed. However, I wouldn’t worry about that Mr. Kamerov.” The man smiled and nodded.

  Boy! He’s got it bad, Gregory thought.

  “Are there any more questions?” No one raised their hands and the professor pressed a button on her console, “The first problem is on your monitors. You may start working now.”

  The man sitting next to Gregory started typing on his keyboard and Gregory sat and stared at the problem. Merry watched him and frowned slightly. A student raised their hand and she went to stand beside her.

  • • •

  Gregory started typing after a few moments and his hands flew over the keyboard. After forty minutes, he stopped and sat back. A few moments later, the big man stopped typing and looked at Gregory. Suddenly, another problem appeared on their monitors and the big man smiled, “You beat me! Beginner’s luck!”

  Merry looked up from the student she was assisting and said, “MR. KAMEROV AND JENNINGS! YOU MAY NOT DISCUSS YOUR WORK DURING CLASS!”

  “Uhhh…we’ve finished the first problem and the second problem wasn’t on our monitors,” the man said.

  Merry stared at him and said, “Out of respect for your fellow students, you will not talk during class.”

  The man lowered his head, “Yes Doctor.”

  Gregory smiled. It was clear the man was a talker and he was fine w
ith saying nothing. He focused on the monitor. By the end of class, he solved four problems and the big man had completed three. He was close to solving the fourth, but the class bell rung. Gregory grabbed his back pack and headed for the door. He arrived at his next class and sat down on the back row. A few moments later, the big man walked in, saw him, and sat down beside him. He held out his hand and said, “My name is Dit.”

  Gregory shook it and said, “Dit, D-I-T?”

  “Da. It’s short for Dimitry.”

  Gregory smiled, “Nice to meet you Dit.”

  Dit smiled, “You’re pretty good with math.”

  “So are you.” The professor walked in and they stopped talking.

  • • •

  Merry went to her desk and looked at the monitor. Kamerov completed three problems which was really impressive. But Jennings had completed four. She shook her head; she had only completed three when she took the class. Was Jennings’ math skills superior to hers? She stared at the monitor until the bell rang and she stood to welcome another class.

  • • •

  Gregory went to work each day and attended class at night. It was a wonderful time and reminded him of his time with Lou reading his books. His mind was fully occupied and his weekends with Allison were more than wonderful. He went to Pat and gave him notice that he was going to college and needed to focus on his studies. Pat found a replacement in two weeks and on Gregory’s last day, the assembly line stopped at four. Everyone looked around and they heard over the PA, “Relax, your bonuses won’t be affected by the stoppage. Today is Gregory Jennings’ last day and I’ve brought in some things to celebrate his future.”

  The entire factory exploded into cheers and Gregory’s face turned beet red. The celebration was huge, and Gregory hated saying goodbye to all of the friends he had made during his time there.

  After work, he ran by Albert’s house and gave him two oranges. “Have you heard from Bella?”

  Albert smiled, “Yes. She’s flying in next week and she’s bringing my grandson.”