The Society of Paperless Scholars
Chapter Three
It was easier for me to believe in fairy tales here. Surrounded by the brilliant green sea of grass sprawling across the ground, and even bright green leaves still resting on the boughs and branches of trees that seemed larger than life to an Arizona girl. The air wasn’t warm yet, but it wasn’t cold enough to bite my skin like the passing winter air had. It was laced with just the right amount of crispness as I headed home after I had put in my seemingly long hours at SanTech.
I let Gene’s odd behavior after the screaming woman’s call slip off the radar of my mind, and I soaked in the beauty of the changing season surround me. My imagination always wandered off when I stepped outside. It would get caught up in secret escapades into the dark forests to find a buried treasure from pirates and adventurers from years past, or would gallop off into running farm land, hard pressed with the spontaneous illusions of being thrown back into a time when nothing and no one existed in this land, and what it must have been like.
The fresh air always had the power to pull me off into distant lands and transport me onto exciting journeys in my mind, and I often indulged them on my long car ride home back to our farm house. Nothing wrong with an active imagination, I reasoned to myself. This place just worked a warm spark in my heart that I never could quick grasp or let go of. It just sort of overwhelmed me and I gave in.
Today I was swept away in a most excellent adventure that was inspired by an old barn that I passed every day, but today it caught my eye and I wondered and imagined what the people who built it must have been like, and what challenges they faced. And even let my mind wonder if they had left some secret messages riddled on the fading wooden panels of the walls, or the high beams of the ceiling. Anything was possible, and I mulled over the endless possibilities in my mind, my curiosity truly piqued and engaged as I hauled my car over the freeway towards home.
All too soon I heard the tell tale buzz of my phone vibrating in my purse on the car seat next to me. My mind quickly jumped out of its lazy daydream adventures and back into reality to pick my phone out of my purse. Glinting like a star, the sleek silver phone finally emerged, and I touched the screen to see who had sent me a message.
Gingerly touching the home screen, I saw the backlight spring to life and displayed the message Camden had sent me. I didn‘t even bother reading it but pushed the talk button instead that was on the right side of my phone. “Almost home yet?” Camden’s deep voice rang out clear as a bell in my car, as if he was sitting right next to me. I pushed the talk button again and responded.
“Almost home, babe. Boy have I got a story to tell you!” I hit send and placed my phone back on top of my purse. It buzzed a few seconds later again, and I repeated the process.
“Ok. See you soon. Love you.” Camden replied and I let a smile cross over my face. Even now his deep voice still made me melt a little inside, just like it had when we first met back in Arizona that one fateful day. Once again, I let the phone rest on top of my purse.
One of the great perks of working for SanTech, well, more specifically working directly for Gene Harper, meant that I was able to get deep discounts on all things SanTech. Not that I really needed or even wanted everything SanTech had to offer. The phone I had now was a little much for me, I felt way behind on the times, but I missed the old, normal touch screen phones. All this high and mighty, fancy to do about cell phones these days was a bit overwhelming. Most of the features I felt were very unnecessary and just ridiculous. But, that’s what I get for not understanding technology very well I suppose. Still, I suppose it was nice to get a discount, even if I didn’t understand all the latest gadgets and gizmos like the pros.
Thoughts of SanTech began to fill my mind currently, and brought to mind once again the unruly subject of my distraught caller. I don’t know why it was bothering me so much. I had taken my fair share of heat from the odd caller in my time working for SanTech, but this irate woman took the cake with little competition compared to my other callers.
Perhaps it had been the expression Gene had been struck with when I told him the woman’s issue. I still couldn’t wipe the look from my memory. His eyes had suddenly changed, and I couldn’t understand it. Never in all of my nearly five years working for Gene had I seen him with that expression. I couldn’t pin it down and it unnerved me to my core.
Turning my eyes back out onto the blurring trees and concrete, I tried to focus on the softly dimming atmosphere and pick out any stars beginning to peak through the blanket of dusk. Anything to get my mind off of Gene’s distraught and strange expression. Luckily, mile markers and large signs started to remind me that I was only a mile away from the exit that would deliver me to the last little stretch home.
Our farm house driveway quickly arrived, and I felt a peace wash over me as my car shifted slowly over the gravel and came to a stop in front of the house. A few lights were on inside the house, casting a warm glow onto our grassy front lawn as the night sky had quickly darkened. I couldn’t see Camden moving in the house at all, but I noticed that the barn light at the far right end of our property was on. I smiled as I turned off the engine and saw that Camden was just leaving the barn and walking towards me, a grin spread across his scruffy face as well.
Quickly gathering my purse and shoving all of the loose items back inside, I popped open the door and slid out, towing my bag behind me and throwing it over my shoulder. I quickly shut and locked the car, walked to the front and sat down lightly on the hood, waiting as watching as Camden approached. His smile got wider and I could tell he was laughing at me, amused that I was just sitting there, and making him walk all of the way to me.
“Not even going to meet me half way?” He called out, a hint of playfulness riding on his voice. I bit my lip and tried to hold back a smile, but I didn’t succeed very well.
“Na, not today. It’s Friday, I don’t want to work anymore.” I was daring him to play and take some edge off of the day, welcoming in our relaxing weekend with some fun.
“Oh, so walking towards me is work, is it?” Camden was trying to hard to act serious, but I could still hear the laughter in his voice, even though it was dark. He had stopped walking and I couldn’t see him now, standing somewhere in the long, dark shadows of the house.
“Yup, today it’s work. Especially if you’re going to stand in the dark where I can’t see you.” I tried to peer into the shadows, but I couldn’t make out his brawny outline through the penetrating darkness. His deep, playful laugh suddenly burst out about five yards from where I expected him to be. Camden quickly hushed his laugh and grew quiet and still again.
Shaking my head and still attempting to keep a straight face, I simply shook my head and folded my arms across my body, signaling that I wasn’t going to move. He would have to come to me. I knew he was watching, and waiting.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are.” I called out with a smile after a few minutes. I was growing restless and wanted to see him. No answer came back, not even the crunch of a leaf or the snap of a dry twig. A sigh escaped from my lips, he knew that I couldn’t outlast his patience and that I would eventually cave and come after him. But I loved it. Camden always made me feel like a kid again, in a good way. He wasn’t afraid to play and be silly, and just enjoy the simple pleasures of life. I was eternally grateful for that characteristic in him.
Shaking my head again and chuckling, I slid off my high heels, and set them on the hood of the car, along with my purse. I gingerly picked my way over the last few feet of our gravel driveway before sinking my toes into the soft, spongy grass and darting into a shadow so I could let my eyes adjust to the darkness and find Camden.
By this point he had probably already climbed a tree or onto the roof, done something ridiculous and was stifling back laughs as he would watch me wander around in circles. Or maybe he had even slipped back into the house and was watching comfortably from a window, just waiting for me to realize he wasn’t there. But I didn’t care, it was nice out and I was in the mood to play and just have fun.
“Oh Camden.” I prodded, hoping for some kind of noise from him. A few seconds of silence and then the sudden snap of a twig registered from about fifteen yards ahead. My eyes were still adjusting and I couldn’t make out much in the blackness, but I charged ahead anyways.
I walked for what seemed like fifty yards, he had to be out here somewhere, I thought to myself. Quickly, I stopped and listened, trying to pick out any kind of noise. Nothing stood out to me, just the gentle breeze rustling the leaves up high in the tree tops, or the quiet cooing of some sleepy dove in the distance.
Getting frustrated that I was losing the game of finding Camden, and almost convinced that he had gone back into the house, I turned around and started walking back the way I came, standing still every few feet to listen and see if I could pick up any other sound at all. Nothing.
Suddenly, mid-stride, something caught my ankle and I lumbered forward, a startled cry escaping from my lips and my heart pounding in shock as I tumbled onto the ground. Good thing the grass was thick and soft, or the trip would have hurt a lot more.
As a deep laugh bellowed out into the night, I suddenly realized what still had a hold of my ankle. Camden. I should have known, I thought. Yes, he did something ridiculous, like laying on the ground and waiting to grab my ankle.
“Cam!” I swatted my hand out in his direction, hoping to find his arm as I tried to right myself. “What if I fell and broke my arm? You don’t play very fair you know.” I attempted to make my voice sound grumpy, but it was a difficult task, and Camden could sense my amusement in his trick. He quickly reached out and grabbed my shoulders, pulling me down next to him on the soft grass, pressing me against his warm chest in a tight embrace. I could feel his laugh echoing through his body, and it washed contentment over me.
“I wouldn’t let you do that. I was perfectly in control, I could see exactly where you were going.” I didn’t even have to look up to know a big, triumphant grin was stretched across his face. Camden didn’t need to look down either, to know that I was rolling him eyes at him in playful jest. I let him continue to laugh and just rested my head against his chest, breathing in his scent and letting my body relax, and the cares of the day escape as well.
“I missed you. I’m glad it’s the weekend, finally.” Camden said as he pulled me away to look at my face as we lay on our sides in the grass. My eyes were finally adjusted to the darkness, and I could make out his bright green eyes, now wild curly hair, and feisty grin. I couldn’t help but smile back at him and sigh.
“Me too.” I replied, and even after we’d been together for four years now, I felt my heart stutter as Camden leaned in to gently press his lips to mine. After a few moments of soft kisses, I suddenly heard a low, grumbling noise.
“Was that your stomach?” I pulled back from Camden and started laughing. He just shrugged his broad shoulders and grinned.
“What, you didn’t think you needed any food today or something?”
“I didn’t want to spoil my appetite for your amazing cooking.” Camden laughed out his response.
“Our cooking, you mean. You better be helping me with dinner.” I swatted his arm playfully and began to stand up so we could start making dinner. “Come on, let’s get started before your stomach shrivels up.” Holding my hand out to him, he took it and stood up next to me, continuing to hold onto my hand as we collected my bag and shoes and headed inside.
One of the traditions that Camden and I had started after we were married was agreeing to cooking at least one meal together a week. Both of us actually loved to cook, and it was a fun time to just be playful and spend time together in the kitchen. Tonight we were going to make our version of BLT sandwiches, with a few extras thrown on top.
The meal didn’t take long to cook, and before long we had finished preparing dinner, and sat down to eat at our small, cozy kitchen table that was positioned in front of a side window of the house, and when it was light out, looked out onto our small pond in the yard. Pulling our chairs out, we took our seats and began to fill our plates with our favorite BLT sandwiches.
“So how was your day?” I said and followed it with a bite from my sandwich. Camden had already plowed into his, so he quickly tried to swallow so he could answer my question.
“Not bad, Alex was here this morning helping me before he went to school, and he stopped by for a little bit after school, too.” Camden replied, and also followed his answer with another big bite out of his sandwich.
“How is he doing?” I knew that Camden had a big heart for Alex, and thought of him as a little brother, and sometimes even like a son. Camden was protective of Alex, and fought hard to keep Alex in line if he ever sensed him going a way that wouldn’t benefit him. Alex had never resented Camden for it, and I could always see the respect he held for Cam in his eyes. He was a good kid, a lot better than what most people gave him credit for when they first looked at him. It was like the old saying “never judge a book by its cover.” Alex had truly proved to be a deep well of kindness and soaked up anything Camden taught him like a sponge.
“He’s good, I guess. I asked him how his dad was today.” Camden paused, and a sad, reflective look flashed across his bright green eyes, darkening them for a few seconds. Cam had told me Alex’s story before, and what his father was like. I sensed it wasn’t good news.
“And?” I probed further, coaxing Camden out of his reflective trance. He pushed the food around on his plate for a few more seconds before looking up and responding.
“Well, his dad is sick.” He finally said. Well, it wasn’t quite the harsh news I was expecting, but I suspected there was more that Camden was brooding over.
“What is he sick with?” I continued my questions, careful not to be too nosey, but I was curious.
“Alex didn’t know. His case worker wanted him to come to the hospital and tell him in person.” The dark, contemplative look glazed over Cam’s eyes again. He was trying to work out some kind of solution, I had seen that look many times before.
“So what gives?” I tried to figure out what he was finding a solution to. Camden didn’t respond right away, but turned his head to the side and stared out of the window, out into the blackness as night was deepening over our late Friday meal. His shoulders were slightly bent, and he brought his hands up to his chin, clasping them together in a tight grip. He sighed and turned back to me.
“I don’t really know. But I feel like I should go with him. Or something.” Camden chewed over the words slowly as he spoke them, letting the reality of what he was saying somehow sink in and maybe help him make a final decision. I finally understood why he was being so pensive. It was Camden’s nature- his protectiveness. He felt a deep bond with Alex, and he was willing to do whatever it took to keep him happy. An admirable and noble goal to be sure, and Camden had a fierce protectiveness over those he loved most, myself included. But it came at a cost, and I could see him weighing that cost now. What it would mean to Alex, and what Alex would think if Camden came with him to meet his father.
Camden’s deep voice broke again. “I just…I don’t want him to go alone.”
“I know you don’t.” I replied, knowing how deep his compassion for this teenager went. “Do you know if that’s allowed? If you even can?” I asked, staring into his eyes. I could see them lightening, and I knew that he had made up his mind already, he was going to go some how, some way, even if he wasn’t technically allowed. As long as Alex consented, of course.
“No, I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Alex. But I want to go. Be there for him. He shouldn’t have to face that…man…alone.” Camden struggled over the words, and I could hear the contempt lacing over the word.
“I know you do.” I smiled over at him, reaching out across the table for his hand. “You are too good, you know that, Cam?” I said as he reached out his own calloused hand and took mine and squeezed it.
“No more than I should be. Alex deserves better.” He replied with a slight smile.
“I know he does. People don’t give him enough credit. But you are a good man, you know.” I stated again, hoping it would sink in and he would know just how much he meant. I truly admired his protective nature, and loved him for it. Sometimes, it got a little annoying sure, but I knew it was because he loved me, and loved the people he protected with fierce, undying devotion. He was unshakeable, and had been an anchor and a safe place for me from the moment I met him at the university.
“So what was that story you were telling me you had from today?” Camden broke the silence after a long, meaningful look we had shared, and began to work on his food again. My mind quickly spun back to the irate caller, and a laugh escaped my lips again as I thought of her absurdity. Camden looked up at me mid-bite, puzzled.
“Well. I had possibly the most…interesting…call I’ve ever received while working in Gene’s office.” I started off, trying to find the words that truly captured the absurdity of the call. I continued to re-enact the whole earful I had taken from the woman, complete with sound effective screams that mimicked her insane pitch. I moved through how and what the woman had said, and finally hit on the hilarious fact that the she thought she could sue SanTech for her problems with the products.
Camden listened intently, and laughed at my feeble attempt to recreate a screaming, irate woman on an explicit rant. Which ended up mostly with me breaking out in laughter half way through each sentence that I was trying to replay for him.
“Wow, that is some story. What did your boss say? Anything?” He asked as he pushed the last piece of his sandwich into his mouth and wiped his lips off with a napkin. I pushed my chair back as I began to respond and gathered both of our plates to carry to the sink.
“He heard the woman screaming through our super high tech phones, which should say a lot.” I laughed as I let the cool faucet water wash over the plates and rinse off the small bread crumb clusters that had been left behind. My mind suddenly flashed back to Gene’s face, and Camden wasn’t lost on the fact that I was perplexed by something. He had already walked over to help me with the dishes, and had been studying my face, trying to read through my confusion.
“What is it?” He asked, taking a previously soapy plate from my hands to dry off and put back into the oak cupboard. I let my mind wander a few more seconds, and turned to lean against the sink, folding my arms over my body. I didn’t even try to hide my thoughts or confusion over the matter.
“Well, it’s just that when I told Gene about the woman…well, he was fine at first. But then he asked me what the woman was so upset about. I told him it was because none of her SanTech products were working.” Camden came to stand next to me, and I could feel the warmth from his body radiating towards me as he leaned onto his side against the counter, waiting for me to finish.
“And?” He prompted me to continue.
“He asked me which of her products weren’t working, and I told him what the woman told me. All of them. He got this really weird look on his face when I said that. Like he knew something. A look that was almost like…fear.” Shaking my head, attempting to shake the memory out as well, I turned back to the sink to busy my hands with the last of the dishes.
“Fear?” Camden laughed lightly, trying to brighten my mood. “Maybe he’s just afraid he’ll get his butt kicked by the head honchos if the products really aren’t working. I mean, he’s one of the top developers, right? Maybe he skipped a step and it’s just backfiring now.” Camden tried to reason with me, come up with some explanation to calm my perplexity. I laughed and shrugged to please him, and handed him a few more dishes to dry.
“Yeah, maybe.” Was all I could muster for a response while I concentrated on pushing Gene’s foreboding look from my mind.
Camden and I finished the dishes quick enough, and both headed for the living room to catch up on the news, relax and usher in the glorious weekend where we didn’t have to worry about the burdens of work. I reached for the Universal Interface as I settled down into the comfy couch, stretching my legs across Camden’s.
Universal Interface was another product of SanTech’s that I had been able to purchase at a deep discount, and it was rather handy. It controlled as much or as little of our house as we wanted. Anything from the lights, the air conditioning, the heater, the television, the computer, blinds, literally anything and everything we were willing to program it to. The most useful had been the lights, television and heating for me. Universal Interface, or UI, had been designed much like our Document Tablet. It was just a simple, blank, off white screen. Slim and cool, until it sprang to life, displaying all kind of user friendly options and choices.
I worked my hand over the UI quickly, selecting the television remote. The television platform jumped up, and displayed the three dimensional, full color image of a the guide channel. An attractive brunette stood before us, seemingly in mid air, only about four feet tall.
“Welcome to SanTech Universal Television System. What would you like to watch this evening, Mr. and Mrs. Burke?” The cheery woman prattled on. I rolled my eyes, I could do without these formal introductions every time I turned the TV on. I missed the days when I was a kid and you could sit in peace and watch cartoons on Saturday morning, without “Darling Doris,” as I had dubbed our faithful SanTech guide, butting in and acting chipper all the time.
“News, please.” Camden ordered as he laughed at me, sensing that my eyes were rolling back into my sockets with sheer boredom at our dear, Darling Doris.
“Certainly.” She responded in a smooth, enthusiastic voice. Suddenly, the three dimensional image of Darling Doris was transformed into a colorful news studio, right there in our living room. As if we were there in the audience watching the live news rolling as it happened. I had to admit, I did enjoy the 3D and holographic technology that had grown to life in the most recent years. It was fascinating to be so involved with the program.
“And now we bring you more details about the president’s earlier announcement regarding the foundation of a new chapter within the government’s realm. Kathy?” A male news anchor, Richard, had began his monologue and turned over the details to his blonde and nearly perfect co-anchor, Kathy.
“Thank you, Richard.” She turned slightly in her chair as the camera panned to focus on her presence alone in the news room. “Earlier today, President Olson delivered the announcement that the government had agreed on founding a new sector that will control the digital conversion of the nation. This new sector has been named the “Society of Paperless Scholars,” to honor these men and women’s achievements of being at the forefront of converting completely to paperless systems. It also conveys their goal of transforming our entire nation into a paperless society.” Kathy chipped away over the words she had been given to read and convey to the public. Camden suddenly sputtered over his coffee, however, choking back laughter and his drink.
“The Society of Paperless Scholars? Are they serious? What kind of name is that? The government couldn’t pay anyone to come up with a more interesting name?” He continued to laugh, but I shushed him, wanting to hear what exactly these people were going to do. I caught Kathy mid-sentence as she continued her news pitch.
“…Scholars first phase of digital conversion is to convert every library in the country to a digital file system that anyone and everyone can access from their home computers, Universal Interfaces, cell phones, and most any digital device they own. The S.O.P.S. declares that this will make vital resources that are contained in libraries available to everyone in a faster, more efficient way. It also allows for the sharing of resources, as all library databases will connect with one central base, and therefore create an equal opportunity for all to access any information they wish to know. More on this story and the public’s response after a short break.” Kathy flashed a brilliant smile from behind her bright red lips as the news feed cut to 3D commercials. I ignored them and turned to Camden, slightly dumbfounded. His face registered the same shock.
“They’re closing the libraries? How can they do that?” Truly, I didn’t understand how they could shut down such a foundational institution as the library. I mean sure, most people didn’t read paper books anymore, they used their digital book. But, just the thought of a library not existing was a little far fetched to me. Camden did not respond until a few seconds later.
“I guess so.” He continued to have a shocked look spread across his usually cheerful face, and his eyes were dark again. “But I don’t understand how they can do that either. I mean, the library is just so…concrete.” He finally uttered his thoughts aloud, and I readily agreed.
“I know! I mean, it’s been around for forever. The institution, the idea, of having concrete resources available for communities.”
“Guess they think they are keeping the idea around, it’s just…digital.” Camden finally concluded, spitting out the last word with a hint of disgust. I knew he didn’t care for all the fancy frills, bells and whistles like most did. He was simple, and just wanted something that allowed him to do what he wanted with as few steps as possible. Most technology, especially the products created by SanTech, were a far cry from simple, despite their user friendly philosophy.
Neither Camden or I wanted to watch any more news, so he directed the television to one of the new comedy movies, and we both zoned out, preoccupied with the new sector of the government. “S.O.P.S.” as they called it. More like “B.S.” Camden had grumbled in a low voice during another commercial advertisement.
After about fifteen minutes, I got bored with trying to focus on the movie and being bombarded with thoughts about the libraries closing at the same time, so I got up, kissed Cam on the cheek and headed up to our bedroom to occupy my hands with some needlework. It was an old habit, to create something using my hands when I got bored, but it most always got my mind off of whatever was running through it. It forced me to concentrate on the fluid, repetitive motions and dream about what direction I could take my piece of art. It was a simple hobby, but therapeutic.
After getting cozy in my favorite chair near our bedroom window, I pulled a soft blanket over my crossed legs and pulled my needlework into my lap. Pulling my phone out of my side pocket, I rotated through the home screen of my cell phone until I found the music section I had been searching for. Tapping the screen in a few key spots suddenly procured a stead stream of music emanating from my cell phone’s tiny, but loud speakers. The music was soft, delicate piano pieces, something I could relax to. I stitched the time and my cares away with each pass of the thread through my canvas, the gentle musical tones rolling over me in my timeless work.
Nearly a half hour passed before I realized that I could barely keep my tired eyes open to complete a stitch. I decided it would be best to put my work down before I accidentally sew through my finger. That wouldn’t be fun to explain. Setting my work down into the basket on the floor next to the chair, I pulled the blanket around my shoulders and silently typed a quick text to Camden on my phone.
“Going to bed, I’ll leave the bathroom light on. Love you, night.” Hitting send, I stood up and walked towards the bathroom, setting my phone down on the nightstand on the way. Getting ready for bed didn’t take long; I was anxious to snuggle deep under the covers and excited for the chance to sleep in tomorrow. It was a truly glorious thing not to wake up to an alarm.
I left the bathroom light on as promised, and jumped into our king sized bed, pulling pillows down around my body. Remembering that I had sent a text to Camden, I scooped my phone up from the nightstand and touched the screen to bring it to life.
“I’ll be up soon. Love you too.” Camden’s voice echoed through the cell phone’s speaker. I smiled and went to set it back down on the nightstand, but quickly pulled it back into my hand to check my email one more time, and also to put the phone on silent so I could sleep in tomorrow morning in peace and not worry about anyone calling me and disturbing my coveted sleeping hours.
Placing the thin, silvery phone back onto the night stand for the last time, I reached out to tap the lamp shade, signaling it to extinguish the soft stream of light. Our bedroom was suddenly blanketed with cool darkness, except for a small sliver of warm light spilling out of the slightly cracked bathroom door.
Sighing with contentment and pulling the warm down comforter up to my chin, I nestled my head into a mound of pillows and let my mind slip into oblivion and sweet slumber, ushering in peaceful dreams and careless fantasies as the night conquered the day.
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