November Writings, post one

Once again, I will be participating in November Writings, a group that writes 30 blog posts in 30 days.
The first topic is: Interview someone about their best moment of the year. Share what you heard.

September 2014. 5:30 PM

C trudged up the stairs, stopping to grab the pile of mail out of the overflowing mail bin by the door. It was warm and the hallway smelled faintly of onions, probably the remnants of someone's supper. She pushed open the door, shooing the cats away with her foot. Throwing the mail on the table, she happened to glance at the large white envelope on the top.
It was from the college. She froze.

September 2011. 5:30 PM

She walked quickly across campus, hoping to make it to class on time. She had been up since five, teaching all day before heading to the college for her night classes. She sighed and wondered again why she had thought it was a good idea to go to grad school full time while she was still teaching. She was so exhausted and had another five hours to go before she started the long drive home. By the time she got back to the apartment it would be dark.

September 2012. 5:30 PM
She jogged back to her car, hoping to beat rush hour on her way back into the city. Between taking two grad level classes and teaching two sections of freshmen English, she felt as if her entire life was spent on campus. She was glad not to be teaching high schoolers anymore, but money worries kept her up at night. Reaching her car, she grabbed her Whole Foods apron and quickly tied it around her waist before shutting the door and grabbing her sandwich out of her bag. She drove out of the parking lot, chewing on her sandwich and dreading the six hour shift ahead of her. Days like this she wondered why she was still doing this, why she was still chasing a dream that seemed unattainable.

September 2013. 5:30 PM
She walked through the back door of the coffee shop, feeling the rush of warm air across her face. She had a few minutes before her shift started so she pulled out her laptop and tried to spend a few minutes proofreading her thesis. She felt like this paper filled up every waking hour of her life. Weekends were spent at the coffee shop, either working behind the counter for minimum wage, or hunched over her laptop at the back table while she gulped down coffee. The alarm on her phone went off, so she snapped her computer shut and walked behind the counter, still thinking about her research.


September 2014. 5:45 PM.
Sitting down in her favorite chair, she slowly opened the envelope. She slid out a piece of heavy paper and immediately knew what it was.
Three long years.
Hundreds of hours of research.
Long days and late nights.

It was finally here. Her diploma, stating that she had completed a Masters level degree in English rhetoric and composition.
She leaned back in the chair and thought about the times she had doubted herself, the times she wanted to give up. Those days were gone and she finally had proof of her accomplishments.
Finally.