Arriving in Dreamland

The day was 20^th August. The time was 10:30 in the morning. American Airlines had just made a safe landing at the Pittsburgh Airport in the USA. As passengers were gradually making their way out one by one, Joyee got her stuff and followed the queue as she walked out of the airplane.

‘Now, I need to find a way to make a call to mom.’ Joyee said to herself, as she was looking for a phone booth.

Almost twenty minutes had passed, but no phone booth came into sight.

‘Excuse me.’ Joyee approached a gentleman who was her co-passenger in the flight, ‘Do you know if there’s a phone booth here? I need to make a phone call to my mom in India.’

‘I don’t think there’s any.’ replied the man, looking around the airport.

‘What is the number?’ The man continued, as he took his phone out of his pocket and proceeded to dial.

Joyee was looking at the man, and then after two minutes, muttered, ‘It’s an international call.’

‘No problem. As a professor, I make calls to different schools in other countries.’ the man responded.

’91-9830091923’ Joyee was still looking at the man as she was biting her lips.

‘The phone call cannot be completed.’ The words came out of a voice machine from the phone.

‘Are you sure that’s the correct number?’ the man asked as he attempted to try a second time.

‘It’s ok. I’ll see what I can do.’ Joyee replied, as she tried moving forward after thanking the man.

It was her first time in the USA. Her heart echoed with confidence.

She remembered the day she received letter of acceptance from the Chatham College, her final destination. It was like a dream come true for both her mom and herself.

‘I’ll be anxiously waiting for your call. Make sure you call as soon as you land there. It’ll be late at night over here, but I’ll be awake.’ Her mom’s words kept buzzing, as those were the words she heard before bidding farewell and hugging her one more time before entering the airport.

‘I hope that I can find a way to at least let mom know that I’ve made it safely to America.’ Joyee spoke to her mind as she reached the luggage identification station.

Joyee’s eyes were fixed at the conveyor belt as she was ‘examining’ a red suitcase and a aubergine suitcase which belonged to her. She had kind of packed her ‘India’ in those two suitcases.

‘There!’ The words came out loud enough to knock the people standing around her.

Putting the suitcases and her backpack on the trolley, Joyee moved toward the exit where she was also expecting a representative from the school she was going to study at.

As she was surveying the huge number of people waiting for each one of their correspondents, a sign saying, ‘Chatham College’ held by a young lady with blonde hair caught her eye.

‘So you are Joyee Roy!’ greeted the lady as she extended her hands in a gesture of handshake, continuing, ‘Welcome to America!’

‘Thank you!’ said an excited Joyee as her giggle outshone the bright sunny day.

 ‘My name is Melanie, and I’m the student coordinator at the International Program Office or IPO at Chatham College.’ The lady introduced herself.

 ‘I’ll quickly use the restroom, and be right back. Ok!’ The lady touched Joyee’s shoulder and smiled.

Taking advantage of the wait time, Joyee looked around and enjoyed observing people.

Soon Melanie was back from her restroom break, and the two proceeded toward the car. Finally, after loading all the stuff in the vehicle, the two ladies left for their destination.

‘It is a beautiful day.’ Joyee said, as the sun kissed and welcomed her to her dreamland.

‘It is!’ Melanie said proudly, as she asked, ‘Is it hot or cold in India right now?’

‘It is very hot now in India.’

‘What is the temperature like right now?’

‘Ah…about 40 degrees on an average.’

‘Oh boy! That’s pretty hot!’

‘I’d need to make a phone call to my mom in India, to let her know that I made it safe here.’ Joyee informed, looking at Melanie.

‘No problem.’ Melanie assured, as she added, ‘We can do that once we reach. Not a problem at all.’

‘Welcome students!

Registrations begin on 26^th of August.

Chatham College’

Joyee could barely move her eyes from the words highlighted by the sun enough to catch her attention as the vehicle was entering the college campus.

‘Now we’ll take our bags, and move toward the office.’ Melanie informed as she moved the car to the parking mode, and got out of the car.

Joyee completed the formalities she needed to just like any international student arriving to America.

‘Oh! That was quicker than I imagined!’ Joyee said gleefully, as Melanie accompanied by another staff from the office escorted Joyee to her apartment.

‘So here’s the mail box where you can receive all your mails.’ Melanie informed, as she continued, pulling down the lock of one of the mailboxes, ‘That’s your spot.’

‘Is the door acting funny?’ Melanie asked her colleague who was trying to unlock the door to Joyee’s apartment, and then soon she said, ‘There you go!’ as she looked at the door opening.

‘This is the living room.’ Melanie said as she was giving a tour of the apartment, while also directing toward the other sections.

‘Hi!’ The other lady smiled as she extended her hands in the gesture of a handshake, saying,

‘So, my name is Beth, and I am one of the assistants at the IPO.’

Once again, Joyee just gave a nod and smiled as she looked around the empty two bedroom apartment.

Beth smiled at her too. Then she quickly trained Joyee on the niceties of the kitchen and its equipments including the gas, toaster, microwave and coffee maker.

Joyee was looking with awe at the gas oven as Beth was modeling on how to turn it on.

‘How I wish I followed directions when mom was teaching me steps for boiling water or making tea!’ Joyee said to herself.

‘And this will be your room.’ Melanie said as she was leading Joyee out of the kitchen, going in the direction of her bedroom.

Joyee was looking at her bed which was narrower as compared to her bed back home, as she touched the mattress which was sunbathed and sparkling, as the sunlight poured through the window.

Looking back at the other bedroom which was located on the side, she asked, ‘Who lives in that room?’

‘That’s your roommate.’ Melanie responded, adding, ‘She should be here next week.’

‘Suzie!’ Joyee said, informing that she had a brief interaction with her via e-mails prior to leaving India.

‘Yes!’ Melanie replied, as she made her way out of the room into the hallway.

Then she looked at Joyee, and said, ‘That being said, we are all set then!’

‘Thank you.’ Joyee said with her usual smile as Beth was about to follow Melanie, and the ladies waved at each other.

‘Let us know if you need anything.’ Beth mentioned, as she followed Melanie out of the door.

Joyee locked the door, and was walking back as she turned on the blinds in the living room letting the sunlight flood her face. She looked down on the carpet as she watched the sun’s rays invading her newly found territory. Passing her hand over the blinds she looked back at the bright sky with her eyes struggling to keep wide open.

‘I am the queen.’ Joyee was speaking to herself as she was standing in front of a mirror that was standing tall on the living room floor that just had her as the only occupant at the moment.

Then she turned around in a swirl, and smiled at her reflection on the mirror.

She checked herself for a couple minutes, and proceeded toward her bedroom. Keeping her stuff next to each other on the bedroom floor, she unlocked her red suitcase, and found her favorite packet of savories she brought from India. Taking it out, she finished the 500 ounce bag within a few minutes.

It was 4 in the afternoon. Joyee was finding it hard to keep her eyes open.

‘I’m not sleeping now.’ Joyee murmured, as she said, ‘I had so many plans. At least I must take advantage of the bright sunny day, and at least go for a walk.’

Joyee paused for a moment, and then looking at the hallway and then her bed, she quickly took out a bed sheet from her suitcase, and spread it over the mattress on her bed, making sure that the edges are locked and the sheet is spread neat and tight.

‘May be I can go for a walk after a power nap.’ She said to herself, as she got up on the bed, lay flat and fell asleep within a couple seconds.

The bright sun seemed to sing a lullaby as she was sleeping peacefully on her cozy bed. The bed which seemed too narrow seemed to give ample room to sleep in a relaxed manner.

After quite a while, Joyee’s eyes seemed to open wide, and the warmth which filled her mind and soul, couldn’t be felt any more. Nor did her face get sunbathed any longer.

‘Oh my!’ Joyee’s eyes were awestruck as she looked out the window, and then at the clock which had just ticked 11. Even the path that had been inviting her for a stroll seemed to have disappeared. For the first time ever, she felt completely alone in the room which had now been enveloped with darkness, and the apartment didn’t make her feel like a queen any more. She froze for a few moments. Then she quickly gathered herself and got down on the floor and turned the lights on. Taking a quick glance out the window, she felt haunted by the darkness. She untied some more snack packets, and seemed to gulp like a monster.

‘I better retire to bed tonight.’ Joyee decided, as she was fixing the sheet, and then turning off the lights let the bed host for the night.

‘I miss the spicy egg curry that mom used to cook.’ Joyee was reminiscing memories from back home, as the dark yet serene ambience lulled her to sleep.