A Grant from the Family

   Laurence looked through the microscope. Peering through the lens, he could see the mitochondria within the cell of a eukaryote. The miniscule scale of the organelle compared to the fungi was unbelievable when this was what caused the small cell to grow and attain the energy needed for mytosis. It was amazing that alone, the mitochondria has the power to provide enough energy to assist in cell expansion, and in turn the growth of the organism while functioning alone in a controlled environment.

   Laurence was sitting in a lab stool in an empty room, counters in the back filled with beakers, microscopes, slides, test tubes, petri dishes, growth mediums, innoculation loops, pipettes and tips. He was surrounded with what he loved, but he felt alone. The class room felt dark and cold to him as he put on his jacket and headed out. The hall outside was devoid of anything except an endless series of lockers and doors that Laurence strode past to leave the building to go home.

   It was a cold night as he rushed home. He lived in an off-campus student housing complex that contained three 5-story buildings that formed a triangle between which lay a beautiful garden, pond and gazebo. He shared his apartment with a rambunctious roommate who was never at home and never seemed to work. He had what he wanted but felt empty inside ever since he moved away from his parents and started his educational journey two years ago. He had a few friends in his classes, but he was more apt to consider them as colleagues since they never invited him anywhere off campus. Though, thinking about it, it probably wouldn’t matter since he didn’t even have a car. His bike that he used to have was stolen last year at the middle of the night one date late in December when most students had gone home for winter recess. It stuck with him, and he vowed never to stay late again.

  In the hall on his floor he passed a few of the guys he had met earlier this year. They were near the staircase drinking and talking about the latest scandal at the college involving a professor having private sessions with a student with inappropriate touching. Zach, the guy with the visor and spiked hair, nodded his head as Laurence passed to go to his room.

   He had never seen eye to eye with anyone on the floor, or from the building for that matter. He attended a state university 60 miles away from his hometown. The ivy league university he wanted to attend, named Rutgers University, turned him down so he was stuck acclimating to college life that pandered to the uninspired.

   It was in that state of mind that he found himself needing support, so he found refuge with family. He called his father, Ted.

   His father worked in computers as a systems analyst. He graduated with a master’s degree in Computer Information Systems. Ted was always a quiet man who spent more time at work than with his family. He was technical and liked solving problems, so he listened to family members with the objective of helping them through their difficulties.

   After what seemed like several minutes, his father finally picked up the phone. “Hello.” he said, as if not expecting a response worth listening to.

   “Hi dad, this is Laurence.” His son replied. Laurence seemed to be waiting for a response before telling his dad about the great opportunity that he was given, and how the school was worth its weight in gold from it.

   “Hi Laurence, your mother and I were just talking about you. How have you been?”

   “I’ve been pretty good.” Laurence answered, avoiding his difficulties he had been having with his closest friend Larry, who had been purposely avoiding him. “All of my classes have final projects due at the end of the month, so this is gonna be a fun month.” he said amusingly. Then, he got back on topic. “I wanted to tell you about this new grant for all students in the Biological Sciences. It is called the MacArthur Grant.”

   “Oh, I have heard about it,” Laurence’s dad exclaimed, his pitch higher than usual. “That was one of the scholarships that we wanted to show you but never got around to it.” Probably a lie, but Laurence didn’t care; He felt good that his dad was on board and sounded encouraging over the phone without saying it in words.

   “I was going to apply to get it, I think I have a good chance. I have the grades and can do the late nights necessary to get it. I’m even trying to set up a semi lab in my living room.” His dad laughed because Laurence’s living room was half the size of the bedroom with no furniture. But Laurence had recently bought a nice Herman Miller executive chair, a short desk and test tubes, and was saving money from his side job working for a patent office. He knew that he could make this happen if he kept trying. 

   “I definitely think you will have to rough it out, but it could happen. Still keep trying to get an internship though. It will help you get a foot in the door and give you an introduction to the world of microbiology.” Laurence had focused on microbiology in college when he found the mysterious subject appealing to him, and wanted to find ways to use the knowledge to help people fight viruses and foreign bacteria agents. 

   “I know but I can, I have been working for an opportunity like this. Not only is it a $40,000 grant, but my thesis would be viewed by top players in the industry.”

   “I know you can too. Try to see online what they are looking for, and copy it into your work. Make the rules bend for them. Don’t compromise your integrity, but give them what they want.” Ted told Laurence.

   “Ok.” Laurence replied. Laurence didn’t want his dad to do the work, so what did he want from his dad?

   “Well, I do hope you get it. If you need money and run out I can always put some funds into your bank account.”

   “Thanks Dad. I will keep in touch in the next few weeks.”

   “It was good talking to you.”

   “Ok bye.”

   “Take care.” Laurence hung up the phone. That feeling didn’t go away, that pain in his heart, the loneliness that kept him awake at night after he tired of working. Instead, he felt a need to outdo his dad’s expectations and amaze his family, and he was going to do it.

   The next day he woke up and went straight to the library before class. It was there that he discovered that Larry had been using this as his hideaway. Larry was in the science section of the library, scrolling through a physics book. His friend had been interested in Biology too, but was planning to switch his major to Physics, and wanted to become an engineer. Like Ted, Larry barely knew his family. His parents were the background in the picture.

   Laurence put his hand on the strong back of his friend, startling Larry as he swung around. “Wha-what you doing here?” Surprised, this was all Larry could say as he fumbled for words.

   “Where have you been, I’ve been trying to get in touch.”

   “Sorry, I have been busy with my girlfriend, she has been kind of demanding lately. I think that a relationship in school is almost a hoax, as you never get what you really want, you just get what happens to be there.”

   Laurence heard him talk about his girlfriend and her difficulties with her job. Larry finally took a breather, and Laurence began talking about the grant.

   Larry nodded his approval when Laurence said he was going for it. “You should be able to get it, you’re only serious competitor is a guy who is a freshman. He is still advanced for his age, but I think your experience will make up for it.”

   Laurence raised his eyebrows. “Who?” he said mockingly.

   “His name is Sigmund, kind of like the famous neurologist.”

   Laurence knew who he was. He was a gifted student, but no one knew anything about him because he was a grade younger and mostly was in the dorms and introductory courses at the college. Laurence shared a calculus class with him.

The next day, Laurence found a seat next to Sigmund. He asked him about the homework, when Laurence asked him about the grant.

"Yes, I have had my eyes on my grant for awhile. When my grandfather Lewis had set his mind on pursuing the hard sciences, he had wanted to initially work for NASA but failed to get the money to pursue astrophysics so had to settle for a degree that required less units."

"Wow, that name." Laurence was startled, and a smile crept over his face. "My grandpa is also Lewis."

"Yeah, well it was really Ted who had inspired me to try to tackle this grant."

"My dad's name is also Ted." Laurence stated.

"Ted is more like my god father, although he is in actuality my father's brother who he never sees."

Laurence looked at the timid boy incredulously, asking about Lewis. It was the same grandfather, living on the same street in the same house in his father's hometown. His competition was his cousin.

Laurence forgot about their competion for the grant and the money, and embraced his cousin. After all, he knew that the best man would win, but his demon had finally been slain, and he could find solace with his new friend.