2001-02 Semester 1 Week 6 Monday (cont.) A room full of students who won’t talk is the academic equivalent of getting very constipated and consequently having to try desperately hard to force some pooh out. The atmosphere is rather … Continue reading →
2001-02 Semester 1 Week 6 Monday Later he realises that he should have taken a sick day and stayed at home. Doing those classes felt like he was doing open-heart surgery and he was about to collapse at any … Continue reading →
2001-02 Semester 1 Week 5 Sunday It’s Sunday evening, halfway through the first semester of Ren’s second year at Grayvington, and Ren has asked Miles to join him at the pub. ‘Where’s Lucy?’ Miles asks when he arrives. ‘We … Continue reading →
2001-02 Semester 1 Week 5 Thursday (cont.) Ren doesn’t mind spending time with students who are struggling if they’re genuinely interested in learning. Or even if they just want to get a better mark, and are prepared to listen. … Continue reading →
2001-02 Semester 1 Week 5 Thursday ‘Come in,’ says Ren. A young woman enters. Ren recognises her as the student from his Metaphysics class he calls El Whino. She’s the one with the twisted face who always looks moody, … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 9 Saturday An uneasy feeling gradually comes over Ren as manic dreams flit through his head. He feels like he is unable to lie down. Try as he might, he cannot make his body stretch … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 9 Friday ‘We’re enemies of the people now,’ says Compton. ‘Enemies of the proletariat,’ says Ren. ‘Didn’t you see the callouses on their hands? Sons of the toil, that lot.’ ‘Whenever they were talking I … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 9 Friday A feeling of abandon begins, and spreads. Since morning began the celebratory sap has been climbing, and now it’s the afternoon the amrita is starting to bubble up into the brains of the … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 8 Wednesday Ren, Compton and Walter are at the cafeteria. ‘No, I’ve heard nothing more about Tyson other than that he was quickly transferred to a private hospital in London,’ says Walter. ‘Thank God for … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday (cont.) He sees Millicent and a couple of other students pull out their mobile phones. ‘Don’t call the cops,’ he shouts as he picks himself off the ground. ‘Call an ambulance. He’s mentally … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday (cont.) It’s dark outside the staff club, and there’s no sign of any bearded old philosophers running around going berserk. Ren takes a guess at which way Tyson went, and runs. Ten minutes … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday (cont.) When Ren arrives at the staff club he is appalled to see that Tyson is drinking a glass of wine, and has a wine bottle in front of him. Who the fuck … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday (cont.) Ren asks for some more questions. Not surprisingly, no-one is very keen to ask one. The only person putting his hand up is Alan Pettigrew. Alan is a former civil servant, now … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday (cont.) Twenty minutes later Tyson, face down on the floor, starts singing. ‘Hello carpet my old friend,’ he croons to tune of The Sound of Silence. He looks up. ‘You two still here? … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday Ren shoots Compton a look to say sorry, I owe you one. Compton looks back, amused. He seems to be saying, don’t worry, this is worth it for the story. They’re at the … Continue reading →
