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Taking online classes are never fun. Mostly because of all of the “busy-work”. It’s what her mom called it ages ago, and it’s the only term that really fits for the way that online courses take homework to a whole new level.
Except for Professor Joe’s class.
Professor Al-Kaysani (“please call me, Joe. It’s easier for everyone”) hosted his lectures on Mondays and Fridays over Zoom at 5:30 pm. The late hour was perfect for Cassie, because even though she was technically a full time student, she still needed to work to pay rent. She could get home at five, change out of her uniform, and log into class while technically relaxing on her couch.
His classes were a favorite of hers for reasons other than the convenient hour and online availability, too. He obviously hosted his lecture from his home office, the background a comfortably cluttered room painted royal blue. Four bookshelves lined the wall on his right side, and a soft looking recliner was tucked into the corner on his left. An easel moved about the room on a near classly basis. And the interruptions. The interruptions were her absolute favorite, hands down.
Like the last time, for example.
Professor Joe was talking about Mudéjar architecture, and how it first developed in the Kingdom of León when she spotted the door behind Joe opening before he did. A curly haired toddler stuck his head into the room. Something in her chest squeezed with delight, as he opened his mouth and said, “daddy?”
Professor Joe closed his eyes for a moment, and his face flickered through a few different emotions before he kept talking. The toddler shrugged, then bounced over to the easel (which was near the recliner today) and picked up a paintbrush. He stuck the paintbrush into a little cup, and was about to start painting his fingers when a frantic looking woman literally slid into the room. It took her a split second to recognize that it was Professor Andy, who taught her History of War class.
“Sorry!” Andy said, as Professor Joe had to squeeze his lips together. He looked like he was trying desperately not to laugh, watching what was playing out in the background through the mirror of his computer screen.
Professor Andy picked up the toddler, tossing him over her shoulder, and headed for the door. A baby with a walking toy had followed her in though, and she almost tripped. “Fffuuu- poop!” She saved herself from cursing in front of two children as she grabbed the baby up too, frantically pushing the walking toy back with her foot. She smiled apologetically before twisting, getting the door and pulling it closed with frantic grace.
Professor Joe lasted for two more seconds before he burst into laughter. “Sorry, sorry. My son doesn’t quite understand yet that I’m working when the office door is closed. Where were we?”
Or the interruption before that.
Joe had been talking about illuminated manuscripts and what they were when the door behind him had opened. Cassie’s attention was immediately drawn to Dr. Booker, her French professor, who walked over to the bookcases, and started to quietly search for something. Professor Joe was far too deep into the differences between parchments to even notice him. She mostly forgot about his presence until he triumphantly announced “Found it!”
Joe had jumped, startled before swinging around in his computer chair. “What the fuck, Booker?”
“Oh, shit, are you working?” Dr. Booker’s face started to go red with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, I thought you were listening to something. I just-“ he held up the book as he quickly started to back out of the room. “Debates with Nicky, you know how it is. Aha, yeah, uh, see you at dinner.” Sheepishly, he hid half his face behind the book, and bumped into the door frame before he disappeared through it. The door shut with a click as Joe sighed explosively.
“Yes. Alright. Again from the top,” he clapped his hands together as he turned back to class. “Can anyone tell me what vellum was made from?”
The first time wasn’t really an interruption, but more of a distraction.
It was a quiet one, but still, seeing someone move around in the background as your professor introduced himself and went over the syllabus was sometimes the most interesting part of the class.
A mug was placed on Professor Joe’s desk, by his right hand as he rushed through a part about grading. “Everything’s on a point system- thank you, habibi- because it’s far easier to grade everything that way. Also, if I find that a large majority of you don’t pass a test of mine, we’ll go over the material again, and I’ll take the better of the two scores. I always do make up work, just shoot me an email and we’ll figure something out.”
Cassie’s afraid to admit she zoned out after that, and spent more time her first class watching the man as he sat, reading in the recliner behind Professor Joe until it struck her that he looked familiar. She waited until someone was asking a dumb question before she got up, and went into her bedroom. There, on her bedside table was the same man, smiling serenely up from the back of the newest Nicoló di Genova novel she had finished the night before.
“Huh,” she said, to no one in particular as she went back to class. She nearly forgot about him as Professor Joe started to talk about cavemen and art and how cave drawings showed how humans have always been human, with wild imaginations and big hearts. His enthusiasm and silly jokes endeared him to her quickly, and judging by the way that Nicoló di Genova smiled at him in the background, he loved Professor Joe a lot too.