Four Alarms.

I lost my breath, but I didn't have time to care, so I kept running like a maniac on the main street. FOUR ALARMS. How can FOUR ALARMS fail to wake me up? HOW? I was grateful for falling asleep last night without changing into my pj's, and placing a pencil right next to the door so i don't forget. It's like i knew I'd need everything in front of me the morning after otherwise I'll just show up late AND without a pencil. I saw a car pass by, all I wanted to do was jump on the back and make it drive me to where I wanted to go. I didn't have a jacket on, it was 15 c, but I was almost sweating from the running, 10 minutes has passed, and I’m 20 minutes late. I'm never gonna make it. But I studied so hard. I stopped. The air that went into my lungs HURT, the air was so cold; I hate running. I look at the building, it's right there, c'mon! Three minutes of running and you'll be there. I push open the door. I breathe hard, panicked, scared, and tired. I definitely corrupted the quiet environment I was in. I walk down the stairs and look at the professor, he nods, and I sit down. He hands in my test and says "We're on example number three" and all of a sudden, all those feelings of being panicked and afraid of missing the whole exam were gone: they were just on example three. Maybe he will repeat the first three examples for me if he's nice? He is nice. I don't know, I couldn't think anymore, I just started flipping through the pages so I could catch up. after all the listening examples were over, I start with the multiple choice. What was Tchaikovsky famous for? Well, he was gay, but the answer on the test was that he was the all-time best Russian composer. What were some characteristics of the Romantic Period? Name Verdi's Operas. The exam was easier than I had expected, maybe because all that running cleared my mind? Maybe I studied better, maybe it was that lucky red nail polish I had on. But for whichever reason, I made it. I was little late, but I made it. Now for my new concern: what about the first three examples?

"I'll make a deal with you, since I can't repeat them now, We'll wait til everyone else leaves, and then I’ll repeat them for you, but ONLY IF everyone leaves before the test is over, because I have another class after this." OK! I FEEL GREAT! He really is, he didn't have to do that. Now all I have to do is just wait for everyone to leave. Piece of cake, right? I've never wanted people to leave a room as much as I did today.

12:00 p.m.: 10 students left.
12:10 p.m.: FIVE minutes left til the exam ends, and there are still five in this room.

12:14 pm: Should I just give him my test? Whats the use of waiting? COME ON, GET YOUR BUTT OFF AND LEAVE!!! There was one more person left in the room.

12:15 p.m.: "Here's what we'll do, since we're just waiting for one person, after he's done with his test we'll do the listening really quick, ok?' I LOVE YOU. If you weren't ugly and old and probably married I would have done something inappropriate. These were desperate times, he was going an extra mile.

After I handed in the exam, I thanked him.

"I just don't understand how four alarms don't wake me up" The professor laughed.
"Well, careful! The final is 8 a.m.!" Great.
"I'm from Kuwait, so this is all new to me, I didn’t even know that all this "classical music" existed, and now that I'm here everything is converted into English and it’s been hard, I have a hard time understanding most of the terms and definitions and........" the same speech I've memorized and give to my professors in attempt for them to feel sorry for me.
"Oh! Really? Wow, I never would have guessed, your English sounds better than mine, and you look very American......" is the answer I hear almost every time. Sigh, playing the “international” card just never works!