Dizgaia ~ The Dreamfinder's Daughter

Chapter 3 ~ A Meddlesome Father

~ Fall 2017 ~

Professor Tremblay was quite austere in every aspect of her person, which, in Mia's opinion, was the perfect quality for an English Writing instructor. She was also the head of the English Department at the college, and so her competency was assured. In her second year of college, Mia wanted every opportunity to improve her skills, and thus hoped that her new professor might give her the honest feedback she was looking for.

Her freshmen year had been almost too successful. She'd received plenty of praise from teachers and peers alike. But she knew she was not perfect. Nobody was perfect. There was always room for improvement. She so desperately wanted to know what she could do to improve, but no one seemed inclined to offer any constructive criticism.

It was thus Mia deduced freshmen year to be the "feel-good year" where they buttered you up to hold your interest and keep up the student retention rate. She had high hopes that sophomore year would be more fruitful and allow her more opportunities to grow and improve. With a teacher like Professor Tremblay, that seemed a guarantee. But something far worse happened.

Her peer reviews were returned with heaps of praise, but her grades were disheartening. It seemed Professor Tremblay did not share the opinions of Mia's fellow students. Mia knew she needed to speak with Professor Tremblay, but she was hesitant. Her nerves had the better of her.

What if Professor Tremblay told her she was complete rubbish? She so wanted to be a novelist. She'd put all her hopes, dreams, and efforts into this one avenue of pursuit. Writing was the only college major that appealed to her. It was the only thing that made sense. Were she a stronger artist, she might have pursued that, but that was only ancillary to her writing talent. She could not bear to hear someone tell her she was no good. It would be so discouraging. Nonetheless, her meeting with Professor Tremblay was inevitable, for in the end, it was Professor Tremblay herself who requested the meeting.

Mia sat in a chair in Professor Tremblay's office, feeling suddenly very small and meek as the sharp-dressed woman stood at her desk, gazing down at her with her penetrating green eyes. Every day, Professor Tremblay wore the same outfit, a red blazer and matching dress pants with a high-collared blouse. Although this was her daily attire, it was nonetheless clean and freshly pressed, never once giving the appearance of having been worn more than a single day.

Mia did not know whether Professor Tremblay had several of the same outfit or simply washed and ironed her business professional attire on a daily basis. Either seemed likely to fit the woman's punctilious disposition. Likewise, her gray hair was meticulously maintained in a tight pompadour, giving her the look of a woman from another time. Her vibrant green earrings and large, matching ring struck a familiar cord with Mia, though she couldn't quite place it.

"Miandra, if I may be candid..."

"Oh, just Mia is fine."

"Miandra, your grades this semester have been... disappointing... to say the least. At this time, I would advise dropping my class to preserve your GPA."

"But I really need this class, Professor Tremblay. It's required for my major."

The stone-faced woman raised a single thin eyebrow. "So, you're majoring in English?"

"Yes, ma'am. With a concentration in writing and a minor in art."

Professor Tremblay tsked, shaking her head. "Miandra, it's hard for me to say this, but for your own good, allow me to be blunt. You are in the wrong field of study."

Slowly, she circled around her desk and, with cat-like grace, took a seat in her chair.

"Your technical skills are average at best, and your imagination leaves a lot to be desired."