The Girl With The Oven Under Her Bed by Michael Moses

It was the spring of 1997 and my freshman year of college was winding down. I went to a small school on a small hill located almost exactly in the center of Ohio. The campus was somewhat rustic and, rumor has it, was considered for the setting of the film, Dead Poets Society. This was the kind of thing many first-year students got excited about, a little "did-you-know?" that managed to break the ice for some of us. As trivial as it was, it made the place seem significant. The same could be said for the school's long history of destructive, apparently accidental fires. Every incoming student got an earful on the subject. An unusual number of dormitories and academic buildings had burned to the ground since the school was founded in the early 19th century. Therefore, there were strict rules prohibiting the possession or use of anything with an open flame or those super-hot heating coils---candles, incense, halogen lamps and the like. Of course by mid-year, the students were using all of these things all of the time. Some of the resident advisors talked the talk, but really didn't care. They were the ones who pulled bong hits with their advisees, advising simply to "towel the door, m-a-a-a-n." They also made a point of warning each student a day in advance of fire inspections. While I appreciated (and occasionally benefited from) the lax authority, it certainly had me doubting that the school's future was fireproof.

One night, just about a month before finals, I returned to my dorm room after a few hours at the library. I phoned my girlfriend and we spoke for twenty minutes or so. She went to a different small school on a different small hill located almost exactly in the center of Ohio, about forty-five minutes away. Neither of us had a car however, so it felt like a long distance relationship. She told me she had recently become a sorority girl---Delta Gamma. I was now dating a "D.G." I told her I had started smoking cigarettes here and there. She was now dating a smoker. Less than an hour apart, I felt the distance between us growing. A common scenario I suppose, high school sweethearts away at college. But I was beginning to see things for what they were. In high school, our relationship was extremely convenient. We had some classes together, we lived a block away from one another, and we must have been among the last of the virgins of the class of '96. Circumstances were different now. Our situation was no longer convenient, and it was becoming apparent that we had little in common. Our conversation was short and pretty much came down to, "Well, only a month before we spend the whole summer together!" While I didn't necessarily dread it, I couldn't get very excited. Goodbye, I miss you, and then next door to play video games with my buddy Shawn.

I entered the room and Shawn was typing a paper on his computer. One meeting of the eyes, though, and he knew what I came for. The previous week was one of epic battles on Playstation's NFL Gamebreaker and Intro English can wait when you've got good vids. Shawn saved his work and I dimmed the halogen lamp. We took our seats in front of the nineteen-inch TV screen. There was a knock on the door while the game was loading. Before we could answer, the door eased open. It was Jen from down the hall and she brought with her a friend who I recognized. She was from further down the hall. We passed each other around campus semi-frequently, but we never spoke. She seemed very shy and I was no Don Juan so it was always awkward smiles. Obviously South Asian, she had thick, long hair so black that in bright light it seemed more of a shiny, navy blue. She had huge eyes, braces, a slender figure and nice breasts (yes, I had noticed the breasts before). Jen introduced her as Aafreen (ah-freen). She was quiet, but smiley. As stupid as it sounds, Shawn and I introduced ourselves, allowed them a couple minutes of small talk and then started our game. They had a seat, which was fine, but we had business to settle. Typical freshman behavior, we were immersed in---games over girls. After ten minutes, we realized we were being ridiculous. We should get to know the new girl, we thought. Also, the cafeteria was about to close and we had not eaten yet.

So we spent fifteen minutes just shooting the bull, getting to know Aafreen. She told us she was from near St. Louis. Shawn told her we were from right there in Ohio---"Buckeyes." I can't remember what Jen said. Finally, Shawn and I mentioned that we were a bit hungry. Aafreen asked if we wanted a sandwich and we said sure, we wouldn't miss the cafeteria.

Before you knew it, Aafreen had gone down the hall and returned with two hot sandwiches. Ham, Muenster, Miracle Whip and Honeycup mustard, toasted. It was absolutely delicious. I asked her how she toasted the sandwiches and she told me that she kept a toaster oven under her bed.

"But that's too hot," I said. "Won't you get in trouble?"

"That's why I keep it under my bed," she replied.

Hmmm.

During the last month of the school year, I didn't play many video games. I had a sandwich with Aafreen probably once or twice a week. And we hung out here and there, sandwiches aside. The school year ended and Aafreen vacationed with her family in Ireland. I went home and broke up with my girlfriend as we had both expected. It was summertime and I was free in Ohio.

One hot morning, I received a postcard with an Irish postmark. It was Aafreen saying that we should have sandwiches when school starts back up. I couldn't agree more, I thought.