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RYANNE TRODAT DELGADO, the wife of the Fer De Lance, held the title of Lady of the Lands in her role as the wife of the Czar of Colombia.In her role in the life of Micah Delgado, she held the title of Mama.He'd gave her the title the first time he met her when Ryanne was found in his father's bed.At nine years old, going on ten, he climbed into the bed beside her and began to straighten her mussed hair.From that day forward, he called her Mama and treated her as such.However, he was not quick to pass out hugs and affection, although he allowed Ryanne the liberty, occasionally, to dole it out to him when he needed a bit of mothering.
Today, the mother in her was in full effect while she waited in the main eating area in the kitchen for Micah and Alita to return.There were stacks of mail they both needed to go through and decide about attending college in two short months.The final decision needed to be made, housing secured, and planning for the next few weeks on where and how these two would live.It could be put off any longer.
“Hola, Mama,” Micah said, coming through the side door, “all is well?”
“Actually, no, it is not, Micah,” she said, pointing at the table.“You and Alita need to make a decision about college.If you're planning to attend in September, you need to choose the university and contact the registrar’s office, so they know to hold your spot.You also need to accept or decline.If you're planning to decline, they need to be made aware.Wherever you’re planning to attend, you need to start looking for quarters or a flat close to the university.”
Micah scowled at her.Then he scowled at the stack of envelopes and brochures that had come in the mail.He'd rather muck the stalls than sit and go through the envelopes.
“I made Buffalo wings and French fries,” Ryanne said to them both.
“Oh, that sounds good,” Micah said, taking a seat at the table.“Alita, let's choose a school to attend.”
Alita took a seat as food appeared on the table.It was illogical to eat chicken parts covered in a spicy sauce and to open mail.The envelopes would get sauce all over them...and she paused.The Lady of the Lands knew Micah would choose one or the other.
Micah looked at the saucy wings and the stack of mail.He pulled a knife from his boot and began slicing open the envelopes.
“Make a stack of yes, no, and maybes,” Ryanne suggested.
“A stack of yes and no,” Micah said, glancing over the letters.
“You will need to know which schools accepted you, which ones accepted with scholarship offers, and the Universities that rejected you,” Ryanne said.“We can also sort them by continents or regions, like the UK, Asia, North America, Latin America, and South America.”
“Mama, that is too much work,” he said, looking at the postmarks.“Asia is a no.The language barrier would give me a headache to no end.Alita, anything from Asia, we don't need to open.”
Ryanne asked, “What about the UK?”
Micah looked up and provided an expression so blank, Alita burst into laughter.By the time she explained to Ryanne why the UK was off the list, she too was laughing.
“We arrived in London, to a very foggy day, and it was drab and cold,” Alita said.“The Boss got off the plane, walked partway on the tarmac, and returned to the plane.He refused to go any further.We had appointments at Oxford, Cambridge, and St.Andrews.I had to convince him to get into the vehicle.”
“It was the food,” Micah said, opening more envelopes, while eyeballing the hot wings.
“Yes, the food,” Alita said, chuckling.“Our friendly guide took us to lunch at a pub in Cambridge.We ordered the bangers and mash, but The Boss over there was focused on the menu board, and seeing the Spotted Dick as an offering, he couldn't get past it.”
“Past it?I'm still not past it,” Micah said.“What grown man walks into a pub and says, ‘You know what sounds good, a hearty spoonful of Spotted Dick.When the bangers arrived, it was a giant sausage, all black and curved, that looked a dick.A fat black one.I was not eating that.”
Ryanne also started to laugh.He picked up all the envelopes from schools in the UK, including the University of Edinburgh, adding them to the list of nopes.
Mumbling, he said, “They also add mushy green peas to their French-fried potatoes.What is wrong with those people?For breakfast, Mama, they brought me a slice of toasted bread covered in beans.Unseasoned beans.Just fart bubbles in tomato sauce with a pot of tepid tea saturated in bergamot.”
His next stack was of colleges in North America, including Canadian and Mexican schools.“I didn't apply to half of these,” he said, opening one from The National Autonomous University of Mexico.“This one is offering me a full ride, but I don't want to live in Mexico.”
“How about the ones in the States?”Ryanne asked.
Micah opened the letters from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT.Alita opened hers from MIT as well, smiling at the congratulations.
“I got accepted to MIT,” she said smiling.
“Impressive,” Ryanne said.“What about the others?”
Alita opened the envelopes, “Yes to Harvard.No to Yale, and here is an offer for a full ride at Brown University.”
“I didn't know we applied to Brown,” Micah said.
“We didn't Boss, I did,” Alita said.“I was thinking of a communication major if you know, the whole personal security thing didn’t work out.”
