Mr. Chalk 13

13

Later that afternoon Ruth arrived back at her office. “Christ what a day,” thought Ruth as she opened her office door. Stepping inside her office she stopped in mid-stride and stared at her chair behind the desk. Sitting in the chair was Mr. Chalk who was calmly looking at Ruth.

“I don’t believe this,” said Ruth as she stared at Mr. Chalk.

“Hello,” said Mr. Chalk.

“Why are you back in my office?” exclaimed Ruth, “and who keeps letting you in?”

Ruth was growing increasingly angry. “I swear, if I find out who keeps letting you in here, I’m going to tear him a new...”

Mr. Chalk held up his hand to interrupt Ruth. “No one let me in,” said Mr. Chalk, “you had said that we could talk later and so here I am.” 

Ruth’s anger was now turning to frustration. “Look,” said Ruth walking towards her desk, “I’m sorry I got angry, but it’s been a tough day teaching all over the campus and attending to uninvited guests.”

It was then that Ruth noticed the unfamiliar arrangement of papers on her desk. Looking around, she suddenly realized that her office had been cleaned. All the papers that had been strewn on the floor were now separated into neat stacks on her desk. In fact, all her folders and papers in the office, including the piles on the filing cabinet and in the bookshelves, were now neatly stacked.

“Did you touch my stuff?” said Ruth.

“Why yes,” said Mr. Chalk, “it was a bit untidy and so I...”

Ruth held up her hand and interrupted Mr. Chalk in mid-sentence. “Get out,” she ordered, pointing at the office door.

“But you said we could talk later and I haven’t discussed…”

Again Ruth interrupted Mr. Chalk. “Get out,” she ordered, still pointing at the office door. “Very well,” said Mr. Chalk as he stood to exit the office.

“And this time,” said Ruth, “let me be clear. When I said we could talk later it did not mean you could break into my office, again, and move my stuff around.”

Mr. Chalk stood by the office door. “So we can talk later?” inquired Mr. Chalk.

“Get out,” said Ruth. “I do not want to ever see you in my office again, is that clear?”

Mr. Chalk stepped out into the hallway. “Perfectly,” he replied and disappeared from view.

Ruth glared at the now vacant doorway.

“Unbelievable,” thought Ruth as she shook her head and moved towards her chair. Flopping down in the chair, she sighed and began to idly look through the stack of students’ project papers.

“Great,” she thought, “they’ve even been arranged alphabetically.”