by Kaberi Dasgupta One "year and he months. That’s about the time I left for me enjoy home-cooked meals, wenty-four hour hotline,

a money supply that ms to extend to infinity, least from my perspective. other words, that’s how g I have before leaving ne for graduate school.

Such a drastic change nid be devastating - with- practice. Consequently, elcome the opportunity to earse “being on my owm” en my family deserts me have a fun-filled weekend alifax or Moncton. “You're going when?” “Next weekend.”

“What am I going to This question, believe it not, is not without ba- I’m not exactly helpless he kitchen, but even the Id’s greatest chef would le trouble adhering to the iest that I anticipated : “Don’t touch the stove e€ we're away.”

“Dad, believe me, I) éan dle the stove.” bree

Incident Report

A TASTE OF INDEPENDENCE

“It appeared that my parents felt that my.

inhaling smoke, or perhaps the fire itself, was somehow a result of their being in Halifax.” ;

“You'll forget to turn it off.” .

“IT can’t live on sand- wiches for the entire week- end.”

“Why not ?”

My parents’ faith in my competence in the kitchen does, however, exceed their faith in my ability to take care of myself.

“Don’t worry. Ill be fine. I won’t even tell anyone that I’m going to be alone.”

“At least have the neigh- bour’s daughter stay with

you. ”

“She’s ten years old. You want HER to protect ME?”

Unfortunately ‘ they failed to see the ludi- crousness of such a situation.

However, after stocking the refrigerator with cooked food (which I was given per- mission to warm), and en- suring that I had asked a friend to stay with me, they left ; it happened to be the

A new weekly fea- ture from the UPEI De- partment of Security list- ing vandalism and other events that have occurred on campus in the past week.

Friday of the university fire,

of which they learned when

they called that evening. “You inhaled what ?”

“Toxic smoke. But I ‘m all right. “~ In the back- ground I heard a whispered “See what happens....” It appeared that my parents felt that my inhaling smoke, or perhaps the fire itself, was somehow a result of their be- ing in Halifax.

“Has your friend come over yet ? ~

“No, she'll be a_ little late. ” :

“Are you scared ?”

I wondered what exactly it was that my father planned to do if I said yes.

”

“No, really, I’m fine.

“Fine? After inhaling toxic smoke ? ~

The difficulties of separa- tion did not, of course, lie ex- clusively with my parents. I did find the house strangely,

even disturbingly, peaceful, despite the presence of my

— 2 car windows damaged in Blanchard Parking Lot _ — Window kicked out of Barn — 6 signs torn from posts and ground

— Criminal charges pending as a result of an incident at the Barn on Sat. night. ; : - — the usual Hallowe’en egg throwing and window soaping

with no apparent damage resulting

z

|

a ae ererner aes : “Lee.

ales

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friend and the pet parakeet.

Being accustomed to conversing with four other people, it was difficult to ad- just to just one person.

“Be quiet.”

“Who? Me?” asked my friend, somewhat surprised.

“No, the bird. He’s chirping because he wants my breakfast.”

“Oh.”

I went into the kitchen to peruse the contents of the re- frigerator.

”

“Just a minute.

“T haven't said anything. Neither has the bird, ” ob- served my friend.

“I was talking to the re- frigerator.”

“You talk to the appli- ances ?”

“The refrigerator beeps if you leave its door open for too long. ™~

For some my friend did not seem to be paying much attention to my

reason,

_explanation.

I was beginning to won- der if I was alone in having difficulties in coping without my family. After all, ev- eryone likes to at least have the illusion of independence. However it soon appeared that my friend, despite hav- ing lived away from home for over a year, had her own trouble with life’s dilemmas. While I was washing dishes she was suspiciously secruti- nizing the potatoes that she planned to bake.

“What’s the matter ? ™ I asked.

“Don’t you have to put holes in potatoes before you bake them ? ™

“Yes. Go ahead. ™

“How ?”

With the air of a connais- seur, I handed her a fork.

When my family _re- turned on Sunday evening, supper was on the table and the house was still standing. Needless to say, they were rather ‘impressed. Perhaps

next time they'll leave me

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