The first meeting

Tetyana Kryvovyaz

I was sitting quietly and listening to the lecturer when he came in. He was five minutes late and felt extremely embarrassed.

I understood it immediately because it was written on  all over his face. He entered the room diffidently, walked with bent head and took a place far from the rest of audience. I could easily keep an eye on him. He didn’t dare to raise his head for at least two minutes since he had come. Then he looked at the lecturer. He was looking a long time directly on him trying to avoid an eye contact with anybody present in the room except from the lecturer. However, his face became slightly red when the professor glanced at him. He was listening with great attention or tried to look like that. I think he simulated because his eyes didn’t show interest but dismay. A few minutes later he put a short glance at me. I suppose he couldn’t understand why I was looking at him. He looked really scared. “A nice girl’s watching me... What does she want?”. But I wasn’t that nice girl who was trying to catch the fancy of a poor victim. I was a disinterested spectator.
When the lecture came to an end and the professor left the room, everybody began to pick up their things. He sat immovably just as five minutes before and looked at his hands. He stood up when there were only three people in the room. He didn’t raise his head in order to prevent any conversation. I was still looking at him. He noticed that and for sure felt uncomfortable therefore he wanted to leave as quickly as possible. He took his bag and crossed the room. Normally, I didn’t try to stop him. What could I say? “Why are you so embarrassed?”. Is it an appropriate phrase for the first meeting? I hear you saying ‘no’. And I couldn’t make up another one.