Beyond Knowledge: The Story of S, M & The Police

Aston uni has been my new "home" for more than three years now. Throughout this time I have been sharing with you the stories of my adventures, academia and social life but I have never talked about, arguably, the most important part of uni - the friendships. Some people say that the friends you make in uni are the ones that stick forever. I would like to agree with such a statement. The day-to-day challenges are the basis for the ever-flourishing and ever-evolving uni acquaintances. So, let's start with a graphic example, the story of "S, M and The Police".

I met S & M in the beginning of my second year in Aston. (Remember, my "Countdown to Year 4", M likes to think that she is one of the life-changing people I met on the 27 Sep 2008. I will, however, refrain from commenting on such a statement since it is not relevant to the current post. Please erase it from your short-term memory.) Back in 2008 S & M were just two students that were starting uni but they have by now merged in to one (in M's words) milawesome couple. Currently, S is doing his placement in Birmingham and M, hers, in London. This brings us to the events of the 11th November.

As the clock was about to strike 2200 and the icy wind was blowing down the London streets, M was on her way home. She was walking the irregular walk of a person who has enjoyed a colleague's birthday a bit too much, wine-wise. In the mean time, S was sitting in his Birmingham flat, reading the galablog, thinking how awesome Vlad is (I can just assume). M pressed dial.

M: Hey bebe, I am just on my way home.

S: Baby, I can barely hear you!

M: 2@18#%&^^...

S: What?

M: Baby... 29#$%9&*&575 ...it's too windy... 6745%$#%#... ...home in 10 minutes... ...call you from home!

S: OK, I wait.

An hour passed and S had no word from M. She seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth. S sent Vlad a text; no reply. Was something wrong with S's phone?

Another hour passed and, as Vlad was waking up from his power nap, S called. He still hadn't managed to find the ever-so-missing M. Vlad tried calling M, nothing; S tried calling M, nothing; Vlad called R, R called M and, still, nothing. They kept calling and calling...nothing.

The clock struck 00:30 and they started considering the possibility that something bad had happened. By 00:40 S was on the phone with the police and Vlad was hurrying towards S's flat. They waited and waited but there was still not a word from M or the police.

At 02:00 S called the police again. They still had not been to M's flat.

At 03:00 Vlad called the police:

V: Hi, my name is Vladimir Galabov and I would like to report a missing person [...] she was on the way home [...] Yes, her boyfriend called you an hour ago [...] I am at his flat in Birmingham [...] No, he was the last person to speak to her [...] I understand [...] She's just not the type of person to disappear [...] I see [...]She's on her placement at the moment [...] I see [...] OK [...] OK, thank you.

As the time passed, they started seriously considering taking the 5 o'clock train to London. If the police were not willing to go to M's place, then S and Vlad would go on their own.

At 04:00 the phone rang:

M: Hey bebe...

I think what I am trying to say with this story is that trough my four years in Aston I have met, and keep meeting, people that I can count on to call the police if I go missing. This is why, uni is not just about the course, not just about the degree, it is about the relationships that you build and the way these relationships change you.