How Ajah the guard stole Harbin’s heart

In many other dorms on many other campuses across this country students stroll into their residence halls with a few swipes and a smile.  Not Harbin, not during the night shift, and not on Ajah Jackson’s watch.

My first encounter with Ajah (pronounced Asia) occurred during my very first week at Georgetown.  It may be hard to believe while looking at her charming smile, but this meeting almost scared me out of ever venturing inside the bowels of Harbin again.

My roommate and I walked innocently as could be through the double glass doors and straight into a buzz saw.  We found Ajah standing with her guard shirt off and draped over her chair while she laid down some of the scariest tough girl talk I’ve ever heard over the microphone on her headphones.  Clearly her significant other did not realize how lucky he was because he had slipped up and drawn the Ire of Ajah who explained to him over a very colorful and loud fashion over the phone exactly why she was not to be crossed (Can I get a, “I’m sorry Ms. Jackson, oooo! I am for real”).

Some of the things she said can not be posted here  but suffice it to say we were slightly shell-shocked.  As we, hands trembling, handed her our GoCards she looked up and evidently saw our wide-eyed expression.  “Oh, did you hear that?”

Now an onion may make you cry, but peeling back a few layers may reveal something worth savoring.  She quickly showed herself to be one of the friendliest guards on campus (in a scary kind of way).

My roommate came to school without any form of identification, but that’s a long story for another day.  What it meant however was that his GoCard was redecorated with fancy red letters stating, “NOT VERIFIED” across the front.  This would not present much of a problem, unless your friendly guard decided she’d would have some fun at your expense.  For weeks she refused to swipe him in: choosing instead to mutter “not verified” every single time he walked in and stare him down until he was brave enough to walk past her.

For reasons such as this, Ajah developed a following among the residents of Harbin Hall.  We courted her day and night to find out more about our girl.  It started with her love of Dr. Pepper, which led to many a night where I searched this campus for that maroon bottle in the hopes of winning her favor.

Then we got into the more serious conversations.  We argued for quite some time as she lamented about her looks and size and we attempted to convince her just how great she looked each and every day.  Then, we found out about her novels.

My friends, if you have not read the Betrayal, Love, and Lies urban romance novels then you have not lived!  Only twenty years old and Ajah has three published novels while at the same time working twelve hour nights shifts in Harbin, New South, or the Medical Library as well as driving around family.  She does not drink or smoke, and God bless her for that, considering the shenanigans she must deal with every weekend as the last line of defense between college kid and bed.  She worries that she does not get enough sleep and her broken computer has made it impossible to start her next writing project.  I hope this changes.  If anyone deserves better, it is Ajah, my hero.  With the student guards taking over the day shifts, we shall be seeing less of our girl soon.  She is the guard we deserve, but not the one we need right now.  Be sure to stop by Harbin after Midnight all this weekend and thank her for all the joy she has brought to us.