Veritas

Underneath the crest of Harvard there is one word: veritas. I could guess it’s meaning, but I wanted to know it’s exact definition. I asked George. No one loves a good word more than George. I suppose that’s why he chose to get his Masters in Literature at Brown instead of music. He adores unusual words and if I give him a new word he can use in everyday conversation that befuddles people but is used correctly, he’s in heaven.
“I think it means truth,” he said.
I could see the wheels in his head turning.
The next day I asked him his thoughts on my sister coming to visit.
“The veritas of the situation is that it would be great if she came out.”
I let it slide because I”m starry-eyed in love with him.
But when he tried to use it again to me later in the day, I couldn’t let it happen.
“Sweetie, how amazing would it be if we had a female president?”
“The veritas…”
I slowly turned my head to look at him. I could see the inexpressible joy under his features at using such a word.
“Sweetie, you can’t use the word veritas to me twice in the same day. I’m the one who brought the word to you, I know where you got it, you can’t just incorporate an ancient latin word into your eveyday speech.
He laughed. We both laughed.
And I’m sad to say, he hasn’t used it since. At least to me.