Two Women, Chapter 7

Monica arrives at Memorial Hall five minutes before Mona's performance is about to begin.  She takes her seat near the front of the half-filled auditorium.

Right on time, Mona comes on stage to polite applause.  Her eyes meet Monica's and they smile again, friendlier this time.

Mona flawlessly performs Rachmaninoff's Piano Concert 2.  After, the audience applauds with more enthusiasm.  Monica with some others give Mona a standing ovation.

While the rest head for the exits, Monica heads back stage to visit Mona in her dressing room.  She knocks on the door.  

Mona:  Come in.

Monica enters.

Mona:  I was hoping I would see you again.  Did you enjoy my performance?

Monica:  Very much.  Thanks for the ticket.  Perhaps I can buy you a drink.  What do you say?

Mona:  Why not?  Isn't there a bar at the Carolina Inn?  That's where I'm staying.

Monica:  That's where I was thinking.

Mona:  Give me ten minutes to change.

Monica starts to leave.

Mona:  No, please stay.  We can chat while I change.

She stays.

Roommates

From September 1963 until May 1965 I had a total of 5 roommates while living in the dormitories (upper and lower quads) of the University of Pennsylvania near 37th and Spruce Streets.  In my opinion, I got along fine, especially with Scott Kahn, Mike Parr and Ralph Pincus. 

Up until very near my graduation from Penn in May 1967, I fully expected to join the United States Air Force as I had been planning for months.  What a shock it was when my gastroenterologist told me to forget about it.  The Air Force would (and did) cancel my appointment to their Officer Candidate School because of my ulcerative colitis diagnosis.  

After a short period of disappointment, I re-focused my attention to what I would do next.  I decided to go to Detroit, Michigan where my brother Ted,  his wife and newborn son lived.  

Once there, I quickly bought a car, a late model Corvair, and got a job at Ernst & Ernst, a big CPA firm.  Next on my list was to find a place to live.  

As opposed to my thinking (getting my own apartment), I was strongly advised to look for an apartment with a roommate.  I followed the advice.  A local newspaper had listings with such.

My first experience with a roommate in Michigan was with a red-haired young man who offered to let me sleep on his couch.  For some crazy reason, I accepted.    

The arrangement didn't last long.  Even as I tried to be agreeable, I think my presence in his apartment made my roommate uncomfortable.  I was asked to leave ASAP.  

My second roommate, whom I'll refer to as PW, had a two bedroom apartment which offered me some privacy.  However, he was an unusual character.  

PW once told me he would do anything for money.  I came to believe him.  

PW sold me his furniture as he was getting married and moving out soon.  However, he wanted my money up front and got me to agree to let him keep my furniture until he left a few weeks later.  Unbelievable but true!  

PW even tried to sell me the air conditioner that came with the apartment.  I agreed, but then, feeling sorry for me, he explained who actually owned the air conditioner.

PW finally moved out and I got what I had always wanted, an apartment of my own.  In retrospect, why would I want to share an apartment with a stranger?  It's difficult enough when you're sharing an apartment with a loved one.  

To Kill a Mockingbird

 Harper Lee was born April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama, which had a population at the time of about 1,000 inhabitants.  It's located in the southwestern part of the state.  

Harper was the youngest of four children.  Her mother's maiden name was Finch.  Her father was a businessman and a lawyer.

During Harper's childhood, she spent most of her time playing with her brother (Edwin) who was six years older.  In addition, during the summers, young Truman Capote (two years older and the future author of In Cold Blood) was also a playmate when he visited his family in Monroeville.

After graduating high school, Harper studied law at the University of Alabama.  However, she left school one semester before completing her degree.  

In 1949, Harper moved to New York City and devoted herself to writing.  On July 11, 1960 (sixty-one years ago today), her manuscript, To Kill a Mockingbird, was published.  It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961.  To Kill a Mockingbird has remained a best seller to the present day.  

"The plot and characters (of To Kill a Mockingbird) are loosely based on Lee's observations of her family (especially her brother and father), her neighbors and an event that occurred near her hometown in 1936 when she was ten."

Harper Lee's father defended Frank and Brown Ezell, two Black men accused of murder.  They were convicted and hung.  

"Despite dealing with the serious issues of rape and racial inequality, the novel is renowned for its warmth and humor. Atticus Finch, the narrator's father, has served as a moral hero for many readers and as a model of integrity for lawyers."

"In the twentieth century, To Kill a Mockingbird (was) probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America.  (It) is extensively taught in schools in the United States with lessons that emphasize tolerance and decry prejudice."

Harper Lee died in her hometown on February 19, 2016 at the age of eighty-nine.  

   

On the Beach

It's 1964 and World War III has broken out with an arsenal of nuclear missiles launched from both sides.  This will mean the end of the human race on earth because of the resulting radioactive fallout.  So says the 1959 film On the Beach starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner.

In the film, the deadly radioactivity has not yet reached Australia.  The USS Sawfish, a submarine captained by Dwight Lionel Towers (Peck) arrives in Melbourne.  He and his crew are the only Americans left alive.

They and the Australians have a few weeks or months to live.  Dwight, through contacts with the local navy, meets Moira (Gardner), an unattached attractive Aussie.

Dwight and Moira spend a lot of time together while waiting for the inevitable.  Finally, as the end is in sight, Dwight's crew votes to return to America for their final days. 

Dwight asks Moira to meet him at the naval base.  When she arrives, they talk for the last time.  

Moira:  You're not going.  You're staying.

Dwight:  No.  

Moira:  You're staying.

Dwight:  We're going.  

Moira:  But...the Sawfish?  

Dwight:  Just across the bay...at the fuel depot.  The men kinda wanted to get home.  I can't explain it.  

Moira:  So I suppose it's time to say it's been nice Dwight Lionel.  It's been everything.  Oh, Dwight.  I'm so frightened.  

Dwight:  I know.  I'm so sorry for so many things.  I love you, Moira.  I love you.  I love you.

The following morning, Moira drives to a point on the coast where she can see the Sawfish before it submerges.  We can also see Dwight on the submarine's bridge before he has to go below.  And before he goes below, he looks up at the sun one last time.  In the background is the music of Waltzing Matilda, Australia's best known ballad.  How romantic!    

Two Women, Chapter 6

 Mona opened the door to Monica's dental office.  The two women smiled at each other.  

"Welcome, Mona.  Your first time here?"

Mona now knew Monica was indeed a beautiful woman.

"Yes.  I'm here for a concert at the University, so I decided to take advantage of a recommendation from one of your patients."

"Which one?"

"You remember Ted from Philadelphia?"

"Oh, are you a friend of his?"

"You could say that."

"How is he?"

"Fine."

"You mentioned a concert?"

"I'm a pianist.  I'll be performing tonight at Memorial Hall on campus."

"Very nice.  Now let me look at your teeth."

Mona sat in the chair and got a real close look at Monica.  Impressive!  And she smelled good, too.  

After some minutes of probing and examining, Monica said, "Your teeth and gums are in good condition.  I think all you need is a cleaning."

Twenty minutes later, Monica was done.  Mona enjoyed the experience. 

"Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome.  Hope you come again.  Give my best to Ted."

"I will.  By the way, I'll leave a ticket for you at the box office tonight in case you're interested in hearing me play."

"That's very nice of you.  What time's your performance?"

Overdose

 One busy day, about ten years ago, while I was working at Kohl's Department Store in Durham, NC (where you can expect great things), I was suffering from a bad cough.  As such, I took some over-the-counter cough syrup.  However, I misread the instructions.  I took twice the proper dosage.

I was walking around the store when the result of my mistake hit me...like a ton of bricks.  I felt incredibly weak...like I wanted to collapse on the floor.  I leaned against a counter for support.

I told my supervisor I wasn't feeling well and needed a break.  I went to rest in the employees' room.  There I re-read the instructions and realized what I had done.  In some minutes, I felt better.  Never do that again.

But, I had done that before.  When I was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 1966, my doctor told me I needed to take 8 pills a day to deal with my symptoms.   And as my illness was chronic, I would have to take pills for the rest of my life.  Bummer!

Taking pills had previously been a problem for me.  When I was a child and needed to take aspirin for a headache, my mother would dissolve a pill in a spoonful of water for me to be able to ingest it.

Thinking about what my doctor told me, I decided to use illogical reasoning to fix my condition.  If 8 pills were good, then 16 would be better and perhaps eradicate my ulcerative colitis...permanently.  

A few days later I started feeling bad and returned to my doctor.  He of course asked how I was dealing with the 8 pills a day.  I told him what I had done.  

My doctor berated me in no uncertain terms and told me to stick to the prescribed amount.  I learned my lesson.  Never again.  Maybe!      

  

Miranda

On March 13, 1963, Phoenix, Arizona police arrested Ernesto Miranda on suspicion he kidnapped and raped an eighteen year-old woman.  After being interrogated for two hours, Miranda signed a confession to the rape.

The document Miranda signed contained the following: "I do hereby swear that I make this statement voluntarily and of my own free will, with no threats, coercion, or promises of immunity, and with full knowledge of my legal rights, understanding any statement I make may be used against me."

"However, at no time was Miranda told of his right to counsel. Before being presented with the form on which he was asked to write out the confession that he had already given orally, he was not advised of his right to remain silent, nor was he informed that his statements during the interrogation would be used against him."

"At trial, when prosecutors offered Miranda's written confession as evidence, his court-appointed lawyer objected that because of (the above) facts, the confession was not truly voluntary and should be excluded. The objection was overruled, and based on the confession and other evidence, Miranda was convicted of rape and kidnapping."

"(Miranda) was sentenced to 20–30 years of imprisonment on each charge, with sentences to run concurrently."

 "(His lawyer) filed Miranda's appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court, claiming that Miranda's confession was not fully voluntary and should not have been admitted into the court proceedings. The Arizona Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's decision to admit the confession. In affirmation, the Arizona Supreme Court heavily emphasized the fact that Miranda did not specifically request an attorney."

Miranda's lawyers appealed the above decision to the United States Supreme Court.  "On June 13, 1966 (55 years ago today), the Supreme Court issued a 5–4 decision in Miranda's favor that overturned his conviction and remanded his case back to Arizona for retrial."

As a result of the Miranda US Supreme Court decision, police throughout the US are required to say the following to all criminal suspects:  "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you before any questioning begins."

In 1967, Miranda was retried.  "This time the prosecution, instead of using the confession, introduced other evidence and called witnesses. One witness, a woman with whom Miranda was living at the time of the offense, testified that he had told her of committing the crime."

"Miranda was convicted a second time in 1967 and sentenced to serve 20 to 30 years.  The Supreme Court of Arizona affirmed and the United States Supreme Court denied review."

"Miranda was paroled in 1972.  After his release, he returned to his old neighborhood and made a modest living autographing police officers' Miranda cards that contained the text of the warning for reading to arrestees."

 "Miranda was stabbed to death during an argument in a bar on January 31, 1976.   A suspect was arrested, but due to a lack of evidence, he was released."