No ‘Moore’ Mess- Chapter Nine (Serial Version)
Chapter Nine- Helen (Moore) Kobayashi Deals With Dr. Tanaka A Final Time
A year later, Helen returned from her sabbatical. Her new book was a splendid academic success. She was the toast of the university. Things at home were going well for her too. Life was looking up for everyone.
Erica made significant physical improvement. She walked short distances with the use of a cane. Her verbal skills remained the same.
“Good morning, my love!”
“Moooorn — ing, Her — on.”
Pastor Andrew was old, but he did most things on his own. Nancy blitzed through school. She was a senior at 16 years-old. Nancy was focused on her future. She had dreams of becoming an engineer.
Nancy had no interest in boys. They had no interest in her other than the odd young man who tried to get in her pants. They were unsuccessful. Nancy had the ‘Moore’ anger. She exploded whenever a horny lad got fresh with her at school.
“I’m telling you to step off one final time, Mark.”
“Okay, geez, Nancy. Can’t a girl take a joke?”
“I don’t know. But this girl will cut your nuts off if you ever touch her again.”
The school suspended Nancy for a week for threatening the boy. Helen wondered if Nancy would outgrow her temper. At least Helen didn’t have to worry about Nancy getting knocked up.
Her daughter’s anger management issues aside, things were going well for Helen. She had lost a considerable amount of weight. Helen was getting along with Dr. Tanaka, as much as one could get along with the woman. She stopped in on occasion to say hello.
“Hello, Dr. Tanaka.”
Helen’s customary greeting was cut off by the sight of Dr. Tanaka slumped at her antique oak desk. Her half-eaten banana laid beside her on the floor. She was lifeless.
The official cause of death was heart disease. Despite Dr. Tanaka’s fondness for a healthy diet, she drank alcohol for years. Being as old as she was, her heart could not take the stress. Helen went to the funeral. All the professors at the university did.
Hundreds of people paid their final respects to Dr. Tanaka. Helen met Dr. Tanaka’s widow, Ned, at the service. They crossed paths at faculty mixers over the years, but they never spoke to each other.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not. Good riddance to bad rubbish.”
Helen was stunned. It was clear Ned knew what kind of woman Dr. Tanaka was in her life. There was no love lost from Ned for his dead wife’s questionable lifestyle choices.
“I’m shocked they didn’t find her dead in the bed with a coed. I lost count how many times she screwed some young, dumb girl.”
“What?”
Helen feigned shock. She knew what kind of monster Dr. Tanaka had been while alive. Ned mocked Helen’s failed attempt at appearing unaware of what Dr. Tanaka did.
“I’m sorry. Eunice told me you knew about her.”
“I had no idea.”
“You are a terrible liar, Dr. Kobayashi. But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I need her good name to keep those pension checks rolling in. I will take what I know right into the grave next to my lovely wife.”
Helen made up an excuse, and she left the funeral. She made the long drive back to her house. The exchange with Ned lingered in her mind for days, but that didn’t last long.
A silver lining came for Helen from Dr. Tanaka’s death. Helen took her old post as vice president of the university and department chairwoman. The promotion quadrupled Helen’s salary.
Helen paid off her mortgage with her first bonus. She used the extra money to bring in a full-time caretaker for Erica and Pastor Andrew. Helen was too busy with her new duties to do it alone.
This was especially true after Nancy received a full scholarship to an engineering college back East. Helen missed her, but she was glad Nancy avoided the many pitfalls that trapped other women in her family. Alas, the good times were not meant to last.
“Dr. Kobayashi?”
“There is a woman here to see you.”
“Give me a minute and send her in.”
A few minutes later a woman came in the door as Helen wrote a message. She walked in front of Helen’s desk, and she stared at her. Helen smiled at the young woman.
“How can I help you?”
“You don’t recognize me? Do you?”
“Should I?”
“It’s Sarah. Sara Yap. Actually, Dr. Sarah Klingler now.”
Helen dropped her pen on the desk as she looked up. Sarah sat in a chair across from Helen. This was not a social call. Sarah meant business.
“It’s been a long time, Dr. Kobayashi.”
“Yes, it has.”
“I won’t take up a lot of your time. But I thought you should hear it from me first.”
“Hear what?”
“I’m suing this university for what Dr. Tanaka did to me years ago.”
“Suing the university?”
“Yes, this institution failed to protect me from a sexual predator. Dr. Tanaka should have never been allowed to do that to me.”
Helen shook her head, and she stared down at the floor. She knew her failure to report Dr. Tanaka years ago was wrong. She acknowledged the fact to Sarah.
“I know.”
“I have told my lawyers everything. There are sure to be some serious questions about your role in all this. I’m sorry. Truly, I am.”
Helen shook her head as she leaned and pulled off her pink and white glasses. She shrugged, and she cleared her throat.
“I suppose. But it’s your word against mine. Talking about something that might have happened to you years ago.”
This time it was Sarah’s shoulders who sank. Sarah shook her head. She could not believe Helen’s response.
“Dr. Kobayashi, I’m disappointed in you. You knew. You knew, and you kept silent for years. You don’t deserve to sit in that chair.”
“I did what I could at the time. All I could do.”
“It was not enough. You’re a fraud. You know it. I know it. And soon, everybody’s going to know it, too.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Take it as you like. You’re the one sitting in the big chair.”
Helen put her glasses on, and there was a distinct shift in her demeanor. Sarah leaned back in her chair. Helen adjusted her nameplate on the desk, and she stared at Sarah.
“Yes it is me who is sitting in this big chair.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean? Is that a threat?”
“You take it as you like. You’re the one sitting in the little chair.”
Sarah’s shoulders slumped, and she looked at her black high heels. Helen leaned in her chair as she took a sip of hot, black coffee. Sarah pulled a tissue from her purse, and she dabbed her tear-filled eyes.
“I see.”
“I hope so. It would be a shame for a brilliant young academic like you to get derailed.”
“Derailed?”
“Yes. You will find I can be a marvelous asset or a more than worthy adversary. Understood?”
“Without a doubt, ma’am.”
Sarah left Helen’s office in tears. Helen felt guilty. She channeled her best Dr. Tanaka-like persona to protect her precious career and family. Helen thought that would be the end of it, but it was only the beginning.
Sarah was a determined woman. She pushed her case forward in the court system and in the local press. It was not long before several other female university alumni came forward with similar stories of Dr. Tanaka’s abuse. It didn’t stop there.
Many other women made allegations of sexual harassment against former faculty and staff. One accusation from a young woman named Janice was of specific interest to Helen. Janice recounted a traumatic experience with a young, female, graduate assistant years ago. She did so during a public court deposition.
“And the name of your assailant?”
“Erica.”
“Erica who?”
“Erica Kobayashi. Now, Dr. Erica Kobayashi.”
“And what specifically did she do to you?”
“She groped me and tried to kiss me on multiple occasions while I was an undergraduate.”
Helen could not believe it when she read the article in the newspaper the next morning in her office. She left her hot, black coffee sitting on her desk, and she raced back to her house to confront her wife. Erica was in the living room watching TV.
“Turn that game show off.”
Erica turned the TV off, and she tossed the remote on the coffee table. She saw Helen meant business. Erica tried to be charming. That was her first mistake.
“Love, Her — on.”
“Not today, Erica. Just not today.”
“Janice McClain. Is that true?”
Erica’s face was white. She tried to be funny. That was her second mistake.
“Come on, wo — man.”
“Yes or No?”
Erica’s shoulders slumped lower, and she stared at the floor. She looked at her bare feet. Erica tried once more to make a better joke. That was her third mistake.
“Erica!”
“Yes!”
Helen was mortified. She had been married to Erica for years. Even before her stroke, she knew she was a flirt, but she was generally reserved on their dates. In fact, it was Helen who showed her the full ropes in the bedroom on their wedding night.
“Are there others? How many Erica? You tell me the truth.”
Erica shook her head. She leaned on the couch. Helen slapped her hard across the face. The force of the blow knocked Erica down.
“How many? 3, 4, 10, a 100? You tell me right now.”
“FOOOOR-er.”
As the weeks passed, three of the four women that Erica admitted to groping told similar stories about her. More alumni came forward with claims of sexual abuse and harassment from other faculty members.
The university needed to pin the blame on somebody quick, fast, and in a hurry. They chose Helen. A week later the university president summoned Helen into his office. This was not a social call.
“Dr. Kobayashi, this situation puts the university into a very difficult position.”
“I am aware of that, Dr. Risner. But I have tenure.”
“I know. That does make it problematic to fire you. Technically, you didn’t break any laws. But your moral judgement in these matters is extremely questionable to say the least. Would you not agree?”
Helen was burnt toast. There was no point in lying. She answered.
“Yes.”
“We are demoting you to the rank of assistant professor. You are free to return to your research, but you will no longer teach academic classes at this university.”
“But I’ve worked hard to get where I am. You can’t just — ”
“Take it or leave it.”
Helen shook her head as she looked at her pretty red shoes. She had bills to pay. She caved.
“Take it.”
“Let this be the last issue we have with you at this institution Dr. Kobayashi. Do you get me?”
“Yes, sir.”
In the end, Sarah and 37 other victims settled with the university. The statute of limitations on most of the cases expired, but the university wanted the public relations nightmare to be over. They paid the women 56.7 million dollars. Sarah got 11.4 million.
Helen kept her position, but she was a social pariah on campus. The students and faculty mocked her when she was within earshot. They made no attempt to hide their disdain for the disgraced professor.
“Terrible excuse for an academic. How they let her keep her job is beyond me.”
“Thank God they don’t let her teach anymore. I wonder what else she is hiding from us.”
“She tells everyone she had no idea about that crippled wife of hers being a monster. That’s rich. She’s a disgrace.”
Helen said nothing. It would not matter if she had. She did her best to keep a low profile at the university. And she did.
As time went on, the university wanted her gone. They made a little backroom deal with Helen. They would give her a full pension if she rode into the sunset. At first, she resisted the idea. She was not a quitter by nature.
“I’d like to continue my academic career. I hope to earn my way back into the classroom.”
“That is never going to happen at this institution Dr. Kobayashi. The university is prepared to give you a big parting gift if you retire at this time.”
After wrangling on the matter and a quick call to her personal attorney, Helen agreed. Tears dripped from her face. It was difficult for Helen to get out the words.
“Fine, I’m done.”
“Thank you for your cooperation Dr. Kobayashi. On behalf of the university, we appreciate your help in this matter.”
The university paid Helen in excess of $1,750,000 over the next three years for doing an array of consulting jobs for the university. The work required little more than Helen endorsing the checks from the university as they came to her in the mail.
Helen lamented selling out her once promising academic career, but the money let her keep Erica and Pastor Andrew’s helper around the house. She also helped Nancy afford her off-campus apartment as she started graduate school. Erica and Helen’s relationship was another matter.
There was no way Erica could explain her actions to Helen. She did her best to not make waves, but there was an emotional space between the couple. Erica tried to make amends to the love of her life, but forgiveness was difficult for Helen.
“Sor-rie, Her — on.”
“Sorry, doesn’t quite do it, does it?”
“Love, Her — on.”
As time passed, Helen forgave Erica for her transgressions. She knew Erica suffered enough in life to more than atone for her poor behavior with other women. Erica was appreciative, but Helen would never trust her or anyone again.
Pastor Andrew’s health took a turn for the worse. Dementia came upon him swiftly. Helen found him in the front yard of her house one evening after returning home. He was confused and without his pants.
“Who are you again?”
“It’s Helen. Your daughter, Helen.”
“I have a daughter?”
“Come on dad, remember?”
Pastor Andrew slumped, and he yawned. His mind drew a blank, so he lied.
“How is Mary doing?”
Helen shook her head as she looked at her shoes. She had not seen Mary in years. There was no point in bringing that fact up to Pastor Andrew. Helen took the high road where Mary was concerned.
“Good, I suppose.”
“That’s nice.”
“Let’s get inside and get you some pants, okay?”
“Pants. I’m getting cold.
Pastor Andrew died three months later in a hospice. By the end, he didn’t know who he was, but he had a final moment of clarity. Pastor Andrew wanted absolution for his past transgressions from his daughter.
“I am so sorry.”
“I know, dad.”
“Forgive me? Please.”
Helen stared at Pastor Andrew for a minute. She pulled off her pink and white glasses as she cried. There was no reason for her to keep holding on to the past. Helen for the first since she was child turned into daddy’s little girl. Pastor Andrew appreciated the moment and so did Helen.
“Okay.”
“Thanks, Helen. But it’s time, right?”
“I’m afraid so, dad.”
They prayed, and they said their final goodbyes. Pastor Andrew closed his eyes, and Helen left the room. Pastor Andrew passed the next morning as the sunlight came through the window in his hospice room. It would have been his 67th wedding anniversary with Roberta.
