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Beyond Love
Beyond Love
Beyond Love
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Beyond Love

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What would you do if you had given up your whole life for someone, someone who had proclaimed their undying love for you, only to find that they had been unfaithful from the start? James, a prestigious university professor, struggles to rebuild his life and sanity after giving up his family and career for Jennifer, a young student that he falls passionately, hopelessly, frantically in love with, only to see his life in tatters after she betrays him, helplessly caught in her own web of deceit and despair.

After years of struggle he embarks on a new career and rebuilds his life only to find that he cannot leave the past behind and must return and rescue the one who destroyed him. Moustafa El-Guindy tells a story of a passionate man who founders on the shoals of love betrayed, but finds hope and redemption BEYOND LOVE.

BEYOND LOVE is a tale of love, betrayal, anguish and redemption, the story of two people whose love dies in a storm of lies, deceit and despair, leaving them both shattered and hopelessly alone. James story discloses that one step beyond love can encompass love, life, and everything in between. Moreover, sometimes life demands from lovers more than just love. James faces the challenge of destiny and has to prove that his feeling goes far away beyond love.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 30, 2015
ISBN9781480822856
Beyond Love
Author

Moustafa El-Guindy

Moustafa El-Guindy is a PhD, dentist, and attorney who has published poems, articles, and books in Arabic, Portuguese, and English. He lives with his wife in Menifee, California.

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    Beyond Love - Moustafa El-Guindy

    Chapter 1

    I t was fall time, his favorite throughout his life, the perfect weather, not hot, not cold. There was a mild wind keeping the atmosphere fresh. Smooth drops of rain eventually began hitting his face. The fall was also time to go back to school, to enjoy going back to class, meeting the schoolfellows, and enjoying the tons of books in the library waiting to be read. He’d always loved this time of year.

    James Peterson, a handsome, 43-year-old, highly intelligent man, had been driving for several hours but wasn’t tired; the happiness overflowing him was too great, and the anxiety to start the new job overwhelmed the effects of the physical effort. Finally, his dream was coming true; he had always wanted to be Director of Graduate Programs at a university, and that was exactly the new job waiting for him a few miles ahead.

    When he’d been informed that Southeastern University in the city of Newport had an opening for a Graduate Program Director, James immediately felt that the position was for him. He had his chance now and he decided to take it. It wasn’t easy; many good people had competed for the position, but he was ready. For a long time he had been working hard for this. James had spent many nights studying, planning and waiting for the right opportunity; now it had finally come.

    Studying had been his passion since childhood; he grew up reading instead of playing ball with the other children. In primary school, he used to spend his lunch money buying newspapers, books and any readable thing he could find. Along with his daily hobby of reading and taking long hours to learn, James relaxed to classical music and dreamed of better times. He believed it was hereditary; his father had been a professor and he used to always see his father reading. The memories touched him deeply. His father was his hero. Their talks about life and the future were still alive in the mind and heart of James. He had always admired his father’s seriousness, firmness with principles, and his struggle to keep the family up. James never forgot the image of his father, which was firm, strong and solid like a rock even with the difficulties of raising a big family.

    Another memory he would never forget was when he saw his father falling to pieces. That was when his youngest brother Ted died. Everyone tried to relieve the pain in any way they could. The mother was frequently in tears, while James drained his tears through his poems. The father was never able to make it –two years later he died from a fulminate heart attack.

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    After losing Ted and then losing the father, the family was torn apart; heaven was turned into hell, but the mother remained there. It is difficult to believe how this tiny fragile woman suddenly was transformed into a tiger – a wounded, bleeding animal, but still a tiger. Her first decision, during the first time the family joined without the father was sharp and cutting.

    James, you will finish your school.

    No wonder. His mother knew him very well and knew what he was thinking. She realized that he was feeling that he was in charge now, and that there were three young kids to take care of or at least look after. As a matter of fact he had already started to plan his life in that direction, so when he heard the mother he screamed, How?

    His mother answered, That’s what your father wanted, and that’s exactly what will happen.

    James spoke up, That’s what I want too, but I am the family man now.

    If you believe that you’re the family man now, then act like one. Finish what you started.

    He asked, Do you think that we can afford it now?

    James, I’m really not sure if we can afford it or not, but I have no doubt that we will do it.

    The way she was speaking didn’t leave any room for discussion, and he knew she was correct. He needed just one year to be graduate, and that the right thing for him to do was to go forward.

    It had been a hard year; they had to face the sadness, the feeling of great loss and the lack of resources all at once. Certainly, it was the toughest year of their lives, but they would never forget how close, intimate and united they were as a family. They shared the hope, the pain and the tears. At the end of the year, they had their first moment of joy, James’ graduation ceremony. Soon he got a job and began to give some relief to the family.

    Mom, I think you deserve some rest now, let me do my job.

    Son, we are all together now. I am glad that you completed your education.

    James spoke up. I owe that much to you! You also have my promise that the kids will have the same opportunity.

    It is good to hear that.

    He stated firmly, Be sure of it; I will never be able to replace Father but there’s something I will do, I will help them to have the education our father would guarantee them if he was alive.

    Fresh tears covered the mother’s eyes. He would guarantee a lot of things that nobody else could, even you Son.

    He hugged her with love and said, Sorry, Mom, I didn’t want to remind you of everything again.

    Do you think I ever forget? Do you think one day I will? If it wasn’t for you and the others I would rather be with him now.

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    Four years later, James was getting his Ph.D. degree. He had also met Vivian during this period, sweet memories. Looking for some statistics classes to help him in analyzing his research, he heard of a famous professor. When he called to fix an appointment she was out of town, but her assistant, Vivian Leary Brown, spoke to him on the phone and they fixed an hour to talk.

    The meeting was very friendly, and James was strongly impressed by Vivian, a very attractive blonde woman with a lovely smile and adorable green eyes. She told him that his background was good and that with a little training he would be able to do the analyses by himself. She gave him her phone number and encouraged him to call her if he needed any help.

    He felt deeply impressed by her. She was very beautiful, very graceful and willing to help. James had never before had as many doubts about anything as he did with the analysis. He was calling Vivian almost every day to ask about something. One day she asked him, James, what are your doubts really about?

    James replied immediately, Can’t you see, Vivian? It’s all about you.

    Can’t you see, James? I am starting to have the same doubts.

    And that was the beginning; six months after the degree they got married. Things that one never forgets, first months of a marriage, a first pregnancy. Anthon was the first kid, Charles the second; they really formed a wonderful family with Vivian revealing herself to be a caring and dedicated mother.

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    The scenes of the buildings in Newport pushed him out of his memories. A mixture of enthusiasm, happiness and anxiety fell in his heart. In less than one mile he would be in the town he’d thought about a lot in the last month. He’d gotten plenty of information about it from many sources – it was a medium-sized city, many universities and historic sites. Like every other city, this one had its highs and lows, huge buildings and crowded streets; but something else this city had, which was very special, was the way it embraced the ocean with a very unique architecture, having the water invading the land in some places and the land getting into the water in others.

    This peculiar structure created a lot of spots of unequalled beauty. The beach was perfect for love, joy and pleasure and that was the first place he decided to stop for few minutes. Back to the city. He stopped by the hotel. He had a couple of hours; so he took time to shower, got some rest, and of course to think about his meeting with Dean Fletcher. At the right time he was in the car driving to the university. Soon he saw the universal mixture of old stylish and modern sophisticated buildings of the university. At five minutes before two o’clock he entered the dean’s office.

    The dean’s secretary was sitting on the right side of the room. An elegant lady in her late thirties or early forties, slightly overweight, she welcomed James smiling and saying, Hello, may I help you?

    I am Dr. Peterson, James Peterson; I have an appointment with Dr. Fletcher at two o’clock, he stated.

    Hello Dr. Peterson. I am Dianne Trippleton, the dean’s secretary. We’ve been waiting for you. I hope you had a good trip.

    Yes, it was, thank you.

    Let me tell Dr. Fletcher that you’re here.

    The dean asked to let him in immediately. The office was large and fancy; Dr. Fletcher was a six-foot-tall man, but he looked bigger than that due to his belly. He was waiting for James in the middle of the room.

    Welcome, Dr. Peterson. It’s very good to see you here.

    Thank you, Dr. Fletcher. I am also happy to be here – and grateful of course.

    Come on, let’s sit down. Did you have a good trip?

    Yes, I did. It wasn’t a short trip, but I enjoyed it a lot.

    Let me tell you a little bit about our university. The dean spoke briefly about the university, especially the School of Medical and Biological Sciences under his direction. He rapidly mentioned his ideas to expand the graduate programs and concluded, Let’s consider this meeting just a welcome meeting. I think it’s better to look first at our existing programs, our labs and facilities, and then we can talk about your plans.

    You’re right.

    You think three or four days will be enough?

    Yes, I think so, James agreed.

    Okay, what about next week? the dean asked.

    Sounds perfect for me.

    Fine, see you next week. Dianne will fix that with your secretary.

    Thank you, Dr. Fletcher, James said.

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    Leaving the dean’s office, Dianne introduced his secretary to him.

    Dr. Peterson, Mrs. Berger, Liana Berger, she is your secretary.

    He turned to the other lady in the room, Hello Liana.

    Hello Dr. Peterson; nice to see you here.

    Dianne came back into the conversation. From now on, Liana will take care of everything, and you can be assured of your safety. You’re in good hands.

    He answered promptly, I have no doubt about that.

    Both thanked Dianne and walked out. Liana was in her early 40s, a very lovely and friendly person, and James soon felt that he would be very well assisted by her.

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    His office was located in another building. The first impression was that Liana had done her best to make it comfortable; the desk, the computer, the furniture, everything was really nice. Liana left for a few minutes and came back with many books and reading material, she said

    Dr. Peterson, I thought you might like to read something about the university and about our city.

    I would love it, thank you very much, he answered.

    Anything you need just let me know.

    Thank you.

    Liana left and James walked toward the window. He had a view of the ocean from his office that gave him a nice feeling. Though he’d always loved being close to the water, he had never discovered what his connection was. Sitting at his desk he opened his briefcase and picked up a portfolio entitled Graduate Program of Biosciences and started to look it over. His ideas about graduate programs were novel and far-reaching. He believed that planning graduate study to be the beginning of specialized education was not adequate anymore. The amount of information produced in the labs, and the increased interaction between the different subjects, required a new planning for the graduate programs to make them more adequate to the new era.

    The basic idea of his master’s degree project was already done. He just needed to add few points and to prepare the final copy. In two days everything was finished and he forwarded a copy to the dean.

    The second step was to think about the laboratories. He called Liana and asked her, Liana, I’m thinking about beginning work on the laboratories this afternoon. I’ll need a lot of help from you. Is that possible?

    Sure, Dr. Peterson; let me first finalize your meeting with Dean Fletcher. His secretary is asking if it could be on Monday.

    Of course. Did he read my proposal?

    He must have, because Dianne told me that he’s ready to discuss it with you. Another thing, Dr. Colby, Albert Colby from the pathology department and our neighbor, is inviting you to be his guest for lunch today.

    That’s very nice of him. Tell him I’ll be glad to go. Let’s make it at twelve, okay?

    I’ll let him know.

    Liana left and James began to look at the laboratories project.

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    At exactly noon Liana dropped into his office, introducing Albert Colby. Colby rushed into the room, welcoming James affectionately. Dr. Peterson, we are really happy to have you with us. You are most welcome to our university.

    James answered, Thank you very much. I am glad to be here; please have a seat.

    If you’re ready we can leave for lunch now; it’s just about time, Dr. Colby suggested.

    Sure I am, and I’m hungry too.

    You can eat as much as you want, you’re my guest today, Albert said.

    James and Albert left the office laughing. The talk during the lunch was very nice but also very serious. James let Albert know about the new scope of the graduate programs he intended to implement. He explained that his plans included changing some courses, introducing many others and promoting the integration of many disciplines.

    Albert warned James that he might face some difficulty carrying out his philosophy

    You can count on me for sure, because I believe that your ideas will put our graduate program back in the way of the future, and I’m sure that all of the young faculty members will welcome your ideas. I’m not telling you to quit; never. I’m just informing you how the things are. Our city is somewhat isolated, and so are some of our authorities.

    The two doctors enjoyed lunch and spoke about their wives and kids, their plans for the future and their past achievements. They were pleased to find many similarities between their views about a lot of issues. At the end of the lunch both men had a strong feeling that they were walking into a close friendship.

    Back in his office, James had a lot of mixed feelings in his heart. He had a lot of fear and anxiety, but he was determined to go forward. That afternoon he got acquainted with the area designated to the laboratories. There were three big rooms, an administrative area and a separated place for special needs. The space was reasonable; what he needed was to organize the place in accordance with his plans. He also had to decide what types of equipment and materials should be acquired. His plan was to have the program starting in eight months, and as this was soon there was no time to waste. James had to work on everything almost at the same time.

    James decided to install three laboratories, for molecular biology, biochemistry and physiopathology. The other area would be reserved as a study room for trainees and graduates. He wanted to have state-of-art labs but he realized that the budget was limited, and so he had to work hard to get what he desired with what he had. James planned the laboratories to secure maximum efficiency in the use of the equipment. He studied all of the catalogs to select the best equipment for the best prices, and also succeeded in getting some of that equipment as donations.

    He began to prepare his report. Some modifications had to be done in the area, mainly to divide each room into two or three divisions. The report also included the equipment and material necessary for each laboratory and the personnel that should be hired. Once the report was finished, he handed it to Liana to print and have ready for the Monday meeting.

    Chapter 2

    J ames reserved the weekend to look for a house; he prepared a map and collected a reasonable amount of information from Liana and Albert. Early Saturday he went out looking; the idea was to find a house with a good yard, of course for a reasonable price. He spent the day searching and visiting but nothing fit.

    At the end of the day, James got his papers and his pencils and found a place on the beach. That was his moment – him, his poems and the sunset on the water. The magic mixture that always made him dream was surely there. At the beach, James also used to feel like there was nothing to be missed because he had all that he wanted, and he wanted all that he had. For him it was a world made of love for those who really know what love is.

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    Time passed, as always, and when James looked at his watch he noticed it was about ten. He got inside his car and drove to the hotel. There was a long message from Albert. He had called many times and eventually come to the hotel by himself. Albert was worried about James’ disappearance. His message stated he wanted to have James to dinner with his family Sunday. James also had a phone message from Liana offering her help in his search for housing.

    Finally, James was in his room able to take his shower. After eating a light lunch he’d bought on the way to the hotel, he started to make some notes about the houses he had visited during the day. Some were eliminated, while others were kept as a possible choice; at least there were ones to think about and discuss later with Vivian.

    ‘Oh, it’s just about time to call her,’ he murmured to himself and got on the phone, Hello Vivian; it’s me, how are you?

    Hi, good hearing from you. How are you doing? she replied.

    James told her about the houses he had seen and that none of them came close to what they wanted. She was alone, and it was no wonder; with two boy teenagers he wouldn’t expect anything different. He told her about his expectations for the meeting on Monday and as always Vivian was sure that everything would be okay.

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    On Sunday, James repeated the same program; he spent the morning looking for a house to call his own. He spent the afternoon at the beach with his pencil and papers. Then by dinnertime he was at the hotel waiting for Albert. Soon his friend appeared at the lobby of the hotel.

    Hi James. How was your day? Albert asked.

    Very good. I visited more houses.

    Have you decided on a house yet?

    Not yet. Maybe I should rethink my ideas.

    Don’t worry, there are plenty of houses here; one of them will fit you. Should we go? Shonna is waiting for us, said Albert.

    For sure, I’m anxious to meet your family.

    They got in the car.

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    Albert’s house was located in a pleasant and peaceful neighborhood. There were many flowers and beautiful plants surrounding the houses.

    It must be good living in such a nice place, James said.

    Yes, we very much like living here. We got this house four years ago, and my wife loves it, Albert replied while stopping the car in front of a beautiful white house.

    The door opened and Shonna came out to welcome them. Hello Dr. Peterson. It’s a great pleasure having you with us today.

    The pleasure is all mine. Thank you very much.

    Please come inside. How was your search? Did you find anything you liked? she asked.

    I have one or two that I would like to see again, but nothing I’m positive about yet, James replied.

    Please have a seat, make yourself comfortable. Would you like to have a drink, Dr. Peterson? she asked.

    Please call me James. I will accept a soft drink, thank you.

    Will lemonade be all right?

    It’s my favorite.

    I’ll be back in one second, she said as she left to go to the kitchen.

    Shonna was a very beautiful and charming woman; she was so natural that he felt as though she was already an old friend of the family. She was probably in her mid-thirties and was certainly full of energy and determination.

    Albert introduced his kids to James, My daughter Julia, who is twelve and Alex, who just turned ten.

    James turned and smiled at them. Hi, nice to meet you.

    Julia was a very beautiful teenager. Her face was more angelical than human and her smile was captivating.

    The boy was also handsome and polite; his face was almost a miniature of Albert’s. Their conversation was funny and enjoyable, with the active participation of Shonna, who kept herself connected even from the kitchen.

    Fifteen minutes later she invited them to the table. It was clear that they had made a big effort to please him. The dinner was marvelous and he couldn’t resist the food. During the coffee, Shonna told him to ask for any kind of help he might need and promised to find more houses for him to view.

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    James woke early on Monday. By seven o’clock he was in his office as usual; by fifteen to eight he was called to his meeting with the dean. Dr. Fletcher started talking about the graduate program. He said that he personally was impressed by the analysis and the argumentation presented in the project. Dr. Fletcher added that he also believed it was time to make some changes.

    The point is – what type of changes are you wanting and how far should we go? Dr. Fletcher asked, then said to James, But I admire your courage and vision. There are a lot of good ideas here. Go ahead and start working on the final project. I am curious to know how you will put your ideas to work. You will have a lot of work to do in order to get everything done.

    I know that, Dr. Fletcher; but if I wanted to do easier things I would have stayed where I was. I believe you expect me to take the graduate programs one step forward.

    Dr. Fletcher replied, There’s much more than one step here, but anyway go ahead. The main idea is good. Let’s see how that will figure in the final project. But you know that we’ll need the approval of the board and they are tough.

    James answered, I know; but I am very confident everything will be okay. Thank you very much for your encouragement. I’m really glad that you like the idea of the change. What about the lab’s project?

    Dr. Fletcher answered, Yes, I likewise went through the lab’s project and immediately forwarded the information to the financial division. You are asking for a lot of money. Is there any way to know when you’re planning to start the program?

    James promptly answered, Next fall.

    Dr. Fletcher asked, wondering, You think you will be done by August?

    James confirmed, My plan is to have the entire project approved by July, so we can start in September or October.

    The dean agreed, Okay then, I don’t think we’ll have a problem with that timing. Let me work on that. Dr. Fletcher continued, There is another thing you need to know. Starting today, you will take over the supervision of the five trainees in biological sciences. They are good students. Their final evaluation will be fundamental for eventual acceptance for graduate studies.

    James said, Fine, I will talk to them.

    Then they talked a little bit about his weekend. The dean wanted to know if he liked the city and if he had found a house already.

    James described his search and said, With many people helping I think I’ll find the right house soon.

    Dr. Fletcher asked, Who’s helping you?

    Liana and Albert Colby.

    You’re in good hands, he said.

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    James left the dean’s office a happy man. He was expecting a tougher discussion or some bitter resistance, but Dr. Fletcher was very friendly and the talk had gone well, which was a nice and good start.

    Back at his office, he was feeling more confident.

    Liana was waiting for him. Hello Dr. Peterson; good news?

    Very good indeed. Please, come to my office, we have a lot to do.

    First, let me bring your coffee. I’m sure you need one. She was rapidly back with it.

    Did you have a nice talk with Dean Fletcher? she asked.

    Yes I did; the bad news was that we will have no vacations, no holidays, not even weekends for six months.

    James added, First of all, bring me the files of the trainees. I need all the information you have about them. I will also need to talk to them. Can you schedule that for Thursday morning at seven?

    No problem. Some of them were asking about the supervision and they are waiting for my answer.

    James immediately began to work on the project. The scope was wide: a graduate program in the biosciences. In the first year all the students would go together through an intense program of basic sciences. In the second year they could be divided into small groups, each going deeper into the areas related to the experimental work. That was the main idea.

    Now he had to choose the subjects, establish the topics of each subject, and select the professors. Having all that done, James would list the facilities he already had or that he might need, the laboratories’ specifications and equipment, and put all that in the final project. It was so much work that he couldn’t lose any time.

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    During the following days, James studied dozens of programs at the best universities around the world. He also analyzed many reports about the current and future market requirements. He also paid a great deal of attention to the predictions and future plans being developed by selected countries. All that he had in mind was helping him to produce a program for the future.

    On Wednesday, he put down some suggestions for the subjects that could be offered in the first year. The experimental research areas that might be followed in the second year were also listed. Thursday morning came, and even before seven James was in his office waiting for the trainees. He prepared a file with the names of the five trainees: Patrick, Jane, Steven, Edward and Jennifer; James also added some observations about each trainee. Patrick and Jane arrived exactly on time. James had a good look at the file on each of them. Both students had just graduated. Patrick was a discreet person, quiet and calm, more of a listener than a speaker; his major was immunology. Jane had graduated with a degree in biochemistry. Both of them were twenty-five years old.

    Steven, Edward and Jennifer arrived immediately afterward. Steven was twenty-seven, had majored in computer sciences and intended to work in biotechnology. Edward was in his thirties. He was politically active and had a lot of political experience. In fact, he was senator and president of his student government class. His degree was in molecular biology. Jennifer was the oldest of the group; she was thirty-five. She had earned her degree in clinical pathology many years earlier and had been through a one-year training program in the hospital’s Clinical Pathology Center. However, there was no diploma or certificate of completion to prove that in her file. After that, there was nothing in her resume. It looked like she had stopped activities until starting the training program she was going through now.

    James welcomed the trainees. Welcome everyone. My name is James Peterson. I am the graduate program director. Please seat yourself. We have a lot to talk about.

    All the guests sat around the big table where James was already seated. He continued pointing to the portfolio in front of him. I looked at the files we have here, but I prefer each one of you introduce yourself. This will help us all get to know one another better.

    One of the students started. I am Patrick McArthur; my major was immunology and infectious diseases. We’re glad to see you here.

    Thank you. Who’s next?

    Jane Halter. Dr. Peterson, we heard you want to change many things here. Everyone hopes you will; many things here are really obsolete.

    All of them exploded with strong laughter while Jane completed the sentence. By the way I graduated in biochemistry. Jane’s face was rather normal, but the vivacity and the shining in her eyes helped her to appear very attractive.

    One student commented, Now you know Jane, the auto-proclaimed speaker of the group. He continued, Since I am talking already, let me introduce myself, I’m Edward Martin. My field is molecular biology. I hope that your program will look more to the person than to the market.

    The fourth student introduced himself. Steven Longley. I was born here and I am glad that our university will have this kind of program. I have my degree in computer science.

    After a while, the last student realized that it was her turn and said. Jennifer Mark Somers, clinical pathology.

    James added some observations to the file and restarted. I am glad that you all are informed about the new philosophy we are trying to implement through the graduate studies project, which makes things easier for me. Let me explain, my relationship with you should be limited to supervision during the rest of your training program. However, I intend to have you helping me to organize the project. I do believe that it will be good for the project and good for you. What do you think about this?

    They liked the idea and expressed their willingness to help.

    James resumed. Fine, it’s good to know that you’re ready to help. Now I will tell you all why I am here. I am not here just to run the graduate program. I am here to create, to renew, to modify. Any use of these words would be more adequate. If times change then our universities must change also; otherwise, they will become obsolete, like Jane said.

    The students laughed and James continued, Here are ten subjects I am considering for the first year. Each of you will have two of them, which have already been selected. You will suggest the areas that should be included in each subject, selecting the topics of each area, the content of each topic and the references that will be used. This is the first step. Of course, I will be here if you have any problems or if you need help. This work is not mandatory and anyone can be excused without any further consequences. The idea is to hear from those who might be doing the program. Now I would like to hear from you.

    Edward was the first to answer. The more people participate, the better the program will be.

    I am ready any time, Steven said.

    Same with me, Dr. Peterson; I love to live intensely what I am doing. That was Jane.

    It’s a fantastic idea; tell me what subjects I will be working with, Patrick said very enthusiastically.

    Okay, Jennifer said.

    Fine, since all of you are willing to work, let’s start immediately, James concluded, and began to distribute the work among the students. After reading and discussing each course with them he concluded, I will have a weekly meeting of one hour with each of you every Thursday. In this meeting we will discuss what was accomplished during the week. The schedule will be: Patrick at seven, Jane at eight, Edward at nine, Jennifer at ten and Steven at eleven. Is that good for all of you?

    Okay, everyone agreed.

    Very good, remember it’s like coming down from the top of the mountain, and there is a huge stone rolling behind you – if you stop in the middle of the way, the rock will not. Does every one of you get the message?

    Yes, they answered.

    Okay, now Liana will take you to a room that will serve as work offices for you. There is a desk for each one. You will find a couple of computers connected to the internet and of course to the major libraries of the country. You will also find all of the materials we thought you might need in your work. If you miss something, please inform Liana and she will take care of it. Thank you for coming, see you next Thursday.

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    That was the rhythm in which he established himself from the first moment, running down the hill with a huge rock rolling behind him. James dedicated his mornings to the graduate program. His lunch hour he reserved for routine work; and in the afternoons, he worked on the laboratories’ reform project. During the evenings he set aside time to contact the professors he intended to invite to work with him in the program. It was hard and tough, but the progress was enough to keep him going.

    James was also impressed by the enthusiasm of the trainees. They accepted the job with great seriousness and responsibility. Most of them were always there, reading, writing, contacting great centers or having discussions among themselves. Also he found that they consulted with him a lot, which always gave him a deep pleasure. Edward and Jane used to

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