On Days Like This

By Mary Faderan

The experiences of an Asian-American woman in the hallowed halls of Yale University’s School of Medicine are depicted in this fictional story. Mary Enji Scott, an innocent woman who graduates with a Ph.D. in a scientific field is hired by a department in the School of Medicine at Yale. Unknown to her, a rogue team of FBI agents are hired to make her die out of Yale, by either ruining her career, and finally killing her off. She becomes a romantic interest of an English MI5 agent, Andrew Michaels, who goes through intimidation when he tries to keep watch over Mary. The involvement of the Japanese Mafia, the Yakuza, and other foreign police organizations provide interest in Mary Enji Scott’s real identity. The story is a mixture of foreign espionage, with the budding romance between Mary and Andrew in its midst. Mary Faderan provides a believable picture of the life of an Asian American woman in a very elite environment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796057843

Mary Faderan

Mary Faderan is an American author born in Sussex, England. She finished a BA in Chemistry, a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and recently graduated with Distinction obtaining her MFA in Creative Writing. Her book, The Loveable Resident, is a focus of contention for its detailed description of Satan, in the guise of Mike Oates, MD.

Book preview

Chapter One

It was a fair day in May when the gates to the stadium opened and a stream of hooded, capped and gowned candidates entered, filling the rows of folded seats facing the front stage. All of the candidates for graduation streamed past the stage where the Chancellor and the other officers of the University of Merton sat. Blue for Medicine, Green for Liberal Arts, Red for Science, Yellow for Mathematics, Purple for Religious Studies, and White for Law were the colors for each of the Schools of Merton. All of these new graduating students gathered and started waving their caps when the music changed from the XX to the strains of Merton O Lovely. The students, all fresh faced and shining in their happiness were celebrating and when the Chancellor rose from his seat and waved them to sit down, they obeyed. A noisy flurry of sounds from the students came from the audience as they all took their seats.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Graduates of the University, Family Members and Friends, I wish to greet you a very cheerful greeting from the University’s many departments. I want everyone to feel comfortable and enjoy the time we have here as we start the proceedings of graduation exercises. Chancellor Roger Bannock announced. He was a tall but portly man and was clad in the very vivid colours of his own office – the green-edged cloak and hood of his office. He surveyed the audience before him and smiled to himself. A good set of kids, he thought to himself.

Down in the audience a young woman in her mid-twenties named Mary Enji Scott, sat with her friend, Beanie Sanchez. Mary was graduating from the School of Science as a Ph.D. in Biology. Mary had dark long hair up to her shoulders, her brown eyes had the slight slant that belied her Asian roots, and her lips were full. Her figure was slim but well-rounded and she wore a natural makeup that enhanced her unique beauty.

Beanie was her best friend and she was graduating with a Ph.D. in English Literature. Beanie (her real name was Juana Villa Sanchez) had dark brown hair that had blonde highlights. She was a bit darker than Mary Enji Scott, in colouring, and her flashing dark eyes were quite expressive. She was as tall as Mary but more generous in her figure. She wore her hair in a French plait while Mary’s hair was loose.

Both had been friends in undergraduate school where they met when Mary took a few classes in English. Beanie was a ready friend who instantly took to Mary because they were both half-Asian. Beanie was a Spanish-Chinese girl and Mary was a Scottish-Japanese girl, but also had roots in Spain on her mother’s side.

Whee! A lovely May day to finally get my Ph.D. cheered Mary Enji Scott. I’m so stoked. So tired of taking exams, Beanie. A small wrinkle of her nose came upon her face as she glanced at Beanie seated beside her.

Me too. What a relief! Beanie said, her eyes soft with sympathy. She knew Mary was a very studious girl and worried all the time about exams. Poor Mary, she thought. Mary was too focused on her studies. No fun at all being her it seemed to Beanie. She tried to lighten up her friend’s mood by saying: Here, what’s the plan for after?

I’m going to have a party - my parents are inviting all our family and friends, replied Mary.

Me, we’re going to the big hotel - the one where they filmed that bicycle movie? We’re taking a ballroom. Beanie grinned. I’m going to be so drunk tonight.

I’ll be packing, said Mary. She smoothed her cape with her hand. I’m going to be moving to Yale. You knew, didn’t you? Her eyes were a bit mixed with shyness and happiness at this thought.

Yeah. Beanie grinned. Her thoughts were that Mary was going into a difficult time but Mary was headstrong and everyone in her family wanted this new phase in her life.

I am so jealous. But - Yale, are you sure? That’s so far away. Beanie said.

I’m sure. I think it will be cool. I’ve always thought that place was a good place to get a career going.

Yeah, well, those places - they’re like too white. You could probably get through it but I’m suspicious. They paused when the MC began to make his opening speech.

Beanie, Mary said, her voice lowered so as not to be heard over the hushed audience. There are a lot of people who are minorities there. What do you think they’ll just somehow get –

I’m saying, it’s a place a person could be swallowed up, Beanie said with a lilt of growing emotion.

Mary responded with a reminiscent tone. Yeah, the man I’ll be working for - he said something about the secret societies there. I thought it was a bit weird, but I didn’t really think much of it.

You think that you’d be like ‘tapped’ and made into some big shot? Beanie was referring to the Secret Societies at Yale where those chosen students were tapped in a midnight gathering in the Green by some masked person and those who were tapped would be led to a secret place where they were inducted into a ‘secret society’ which some outsiders thought was like another fraternity.

No, I’m not an undergrad. They do that to the undergrads. I’m there to work for my post doc. She said confidently.

Oh. I see. Beanie looked up as the speaker started to call out names of the graduates to receive their diplomas onstage. I’ll be going to work for the staff at the Wirding Hospital. You knew didn’t you?

I knew. I hope you do well there. I suppose you will be getting married to Leon soon?

Yes, he asked me to marry him last night. Beanie holds up her hand to show Mary her engagement ring. The ring was a simple solitaire – a round diamond set in a Tiffany style with gold metal holding up the stone. It looked to Mary like it was about a half a carat in size. Mary stared at it closely and made a silent whistle with her lips.

Cool ring, Beans. I am very happy for you and Leon.

Yeah. Leon wants us to get a family soon. He’s like so happy I’m done. Beanie laughed, her eyes merry and full of life

Mary saw her happiness and sighed inwardly. She wanted the life that seemed to be Beanie’s where a man was in her thoughts and wanted to grow a family with her. But she was already pledged to go to Yale where her new life would be. It made her think of what might be there when she finally settled there for a few years. The postdoc was for at least two years but her new boss was optimistic and wanted her to apply for a fellowship. Her life now was to write these applications for these three places that granted fellowships to new scientists. One was for three years and the other two were for two years apiece. But inwardly, it seemed that Mary was sure she would find someone to love at Yale. She’d been working almost all her life at school to be finished finally and to start life at twenty-five years of age. It was time, she thought, to think of finding life, love and a new place or career. It seemed to her that Yale was where those things would be and where a man might come to be her husband.

Mary had few opportunities to meet the man who would be her husband. She had high hopes and no man she had met was able to hold her attention for too long. She had no real wish to find a man yet, for she wanted to graduate and then get married. To her family, getting through college was important and then meeting the man of her dreams would come next. It wasn’t her idea to get entangled with a man and be pregnant before she graduated from school. Mary had seen enough girls in her life who got pregnant and never made it to graduation. It was never an easy life for a girl to be with a family and hanker to finish school at all. These girls seemed never to get to go back to school once they became mothers and got involved with a man. They were almost always stuck in some dead-end job and then they were somehow abandoned sometime later and Mary did not want that for herself. She was always wishing to keep herself above water and being an only child she knew that her parents would one day leave her and she would have to fend for herself one day.

I never got lucky to have a guy so far. Mary finally remarked, her voice in a whisper.

Beanie heard her, however. She felt sorry for Mary. You will. Beanie said with an insistent voice. I know you will. You’re a good-looking girl. Not yet thirty years old.

I’m almost twenty-nine, Beanie.

‘Ha. No, see, you’re into your career. I always saw you as somebody who wanted to get educated then you were gonna be somebody who’d be marrying. But Yale, Mary. I don’t know. Who there would you want to go out with? All those white ass men, hahaha." Beanie almost got herself doubled up in laughter. It was a laugh that made Mary wince. It was not all ‘white-ass’ men, Mary thought with a doubtful feeling.

Ok, so I’m not into looking for just any guy, said Mary with an eyeroll. She became more unhappy thinking of Yale and she tried to remember if she saw anyone who wasn’t white when she went for her interview. She did not remember anyone who wasn’t white there, it seemed. Mary felt a slight surge of alarm. It was not something that occurred to her until Beanie brought it up.

"Absolutely. You have a lot going for you. Your parents are both smart and educated, and then you come from a line of good teachers, and then your Dad - he’s a lawyer, right? So you’re gonna look for somebody who’s like a lawyer right?

Both of them laughed, and Mary felt a bit more like herself. She did like lawyers at least, on the television shows she used to watch. They giggle.

The list of names continued and both women kept their hushed conversation while they waited for their School to be called.

Beanie gave her a wink and said, Ok, so you need to hang out with those law students, girl.

Oh, no. I’m not that much into lawyers. I hate them arguing all the time, the debates et cetera. Oh, no. Mary fanned herself. I’m not thinking of hanging around the Yale Law School when I get there.

So, who would be the ideal guy for you, Mary?

Mary looked away dreamily. Well, I went there to that guy’s place I was hired to work at. One of the men there looked nice. He’s from Ohio. Very nice and respectful. I felt happy there was a guy there from the Midwest. If it were the others only, I might be in a pickle. They’re all a bit snobbish. She wrinkled her nose.

So that’s why you chose Yale? This guy from Ohio? Beanie looked at her friend with surprise. Oh, Mary what a thing to do – choose a place of work just because this guy was cute there? Hahaha. You are making me laugh. I can’t get over this, Mary you sure you want to work there at all? What if this guy was - what was he like, what did he look like? Beanie leaned forward to hear her reply. She laughed hard slapping her thigh with her hand.

You gotta be on some kind of medication, Mary. You don’t, you DO NOT work somewhere based on some guy who’s from the same area of the country as you. It’s gotta be more than that, miss.

Mary looked upset. She was almost feeling like tearing up.

No, No. It’s not just that guy. I think the work is good. I’m - heck, now I hate this. I am going there because it’s Yale, it’s a prestigious place, and it’s going to be good for me to have a good job after I’m done there.

Ok, Mary. You know what you are doing. Beanie nodded knowingly. She hid a smile and sat back as their School was called out and they all stood up to get their hoods lifted over their heads in unison.

Mary rose with the others and tried to examine her feelings. Beanie brought up some good questions and Mary had a lot of conflicting emotions about why she chose to go to Yale. Was it this man from Ohio or was it the very promising thought of being in an Ivy League, preppy, and well-located school like Yale? It made her wonder. She remembered this man, tall and fair with blue eyes who was shy it seemed and did not speak to her at all but seemed to give her attention when she delivered her talk in front of their group. It was part of her interview for the job as researcher in the School of Medicine, in the Pharmacology Department at Yale.

She remembered how she and her parents went there to stay at a nearby hotel. They came with her, because they were eager to see the school and they wanted to keep her company, as well as be her protection. Mary was a sheltered girl through her entire life. And this was a new thing for her parents as well, seeing their only child go off to live away from them for the first time in their lives as a family.

Chapter Two

Mary went to her interview. She wore a navy suit and frilled blouse. Her shoes were simple pumps that were also navy. Her resume was in her narrow black briefcase. In case, she thought, anyone there wanted to see it. Her future workmates sat in a conference room as she stood and presented her thesis research to them. The man named Tom sat with the others, his face looked serious and made her wonder if he would be interested in her talk. Then as she kept on talking, she saw that his mouth had dropped open and it made her laugh inwardly. He looked as though he had seen her in a different light and then he realized that she was laughing at him and he shut his mouth closed and looked severe as she kept on talking.

Rebecca Scott asked her daughter after she came back to the hotel, How did it go? Did you see anyone there that you liked?

Mary remembered this man in her mind and smiled, Yes, there was a guy. He’s blonde and has blue eyes.

Her mother sat silent and merely nodded, and she glanced at her husband, Enji Scott who said nothing but kept