An Author and A Young Woman - Chapter 11: An Author
Chapter 11: An Author
”Congratulations,” said a clean shaved middle-aged man with a long wool coat. “Thank you, Dr. Bernarsky, ” answered Diva to the man.
”Is this your first book?”
”Yes.”
“I haven’t had a chance to read the book unfortunately.”
“It’s ok. You’re a busy man.”
“Would you mind telling me what the book is about?”
”Sure.” Diva looked down, put her left her hand on one of books piled up and started explaining what the book was about.
”Have you read ‘The Fountainhead’ by Ayn Rand?”
”Not yet.”
“Ok, but you have some idea of what the book is about?”
”I do have some idea, but I’ve never studied Ayn Rand.”
“Ok. In that case, I’ll try to explain as if I were to explain to a regular person.”
“I’m a pretty regular guy.”
“You’re a doctor.”
“I have a PhD, but that doesn’t make me a special person.”
“Well, I’ll explain.” She paused for a moment and started explaining about the book.
”I actually read ‘The Fountainhead’ relatively recently. I was curious to read, but it was only last year that I read the book. I really liked it. I don’t necessarily agree with Ayn Rand’s philosophy or her commentary on the modern society, but I found that the novel was great.”
“Ok.”
“I think that we can all learn from the main character Howard Roark. From what I read, academia doesn’t take Ayn Rand’s philosophy very seriously, and I think that there are a number of good reasons why. Not everyone can be Howard Roark, and it’s a little absurd to think that everyone in this world can become Howard Roark. Does it make sense?”
“Would you tell me what you think about Howard Roark? Also would you tell me how he, ‘The Fountainhead’ or Ayn Rand relates to your novel?”
”Sure. Howard Roark’s objective does not depend on what the rest of the society thinks or responds. It’s not that he’s totally blind to what’s happening in today’s world, but his premise is that most people just comply with the rest; they get jobs to comply with the rest. They get married to comply with the rest not because they love their fiancés or fiancées. They choose who to marry because they want to comply with the rest. They eat, dress, speak and do everything else to comply. There is no human dynamics or creativity. That’s Roark’s premise, and he doesn’t live like the rest. He is constructive, but he is the antithesis of the society of compliance. Does it make sense?”
”I think so.”
”Ok, good. The main character in my novel is like him. She’s like Roark.”
“Ok.”
“But there is a clear difference of opinion between Ayn Rand and I. She apparently believes that everyone needs to become Roark or perish otherwise.”
“Perish?”
”Rand doesn’t seem to believe that everyone deserves to live.”
”That sounds like a radical idea.”
“It is, and I don’t agree with that. I personally believe in social programs. Tax-funded education, public healthcare system, public transportation system and what not.”
“Ok.”
”My character is a hybrid of Roark and the person who believes in and values social programs. Does it make sense?”
”I’ll have to read your novel, but I have some idea of what kind of idea you want to present in this novel.”
“Can I tell you about the ending?”
Bernarsky paused for a second and said, “Why not? If you want to tell me about it, then tell me about it.”
”She decides to become a writer at the end of the story.”
“Like yourself?”
”Yes, like myself.” She paused for a second and continued.
”It’s not that this is the only thing that I want to do in my life. I’m involved in a couple of other things, but I want this ‘being a writer’ to be a part of my life.”
”Sounds like you figured out one thing in life.”
”Yes.”
Bernarsky smiled, picked up a book and flipped a couple of pages slowly, and then said, “I’ll get this. I have an appointment later tonight, so I should get going now.”
”Thank you for coming.”
“Thank you for the invitation.”
”You know, I owe you a counseling fee. I still haven’t paid for three or four last counseling sessions.”
“Maybe, but that was 4 years ago?”
”5 years ago.”
”You can just forget about that. I’m just happy that you are happy and doing something in life.”
”I insist.”
”In that case, why don’t you stop at my office sometime? We set up time to meet and you can pay me whatever you think you owe me?”
”That sounds great.”
”Congratulations again, and I’ll see you sometime.”
”Bye.”
”Bye now.”
He walked to the escalator and stepped forward; as his body started moving downward slowly, he looked up and made eye contact with Diva. He smiled and then looked ahead. Diva’s eyes followed him until he disappeared from her sight.
”Who was that?” A man approached Diva and asked; he looked like an East Asian around 30 years old. He was lean and dressed well; he had a slight accent and it indicated that he was not originally from US. “Dr. Bernarsky”, answered Diva.
”Who is he?”
”I had a career counseling several years ago and I paid for several sessions; he gave private counseling sessions.”
”How much did you pay for?”
”$150 per session.”
”That’s pricey.”
”Yeah, but I didn’t pay for the last three sessions.”
”Why?”
”Ah, you know, money was tight, and I was going to stop the counseling in the middle of it. After I told him about my financial situation, he insisted that I continue the counseling while I would not have to pay any more fee for the time being.”
”I’m not so sure if he was generous.”
”Why not?”
”Well, he charges $150 per hour, right? So, I’m not so sure if he’s providing a financially generous service.”
”That’s a good point. Well, …”
”Anyway, I’m guessing that you invited him today?”
”Yes. I emailed him about a week ago and told him about this book release ceremony.”
”Right”, spoke the man calmly. He then asked, “What are we having today for dinner?”
”Why do you think we’re having dinner together tonight?”
”To celebrate your first published book?”
”Sure. What are we having?”
”Something simple yet tasty.”
”Some specific idea?”
”Boiled sausage with black pepper, freshly grinded, of course. Big sourdough. Splash water on it and put it in the oven for five minutes. Warm and soft inside and crisp outside. Danish blue cheese. And finally good red wine!”
“Which red wine are we going to get?”
”Do you know a lot about red wine?”
”I don’t know names of labels, but I think which ones are good and which ones are mediocre.”
”Ok, how about the one that we bought at the farmer’s market at Union Squire last weekend? The one from Upstate New York?”
”I like that one.”
”Me, too.”
”But …”
”But …?”
”How about beer?”
”Beer?”
”Yeah, beer. Why not?”
”Ok, any suggestion?”
”St. Augustine.”
”That’s, uh, …”
”German or Belgium beer.”
”You don’t like any of American beers?”
”Generally speaking, no. I like Anchor Steam though.”
”That’s made in San Francisco, right?”
”Right.”
”But you want St. Augustine?”
”If we can find it.”
”Ok. What if we can’t find it?”
”We’ll get good robust German or Belgium beer. Maybe we’ll get a couple of them.”
”Sounds good.”
”It’ll be a nice dinner. It’ll be fun, though it’ll be just a quiet dinner, just you and me.”
”I don’t have any problems.”
”Moments of happiness.”
”Moments of happiness?”
”You know, I wrote this novel partly because I wanted to define who I want to become. I think I did that. But assuming that I have become that person, I feel that life comes down to a selected number moments of happiness in the end. I’m not saying that people experience a selected number of moments of happiness and the rest of their lives are so unhappy, grim and agonizing, but I feel that they don’t experience happy moments everyday.”
“Ok.”
”I think that … we live for those moments. Tonight’s small celebration will be one of them …”
