***** Vol.3 Chap.41 Trust and respect *****
The next morning, Frank used his laptop to get a one-way ticket to Cairo. Though last-minute tickets were typically expensive, he could find some hacker deals on the web, albeit via a circuitous route, leaving in two days. The route would take him from Pittsburgh to Chicago, then JFK, before a direct flight to Cairo. He also arranged for a car from Cairo for a week.
With no idea when or if he would be back, he called Mark to housesit for him.
“Mark, are you in the office?”
“Yes, Dr. Abdulcizi.”
“Are you free for lunch today? I wanted to talk to you about your program.”
“Sure.”
“How about meeting me at the Soup & Salad place on Main and University at 11 this morning?”
“No problem, but why not at your office?” Mark sounded a bit suspicious.
“I won’t be coming into the office today.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Mark, can you also make a copy of the latest version of your program for me?”
“No problem. Is anything wrong? Are you ok?”
“Everything is fine. By the way, can you also bring a copy of the school newspaper?”
“No problem.”
“Great, see you later.”
Mark showed up right at 11. Frank smiled and shook his hands. He himself came a few minutes earlier and had taken a table towards the back.
“I hope this is ok. I thought it would be easier to talk back here. It is quieter.”
“That is fine. Here is the program that you wanted.”
Mark handed him a thumb drive.
“Thanks.” Frank took the thumb drive and tucked it away into his briefcase. “Thanks for coming this morning.”
“Is something wrong? Everybody was talking about you this morning.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Oh? What about?”
“Dr. Thomas said you have finally flipped. Dr. Cromwell said you have gone crazy. Dr. Brasheer said you have gone off the deep end. The secretaries all whispered among themselves, but I don’t know what they were mumbling about.”
“Do you think that I have gone crazy?”
Mark took a long look at his professor for six years.
“No, you don’t look crazy to me. But it is unusual that you don’t show up to work on time this morning. I don’t believe that I have ever seen you not working in your office whenever you are in town. Are you feeling alright?”
“I am fine, Mark. Apparently, you have not heard what has happened?”
“No, what happened?”
“Where is the school newspaper?”
“Here.”
“Give me a minute,” Frank said. He fumbled through the school paper and found the article hidden on the third page. “Here, read this.”
“Prominent Scientist Received Award”
Mark read the title first, and continued to read the article.
“The administration has learned that Dr. Frank Abdulcizi, the George W. Smith Professor of Computer Science, has recently received the most prestigious award, the Scientist of the Year Award, from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.”
“Wow, congratulations to you, Dr. Abdulcizi. I am most pleased to have this opportunity to work with you. ‘Scientist of the Year Award,’ this is quite an honor.”
Mark was flabbergasted by the news.
“All kudos to you guys. It is really an honor on the team.”
“You deserved it with all your hard work.”
“Go on, the best is yet to come.”
“The Provost Office is proud to announce that Dr. Abdulcizi will head up the new Program Review efforts and will work with the Provost Office in a full-time capacity for this endeavor.”
Mark put down the paper with a puzzled look on his face.
“You are working full time in the Provost Office now? What about the research projects, the team, me?”
Mark got very panicky.
“That’s what I want to talk to you about this morning. But before that, let’s get some food first?”
“No argument there.”
They got up and got some food and sat down to eat.
“Mark, before I begin, let me ask you something. Have you ever seen me fudge or manipulate the research data to get another publication or presentation?”
“No, in fact, you stopped me from publishing two papers, remember?”
“Yes, I remember. Have you ever seen me inappropriately contact anyone we worked with?”
“Of course not.”
“Not even sexually.”
“Especially not sexually.”
“Thank you.”
“What is this all about?”
“Oh, nothing. I wanted to hear you say that.”
“Dr. Abdulcizi, why do you want to go to the Provost Office?”
“Mark, I didn’t want to go. I was ordered to go. I have been placed on administrative leave.”
“Administrative leave?”
Mark blurted it out loudly.
“Shh.”
“Oops, sorry. What happened?”
“I have been accused of academic dishonesty and sexual harassment.”
“Really? No, you are pulling my leg,” Mark exclaimed!
“Mark, I am not joking.”
“Dr. Abdulcizi, how can anyone accuse you of this?” Mark enquired, not believing his ears.
“Well, somebody did not like me very much, I guess.”
“Still, how can anyone accuse you of this?”
“Well, it happened.”
“But…but…”
Mark sat them with his mouth wide open. He did not know what to say? He stared at Dr. Abdulcizi, his mentor for the past six years.
“Anyway, I am not here to discuss this.”
“Still, how can anyone do that to you?”
“I have a good idea what happened, but it is not important.”
“Who?”
“You will find out, eventually.”
Frank looked at Mark, his mentee for the past six years.
Can I really trust Mark? Will he also turn on me as well? He has worked with me for six long years. He had never once given me a hint that he was not grateful.
Does it matter anymore?