Chapter 3: Status Quo Ante

July 29, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“How was your week, Keiko?” Doctor Morrison asked when he came into the exam room at Rush-Presbyterian Hospital on Friday afternoon.

“The nausea and diarrhea became progressively worse, though this morning wasn’t quite so bad.”

“Have you kept anything down?”

“Just the special water you prescribed until this morning, when I ate a bit of Jell-O and some broth and didn’t immediately feel as if I needed to throw up.”

“All of that is normal, unfortunately. As long as you can keep the fluids down, you won’t become dehydrated and your electrolytes will stay in balance. How much are you drinking?”

“Two bottles a day, plus sips of regular water all day.”

“Good. Keep doing that and try soft foods as soon as you feel up to it. I’d like to do a complete physical, then I’ll have Mary draw blood. I’ll step out so you can change into a gown; panties only under the gown, please.”

He left the room, and I helped Keiko, who was very weak, change out of her loose-fitting clothes and into a hospital gown. About five minutes later, Doctor Morrison returned with Nurse Mary and conducted a thorough physical exam.

“All things considered, you’re doing well,” Doctor Morrison said after Mary had drawn blood. “I know it might not feel like it, but other than your slight fever and the digestive problems, I don’t see any other negative effects — your heart is strong, your eyes are clear, there’s no swelling, and you show no signs of infection. You’re still immunocompromised, so continue wearing your mask if you have to go out. Any questions?”

“Just one,” Keiko replied. “Is it OK to sleep in the same bed with Jonathan?”

“It’s been a week, so I’d say that’s fine. I’d advise against intercourse, but in the end, that’s up to you. Anything else?”

“No.”

“Then you can get dressed. Mary will come back in a few minutes to draw blood from Jonathan for bone marrow matching.”

“Thanks, Doctor,” Keiko said.

“I’ll call you on Monday with the results,” he said.

He and Nurse Mary left, and I helped Keiko dress. A few minutes later, Nurse Mary returned and drew a tube of blood from my left arm.

“Do you consent to being entered into our registry, which will be shared with other hospitals via the National Marrow Donor Registry?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied. “I absolutely want someone to help Keiko, so I have to do the same for others.”

I wondered how the country would react to blood being drawn from every baby at birth, and their records entered into the database. That would significantly increase the chance of anyone being able to find a match, but I was positive the idea was a non-starter given the general distrust of government that was common in the US.

“OK,” Nurse Mary said. “If you’ll just sign this form, you’re all set.”

I scanned the form, found nothing objectionable, and signed it. I handed it back to Nurse Mary, and then the three of us left the examination room.

“Do you think we could go to Grant Park?” Keiko asked as we left the hospital. “I want some time outside.”

“Sure,” I agreed.

Twenty minutes later, I’d parked, and Keiko and I were sitting in the grass in Grant Park.

“You’re going out tonight, right?” Keiko asked.

“Yes, Dear,” I replied with a goofy smile.

“Oh, stop!” Keiko demanded, but she was laughing. “You know why I asked.”

“Because I have a strong predisposition to be with my fiancée!” I countered.

“Which is a good thing! But you know my point.”

“I do. And CeCi is my companion tonight. Do you remember that Violet and I are going to see the Sox play the Yankees tomorrow night?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me home when Doctor Morrison calls on Monday?”

“I do, but he didn’t say when he’d call, and you need to be in the office.”

“I do,” I agreed. “And given it’s my first day after two weeks off, I probably should work my standard hours, though I think I’m going to go in early to catch up. Your grandmother will be at the house on Monday, right?”

“Yes, in the morning. Kristy will be home in the afternoon.”

“Will you call with the results?”

“If it’s bad news, I don’t want to tell you over the phone. Are you OK with waiting until you get home?”

I actually didn’t see a problem with her calling, and I wanted to know as soon as possible, but I felt I had to defer to Keiko’s wishes.

“If that’s what you want, yes, I’m OK with it.”

“Good. You confirmed the order for the invitations, right?”

“I did. The only other thing I need to do is the weekly grocery shopping. I don’t need a trip to the dry cleaner, as I haven’t worn a suit in two weeks except for the wedding last Saturday. Do you still plan to attend Jack and Kristy’s wedding?”

“Yes, though obviously it’s a week after I finish a round of chemo, so I may not be able to stay long.”

“Jack and Kristy understand,” I replied. “Allyson offered the use of her guest room, so I was thinking we go to the wedding, then go to Allyson’s house so you could nap before the reception, then stay at the reception as long as you’re feeling OK. Obviously, if you don’t feel up to it, we’ll just come home at any time.”

“I want to try going to the reception, so if you could arrange that with Allyson, that would be great.”

“I’ll take care of it,” I said. “Did you decide what to do about the Fall semester?”

“I registered for classes before I had the first round of chemo, but the university will allow me to withdraw late, if necessary. The challenge is three rounds of chemo during the semester, which would mean missing about half my classes. I think my best option is to not take classes in the Fall, and start again in the Spring. If everything goes well, I could take Summer classes and still graduate on time.”

“I have to leave that decision to you, and I’ll support whatever decision you make. I do plan to take the stats class at Circle. It’ll be Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 7:00pm to 9:00pm.”

“I assume you’ll go out with Violet after class?”

“She did say she was hoping we could continue to do that, and I would like to.”

“May I say something direct?” Keiko inquired.

“Of course!”

“One of the things I like most about you is that you’re decisive. Ever since I received my diagnosis, you’ve been, well, fawning and too deferential. I want you to be the strong, decisive man I fell in love with. To use a phrase I read in an excerpt from a book by Frans de Waal, you should be the ‘Alpha Male’. It’s why you’re so successful.”

“‘Alpha male’?”

“It was about chimpanzees and male dominance, and he suggested it might apply to humans. My psychology professor had us read some excerpts from that book. I think pretty much everyone you work with would qualify as an ‘Alpha male’.”

“Are you trying to say I work with a bunch of chimpanzees?” I asked with a grin.

Keiko laughed, “You said it, not me! But they are all aggressive, dominant, and decisive, right?”

“Yes, they are. Back to us, you don’t think I should ask your opinion and take your views into account?”

“Of course you should, but you can do it without being submissive.”

I took a breath and nodded, “I was always submissive to Bev, and I think that goes back to our conversation about how things were for me growing up. With regard to Bev, doing what she wanted kept her happy.”

“Which made YOU happy!” Keiko declared mirthfully.

“I was submissive before I realized my best friend had turned into a girl!” I chuckled.

Keiko laughed, “Come on, you couldn’t have missed her developing!”

“I didn’t, but I didn’t think about it until that night in the barn when she kissed me. She was always just ‘my friend Bev’. I need to find a balance between being what you called an ‘Alpha Male’ and treating you properly. The guys at Spurgeon, with a few exceptions, do not balance their behavior and do not treat their wives properly.”

“What you called ‘coke and hookers’?”

“Yes, though you could call it ‘coke and secretaries’ or if the rumors about Mr. Spurgeon are true, ‘coke and teenagers’.”

“I was a teenager until my birthday!” Keiko smirked.

“Technically,” I chuckled. “But usually when we say that we mean Junior High and High School age, not college. And for him, ninth grade isn’t too young, at least according to the scuttlebutt.”

“What do you think the age of consent should be?”

“Fifteen, but even at age twenty, I would never consider having sex with a fifteen-year-old girl, even if it were legal. Mr. Spurgeon is thirty-eight.”

“Don’t you think that’s up to the girl?”

“Yes, of course! I said I wouldn’t do it. The concern I have is what would happen if Mr. Spurgeon were to be arrested. That would not be good for the firm.”

“No, it wouldn’t. It seems like an awfully big risk.”

“I agree, but as Jeri has pointed out, the rules are different for the very rich.”

“And for politicians or politically connected people,” Keiko added. “But you don’t agree with that, do you?”

“I acknowledge that is the situation, but I object strongly. Laws should apply equally to the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak. In fact, the laws should be tougher on the rich and powerful, given they have the means to defend themselves, which the poor and powerless do not.”

“Jonathan Kane, radical socialist!” Keiko teased.

“Hardly! But being rich means you can hire good attorneys, and if you combine that with lax enforcement, the problem becomes worse. Noel Spurgeon could spend a million bucks fighting the government with F. Lee Bailey as his attorney, whereas someone living in Cabrini Green has an overworked, underpaid public defender.”

“We’ve never really discussed it, but do you agree with progressive taxes?”

“I think that’s what our republic has instituted, and that’s fine! I’d prefer a flat tax with a large personal exemption, deductions for state income and property taxes, and nothing else, because it would put an end to the ridiculous amount of time and energy wasted on complying with the tax code! You could do the same thing with two or three tiers, but again without all the loopholes and exceptions. It might lead to me paying more taxes, but I also wouldn’t need a CPA and tax attorney on retainer!

“With a simplified system, even with three tiers, nearly everyone could file their tax return on single-sided form — list all your income, subtract the deductions, and calculate the tax. I know some people would have a fit about not receiving a lower rate for long-term capital gains, but with the system I’m proposing, the tax rates could be much, much lower than they are now.”

“That seems more Republican than Democrat.”

“I don’t identify with party labels; I’m only concerned about what works and what’s the most efficient way to provide public services and pay for them.”

“Our family is Republican because my grandfather holds Democrats responsible for Japanese being interned in concentration camps during World War II, despite many of them being American citizens. According to my grandfather, over 120,000 Japanese-Americans were put in concentration camps, and around two thirds of them were citizens!”

“I remember that from American history, and it’s shameful. I recall a number of German-Americans suffered the same fate, but not to the same extent.”

“Not even close. California law defined ‘Japanese’ as anyone who had one-sixteenth Japanese blood. That means having a single great-great-grandparent who was Japanese indicated someone who should be arrested and interned. Think about that — our great-great grandchild would qualify. There were no such rule for Germans, and only about 10,000 were interned, but based on individual decisions.”

“Which is how America is supposed to work,” I observed.

“My grandfather is friends with Fred Korematsu, who sued the US government and lost in the Supreme Court. My grandfather knew him in California, and when my grandfather moved to Chicago at the urging of friends here, Korematsu-san chose to stay in California in his job working as a welder supporting the war effort. His treatment and subsequent loss at the Supreme Court are disgusting.”

“You’ll get no argument from me.”

“We should probably head home,” Keiko said. “You have your evening out, and I’m pretty tired. I plan to sleep in our bed with you tonight.”

“OK.”

We walked back to the underground garage where I’d parked my car, then drove home to Rogers Park. I showered and dressed, then made broth for Keiko. Once she had eaten her beef broth, Jell-O, and two Saltine crackers, CeCi and I left the house to meet Jack, Kristy, Dustin, Archie, Costas, and Trevor for dinner at Ed Debevic’s.

“Long time, no see!” Sophie exclaimed when she came to the table.

“Hi, Sophie! How are you?”

“Good! I heard from Dee that you’re engaged!”

“I am.”

She offered congratulations, then took our drink order. The meal was awesome, as always, and Sophie flirted lightly, but it felt more a part of the schtick than anything serious. We left her a healthy tip when we paid the bill, then headed to the theatre to see National Lampoon’s Vacation, starring Chevy Chase. The movie was absolutely hilarious, and we all enjoyed it. After the movie, we had ice cream, then CeCi and I headed home.

“Next Friday?” I asked CeCi when we walked into the house.

“These dates are fun, but do not end the way I wish they did,” she replied. “But I totally understand why they can’t. And yes, I’m happy to go with you next Friday.”

I hugged her, she kissed my cheek, and I headed up to the master bedroom. Keiko was already in bed, but was reading, so I undressed, brushed my teeth, used the john, then climbed into bed next to her.

“Just cuddle me tonight, OK?” she requested.

“Of course.”

July 30, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Violet and I arrived at Comiskey Park in time to watch the end of batting practice, and once the Sox had gone to the clubhouse, we went to a concession stand to get hot dogs, nachos, and Cokes, then returned to our seats, which were in the upper deck, about halfway down the third-base line.

“For the next game, we might not be able to get to the ballpark in time for batting practice,” I said. “Keiko and I are having a traditional Japanese engagement party with our families, called a «yuino», at noon. We’ll be done in time for you and me to make it before the National Anthem, but probably not much before.”

“You’re sure that’s OK?”

“It is. I discussed everything with Keiko, and she’s insisted I do things with my friends, and that absolutely includes you!”

“Did you get the wedding invitations out?”

“Not yet. The printer will have them ready next Friday, and we’ll spend Saturday addressing them, and get them out the following Monday. Did Kristy call you about the bridal shower?”

“Yes. I’ll be there!”

“Great!”

The game started out with each team scoring a run in the first inning, but then things settled down until the fifth inning, when the Sox plated two runs to take a 3–1 lead. They added a single run in sixth and another in the seventh, to take a 5–1 lead, which they held until the end of the game. We were deprived of a half-inning of baseball, as was always the case when the home team was leading in the middle of the ninth inning.

“Great game!” Violet exclaimed. “The one against the Orioles will be tougher. They look to be one of the best teams in the league, and I bet we meet them in the playoffs.”

“As a die-hard Reds fan, I have an innate hatred of the Orioles because of 1970! They beat us four games to one in the World Series! What really sucked was the Reds lost both home games, and playing 2–3–2 meant they had to win at least two of the three in Baltimore, which they couldn’t do.”

“But they won back-to-back World Series in ‘75 and ‘76!”

“Yes, after losing in ‘72 to the A’s. Another team I innately hate!”

“And the Dodgers, right?” Violet asked.

“Of course! I suspect your opinion of the Yankees is similar.”

“Everyone who isn’t from New York hates the Yankees! Or they should! What do you think of the Red Sox?”

“They beat the Reds in the greatest game in baseball history! The sixth game of the ‘75 Series. I was eleven, and Mom let me stay up to watch the night games. Even though the Reds lost that game in extra innings, it was simply amazing to watch. The Carlton Fisk walk-off home run broke my heart, but that didn’t change my opinion of how great that game was. But we came back from 3–0 in the seventh game to be world champs!”

“The Sox haven’t won the title since 1917, two years before the Black Sox Scandal. Of course, the Cubs haven’t won since 1908! Fisk had a good game tonight for the Sox — a hit and two walks in four appearances, and scored three of their runs.”

“He’s a great player, but Johnny Bench is still the greatest catcher in baseball history. First catcher to lead the league in home runs, and most career home runs by a catcher, not to mention fourteen All-Star Game appearances, ten Gold Gloves, and two league MVPs. Sparky Anderson famously said after the ‘76 Series that he wouldn’t embarrass any other catcher by comparing them to Johnny Bench.”

“He’s retiring, right?”

“Yes. He hasn’t caught much the past three years, mostly playing third or first. Did you know that a bunch of Reds were in the US Army Reserve during the Viet Nam War, including Bench, Pete Rose, and Bobby Tolan? Bench also went to Viet Nam with Bob Hope and the USO between the ‘70 and ‘71 seasons.”