Chapter 11: The Completion of My Masters Degree and the End of Me and Mary Kate.

For the rest of that school year I concentrated on my Thesis and spent lots of time in the computer center running my data analysis on the IBM mainframe. In order to get it done on time I spent many a Friday nights and weekends running my data modules to make sure there would be no question about the integrity of my data samples. I followed every theorem of statistical analysis to the letter to make sure there would be no question about the thoroughness of my research. Come May I completed my Thesis, successfully defended it and was awarded my Masters Degree of Science. I graduated with honors.

Beginning the first of April I noticed that Mary Kate was not around as much and when we went out she wasn’t as warm and enthusiastic as she once was. I could tell come May we would be a thing of the past. Though I did wonder what changed between us. One night at the pub after playing Foosball and gathering with our friends to celebrate the end of the semester I walked Mary Kate out to her car. Now was good of a time as any and I would ask her where we stood. “Mary Kate, I see you and I are not as close as we once were. Is there a reason for that? Something I did or say that upset you?” I asked.

I saw her face take on that deer caught in the headlight look. “Look I heard some terrible things about you from your undergraduate days. The report is you are abusive to women, especially to one girlfriend who you publicly embarrassed and humiliated.”

“And you believe them I suppose. How long have you and I been going out and did I ever once do anything to humiliate or harm you during this time?”, I responded. “Where did you learn about about my supposed abusiv tendencies?” She couldn’t look me in the eye or answer me. “Good bye Mary Kate have a good life.” With that I wrote her out of my life.

The few remaining weeks of the semester I didn’t go back to be with the group at the pub. After graduation, I was offered an instructor’s position at the school. I declined and decided it would be best to move on to a fresh start else where.