Day 26

Although we hate to admit it, sometimes the worst enemies of women are...other women. The idea of female solidarity is a glowing idea that we all would like to believe, but we've seen our friends, even our most feminist friends, take apart a woman's issue and tear it into shreds before our eyes. We can be so critical of other women, even while giving lip service to the idea of women's rights, including the right to choose what to do with their own bodies. So tonight, I have a short story about...well, a woman who doesn't quite get it.

WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY

Candy brushed her hair out of her face, and tried to concentrate. The auditions were not going well at all. So many talented women, and as soon as she let them see the script, they politely but firmly refused. It was proving very difficult to cast this play. The male part had been cast for a week, but in a strange twist from her usual situation, she was finding it nearly impossible to cast the one female she needed. Elena settled beside her, the first woman who had turned this part down. She imagined she could see her closest friend snickering.

“Elena, I just don’t get it. What is wrong with this play? It’s so well written, so timely, and so important.”

 Elena examined her coke can as if it were the most fascinating piece of metal she had ever seen. She didn’t answer quickly, and Candy began to wonder if she were going to ignore the question.

 “I can’t believe you even have to ask that”, she said when she finally gave up on her can quality control study. “We’ve been friends a long time, and I thought I understood you better. I thought you believed…never mind. I don’t require all my friends to agree with me on everything. It’s just…this. How could this be the thing we disagree so strongly about?”

Elena fell silent, watching as the next woman trailed into the theatre, thirty minutes late. Candy sighed. It was never a good start. She needed someone reliable, and being late to audition was a bad sign. Still, she allowed the woman to read. The reading was excellent, and Candy handed her a copy of the script.

“Read this before agreeing to take the part. It seems…some women…” Candy paused to shoot a look at her best friend. “Some women are finding it…disagreeable.”

Anita took the script and settled into the front row, her back to the other two women. It was a one act, so it didn’t take long to read. Candy and Elena sat in silence, not sure what to say to each other, as they waited for the final answer.

“I love it!” Anita jumped up and waved the script. “It’s great! I definitely want to be part of this production.”

Elena glared and retreated as Candy and Anita made arrangements for the first rehearsal. Once they had a table reading, they would settle on the final rehearsal schedule. Elena wandered toward the rehearsal hall, ready to settle in for the first table reading of the play she had agreed to be a part of. She stared at her friend as she left, wondering what in the world she could see in that awful play.

After rehearsal, Elena wandered back to the audition room. Candy was just wrapping up the last of the auditions for the play festival, and was surrounded by pictures and forms and her own notes as she tried to sort out who would be right for what part. Elena settled in next to her old college buddy, and tried to explain exactly why so many women were turning down that one play, even when they were eager to be part of the festival as a whole.

“Elena, I don’t get it. This play is saying something that needs to be said. It’s important.  It’s worthy of being heard.”

Elena shook her head. “That play is saying something that has been heard forever. It’s heard day in and day out in courtrooms all across the country, in the news media, everywhere you look. Everyone is saying it, and everyone has always been saying it, and frankly, I’m sick of hearing it. Do you honestly believe that women who are molested are to be held responsible for the actions of the men who molest them?”

“No, of course not. But that’s not what this play is saying. It’s saying that women who go into the world dressed like they want it, flirting with men and leading them on, are responsible for their own behavior, and that they should think about how they dress, how they act, and how much they drink.”

“Fine. Hold a woman responsible for her behavior. But this…” Elena picked up the offending script and pitched it across the room. “This is not holding women responsible for their behavior, but for the behavior of men. It is saying that a woman who dresses sexy and acts sexy is somehow or other saying yes, even when she isn’t. The men can’t help themselves? I’m calling bullshit on that, and you should, too. I know you don’t approve of women who wear clothes that are too revealing; I’m not sure I do. I know I would never dress like that. But still…it is the men who are responsible for their behavior, not the women. Men know what yes is…and they know what no is. Studies have shown…never mind. You’re one of the most stubborn women I know, and I love you, but right now, I’m not sure I’m able to like you much. See you tomorrow?”

Candy nodded, stunned at the attack her friend had just launched. “Are you sure you want to have lunch? If you don’t like me very much?”

Elena nodded. “Of course. You’re my best friend, and we’ll get past this. After all, if I could get over you stealing my boyfriend in third grade…” Elena grinned to let Candy know there were no permanent hard feelings, and the two women headed off to their own homes.

Elena had to cancel out on lunch, and it wasn’t until they were deep into rehearsals that the women had a chance to speak again. They kept their conversation light, but Candy could see Elena watching the stage where Anita and Frank were running lines. They chatted for a few minutes, then Elena headed off to her own rehearsal. Candy called the rehearsal to a halt, and headed for home.

Dinner was nearly ready when Jenni stumbled in the door. She was a mess, and seemed to be in a daze. Candy rushed to help her oldest daughter to the sofa, and got her a glass of water. She appeared to be stunned and frightened, and Candy settled next to her.

“What happened? Did something happen at school today?”

Jenni shook her head. “It was last night…in the dorm. I…I…just…woke up. I thought…I wanted…I came home.”

Candy nodded. She wasn’t going to give her daughter grief for stating the obvious, not when she looked like this. Best to find out what happened first.

“Have you…been doing drugs?” Candy broached the question, not sure if it was a good idea, but she had to know.

Jenni jumped up and rushed to the bathroom. “How could you ask me something like that at a time like this?”

Candy followed her. The bathroom door was locked. “Jenni, come on out. I’m sorry. I…you’re right, I was being…well, I was being my mother, and I know I always promised I wouldn’t do that.”

Jenni peeked out the door. Candy put a contrite look on her face, and urged her daughter to come talk to her. She promised she would sit quiet until the story was finished, she wouldn’t say anything stupid again, at least until the proper time came to say something stupid. She grinned at Jenni to put her at ease, but for once her cheerful, friendly daughter did not grin back.

Jenni launched into her story as Candy listened in growing horror. The night before, she had joined a group of her friends for a party at the dorm. There was some alcohol… “Everyone was over 21, honest, Mom”. Jenni had a couple of drinks, but not enough to get even tipsy. She didn’t want to fuss with a hangover in the morning. She flirted with a couple of the guys, danced with several of them, and enjoyed the party. The music was good, the guys were nice, and the food was…sort of so-so. She and a couple of friends slipped off after a couple of hours, not wanting to do the party scene all night like some of her friends. They went out on the quad for a walk in the moonlight.

Jenni choked up. She wasn’t ready to say what happened next. Candy waited, giving her room. She gulped a couple of times, then plunged into the body of her tale. Two boys came by, and asked if they could join the girls. They’d been at the party, and they seemed like nice guys, so they said yes. One of the guys took her friends off to look at the new lake the campus was building, leaving her alone with the other, a fellow named Randy. Randy took her hand, and she let him. It was innocent enough. They’d danced a couple of times at the party and hit it off. Then he started to kiss her, and put his hands on her chest. She pushed him away. She wasn’t ready for that, she said. He told her she’d been teasing him, leading him on, and why was she fighting it now? She said she wasn’t interested yet, but she didn’t mind getting to know him better, just…wait until I know you, she said. Then we’ll see.

Randy wasn’t interested in getting to know her, at least not in the way she suggested. He pushed her to the ground and put his hand up her clothes. He kissed her, sticking his tongue in her mouth, and stroked her breasts. She told him to let her go, and she tried to kick him, but he was sitting on her legs. She kept telling him no, leave her alone, go away, but he kept pushing his hands up her clothes, until he had his fingers inside her. She tried to scream, but she couldn’t. Her throat felt paralyzed. She’d never felt anything like that before.

Jenni stopped there. “I…honestly, I don’t know what happened next. I…must have blacked out, or something, because next thing I knew, I was waking up, it was late afternoon, and I was lying on the ground behind a bush outside the dorm. I had most of my clothes on, but my underwear and bra were…missing.” Jenni stopped. That was all she could say. “I…just came home to you.”

Candy had her phone out. “Police? I’d like to report an assault.”

That was the beginning. The next several days were a whirlwind of action. She took Jenni to the doctor for an examination; there were faint traces of semen, but the doctor could not say conclusively whether there had been penetration or whether the young man had just ejaculated on her.

“Do they…do that?” Candy was incredulous.

“Yes. A lot. It’s a real thing with some guys.” The doctor was matter of fact, but he did sound sympathetic. He promised to do whatever he could to help them in their case. “Sometimes I really hate these college boys and their stupid ideas.”

Randy was picked up at his home by the police and booked, then released to his parents. Jenni stayed at home, not able to go back to the dorm. She didn’t go to class, and rarely got out of bed. Candy started her with a therapist, and hoped she could get her beautiful loving daughter back soon. She continued rehearsals but it was difficult to focus, knowing Jenni was at home and needed her.

Elena was outraged when Candy told her what happened. Elena had known Jenni since the night of her birth, and took a personal interest. Elena had no daughters of her own, and preferred her life as a free spirit, but she enjoyed spending time with Candy’s daughters, and had introduced Jenni to Shakespeare when she was only nine. The two got on famously, but now there was nothing Elena could do to cheer up the younger woman. It was like a light had gone out.

The day of the hearing, Candy had to get Jenni out of bed and dressed. The prosecutor wanted her there, so the jury could see that she was a nice young woman, and feel sympathy with her situation. Candy realized it was a bit manipulative, but…well, damn it, Jenni was a nice young woman. So she got her dressed and they drove to the courthouse in silence.

The case for the prosecution went quickly. The evidence was pretty straightforward, and it turned out there were witnesses. A couple of young men had seen the incident, and chased Randy down the street before returning to help Jenni. When they got back, she was gone. Apparently she crawled behind the bushes, though she didn’t remember doing that. They found her back there and decided it was best to leave her, since they didn’t know who she was, or how to get her home. They felt a bit ashamed that they hadn’t done more, but when the case turned up on the news, they realized it was the same girl and they offered to testify.

Then it was the defense attorney’s turn. The defense attorney started out bolstering the prosecution’s case by putting her client on the stand to acknowledge everything that had been said. Then he said he’d had a bit too much to drink, and she was pretty, and she’d led him on, so he just did what any guy would do, right? Candy was horrified to see some of the jurors nodding at that last part. Not all men were like that, she thought. Some of them were able to control themselves, and restrain their behavior appropriately.

When the summing up came, the wrecking ball hit Candy and Jenni with the full force of its weight. The defense attorney turned the case around, and blamed Jenni for the incident. Jenni, she said, seemed like a nice demure young woman, but she had gone to that party of her own free will, wearing a shirt that had…here the defense attorney paused for emphasis…décolletage. She had some drinks, she danced and flirted with the defendant, so naturally he assumed…well, he assumed the answer was yes. Yes, he took some liberties, but, well, when the woman led him to the water and then wouldn’t let him drink…that was at least partially her responsibility, right? Girls needed to be cautious, and not dress…well, with décolletage. She had been a tease, and the boy hardly deserved to have his life ruined, especially since he was so sorry.

Candy glanced at the young man. His attitude had been anything but sorry during the entire hearing. He had been arrogant and smug, as though entitled to take what he wanted, and now he was wearing a smirk that showed no sign of regret or repentance. Meanwhile, her daughter, her beautiful daughter, was unable to get out of bed to go to class, and was in danger of flunking out of school with only one semester to go. She had been on the president’s list. She had been active and busy, and had studied hard for four years to get to this point, and it was all being snatched away. How dare this attorney stand up there and blame her daughter? How dare she worry about his life being ruined, when no care was given to Jenni’s life that he had ruined? She started to stand and tell the attorney just what she thought, but Elena’s hand on her arm restrained her just in time.

The jury debated for over three hours, and returned as a hung jury. There were several of them that agreed with what the defense attorney said, enough to keep the young man from a conviction. Candy couldn’t believe her ears. How could they not see? How could they not hear? This young man admitted molesting her daughter and now would walk free, unless the prosecutor decided to try again. He was looking over at her and shaking her head. He looked defeated.

“I don’t plan to bring it to trial again”, he informed her after everyone had filed out. “At this point, I think it’s going to be the same outcome no matter what we do. He’s got an attorney who is notorious for victim blaming, and nearly always gets away with it. Juries are very sympathetic to that sort of thing, the boys-will-be-boys defense I call it. How can our daughters be safe anywhere, if people will insist on blaming the women for the behavior of the men? And this isn’t the worst I’ve seen…I had a case a year ago that will haunt me forever. That young woman had been so brutalized she was in the hospital for two weeks, and the jury still bought the ‘she asked for it’ defense, and gave him a hung jury. I tried again…and again…but still the same thing. No one could bring themselves to ruin the bright future of a promising young man.”

The prosecutor left, and the three women were alone in the courtroom. They knew they had to leave, but Candy was struggling to get Jenni out of her seat. Elena assisted her and they half carried her down the aisle to Candy’s car. Elena fastened Jenni into the front seat, and asked if Candy would need her help at home.

“No, her father will be home when we get there. He’ll be…oh, god, I hope he doesn’t take matters into his own hands. He’d like to kill the boy.”

Elena nodded. “I feel the same way myself. It won’t do any good, of course. It can’t undo what’s happened.” She turned away, ready to go to her own car, but turned back to fire a parting shot. “Now do you understand why I hate that damned play?” She was gone.

Candy stopped by the theatre on the way home. Anita and Frank were waiting, hoping to hear that there had been a conviction. Candy just shook her head. She grabbed the script that was lying discarded now that they knew their lines, and ripped it in half. “Show’s cancelled. I’m sorry for all your trouble.” She saw Elena watching from the other rehearsal room, and paused to give her a wave. “That play will never be seen in my theatre again.”