Peter had just begun work several months ago at a reputable publishing house. He had graduated from the University of Malaya with a degree in English Literature. He had a natural flair for words and could say the most mundane things in a most delicious way. He was put to write documentaries so he had to do a lot of research work. As he had to hone his skills, the company had put him under the mentorship of a senior writer, Mrs. Jane Jonson. Jane was used to taking young charges under her wings and showing them the ropes.
Jane knew at once that Peter’s mind was a fertile oasis of ideas and imaginative creativity. He worked hard at his research and was a perfectionist. He must edit his sentences till the rhythm was right and the sentences said what exactly he meant. He showed integrity expected of any good writer. In short, he wrote in a precise yet natural manner. His writing had a flow that was so fluid he should be writing creative fiction instead.
The reading public was beginning to take a great liking to Peter’s articles. Even the editor took notice of his work. Word had reached the ears of the Big Boss that they had a genius in their midst. Jane was genuinely pleased as any accolade he received was indirectly hers as she would have to approve of every piece of Peter’s writing before it could go to the editor’s desk.
Peter wrote the coveted article on Mesopotamia because of the heightened interest in that region as it stood on the threshold of destruction. He did a massive amount of research before he sat down to hammer out an insightful piece of exquisite writing. The article was approved straightaway by the editor and it went into print at the precise moment – when the whole world waited with bated breath for the US declaration of war. The reading public hailed the article as eye-opening and a true piece of investigative journalism.
And then the bubble burst! Peter was accused of plagiarism by none other than the publisher of Kramer’s History began in Sumer. It seemed he had taken chunks from the book. The morning when the news broke, the office was in shock. Kramer’s publisher had threatened to sue. The editor had no choice but to question Peter.
“How did this come about, Peter?”
“Mrs. Jonson went through the article before she submitted it to you but she did not inform me that I could not quote from the book without acknowledging it.”
“You’re a writer and you should know that if you don’t acknowledge you can be accused of plagiarism. It’s a shameful offence in academia.”
“Mrs. Jonson is responsible for me so she should rightly take the blame.”
“That’s an unfair argument. How could she know that you had stolen from Kramer? You were the one who did the research. Surely she thought the sentences were all yours. If they really sue do you think it is right to make Mrs. Jonson face trial?”
Peter did not answer. The editor felt scandalized that Peter had refused to take responsibility for his own action. Are young people without positive values? It was a fact Peter wrote the article but Mrs. Jonson, the editor and the Big Boss would all face a lot of trouble if Kramer’s publisher sued. The star-writer had fallen from grace but he had decided that somebody else must take the flak for him. While waiting for Peter to come forward so that they could negotiate with Kramer’s publisher, the editor had called them to stall action for a while. Kramer’s publisher allowed two weeks for the writer to think.
Fortunately, the editor understood the whole situation instantly. Jane was naturally grieved by Peter’s action of trying to make her the scapegoat for his own weakness. She was sure he couldn’t resist the wonderfully perfect way Kramer had written his facts. What were his values if he could so easily abandon ship at the very first sign of trouble? Did the young man have a conscience? The office had put all his work on hold for the time being so that he could think about his next line of action. If he still refused to accept responsibility they would not be able to print an apology to satisfy Kramer’s publisher and would have to resort to offering compensation in order to avoid a long-drawn court action.
Meanwhile, Peter went through an agonized soul-searching period. If he accepted responsibility he would lose some of his credibility as a writer. However, he would spare Mrs. Jonson the unfair pain. He did not wish to hurt her further as he had grown fond of her these past months. He had been sleeping erratically for the whole week now. If he carried on with this guilty conscience he knew he would fall sick. He had no choice but to face Mrs. Jonson. There was one more week for him to make his decision but he knew he could not live with this lie any longer. Early the next morning, Peter was waiting outside Mrs. Jonson’s room. She was a little surprised to see him. He stood up immediately upon seeing her.
“Good morning, Mrs. Jonson. May I speak with you?” He did not dare look at her eyes because he was feeling ashamed of himself.
“Good morning, Peter. Take a seat. Yes, how could I help you?”
“It’s about the plagiarism case. I will have to take the responsibility. I’ve been thinking of what the editor said. It was wrong of me to try to put the blame on you. I’m sorry.”
“Why did you do it? Surely you knew the consequences?”
“I couldn’t resist the way Kramer put it. He put it so well I just thought I would do him injustice if I were to rewrite his facts in my own words.”
“That’s the pitfall of all writers. You’re just beginning. You must learn. I was tempted so many times to do exactly what you did when I was young but I had always managed to resist. You fell, but it’s still not too late to salvage your name. Anyway, why did you try to pin it on me?”
“That was stupid. I could not take the humiliation of seeing my name in the apology. How would I repair the damage after that?”
“Don’t worry. The public have a very short memory. You should have accepted responsibility rightaway. It’s the fraternity you should fear. It’d take a long time for them to believe that you have integrity.”
Peter knew that he would need Jane’s help to salvage his reputation. Jane accompanied Peter to see the editor. The next day the apology came out in all the major papers and, of course, the reading public was shocked! Peter had to to pay for all the advertisements. It was a bitter but learning experience for him. He was relieved that he had accepted responsibility for his own action and as a result redeemed himself. All the bosses forgave him but it was even more important that he could forgive himself.
