Chapter 1

I walked into the Pauline Book Store on Massachusetts Avenue next to Harvard Yard. The nun wearing a blue habit asked me, "Can I help you, sir?"

"Yes," I said, "I'm looking for a gift for my girlfriend." Deep inside, I felt badly for lying to a nun. Still in a way, I was telling the truth. At the time, I had never had a girlfriend. I managed to go through middle school, high school, college, and now graduate school without ever being in a relationship with a woman.

At age 25, I attended Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, in the Department of Physics. At the time, I was pursuing a doctorate (Ph.D.) in physics.

The nun introduced herself as Sister Joanna. She said, "Why don't you buy her a nice crucifix?"


Sister Joanna showed me the different crucifix necklaces. I wanted to tell her that the gift was for my future first girlfriend. I felt embarassed to never had had a girlfriend at such an advanced age. Still, I looked through the entire collection of crucifix necklaces the store had. Some were sterling silver while others were 14 karat gold. Some had 18 inch chains while others had 24 inch chains. None seemed satisfactory to me,

"Do you have anything else I can give my girlfriend?"

"Well, sir, we have these rosary bracelets," said Sister Joanna, a petite elderly Filipina woman. The rossary bracelets were gorgeous. One of them had turquoise beads that glistened in the light. It had ten beads plus one extra.

"She can use it as a one-decade rosary."

"I'll take it," I said to Sister Joanna. She rang up my purchase and put it in a bag. The rosary bracelet came in a nice burgundy jewelry box, sort of like a box for an engagement ring.


I lett the store and returned to my office in Jefferson Physical Laboratory, the main physics building of the Department of Physics at Harvard University. I sat at my desk in Jefferson, as we graduate students fondly called our home at the University. There I inspected the rosary bracelet with the pearly turquoise beads. two charms hung from it: a small crucifix and an Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

This rosary bracelet I would give to the first woman to be my woman. Women gave me the hardest time. Earlier that day, I saw her, Teresa, an undergraduate student concentrating in physics. (Harvard called its undergraduate courses of study, "concentrations" rather than "majors" as is done at most American universities. Teresa kept her long red hair in a ponytail. As I saw her in the hallway, her big brown eyes pieced through my spirit. That day, Teresa wore a turquoise long sleeve blouse and blue jeans. It had been several days after I broke the ice by simply asking her, "What's your name?"


"Teresa," she said to me.


"I see you all the time in the hallway. Are you a grad student or undergrad?


"Undergrad," she said. "I work for Professor Freedman." She smiled cordially.


My heart almost melted when she smiled at me. "I'm a graduate student," I said.

"What are you doing your dissertation on?"


"Observational astrophysics."


"You haven't told me your name."


"Oh, I'm sorry," said. "My name is Michael."


"Pleased to meet you, Michael."

"Please to meet you too, Teresa."

She said nothing further and quietly slipped away. For the next few days, we played a cat and mouse game. I would say, "Hi," to Teresa, but she would igore me. If she saw me in the distance in Jefferson, Teresa would alter her course or even duck into a classsroom. Obiously, she didn't like me.

So after three days of playing cat and mouse, I gave up on Teresa. I decided to find a woman worthy of being with me. That's why I went to the Pauline book store. I wanted to give my first girlfriend a gift. That gift would be the rosary bracelet. I just needed a woman worthy to wear the bracelet.

The Rosary Bracelet

I'm writing a novel titled The Rosary Bracelet. I will provide sample chapters alternating with my own commentary.