IF anyone thinks that date-rape drugs are only being used in bars and nightclubs on naive young things, talk to 62-year-old Ann (not her real name). Earlier this year, the Oahu real estate broker was drugged and partially undressed by a client as she lay unconscious in his Waikiki apartment. Woman’s experience
with date-rape drugAlthough still shaken, Ann reluctantly agreed to share her trauma -- as a warning to females of all ages.
On the night of Feb. 19, Ann was planning a quiet marinated lamb dinner with a friend in her condo, when a client -- who lived in the same building two floors up -- asked her to bring over a real estate agreement for his review. Ann told her friend that she'd be right back.
On arriving at the client's apartment, he offered Ann some wine, which she accepted to be polite. He returned from the kitchen with two glasses. The client picked up one goblet, took a sip and asked her if it tasted all right. Ann drank from the remaining glass and replied, "I guess so."
They talked business a bit, then the conversation turned to travel. Ann proudly told her client that she had photo albums from several trips to Spain, and said that she'd go and get them.
On returning to her apartment, and while pulling out the albums, Ann started feeling dizzy. "I laughed and remarked to my friend how I could feel light-headed on a few sips of wine," she said. Ann promised to return in 15 minutes.
Back at her client's condo unit, he started flipping through the photo albums -- but not before urging Ann to finish her wine.
Let her police report tell the rest of the story, "I had a few more sips, but I am certain I didn't have more than half of the glass. I closed the albums and said I had better go. He said something like, 'Before you leave, I want to show you something in the other room.'
"I remember crossing the living room and getting as far as the stove in the kitchen. That is the last thing I remember until I awoke lying in his bed, with him beside me, looking at me.
"I looked down at myself and my sweater was partially unbuttoned. It was pulled up above my bra, and my bra on the left side was pulled up with my left breast completely exposed. I was in shock as well as drugged, but I jumped out of bed as quickly as I could move, pulling my clothes together and saying that I had to get out of there.
"He said something to me but I don't remember what. I was swaying as I walked, my mind was totally foggy, but thank God for protecting me and giving me the strength to leave."
When she got back to her apartment in her disheveled state, her irritated and hungry friend informed Ann that she had been gone for two hours.
ANN was so frightened and discombobulated by the incident that she didn't file a police report until a week later. By then, the chemicals that she suspects were date-rape drugs -- like gamma hydroxybuterate (GHB) or Rohypnol -- were out of her system, so no blood tests could be performed. Furthermore, the client had taken "indefinite leave" at his place of employment and has presumably moved to the mainland.
Ann, who says she still lives in a state of fear and confusion, wants to warn other women to be very careful about accepting drinks, especially wine, from anyone -- even if that person is a client or business acquaintance.
This 62-year-old learned the hard way that date-rape drugs have affected -- for better or worse -- the way that people can safely socialize in public or private settings.
ON Monday night, something happened to Star-Bulletin contributing editor A.A. Smyser that everyone on this planet should experience. People who know, like, love and respect "Bud" told him -- pointedly, sincerely and joyously -- how much he really means to them. A toast to Bud Smyser
In Bud's case, he was the guest of honor at the annual Roselani dinner thrown by the Honolulu Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters. Apparently, within the local arts and literary circle, this is a biggie award.
For 77-year-old Bud, it was certainly a night to remember. A parade of longtime friends and business acquaintances took the podium to share their fond remembrances of him and to thank Bud for the multitude of ways he has made Hawaii a better place.
I declined an opportunity to be one of the speakers (lazily, I wanted to sit back and enjoy the evening), but if I had grabbed the mike, this is what the crowd would have heard:
"Bud, to me you are a god, a mensch, an intellectual hunk. Following in your footsteps as a Star-Bulletin editorial page editor is the greatest privilege of my professional life. I can only hope to accomplish a fraction of the contributions that you have made to this community. On behalf of Hawaii, mahalo and aloha."
A bit too thick? Nah, not when it's sincere. Everyone should hear -- while he or she is still on this Earth -- how much they are appreciated and admired. I'm glad that Bud did.
Saturday, May 16, 1998
Diane Yukihiro Chang's column runs Monday and Friday.
She can be reached by phone at 525-8607, via e-mail at
DianeChang@aol.com, or by fax at 523-7863.