Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Thank you and the In Flagrante Dilecto story....

I just wanted to say thanks to Anon who posted somewhere in the archives that s/he liked a post...Unfortunately, when I get the email that tells me you left feedback, it doesn't tell me where and so....I'd rather not spend my time trolling back to see new comments (since I can read them in the email) unless its something that specifically adds to the thought...But bringing everyone fabulous new stories of the clients who make my life...Well, richer seems callous, but I like the double entendre... So we'll go with richer : )

Ahhh, I've been waiting for it and it happened yesterday for the first time in 5 years. I was at the store, loading up on some death-in-a-box, and a man said hi to me and I KNEW he was a person I had dealt with in legal life, but I couldn't for the life of me remember whether I prosecuted him, defended him or what!

I gave him the, "Hey man! Good-to-see-you" and a big cheerful smile and kept walking. It reminded me of one of my sorority sisters whom we called Pal. See, Pal could never remember anyone's name but if she recognized you, she called you Pal. So, we all called her Pal and she tried really hard to remember people's names. I always say I will never be a politician.

Of course, at the same time, I have safety issues so I need to notice and mentally log people I see. One of the people I prosecute who really really doesn't like me was released yesterday and for the first time in a while I decided to check all the guns at home and carry the my new little Walther I bought myself for Christmas. Mostly, because the clerk noticed and said something to me about the way he was looking at me...Kind of that really creepy mix. Add that with the recent violence associated with Courts, and the fact that one of my colleagues was threatened and I choose to be armed. Just in case.

So here's a funny story about the last time I had to carry a gun. I had a protection from abuse with a truly mentally ill individual and he had followed me from the office one night so I began carrying the .38. I used to sublet an office from another attorney. There were several attorneys who sublet, but I was usually there more than the others. One night, I was up at work late-- I had left to get some dinner and returned to finish something up. When I got back, I heard very strange noises coming from the conference room. I was worried the crack head we used to take out the trash and do other little odd jobs had propped the back door and come up there, so I got out my .38 and checked out the front of the building- I didn't see anyone's car that I recognized but my own. I pulled out my cell phone, but I didn't want to over react... We had found a bird in the office about a month before... So I went towards the conference room, and eased the gun around the corner, followed by my head-- and saw one of the other attorneys in flagrante dilecto with a woman who was not his wife. I very quietly pulled the gun back, walked back to my office and left. To this day, I'm pretty certain he has no idea I saw them.

The thing is, when I see this guy I think about his kids and his wife and I want to throttle him! Even worse, about a week later, he comes into my office and my mom was there so I introduce them. (I was so traumatized by the sight, partially because at that time was going through a divorce, that she knew all about my seeing him!) When he reaches his hand out to shake hers, I notice the flap of his jacket pocket is tucked in and there is a big old box of Trojans in the pocket. I'm fixated on them in that can't-turn-away-from-the-car-wreck sort of way and mom's eyes follow mine and now she can't turn away. Awkward, very very awkward. He didn't seem to notice our staring and we both did that Southern laughing thing.... Like Kitty in That 70s Show.


And sometimes I think its boring being a lawyer !

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nothing says "faithful" like a married man carrying a box of condoms around at work, does it?

The suspicious part of me wonders if he was hoping to provoke a reaction from you, maybe see if you were cool with his philandering and if you would play the game too. The optimist part of me says that was too awful to be deliberate. ::snicker::

I'm making my way through your blog, but my earlier posts were re "If I lead, please don't follow." That has been known to come out of my mouth before, but your story is much funnier.

Whew, just realized that, from a DV point of view, that phrase could be modified a little to say, "If I leave, please don't follow." That's sobering.

I loved "Is that right?" and will remember that line in the future, for those times when a vacant "Hm!" or noncommittal nodding won't quite cut it. The repetoire of a Southern woman--it's all about the subtext.

Southern Magnolia

St Yves said...

Yeah, I always kind of hoped if he got divorced I'd hear about it so I could tell what I knew. Then again, I do try to avoid "high drama" situations like that...and figure Kharma is a bitch : )

Love your moniker!

Anonymous said...

WElllll, if he didn't know, he will if he ever reads this blog...LOL

St Yves said...

Yeah, it is kind of a passive agressive way of telling him how I feel about his behavior isn't it? I just have no idea what to do in that situation...Should one track down the spouse? I don't think so- What do you readers think:

If you know a random person is cheating on their spouse do you 1. call them on it but don't go the spouse? 2. Call them on it, demand they tell the spouse or you will... 2.Find the spouse and tell him/her? or 3. ignore it.

Does your answer change if its your friend who is cheating or your friend who is being cheated on?

I would totally tell my friend if it was my friend being cheated on, and I would tell my friend if s/he was cheating that I couldn't condone such behavior, but when its a random person, I stay out.
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