The Street Lawyer.-

My new apartment now had some old chairs in it and the Tv was on a box.




I smiled at my furniture. My mother had called. I listened to her voice on the phone. She and Dad wanted to visit me





That evening I watched backetball on Tv and had a few days.





Why sould not we talk? we were actually still married , I thought maybe we could have dinner soon.






The phone rang and then a voice said, Hello It was a man. I could not speak.I had been gone less tan a week and Claire had a man in the apartment at eleven thirty. I almost put the phone down, but then I said....I would like to speak to Claire , please?





-Who is calling?





-Michael, my husband.





She is in the shower. he said. He sounded pleased with himself.





-Tell her I called, I said.






I walked around the room until midnight, then I went for a walk in the cold. Why do our marriage go wrong' Who was that guy? Was did out marriage go wrong? Was he someone she had known for years and I did not about him? I told myself it did not matter. We were not divorcing because of other people. We were divorcing because of us. And If she was free to find another guy, then I was fire to find someone too, yeah, right.






At 2 am I was walking around Dupont Circle, stepping over people sleeping in the Street. It was dangerous but I did not care.After a couple of hours I went home  and got some sleep. Then I wanted to work. I got to 14th Street before that morning. ready to start.







As I walked through the snow making my way to the Law Center, I thought of my clients.By now I had a few. There was Waylene and her paychecks. There was also Marvis. Like me. Marvis wanted a divorce. His wife was on drugs. She had taken everything he had, incluiding then two children. Marvis wanted them back.






-How long will a divorce take? Marvis had asked me.





-Six months- I told him.






Marvis was clean , he did not drink and he was looking for work.I enjoyed the half hour I spent with him and I wanted to helped him.



Another client was a 58 years old man. Her husband was dead and the goverment was sending her money to the wrong place. I could get all her money back and then get it sent to the right place.





A lot of my clients had problems like that. They were just not getting money, often from the government, that should be theirs.






When I reached the Law Center a Little woman was sitting against our door. The office was still locked. It was below freezing in the streets. When she saw me, she jumped to her feet and said.






-Good morning, are you a lawyer?





-Yes, I am





-For people like me?





She looked like she was homeless. -Sure. come in.





I opened the door. It was colder inside than outside. I made some coffee and found some old cookies. I offered them to her and she quikly ate one.






-What is your name ? I asked.We were sitting in the front office next to Sofia s desk, waiting for the cooffee and for the office to get a Little warmer.




-Ruby. she said.




-I am Michael. where do you live Ruby?




-Here and there. She was between thirty and forty, dressed in a lot of old clothes. She was very thin.