The street lawyer.-

My friend at Drake and S had told the newspapers about my stay in prison. Lawyer out on bail. Was it theft?  I read, the next day.


They took a photo of me when I first joined Drake and S and that was there too. They were trying to ruin my life. I wondered which client was paying for all the hours Rafter and Arthur Jacobs were spending on me. A client was definitely paying. A client paid for every hour of every lawyers time. River Oaks probably.



I went in to work at 14 th Street. Ruby was asleep in front of the door.





-Why are you sleeping here? I asked. She did not answer. She was hungry. I unlocked the door, made coffee and went to find the cookies.




The phone rang.It was Megan. Ruby had left Naomi.



-Are you taking drugs again? I asked Ruby.



She did not look at me. No she said.




-Yes, you are. Dont lie to me, Ruby. I am your friend and your lawyer and I ll help you see Terence. But I can not help if you lie to me. Now will you go back to Naomis?


-Yes.



-Good, I ll take you.



-Ok, She took another cookie, her fourth.




On the way back to Naomi, she said You were in prison.



-How did you know?



-You hear stuff on the Street.


When we arrived, Megan took Ruby into the women group and then asked me to stay for coffee. She Threw a W Post to me. Bad night, hug? she said with a smile.



There was my photo again. It was not too bad.



What is this? she asked, pointing at my face.




-A guy in my cell wanted my shoes. He took them.





She looked at my shoes, old Nikes. Those?




-Yes, good shoes, arent they?



-How long were you in there ?




A couple of hours. Then I got my life together. I am a new man now.



She smiled again, Her eyes held mine for a second and I thought




 No wedding ring on her finger, She was tall and a Little too thin.




Her eyes were light Brown, very big and round and nice to look at. She was very attractive and I wondered why I had not noticed it before.



I told her about me. She told me about Herself. Her father was in the church in Maryland.


He liked baseball and he loved W. As a teenager, Megan had decided to work with the poor. It was a job-but a job she liked.



I told her story of Mister and how I had started working with the homeless. She was very interested and asked lots of questions. Then she asked me to come back later for lunch. If the sun was shining we could eat outside. I liked that, I thought it was romantic. You can find love anywhere,even in a shelter for homeless women.