AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You need to explain the circumstance,” she nudged her head towards Rich.
Rich chimed in, “No, I don’t need the details, right now I just need to know what to tell the judge.Guilty or not?”
The woman’s eyes had focused on him, before she said, “What?You do need to hear the circumstance because the judge needs to understand the case, so he can receive some leniency.”
Rich’s patience, at that moment, started to run short with the combination of her questioning him on how to do his job and realizing she was a sympathizer.“Listen, ma’am they all have excuses why they did what they did.However, right now, I’m going to assume he did it because he has an excuse and right now, you are going to let me do my job.”
She reeled back as if he had smacked her in the face.Then she pulled Ricardo behind her and scolded, “You must have lost your damn mind.One, for thinking you could talk to me like that and two, fornottaking your clients,” she emphasized, “concerns and situations seriously.You will not be representing him and,” she picked up his card from the table and said, “I’ll be sure to spread the word about your bias about anyone like him.Sincethey,” she held up both her hands to make air-quotes, “all have excuses.”
He grimaced at her words.Who the fuck did she think she was talking to, was his question.Then she walked passed him and said to the judge, “Your honor, my apologies, but Ricardo here,” she pointed to the boy, “is going to need other representation.Mr.Wells needs to attend to his other clientele.”
“Who are you?”the judge asked.
“My name is Lisa Johnson, I’m Ricardo’s teacher,” she said.
The judge looked at Rich and asked, “Are you not able to represent the accused?”
Rich was so shocked by the last two minutes, he was not sure what he should say.“I’m able to represent this client, if HE,” Rich emphasized, “would like me to.However, I will respect their wishes and pass this case along.”
The judge nodded.“Fine, let’s reschedule for next week.”
He banged the gavel on the desk and said, “Next.”
The lady grabbed the boy, as she turned to march out of the courtroom.Rich knew he was bright red now, how dare she embarrass him like that in the courtroom, in front of his superiors and peers.That was one thing he didn’t stand for, so he stormed after them to confront the crazy black bitch.
The doors banged closed behind him and he said through his teeth, “Listen here, you –”, he caught himself.
She whirled around, glaring at him.Lisa motioned for her student to go towards the stairs.He immediately obeyed because he must have sensed it was about to get ugly.She kept her glare and spoke through her teeth in a low menacing voice, “What, I’m a what?Blackie, Darkie, Nigger bitch?Which one were you going for today?”she asked.
He was shocked at her candor.Then he said, “Well I was just going to say bitch, but you finished the others for me.”
She walked closer to him and he could smell her perfume.She smelled delicious like he could eat her, but she looked dangerous, like he should cover his balls or his face.“Wow,” she laughed, “some things never change.You are still the same ignoramus you’ve always been.”
What the hell was she talking about?He didn’t know her from anywhere.She looked faintly familiar, but he could not place where he could possibly know her.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”he asked with a scowl on his face.
“I’m talking about you and your prejudice ways.You are still ignorant.Why the hell would you be a public defender?You are setting these people up for failure because you don’t care one bit about them.This is just a step for you to something bigger.”She looked utterly disgusted with him.
Rich had seen that same look many times from his father, when he messed up.What she thought about him should not have mattered, but the way she read him like a book during a five-minute interaction made him feel vulnerable.
Was he so transparent?
“I don’t give a fuck what you think about me, I do my job and I do it well –” he started.
“No, Richard,” she emphasized his name like he was a boy, “You do a job, but you don’t do it well.You will never do it well until you give a fuck.But don’t you worry.I will make it my life’s mission to make sure you do go into private practice because this.”She circled her finger around the air then pointed to Ricardo, “isn’t for people the likes of you.”
Ten minutes ago, he couldn’t have agreed with her more, but now he was upset that she just called him out.Who the hell was she?He glared at her and she turned her lip at him like she smelled something bad and slowly sashayed away.It was like she knew he’d be looking at her ass.Which he was, mesmerized by each sway of her hips.
LISA:
She knew exactly who he was when he opened his mouth.15 years ago, at theOver the Trackscommunity event, he had pushed her down at the end of the basketball game which started the brawl that was heard around Richard Allen.Lisa was known as the fierce up and coming basketball star who put boys to shame.Josh and her dad were committed to making Lisa better and better at the sport.She went on to play in high school, then she was recruited to play for Drexel University.Everybody around the neighborhood was so proud of her because they felt like they were a part of her process.Some of the girls didn’t like her because she always had the guy’s attention or admiration.This caused her not to hang out with many girls, but she had a few loyal friends.Jessica and Michelle were the closest to her since she knew them since high school.
After Drexel, her father did not want her coming back home to live.He said she should be out on her own.Therefore he and Josh had set to revamp a house that was on sale for nearly nothing, but needed a lot of repairs.Dad suggested that she and Josh buy it, so they would own property.It made sense because Josh owned a hardware store and Dad was a construction worker.Her dad also worked as a plumbing technician instructor at a local trade school and had his own private business that Josh helped him with on the side.
Education was Lisa’s major, so right after school, she started working for her old high school, where she was welcomed with open arms.After a few years, she joined the board of theNo School to Prison Pipeline Foundation(NSPPF) and now she served as Chair of the Board.She received the journalist job because Lisa would always comment and ‘write the editor’ about various topics that related to education, social justice and the community.This included long letters, debatable comments and post that impressed someone, so the Philadelphia Daily Newspaper made her an offer.She gladly accepted and had been writing as a freelancer for a few years.Her column was called,‘Real Talk with Lisa.’
On the ride home, Lisa was in deep thought.Mostly about the prejudice son of a bitch.She was still livid.That arrogant lawyer, Mr.Richard Wells, Jr., was going to pay.She could not believe she lost her temper and messed up Ricardo’s case, but she could not allow him to represent the boy.He didn’t give one fuck about Ricardo or anyone else.If he thought that his entitled attitude, that Armani tailored suit that fit him perfectly or his perfect smile was going to help, he was wrong.She had a board meeting tomorrow evening and this was going to be the topic that she contributed, not only at the meeting but to her column in the paper.
