Pursuit Of Liberation

Prologue

Lisa was as nervous as humanly possible. She had just finished her Law school and was walking across the hall of the District Attorney's office, for her first interview. She just had to make a mark. She had always been the brightest girl throughout her school life and her college life. She could not let herself and her mother down now, at this crucial stage of her life.

I just have to get this job. Come what may!

She knocked the door and heard a "come in" from inside. She sent up a quick prayer to the heavens above, firmly believing that that would help her ease her nervousness.

She went inside, confident of herself.
"Good Morning, Mr. Greene." Harrison Greene looked up at her and with a pleasant smile gestured her to sit on the chair opposite to his.

He seemed to be a middle-aged man in his late fifties, his hair, almost completely grey, a little bald in the centre. He wore the smallest glasses known to man, perched subtly on the bridge of his nose. He had chubby cheeks like that of a healthy baby. Lisa instantly got good vibes when she sat in front of him.

"Good Morning Miss Raymond, how have you been?"

"Very good, Sir. Thank you very much." She was suddenly very much at ease and had completely forgotten about all her nerves.

"And you want to join the DA's office. Why may I ask?" asked Harrison, taking off his glasses.

"Could I just say that I highly appreciate the work the DA's office does for this city?" Lisa said a little hesitantly.

"You could. But then are you suggesting that the corporate firms are not working enough or are they not worthy enough of your appreciation?"

"Honestly Sir, I did not mean that, and I do not have an answer to your question. I just want to prove myself and I do not want to start off where there is a lot of competition."

"So you think that you will be the best freshly graduated employee here? Is that what you are implying?" Harrison looked intently at her.

"I can definitely try to be the best, sir." She said, still sounding confident but tapping her toes furiously and squeezing her hands with one another, which was what she did when she was scared to death.

Harrison Greene spoke after examining her body language for long moments. But those moments seemed to be eons for Lisa.

"Very Well, Miss Raymond, you have the job." He paused when Lisa squealed a squeak of joy. "But! As you said, you need to prove it. So I have for you your first case as an employee of the DA's office."

While he was getting the case file from his drawer, Lisa said, "Thank you so much, Sir. You have no idea how great an opportunity you have given me. I am so grateful to you, truly. I promise you, you won't regret this decision."

"We'll decide about my regret when the time comes, Miss Raymond. For now, this is your case. You win it, you're in permanently. If you don't, you're out." He hands the file to Lisa.

Lisa takes the file and starts reading it and after each page, her confidence goes down a little. By the time she finishes reading it, she looks at the file with a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me look and then she looks up at Mr. Greene, "Are you sure, you have given me the right file Mr. Greene?"

"Absolute positive!" He gave a very satisfied grin.

"But sir, this is madness. You cannot possibly ask me to prove him innocent after seven freaking years." She realised the glitch in her language and apologised immediately, "Pardon me for the language sir, but this is impossible. Please understand. How do you expect me, forget me, how can you expect anyone to win this case? All the evidences are against him."

"Miss Raymond! I think we are done for the day. It's a take it or leave it deal. You take it, you win it, you're in. You lose it, you're out. You leave it, you're out anyway.
Thank you Miss Raymond. Now if you don't mind, I would like to get back to other pressing matters in hand." Saying so, he got back to what he was doing before Lisa had come in.

Resigned and feeling absolutely hopeless about her legal career, she took the file and left the cabin, muttering a barely audible thank you to Harrison Greene.

While walking back to her car, she thought to herself, how am I supposed to solve this case, let alone win it? I am barely out of Harvard and I already am dealing with a case that sane lawyers do not even touch. Seriously, what is it with the world going against me and my career?

She drove back home and furiously dropped the file on her desk. She sat on the edge of her bed, burying her face in her hands, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up and saw Ashley Raymond standing beside her. "Mom! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the school?"

Ashley was a high school teacher and she loved her job. Her job and the children, besides Lisa were the only ones that kept her going when her husband had passed away, leaving her with a two year old Lisa.

"It's Saturday Lisa. And anyway, can't a mother come to see her daughter?" Ashley smiled.

"Oh come on, Mamma! You know I didn't mean that. Now come and sit here before this world again conspires against me." Lisa said with a light smile.

"Conspires?" Ashley laughed. "What's wrong?"

Lisa showed Ashley the file that Harrison had given her. "I am supposed to win this case. As in freaking WIN this case. Do you understand the depth of the grave that has been dug for me? Seven years and no one took his case. Why? Because they've got brains. Nobody in their sane mind would even think about taking this case, because it is not bloody possible! There is not a shred of evidence in his favour. And what's more? This man is famous for his silence. He has not talked to a soul since he has been arrested. Seven years without a word. I mean, is he even human?"

Lisa was out of breath by the time she let out her frustration. Ashley, very seriously read the file, after which she said, "Honey, I don't think this will be so difficult. I mean, of course, it's tricky, but you are capable enough to win it, sweetheart."

Lisa looked at her mother, her eyes popping out, "Mom, are you kidding me? Did you not hear the part where I said nobody, I repeat, NOBODY, has taken this case. And that's for a reason. And did you also miss the part where I said that this man has not spoken to anybody since the day he has been imprisoned? Why on earth will he talk to me?"

"For the sole reason that you are there to help him, to prove him innocent. For all you know, maybe he IS innocent and has been wrongly accused of something he has never done. Maybe he didn't talk to anybody because the world saw him as a murderer and you will be seeing him as a victim. And if he is really innocent, proofs will come to you automatically, dear. All you need to do is, get through to him. That will be your most difficult task. After that, winning the case is cakewalk for you."

Lisa looked at her mother and saw that there was utmost conviction in whatever she was saying and that none of it was just to make her feel better. It was definitely to boost her confidence but all of it was true. She knew it. Three things that made Lisa closest to her mother were that the way they shared their hearts out with each other, the way they treated each other like pals and the way both of them were addicted to caffeine.

"You really think I can do it?" Lisa asked hesitantly.

"I don't think, I know you can do it. Now cheer up and get to work!" Ashley kissed her on the head and left to make two mugs of coffee for both of them.