Lawyer Levi

The Tissue Paper Man

The man sitting on the opposite side of my desk was weeping in bouts and in the process of breathing through his saliva forged mouth, displayed his nicotine stricken teeth every time he talked.

In other words, he was a man who was recently divorced and since he had a heart which cared for his family, his vulgar transformation to this distressing state was no new mystery.

I sat on the window side with all the blinds open and carefully lowered my face on the desk so that my snappy remarks on how less of a man he was becoming with each sob did not shoot out of my mouth.

His name was Lammark and he was the first client who had the misfortune to be in my office after my own divorce. I staunched my best not to look at him as I resorted to answering his long and dubious questions with short grunt like answers since his pain stricken eyes reminded me of myself and what a terrible mess I had become on those days.

The alimony was on low but the disaster would definitely blow over their only child, a girl who had just gotten to the age of riding a bike alone when her parents decided to abandon their marriage. Obtaining guardianship was the current problem of their Universe and this was the feature Lammark was most concerned as he muttered the name Lucy on broken up phrases and unfinished lines.

I assured him briefly with the lie that a first meeting should only be limited to the fine print without lunging deep into emotional water. We agreed upon a date in the next week and handed him a card for a therapist near somewhere his new singular apartment in Brooklyn.

He departed with his runny nose and I didn't decline the sticky handshake as I sat back down with a sigh, not of relief but the plausible future of that man who was walking away from me and into a couch of his own mental anguish when he would talk about his marriage.

" Mrs. Parson, on line. " A voice called out from behind the blind drawn door and disappeared almost instantly as the hills trotted away.

I blew one last heavy breath for Lammark since he was an alcoholic, a chain smoker too and clearly transformed into that sort of desperate class of man who was too prone to fall into the traps of becoming an addict of anything promising.

In conclusion, he was not and his physical, as well as psychological features were too distinct to win the competition to pursue for the guardianship of his daughter.

" He's going to lose her. " I stuttered to myself and when the green light on the telecom line flashed aggressively, blinking with the voice of Jordan or I thought her to be Jordan just as I picked up.

" Jordan, I'm not giving the dog back. Soon. "

It was another story that included me, the Parsons and the Alpine. I stole him from his owner when I met Richardson last Friday and from the goodness of my heart, decided to take him out for a walk. Richard knew Percy best and also harbored the impression of my juvenile behavior so they were being prodded by the responsibility of getting the Alpine back.

" Mr. Montgomery? " The voice asked with confusion and it was not Jordan since the Amelia's motherly voice which was either sarcastic or apologetic at me did not blow away from the receiver.

But a shuffle of breaths which calmed the raspy voice down spoke again.

" Yes, Jordan? " The tone seemed familiar to me like the name of a well known friend which escaped my memory for the time being.

" It's me...Junith Chambers? "

In my silence, I was imagining the possible causes that could induce her to reach out to me, a person whom no one liked solicitously, especially her from the stunt I pulled a week ago.

" Is this a bad time? "

" No...um. "

" I would understand if you wanted not to talk. " She professed slowly, being in search of other words which were said in an uncomfortable, delicate manner.

" No, of course. What's...uh...how's everything? " I asked then acknowledged my tense body, sitting straight and beat as if I was expecting some probable life wrenching news.

" Everything...it's fine. I...um? "

" Are you alright? Mrs. Chambers? " The name was thrown at the end of the sentence to grant more peppering professionalism since it sounded more friendly.

" Um...I'm sorry to call. I hope I am not disturbing you. The thing is...I wanted to ask you for...a favor of sorts. " She paused to muster up something more as the receiver crafted more blows.

" It might sound strange...but would it be possible for you to meet me? "

" Sure. " I answered without thinking.

" There are some...issues that I think a lawyer could help me with. "

" Are you in some sort of trouble? "

" No...not yet. " There was a weak smile to provide a comical relief but it shrouded my mind in thinking that something lousy were in prose to happen soon.

" I'm in Queens now. Could you...perhaps...meet me in the afternoon? "

She poised a lean farewell which ended quickly than the normal speed, full of doubt and a thin tone of swelling grief when I crashed the receiver softly on the telecom, wondering what sort of trouble might be brewing on the other side.

And the fact that, out of all people, she called me did not provide me with any comfort other than a plush of anxiousness.

My impatient eyes quickly ran to the clock and back to my paper, waiting for the sun to start her journey towards the west and in search of night.

And eventually, the mystique afternoon came.