The Stutterer

"Gissel you have a client coming in a few minutes." I jerked up only to find my secretary and best friend, Jill, shaking me.

"What is the case?"

Jill looked down. "About that...do you remember Mike from high school?" I picked up the coffee maker and nodded. "Well, he's the client." At that moment, the face of my high school nightmare walked through the door with a rush of memories

"Class, I want everyone to think about what they want to be when they grow up." Loud, excited chatter filled the colorful classroom. Words like 'basketball player,' 'doctor,' and 'policeman,' sprouted from around the room. In the midst of these floating words, a girl was sitting alone, deep in thought. She was not brought up to be naïve and think the law played fair. If only her Uncle Bernie's lawyer was not bribed with money, she would be mingling with the other children, cooking up big dreams. Instead, she was weighed down by the words 'what if.' What if the lawyer cared for his client and not about the money?

"Who wants to come up and share?"

A chorus of 'choose me' and 'I wanna go first' rang around the classroom. Minutes passed by with Gissel's peers sharing their dreams with the class, but not once did Gissel break out of her trance.

Only when she heard laughter ring out from her surroundings, did her wandering thoughts come back to the classroom.

"Gissel, can you please share what you want to be when you grow up?" Fiddling her sweaty hands, she walked to the front of the classroom.

"I-I-I want to be a lawyer." Laughter poured from around the classroom.

Throughout all the commotion, Gissel's eyes were drawn to Mike, her constant tormentor since first grade. He winked at her and stood up. Her eyes raked the classroom for an escape from the degrading words that were to come.

"I-I-I don't think you can be a lawyer. Y-Y-You're too stupid to be one." Stomping her foot, Gissel yelled

"I can and will be a lawyer! I will make sure no one innocent goes to jail!" Mike slowly clapped his hands, a smirk gracing his face.

"Everyone, today we have witnessed a miracle. Gissel the Stutterer completed a whole two sentences without stuttering." Tears blurred Gissel's vision as she ran out. The class sang after her.

"You became a lawyer despite all the people who told you it was impossible for a stutterer to. I know I don't have any right to ask for help, but I'm being framed by a company that has power and money. You always said you would make sure no one innocent would go to jail and I need you to do that for me. Please Gissel." I looked at Jill. We became one of the most well know law firms despite the odds and the person who told me I couldn't do it was asking me to forget and forgive. I nodded turning towards him.