Life in a Box by Einat Lifshitz Shem-Tov

Author:Einat Lifshitz Shem-Tov [Shem-Tov, Einat Lifshitz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-10T23:00:00+00:00

23

I came home from the office late the next day after trying to finish the work that had accumulated on my desk. It was seven o’clock in the evening when I got home. Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door—soft at first, but when I didn’t answer, they became stronger and more demanding. Finally, I asked who it was.

“Attorney Shapiro.” George’s lawyer.

“Are you alone?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I opened the door. A man about thirty years old, with a round face and rosy cheeks, stood before me. He reached out to shake my hand and introduced himself. His voice was deep, in complete contrast with his baby face. I invited him to sit down and asked if he would like something hot to drink.

“Thank you, I’ll settle for a glass of water.”

“Are you allowed to be here?” I asked. “As far as I know, according to law, the defendant’s lawyer isn’t allowed to meet with the plaintiff.”

“You’re right,” he said and his plump body sank into my patched-up sofa. He took a sip of water and continued, ignoring my comment. “You must be wondering what brought me to you two weeks before the trial date.”

I nodded.

“Well, I don’t know if you’re aware of the fact that the trial won’t be easy. George and his friends intend to make it as hard as possible for you.”

“What do you mean?”

He moved around on the sofa to adjust his bottom and said, “Well, they intend to show up in court en masse and make a lot of noise.” I waited for him to continue. “You know George. He’s a stubborn man; he won’t back down easily.”

“What does he have to back down about? I don’t understand what you mean.”

“He won’t let go of the opportunity to show you in a negative light.”

“Meaning?”

“He claims that you lured him to your home.”

“And how exactly does he say I did that?” I asked. The indifference of my tone covered up the anger that was boiling inside me.

“You asked him to come and fix your window.”

“So?”

“He claims you insisted that he be the one to perform the installation.”

“What?”

“He claims that he suggested sending one of his employees, but that you asked for him explicitly. He claims you tried to seduce him when he got to your house.”

“That I seduced him?”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This story was so grossly distorted, and this man was sitting in front of me making it sound like I was the one on trial.

“George claims that you complied with him and that if the neighbor hadn’t come in when she did, you would have continued in mutual consent.”

“I don’t believe it,” I mumbled. Dizziness hit me. My mouth was dry, so I got up to get myself a glass of water. The man is just trying to scare me. Calm down. There’s no way the facts could be distorted that much. Suddenly I was frightened. What if the judge believed this slanted story? What if the judge himself belongs

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