On the drive to downtown LA on Monday morning, we finally began discussing the case. Doug had put my mind at as much ease as possible as we headed toward the magnificent skyline. If you've ever seen the skyscrapers of Los Angeles in person or in movies, you will surely remember the tall, white, rounded building in the center. Doug's office was near the top floor.
He didn't park anywhere near it however. He pulled into this pay- per-day lot in a less than fashionable neighborhood many blocks away. Strange. Homeless people populated the streets. We started the long trek towards the ivory tower but suddenly Doug stopped to speak to an old man with a wind-weathered face, crouched against a building clutching a "mickey" of cheap "Thunderbird" wine in his dirty, gnarled hands. He simply asked this poor soul how he was doing and if he had anything to eat recently. The reply was incoherent and Doug just smiled and handed him 2 one-dollar bills. We walked onward.
As he repeated this gesture along our long route, even walking half a block out of our way to greet and hand yet another Homeless person a couple of bucks, I noticed Doug's right pocket was bulging with what could only be one dollar bills. I didn't ask him about this ritual, preferring to know that Doug just did this 2-buck thing every day.
Finally, and as if in another world altogether, we entered this stunning building and were soon going over the infinite details of our case in his impressive office.
Suffice it to say although this case was settled somewhat satisfactorily in the end run, this initial hearing did not go well. After the hearing and while Doug was in chambers with the judge and principle lawyers trying to negotiate a fair settlement, the other participants/all on the other side (some came with an entourage) gathered into the hallway. I made my way to each one of them and offered my apologies for having to have them and their clients involved. They all accepted. Even the defendant's high-powered father was understanding and exceptionally cordial. We started chatting about sports and he even made some off-the-record remarks about his arrogant offspring.
While this conversation was taking place, a loud voice angrily bounced off the marble walls, "So dad, you switching sides now? " My former musical friend was now in the hall, obviously witnessing his dad and myself acting civilly. I walked over and with a simple gesture of peace, offered my hand to him. It was readily and violently slapped away.
I am what I feel most would say, a peace-loving, passive human being. But having the physical sting of an assault like this brought the instinctual animal out in me, to defend, and I began to react accordingly . . . good thing for Dad who rushed to the scene and ushered his son back into the courtroom.
Doug soon emerged with the bad news that anything approximating a fair settlement was not going to happen this day. That disappointed me, but didn't seem to surprise my esteemed lawyer, as he assured me that we would need to apply more pressure in due course. Not a nice Business.
After our *tough day at the office*, Doug was soon digging back into his right pocket on our way back to the parking lot, even placing currency into the hands of some of the same indigents. I then came to the conclusion that they weren't all strangers.
We pulled in to get some gas just around the corner from the parking lot and were standing at the pumps when a disheveled fellow approached us. This time it was me who engaged him in conversation. He was a Vietnam veteran with a severe chip on his shoulder and he seemed to be glad just to have someone to listen.
As if by magic, penniless me turned to Doug, who, with a big smile had his arm outstretched with 2 dollar bills just dangling for me to take.
My thoughts immediately ran back to several months before when I encountered a homeless man begging on the downtown Detroit street that led to the tunnel to Canada when I was returning Home from a meeting with my Michigan attorney. I had a
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