Althea

ALTHEA GUEVARRA

Attorney-at-Law

This sign posted at the front door of the office, embossed in bold letters, is the first thing that will greet anyone who would require the legal services of Althea Guevarra.

According to a quote from an article of a renowned business magazine, "Althea Guevarra is one of the best litigators in the country. She is mainly recognized by the public as The Slayer - not backing down from a courtroom squabble. No matter how austere the case may be, somehow, Ms. Gueverra manages to emerge. She's a tough one to beat."

Althea Guevarra, the renowned pro-bono lawyer/activist, who's responsible for winning criminal cases against some of the most notorious syndicates and political figures in the country, is now standing in front of her office clenching her jaw and staring blankly at her name plastered against the door.

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the cold surface of the signage, tightly squeezing the doorknob. 

Althea took a deep breath.

*Thud*

Lightly pounding her head against the embossed letters of her name, Althea is trying, to the best of her abilities, to calm herself and wipe out, from her memories, the series of events that happened inside the courtroom just this morning.

*Thud*

Faint thuds are heard along the corridors of a dark, empty floor.

You are a worthless piece of shit! Voices from the past began to creep.

"I am a worthless piece of shit," Althea echoed under her breath.

*Thud*

You are a disgrace to our family's name. You don't belong here! Foreboding utterances that were buried somewhere deep are resurfacing, getting louder and louder.

"I am a disgrace. I don't belong." Althea tightened her grip on the doorknob, banging her head harder on the door.

*Thud*

"I'm sorry, Althea. Pero hindi na namin kayang makipag-sapalaran." Mrs. Salazar's words randomly permeated inside Althea's head, interrupting the surge of agonizing memories from her distant past.

The banging stopped.

Tears started to flow from Althea's sunken eyes.

"Althea, nahihirapan na kami. Hindi na kami nakakatulog o nakakakain ng maayos. Hating-gabi may tumatawag sa bahay namin at pinagbabantaan kami. Kahit sa burol ni Ralph, may umaaligid na mga hindi namin kilala." Mrs. Mendoza confessed.

"Pero tinatakot lang kayo ng kabilang kampo para iurong ninyo ang demanda laban sa mga inaakusahan." Althea beseeched.

"Althea, dinadamay na nila pati yung ibang mahal namin sa buhay." Mrs. Salazar explained in a grievous tone.

"You know you're winning when threats are coming in." Althea rationalized, holding on to her wits while consoling the bereaved family of the victims.

"Listen to me," Althea continued, clasping the hands of the mothers, looking at them simultaneously, "hindi sila gagawa ng kahit anong karahasan laban sainyo o ka –"

"Sa ngayon." Mrs. Mendoza interjected. "Hindi sila gagawa ng kahit anong karahasan sa amin o sa pamilya namin...sa ngayon. Pero paano na sa mga susunod na araw? Althea, can you promise us that you can win this case and that our families will be safe?"

Althea's eyes narrowed. She's sure she can win this. She's that confident. But you can never give false assurances to a grieving family.

"No." Althea answered with a despondent voice. "But I promise you that I will do my best to win this. I will give everything I've got because I am angry that this happened...and this should make the both of you angry as well."

Mrs. Salazar took Althea's hand between hers and gave Althea a sympathetic smile. Seeing Althea with that determined, unswerving look makes it even more difficult to turn her down. But everything has gone out-of-hand.

"Althea, we know the extent that you have to go through with this trial. And we appreciate everything you did...but we are not as fearless as you. We cannot afford to lose other members of the family just because we continued a fight that you, yourself, cannot assure we'll win." Mrs. Salazar reasoned, her voice daunted.

Althea did not budge, feeling disheartened of the situation.

"Althea, we have reached an agreement..." Mrs. Mendoza trails off.

"Ahhhhh!" Althea punched the concrete wall beside the door with her right hand, her cry reverberated along the corridors of the entire floor.

She punched it again feeling nothing but rage, exasperation, and defeat.

And again.

The streaming of tears from her eyes is incessant.

And again.

Althea's knuckles scraped against the wall's mildly rough exterior.

And again.

She didn't notice that blood stains are already visible on that part of the wall. She just wanted to numb the pain.

And again.

"Ma'am, ok lang kayo?" A timid voice spoke from behind.

Althea stopped, breathing deep and sharp. She slowly opened her throbbing hand and stared at her swollen, bleeding knuckles.

"Blood." She muttered under her breath.

"Ma'am?"

Althea did not respond. Her silence was disturbing.

The janitor took a step forward.

"Mang Kiko," Althea spoke in a dreary voice, "ok lang ako." She replied still staring at her blood-stained knuckles.

She did not bother to look behind her. She can't let anyone see how distraught she was. "Medyo nagkaka-problema lang sa pintuan. Bakit andito pa po kayo?"

Mang Kiko answered with a calm but hesitant voice, "Na-Nakalimutan ko po kasing linisan itong pasilyong to kaya binalikan ko."

At this ungodly hour, she was not really expecting anyone to be around.

Somehow, Althea was thankful that it was the janitor who saw her like this. Others tend to speculate. In his eight years of service, Mang Kiko is considered as a trustworthy man. What he sees, he never tells. Or so she thought.

Even though he's standing from afar, Mang Kiko saw that Althea's right hand is bleeding. He knows something is wrong...again. But he dare not pry. "Sige po ma'am, maiwan ko na po kayo."

Althea did not reply. She's just too upset to talk to anyone. She took her keys from her pocket and unlocked the door.

Stepping inside her dim, shabby office, Althea closed the door behind her and did not bother switching the lights on. Faint streaks of light gleaming from outside her window is enough to provide luminescence to certain areas in the office.

Althea loved the dark. There was something obscure yet comforting about it.

She went directly to her desk, opened the bottom-most drawer and took out a bottle of Absolut Vodka and three boxes of almond-coated Pepero. She twisted the cap, drank directly from the bottle then stripped open a box of Pepero.

Althea gazed out the window. The moon was nowhere to be found. The stars are MIA too.

Mukhang uulan, Althea smiled at her prediction.

Munching in a couple of Pepero sticks, something caught Althea's attention.

A box labeled as "Evidence" was sitting in the corner of the filing cabinet. She approached the box and looked inside it, scanning its contents, her hands flicking through the documents.

Halfway, Althea stopped and fished out a DVD wrapped in plastic.

It was marked: Salazar-Mendoza Case# 378.

Althea turned on her TV and slid the disk inside the DVD player, pressing the "Play" button.

---

Jade

"Congratulations!" Tanya exclaimed, popping a bottle of champagne and pouring at three champagne flutes, giving one to Charles and the other to Jade.

"Thank you for staying around. I know that you all have somewhere else to be but you chose to stay for this, may I say, victorious announcement." Tanya affirmed, gazing at everyone inside the conference room.

"As of 5:32 pm, Mr. Rutherford has officially signed all of his accounts to us. We are now the primary law firm who will handle all of his businesses in ten regions within the country."

Men and women in suits holding their own champagne glasses applauded and cheered at the good news.

"This is a team effort. Everyone contributed for this to happen but I would like to mainly commend Ms. Jade Tanchingco for making this possible." Tanya smiled at Jade. "With that, a toast for more accounts to come and for the continuous success of this law firm. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone chorused raising their glasses, having triumphant smiles painted on their faces.

"Dinner is served in the cafeteria. Please, help yourselves. This is a celebration!" Charles announced.

Everyone went out of the conference room with their "hoorays" and their "yahoos". Except for Jade. She sat there at the round-table looking at her champagne flute, trailing her fingers around its edges.

I can't believe it. We won a 10-million lawsuit. And I am the lead litigator of the case. Just when I thought my luck has died down. Jade beamed a smile, feeling satisfied with today's trial.

Mr. Sam Rutherford, the man behind the leading oil and gas company in the country, having a total of 1.3 billion in assets, and acquiring a reputation of being lady's man, is suing a network company for right to publicity.

One of the network's prime time shows aired a character that's similar to Mr. Rutherford's identity, characteristics and status quo yet failing on getting authorization from him.

"Objection, your honor. That show was transformative in its artistic sense which is why it is impervious to any sort of publicity right claimed by Mr. Rutherford." Mr. Santos, the lawyer from the opposing team, stood up from his seat.

"Sustained. Counsel doing the questioning," referring to Jade, "please be reminded that the Supreme Court stands firm for non-commercial, non-profitable artistic expression."

Jade acknowledged and said, "Thank you for that clarification, your honor."

"You may continue, counsel." The judge addressed Jade.

Jade turned to the witness. "Ms. Santiago, what are product placements?"

"Objection! Relevance?" Mr. Santos stood up again.

"I am also interested to know what product placements are. So I think I have to overrule your objection." The judge spoke, turning to the witness. "Ms. Santiago, please answer the question."

Ms. Santiago cleared her throat and responded, "It's when companies or businesses place their products in shows or movies, mainly for the purpose of advertisement."

"Right. So, in that particular show where Mr. Rutherford's name and image were dragged, how many companies pledged their products to be included?" Jade asked in a scrutinizing voice.

"18." The witness answered.

"Wow, that's a lot of artistic expression. And how many products were placed by these 18 companies in the show?" Jade ridiculed.

"All in all? 28." Answered the witness.

"28? Goodness! And then I thought this show was made purely for artistic, non-profit purposes." Jade commented sarcastically.

"Your honor," Mr. Santos interrupted, "our team would like to request for a five-minute break." He paused, somehow hesitating, but continued, "We'd like to discuss a settlement with Ms. Tanchingco's team."

Jade grinned at her recollection.

"Jade," Charles was standing at the door of the conference room, "can you drop by my office? We need to talk."

"S-Sure, Charles. I'll be right with you. Just give me a sec."Jade responded, her heart instantaneously raced.

Talk about what? What did I do this time? Jade speculated inside her mind.

She emptied her glass and left the conference room.

Fuck it.

On the way to Charles' office, people are greeting and complimenting Jade for her success.

"Jade! Way to go!"

"Congrats, Jade. Keep it up!"

"Jade, you were amazing in court."

"Hey, Jade. The girls and I are wondering if we can hang out sometime."

Jade let out a courteous smile and thanked everyone she met along the corridor who praised and congratulated her. All the while thinking...

Who's that again?

I think she's the one from finance.

Is his name Carl or Chris?

Now she's talking to me?

In her five months of working in this firm, this was the first time that people noticed her for something good. Now, she mattered. Most of the time, they would just talk behind her back or make snarky comments about her.

During her third month, Jade did something in court that made everyone remember her as the girl who froze. In the middle of her closing argument, she just stood there in front of everyone, stuttering, trying to remember her speech. Jade completely blacked out. The judge, the opposing side, and everyone inside the courtroom were eyeing at her.

Tanya, most especially, was growling under her breath the entire time. Jade could never forget Tanya's face that day. Her temper and appearance was similar to a fire-breathing dragon, only scarier and way more intense. Her anger cannot be pacified.

Tanya was right, that day was a total fiasco.

It will never happen again, Jade swore to herself.

As she stood outside Charles' office, Jade's knees were shaking and her heart was pounding furiously inside her chest. Jade's feeling a bit apprehensive.

Two knocks were made on the door.

"Come in."

"Hi, Charles." Jade spoke, her palms were cold and clammy, her breathing unstable.

"Hi, Jade. Come in. Please close the door."

Okay. Charles seldom asks his door to be closed. The request bothered Jade so much that she started to expect some sort of apology for termination.

"Please sit down."

"Thank you." Jade sat down, trying to compose herself and her nerves.

This feels like a date...a date with an executioner waiting for a huge manslaughter. Jade rambled inside her head.

"Product placement. Very smart, Jade. If we can't win by character defamation, then win it by rights to publicity." Charles enunciated, giving Jade a wide, satisfying grin.

"Mr. Rutherford called me awhile ago saying how pleased he was with how you handled his case. His exact words were –fierce, smart, and an invaluable asset to the company." Charles paused allowing Jade to digest the compliments that he just disclosed.

Jade, on the other hand, got really confused. Okay, so this is not about kicking me out.

Charles noticed that Jade was a bit uneasy. He narrowed his eyes and continued, "Now, judging by what we've talked about, I can say that he's very much impressed. And so were Tanya and I."

I am waiting for the "but" or "unfortunately". Jade was now tapping the edge of the arm chair with her fidgety fingers.

"As you are well-aware, there is only one slot for the first year associate position.Your annual assessment will determine your permanence in our firm..."

Jade is now gripping the arm chair and holding her breath, her heart beating erratically.

Charles pulled his top drawer and took out an envelope, handing it to Jade. "Open it."

Jade tightened her lips, looking steadily at the white A4 envelope resting in front of her.

"Jade, I don't have all night. Open it." Charles insisted.

She took a deep breath and reached out to take the envelope. Jade took out some documents and started reading.

This can't be. Jade's eyes widened. Her attention was pinned on the highlighted parts of the first page.

...no longer under probationary...

...now part of our firm...

...permanent position...

...first year associate...

"I'm...hired? Permanently hired?" Jade spoke dumbfounded by the letter. "But..."

"I know what you're going to say. And the answer is no." Charles interrupted. "No, Jade, we didn't just base your status on what happened today. Although it's a plus, the partners have decided that the position is apt. We have seen you grow as an individual and as a litigator and we are impressed at how you handled yourself. And no matter how short your months of internship are, it no longer matters. Your dedication and performance is enough to prove your worth to this company." Charles asserted.

"I...I don't know what to say." Jade staggered.

I wanna jump for joy. I wanna run around the office and brag about this. I wanna slap this envelope to everyone who has second-guessed my abilities as a lawyer. Jade mused, her mind filled with happy, bragging hormones.

"Well, you can start by saying thank you."

Jade stuttered and spoke in trembling voice, smiling shyly, "Thank you."

Charles stood up and extended a hand, gesturing for a handshake. Jade also stood up and shook Charles' hand.

Charles released Jade's hand and spoke, "You can keep the envelope. Read the terms. Drop by HR first thing in the morning so that they can provide you with the details of your employment."

"Thank you. This means a lot to me."Jade muttered.

"You're welcome. That's all there is then. Please close the door on your way out."

"Will do. Thanks again, Charles." Jade turned around and walked towards the door.

"Oh Jade, I almost forgot." Charles spoke stopping Jade from her tracks. "Don't be late for tomorrow's meeting. It's at nine."

Jade's eyes narrowed, confused at what Charles was talking about.

"What meeting?"

"The one with your parents."

Oh, THAT meeting. Jade rolled her eyes.

---

Batchi

"Is this seat taken?" Asked a man's voice.

Batchi, who's sulking by the bar, consuming her second glass of gin and tonic, didn't bother to look behind. She knows to whom the voice belongs to.

The seat had a black paper bag sitting on it. Batchi didn't want to remove it; she didn't want the man to sit beside her.

She wanted to answer "Yes" to the man's question but she thought that the encounter is inevitable so she replied, "No."

She removed the paper bag from the seat and placed it on the floor then gestured at the bartender for another round of what she's drinking.

"Heard your clients settled." The man spoke, sitting beside Batchi.

"I'm not supposed to discuss anything with you." Batchi answered, the displeasure in her voice apparent. The bartender served her another round of liquor.

"It's all over the news." The man turned to the bartender and requested for a drink. "I'll have whatever she's having."

Batchi remained silent and focused on finishing her glass.

"The boss is unhappy about this."

The bartender arrived and gave the stranger his drink.

"I don't fucking care what your boss thinks." Batchi wished that the man beside her would just zip it.

The stranger finished his drink in one gulp and spoke in a threatening way, "Well, you should." He stood up and slipped some cash on the counter.

The stranger clutched on to Batchi's shoulder and whispered, "Expect a call from him any minute now."

The stranger patted Batchi's shoulder twice then left.

Batchi didn't move. She wanted to throw the glass she's holding, gripping it tightly. She clenched her teeth and finished what's left of her drink. As she was about to order another round, her phone rang.

Batchi answered on the first buzz, "Boss," her hands shaky. She listened attentively to