The Separation Seven

The Young Woman

The Young Man

The Attorneys

The Judge

As the young man and his attorney shook hands,

“You may not remember,” the wife’s attorney said,

“but we sat at the same table at your wedding.”

Although remembering the two attorneys

did sit at the same table

while attending their wedding,

however, now seeing them together

both the husband and wife felt something akin to betrayal.

Glancing at his watch,

“The judge will hear your separation petition shortly,”

The young man’s attorney said,

“and we’d like to talk to him before we get started,

so why don’t you kids relax and we’ll be right back.”

The young man went back to his place on the opposite wall

and young woman once again stared into space.

                                            ****

Opening the door,

the wife’s attorney motioned them to come inside.

Finding seats on opposite sides of the small courtroom,

the young man and young woman sat.

He’d been to traffic court twice.

She, though, had never

and was surprised and embarrassed

to see there were

fifteen or twenty scattered spectators

that would hear their motion for separation

and the reasons for separation that

with each passing day seemed less important.

“The court will stand,” the bailiff said.

“The Honourable Charles A. Bankston presiding.”

The judge, taking his seat at the bench…

“The court may be seated.”

Their names called by the bailiff

Oh, God! The young woman thought

Oh, God! The young man thought.

Rising, going beyond the banister,

sitting on either side of their respective attorneys,

the husband and wife took seats behind the long table.

The judge, a white-haired man in his early sixties,

seemed to be taking an inordinate amount of time

studying the file before him…

Until,

“You two!”

pointing first at the young man

then at the young woman,

“come with me!”

Standing, the judge came from behind the bench and,

with a flurry of his black robe,

went through the door into his chamber.

To be continued

©November 5, 2011 / Mark M. Lichterman