Finding Myself

Chapter 8: Figuring Out Misunderstandings

I woke up that morning and my phone was blowing up.
The texts and calls weren't from Sierra, it was from the attorneys at my firm.
Mind you, the firm was closed.
They were sending me articles about a very important case that needed me.
A black, gay man was beaten nearly to death and when he retaliated, he hit the alleged attacker with a pipe, that was laying on the ground in an alley.
Now, the system is trying to convict him with attempted murder.
Tali came running in the room, "Liyah did you see this? You have to go take care of it!"
"I know, trust me. Can you do me a favor? Go get me one of my suits out of my closet and some shoes."
I took a shower, got dressed, grabbed my keys and rushed to the firm.
I pulled up and I didn't see Jay's car.
Good. I don't need any distractions. I thought.
I practically ran in the door and my assistant, Adrienne, handed me the information.
"I am so glad you came, Jay hasn't been picking up her phone."
"You know I got this, what's his name?"
"His name is Don, Don Williams. He had just left a gay bar and was attacked by a white man who bum-rushed him in an empty alley. While this man attacked him, he was yelling out racial and homophobic slurs. Don't even get me started on what he said to him."
"Jesus.. where is he?"
"He's in trial right now. He really needs someone to represent him. Allen is the judge."
"Fuck. I got this." I said, shaking my head.
Judge Allen was a hypocritical bastard.
He was racist as hell with a bad case of homophobia.
If I didn't get there fast, Don was going down.
"Adrienne, gather all of the information I need. I don't even need to prep for this, I have to go. NOW."
She gathered the information I needed, and I got in my car and raced to the courthouse.
As soon as I stepped in the courtroom, his name was called.
"Do you have anyone representing you, Mr. Williams?" Judge Allen said.
He already had an attitude.
"I will be representing Mr. Williams, your honor." I said, as I walked beside Don.
"Good to see you, Naaliyah. Long time no see." Judge Allen said with a smirk.
Here he go with this bullshit, I thought.
"Same to you, your honor."
It seems like Don already knew of me because he started smiling when I walked beside him.
I was a big name in the LGBTQ+ community in New York.
"So it looks like you tried to kill an innocent man in an alley, Mr. Williams." Judge Allen said.
Innocent?
Oh hell no.
See, among all of the articles that were sent to me, there were videos.
In the alley, there were video cameras everywhere. I guess the dumbass didn't know that.
"I beg your pardon, your honor, innocent? There were video cameras." I said.
"Well do you have the tape, Ms. Best? I don't need assumptions, I need proof." Allen said.
"As a matter of fact, I do."
Allen asked the deputy to grab the tape for me and he played it on the screen so the whole courtroom could see and hear.
It was excruciatingly horrifying to watch.
All you heard was: nigger, faggot, porch monkey, etc.
"Well, that was interesting." Judge Allen said, laughing.
Okay, that's enough. I've had e-fucking-nough.
"Interesting? No disrespect, your honor, let's keep our personal prejudices to ourselves. We are in courtroom." I said firmly.
"Well Ms. Best, if we are talking about personal prejudices, would you mind telling the court exactly why you are representing Mr. Williams?"
"Well, YOUR HONOR, it's because I am an attorney. I am simply doing my job." I said.
I was getting irritated.
VERY irritated.
"Your firm is currently closed for the week for the holidays, am I right?"
"Relevance?" I said.
"I just find it very interesting how you came out of your very comfortable bed to represent this man."
OKAY BITCH, YOUR POINT? I thought.
Keep it professional, Naaliyah.
"What is that supposed to mean, your honor?"
"You're an African-American woman who's also a lesbian, am I correct?"
Yeah, that's it.
"My personal life has nothing to do with my credibility to be able to represent Mr. Williams. Yes, I am a openly black lesbian. Yes sir, you are correct. But I am a very EDUCATED black, lesbian woman. Unlike you, I am a professional and I have a job to do and that job is to prevent judges like you from persecuting innocent young black men just because of their sexual preference. I have been very civilized with the way you handle cases, but trust me, the only thing keeping me from getting you OUT of office, is my professionalism and my respect for the system. If you don't mind, keep your uneducated, irrelevant, preferences to yourself. Mr. Williams is a human being at the end of the day, and people like you are the reason why this happened to him. I would HIGHLY appreciate if you would just sit in that damn chair and do your job before I make a couple of calls. And I promise you, ALLEN, you don't want me to do that."
"The charges are dismissed. Mr. Williams, you are free to go. We will take care of your attacker." Allen said, he looked embarrassed.
He banged the gavel.
Me and Don walked out of the courtroom, and he gave me the biggest hug I've ever received from a client.
"Thank you. You are amazing."
I smiled at him.
"The community has to stick together." I said.
"How much do I owe you?" he asked.
"You owe me nothing. Just go to the hospital and get yourself checked out."
"Thank you, Ms. Best."
"Take care of yourself, Don."
------------------------------------------------------
I went home and I checked my phone.
My case went viral.
Someone who was watching the case was recording.
Tali came over as soon as she found out.
"LIYAH! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU! YOU GOT JUDGE ALLEN IMPEACHED!"
"What? Really?" I asked.
I couldn't believe it.
I beat the biggest case of my career and got Judge Allen impeached just by speaking my mind.
I felt.. powerful.
"YES BABY! YOU DID IT!"
She hugged me.
"We have to celebrate tonight, for real."
"I think we can do that. Come back over at 9?" I said.
I was happy but I wasn't.
I was supposed to be celebrating with Tali and my girlfriend but I don't even know if she was mine anymore.
"Definitely. I love you girl," Tali said smiling at me.
"I love you more. Don't forget!"
"You know I won't!" she said as she walked out of the door.
I had everything in the world except the what I really needed, and that was Sierra.
An hour passed by and I texted Tali to ask her if I could take a rain check on tonight.
I wasn't ready to go back to the club.
It would remind me too much of Sisi.
She agreed and said: "I hope you feel better Liyah baby, I love you."
"I love you more. 💛"
I went to the guest room and grabbed an oversized shirt.
I put it on, took off my bra, and kept on my panties.
I poured me a glass of sparkling apple cider.
I didn't want to get drunk tonight.
I heard a knock at my door.
"Who is it?" I yelled.
No one said anything.
I grabbed my gun and walked to the door. I unlocked it and when I cracked the door I saw a pair of sexy ass black pumps.
I immediately put the gun down.
I opened it, and it was her.
"Hey beautiful."