Marlene

[adams house cat]

When I first entered this profession in the US I was in Virginia. Being relatively inexperienced and young(ish) I got the fairly minor cases, not the blockbusters that made the TV or the papers. Thus it was that I got to know Marlene.

Marlene was one of Winchester's soiled angels. Attractive, intelligent and fiercely independent she went about her business, for business it was, without giving a good goddam for what anyone else thought. "People pay for your skills." she said to me once "Why shouldn't they pay for mine?" Hmm. Food for thought there.

So, Marlene was arrested again and brought before the Court charged with prostitution and I was assigned to her defense. I had defended her before and, truthfully, I kinda liked her. I liked her spirit and her sass and her honesty ("If they was getting some at home, I'd be out of work" was a favorite aphorism). We duly turned up at the Courthouse at 8.00 am on Thursday.

The judge was old Dave Simpson. Dave had retired years ago but was called back sometimes to sub. He was so old that the rumor was that he been appointed to the bench by Jefferson Davis and been forgotten during the chaos of Reconstruction. So he stayed. He was a good judge, fair by his own lights but with one unfortunate habit. He liked to unload a homily or two, or three. "You must get your life in order, young man." he would intone to a well of indifference. Not that he cared. He probably didn't notice.

Marlene's case is called and we approach.

"Do I have a plea?'

Before I could open my mouth "Yes Judge. (It came out 'Jedge')"

"Let your attorney speak Miss. Mr., er, Kelly?"

"It's Currie your Honor."

"Yes Mr. Curly. The plea?"

"Guilty, your Honor". I practically bellowed at him. Deaf as a brick.

"Guilty, um? Has your attorney explained to you...?'

"He done all that Jedge."

"Um. Well, before I pass sentence..."

I knew what was coming. Another fucking homily.

"What you need to do, young lady..." I felt Marlene beside me begin to quiver. I dug her in the ribs.

"... is get you life straightened out." Marlene's vibrations grew more pronounced.

"Shut up!" I hissed at Marlene. I could have used a bullhorn. "Don't say anything!"

Old Dave continued to drone "If you continue like this..."

Marlene had heard enough. "Jedge." What could I do short of hitting her on the head with a copy of the Bar Journal? "If I can't sell it I'm going to sit on it. I ain't givin' it away."

The courtroom dissolved into laughter. Old Dave, looking more sepulchral than ever, grasp his pacemaker, brought the gavel down and declared a ten minute recess.

"Do you know what you've just done?" I said to Marlene. "He's going to send you to jail."

"Don't care. I have to put up with old fucks like him on my back. Damned if I'm gonna take it standing up."

At this point Old Dave came back and called the Court to order. "I'm going to fine you $50 young lady. I don't want to see you in my Court again. Can you pay the fine?'

Marlene was about to say something but I drowned her out. "Yes Judge."

I hustled her out of the courtroom and into the clerk's office to pay. She peeled off a $50 bill, and got the receipt. She turned to me. "Thanks Honeychile." (I swear) and swayed out of the building.

[Patrick Thistle]

She sounds amazing.

And a bit like Patti the Daytime Hooker in 'My Name is Earl'.

(Great storytelling again btw)

[Bored Of Education]

Excellent stuff right down to her name and, as PT suggests, her comedy series demeanour. Through my - purely professional* - experiences with practitioners of the oldest profession, they have covered the gamut of characteristics, sometimes all in the same person - likeable, vile, tragic, hard as nails, intelligent, naive, mothers, sad, happy. One of them, perhaps, kind of fitted the "Pretty Woman" lifestyle almost but most of them eked out a reasonable to pretty poor living and, of course, some of them are prematurely dead now - almost exclusively through drugs. I am not sure that any here get regularly arrested. The British legal system does seem, from an inexpert eye, does seem to try and punish the pimps/drug dealers (almost always the same person) rather than the girls themselves and, although we don't do legalised prostitution here, blind eyes are turned, for the better

*I suppose pretty much every experience is purely professional.

[adams house cat]

I have come into contact with a few over the years. Marlene was very unusual in having a demeanor that was not defensive. Many were hard as nails, understandable and no doubt there were sad or tragic lives behind it all but I never, ever, heard one complain about their lifestyle. Their clients, yes, and the unfair system that castigates and prosecutes them for providing a service.

I never met a venal one or a vengeful one. Many were fun to deal with (!). "C'mon Honey. Let's get this over with. Just another fifty bucks I won't have this afternoon." That sort of attitude.

They used to hang out in a bar on S. Braddock. A pretty rough joint. I went in there one evening looking for a witness I needed. "Hey! Here's that English guy!. He's my lawyer."

"Mine too."

"Yeah? Hey counselor! You wanna beer?"

"No thanks. Working."

"So am I." Laughter.

And so on.

Marlene, incidentally, was her "stage" name.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Marvelous story, superbly told ahc!

[San Bernardhinault]

The opening story could be straight out of Armistead Maupin (if he'd decided to write about where he grew up rather than where he lived).

[adams house cat]

Sorry SB. Showing my ignorance again. Who be Armistead Maupin?

[San Bernardhinault]

He wrote the Tales Of The City stories that were first published in the SF Chronicle, and then collected in book form under the same name. I think they started in the late 70s, and chronicled the lives of various parts of SF subcultures.

[ursus arctos]

They started in 1978.

I arrived in late 1980 and was immediately captivated by Maupin’s tales, which were a remarkable portrait of a very particular time and place.

[adams house cat]

Will have to investigate that. I now have him and Bill Bryson to explore.

[ursus arctos]

Bryson has a much greater range.

Maupin can be very entertaining, but it really helps if you were there.

[Furtho]

Another hat tip for your story-telling skills, AHC.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

That story is glorious.

[Moonlight Shadow]

Splendid stuff, even read it aloud to my glw....

[Femme Folle]

I read it aloud to my dog and cats. We all enjoy a good yarn.

[adams house cat]

You are all so very kind.

glw MS?

[Femme Folle]

Yes, GLW. She's lovely too--so well-suited to MS. I couldn't be happier for them.

But I'll let him tell you about it.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Brilliant stories, beautifully told.

I am reading the thread title in Boycey's voice, though.

[Furtho]

AHC, GLW means Good Lady Wife.

[adams house cat]

Ah! Thank you. Not seen that acronym before.

2,000th post. Small beer compared to many but pleased to reach it.

[Moonlight Shadow]

I think the acronym was started here, many years ago actually! Well, possibly...

Cheers FF...

[Lang Spoon]

As far as I can see AHC, every one is thoughtful, funny, informative in some way. You’re a lesson to those of us with more ahem prolix tendencies.

[Jon]

Congratulations ahc, on such a finely told story and on reaching your 2000th post. And another recommendation for armistead maupin.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Ahc, you are definitely a great addition to OTF.

As for the Glw. I'm exposed to the man in question's facebook. She is obviously very good for him.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

It took him a while, but he eventually found someone prepared to go on a first date on the top of a mountain. It might seem like an odd stipulation, but that's where he likes to spend most of his time, and it's important that she be on board with this from the beginning.