Occlusions

cclusions or blockages, literally and figuratively, stalled any further progress in the spring of 2005. My feathered friend's attempt to deny that we'd encountered and his duties out on the West coast meant that I'd be forced to wait ninety or more days before I could make contact by phone at his institution. In the meantime, the civil process against DF and KMC suffered a catastrophic blow. My attorney fell victim to a massive heart attack one week prior to our court hearing, and I scurried to make sure that the judge approved a temporary stay of the case on the docket until such time that he could regain strength to resume work. More delays, more waiting, more hurdles to overcome.

Entering now the sixth month without income, but still only midway to wrapping up all of the affairs of my former company, I survived on the little funds I had at hand. Liquidating some of my assets could derive a comfortable cushion to finance my costs of living for some time, but finalising the dissolution of corporate affairs precluded any sale and the demands placed upon me to do so precluded actively pursuing other employment options. I was to remain to conclude the wrapping up, or else it would not be done. The rest of the shareholders had scattered like ants, once the end of our business was imminent. As our corporate counsel so aptly termed it, the shareholders usually elect someone to do the "honours" and to be the designated "fuckee"! Yes, that was me!

I still hadn't received an endorsed quitclaim on my home, (DF had not complied with Court mandate), yet my attorney was unavailable until he'd been released for work by his attending physicians. I couldn't afford to take on additional counsel, so I would be forced to press on and squeak by until selling something would be possible, and hopefully sooner rather than later that year. I reduced my day-to-day costs of living to the barest of minimum, cancelling anything not absolutely essential to existence: cable television; land line; landscaping; entertainment; gas service for hot water etc. Anything I could survive without was eliminated. My daily routine involved going to my office and preparing one meal a day upon my return to an uninviting and quiet home. That was it. Well, except for wading through legal textbooks, familiarising myself with legal and court procedure and arming myself, sufficiently, to go the distance alone, "pro per", if it would become necessary.

This interruption in any legal development also appeared to encourage more curiosity by dynamic duo. Knowing that nothing untoward could occur while my counsel was recuperating or at least there'd be less chance of anyone making legal issue of it, DF and KMC made a couple of nasty phone calls and an unannounced visit to my office. It was the first time since filing the lawsuit that we'd had a personal encounter. The term "schadenfreude" comes to mind. It refers to individuals that gain some sort of satisfaction witnessing another's misfortune. In retrospect, their visit could have been out of curiosity and interest to gloat at me. By this time, I had been numbed by all of the horrible disappointments of the past few years. I stood motionless, completely expressionless and silently at the door to my building, and waited until they'd had their fill and went on their way.

"Think'st thou there are no serpents in the world, but those who slide along the grassy sod, and sting the luckless foot that presses them? There are who in the path of social life, do bask their spotted skins in fortune's sun, and sting the soul." ~ J. Baillie