i had hoped to get through my first semester at the office of legal aid without much brouhaha. after all, i was your so-so law student. i definitely didn't shine, unlike my peers, and teachers would probably squint when i go up to them in the future, as if trying to place where and when they met me in their classes. i didn't hope to change the world, especially not when i squeak in fright at the thought of being the same room as prisoners.

but then, with only two of the six required compliances under my belt, i had to do some rethinking. and that included saying "yes" to a classmate who asked if i'd be willing to conduct the cross-examination at yesterday's hearing.

it was a criminal case, a homicide case at that, but going through the files, i felt pretty confident i could swing it. i spent a good part of the evening reading through year's worth of transcripts trying to get a clearer view of the case. i wrote my notes down in green ink (my own little tribute to mac c.) and conferred with the law intern in charge of the case regarding our strategy the following day.

in my trusty suit, non-pointy but nonetheless sexy shoes, and power bag, i thought i had my bases covered.

except my fellow law intern forgot to share with me one tiny detail: that the judge assigned to rtc br 121 happened to be adoracion angeles.

*pause*

THE adoracion angeles who sent a couple of sweet old men to prison for soliciting without the necessary permit.

the ADORACION angeles who allegedly bitch-slapped her surrogate daughter.

the adoracion ANGELES who didn't get to the court of appeals because of a couple of cases currently filed against her.

i was lucky. she was having a good day. while that simply meant that she didn't shout at me for moments of incompetence, it also meant that i finally passed the halfway mark in compliances without so much as losing a limb.

but then, thinking long term, it also means another thing: that i will never EVER ever even begin to think i'd take on a case that will involve me being in caloocan city.

not even if it means never being able to afford my first jimmy choo shoes.