Mad Woman

The seat was cold and hard; the wood was worn where others before me had taken the stand. The weight of the eyes on me was suffocating, all these people here and I didn’t know a single one, but they all knew me.

“Miss, do you know why you are here today?” The prosecutor approached me with a sny smirk as if to say, ‘I’ve got you,’ and yet we haven't even started.

“No, actually I don't know why I am here, do you?” I snarked, I didn’t have time for this nonsense, there was no reason for me to be in this courtroom right now, I had better things to do.

“Oh my, are you angry?” He looked at the jury, scoffing as he asked me this question.

I rolled my eyes and huffed, “No, not particularly.”

“Oh, okay, because you seem angry.” He said again, what was this guy's deal? I started to clench my fists.

“I’m sorry. Do you have an actual question, or can I leave now?” I snapped. He smiled again, now leaning against the desk as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“You are being accused of being a mad woman. Do you agree with this statement?” was he serious right now? I was on trial for this? How can you even take someone to court for this?

“Excuse me?” I could feel the heat behind my eyes.

“How does that make you feel? Does it make you upset?” He pressed again.

I turned away from him for a moment suppressing my urge to yell or snap, I couldn’t let him win. “Can you please stop asking me if I’m angry? When you say, I seem angry, yes I get more angry, huh, who would have thought?” I asked in an almost monotone way, I had to hide my feelings from him, from everyone here. I could see my lawyer covering his eyes with his hands, why wasn’t he objecting to any of this? This was clearly badgering the witness.

“Oh so it’s only when people talk about you being angry that you turn mad? Is that so? What about in the office, when you yelled at Mr. Bedeuten after he asked you a simple question?”

“That wasn’t a simple question, he asked me bend over and pick up the mug that he dropped. He had illintentions with this request, and needed to be put in his place.”

“And is that your job there? To put the men you work with in their place?”

“Well, no, but some-” He didn’t even let me finish my sentence before he interjected.

“Ah ha! So, it isn’t your job, and yet you feel the need to do it anyway? Why is that? Because whether you’ll admit it or not, you are MAD.” He walked around the court like he was a boxer in an arena, arms up in triumph, and yet we had only begun.

“Let me ask you this, does a scorpion sting when fighting back? What did he expect I would say to that? It was crude and unacceptable.” I could the blood rush into my cheeks.

“Oh please, just because you took it in a crude way doesn’t mean it was meant to be, perhaps you should reevaluate your understanding of the vocabulary your coworkers use.” He brushed me off and continued walking towards his table for a glass of water.

“Excuse me? What did you just stay to me,” My voice began to raise.

“Huh, women right? I can’t believe she doesn’t get it. He lifted the class to his lips what a smile, and continued to have his back towards me, I hate being ignored, how dare he ignore me like this, after all I;ve done for this company, all I’ve achieved, this is how im being treated? Absolutely not. I stood and grabbed the gavel from thejudges stand and threw it at the lawyer's head. It connected with a thump, the lawyer was visibly stunned, dropping his glass to the floor, which created the most beautiful shattering sound. He slowly turned and looked at me.

“You WILL look at me when I speak to you, and you will NOT continue to patronize me, or call me mad in front of my peers.” I stood strong, glaring at him, not losing his eyes for a second, he did the same.

“Ah, see,” he began pointing at me and shaking his hand, “there it is. There’s nothing like a mad woman, people, we can’t have someone like her out in the world, and certainly not working for a company as big as the one she is currently at. I have evidence to show this woman displays madness in every sense of the word everywhere she goes, just like you witnessed here in this courtroom; I mean, even in a legal setting, she can’t keep it together!” he was putting on quite a show at this point, dancing around the courtroom like a Russian ballerina, each step more so precisely timed to add emphasis to what he was saying.

“Well, you’ll just poke that bear til her claws come out, won’t you? Is this what you find joyous about your job?” I looked at him in amazement, “I don’t know what you men expect from us nowadays. what did you think I’d say to that? You continuously mock me and badger me in front of everyone in this room and expect me to take it lying down? Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy, wouldn't you react the same way? All of you would,” I spoke to the whole room now, I looked at every one of the jury, as I did some looked to the side, others smiled in agreement, others shifted in their seats uncomfortably. Yet they all did one thing the same, they all remained silent. Not a single one of them said anything to defend me. I pleaded with the jury to understand, but as I looked, I knew they wouldn’t; not a single one looked like me; none of them would understand, and even if one of them did, they’d be driven to submission by the others. It began to sink in that I would not be winning this case.

*****

I filled the box with my things, combing through each and every