A Charmed Life: Life's a Play!

This update was supposed to be out last week. But when I went to check on the Final Decision last week, for some reason, it was still not decided on. I was asked to go back this week.


I went to the Trial Court with my heart beating faster than normal.


Me: (Talking to a staff) I'd like to follow-up Case no. 0370

Staff: (Smiling) Ah, about the case of the dog bite??

Me: No, no.. Nothing to do with a dog bite. It was filed under SC. No. 0370. The last hearing was held a couple of weeks ago and I was told to come today to know the final verdict. It is about ____ vs. ____ .

Staff: Oh, that one! Wasn't that Case already dismissed??

Me: Dismissed??? Are you sure?

Staff: Well, let's see...

He stood up and proceeded to another table to search through piles of folders while humming a song. Those moments, while he took his time rummaging through stack of papers, took ages. Continuously, he mumbled, "Sc. No. 0370.. No. 0370...." in between his song...


At last, I saw him pull out a folder. He walked back towards where I was standing. He laid the folder on the table, opened it slowly and leafed through the pages. In my mind I was shouting "faster!"


From the folder he pulled out a stapled document, looked at it a bit, raised a bored eyebrow, then handed it to me, finally...

I took it, hurriedly thanked him and went out of the room to read it in one of the benches outside.


It is a long four-paged document. My hands a bit shaking, I patiently read all through it, page by page, word by word, without skipping to the final page. The first part summarized the circumstances of my complaint and my demand, I thought I was winning. But for the second part, it summarized the response and defense of the Defendant, I thought I'm gonna lose. The third part was the Judge's take on the matter. Finally, the last part is the conclusion, or Decision. I won the Lawsuit!