December 14, 2007
Stanley Mosk Courthouse
111 N. Hill Street
Los Angeles, California
Lani and I go to Room 228, the Custody Evaluation Office. I give my declaration to Dina to give to Dr. Dupée. I am going to sign-in but Dina doesn’t let me because that is for appointments only. Lani is the first on the sign-in list. Dina tells her to put 8:15.
We are nervous. Lani is shaking. Lani goes down to the children’s waiting room to look around. I go to take the Snogard Revlis (Homeschool) packet upstairs to Department 63.
I get there just as Officer Bryant is opening the door. I try to hand Officer Bryant the envelope, but he won’t take it. He tells me to hand it to the Clerk. I go to the right, to the guy at the desk. He is a little weenie to me. I tell him I just want to drop the envelope off, but he is like, ‘What is this for? Who is it for?’ and blah blah blah…. Officer Bryant tells me that the weenie guy isn’t the Clerk. I go to walk to the Clerk, but the guy, Fernando Corona, comes out from behind his desk and is coming towards me. ‘I need to give this to the Clerk to give to the judge I tell him.’
‘Well, the Judge isn’t going to read anything,’ Fernando says.
‘Can I please leave this here? They are documents that the Judge needs to see,’ I tell him. I keep insisting. I am kind of through with him, but he is still there. He won’t leave.
Finally, he says to me, ‘Okay, I’ll take them.’
When he takes the envelope, I say, ‘Thank you Fernando.’ He turns bright red and smiles. When I am leaving, I say, ‘Thank you guys.’ I go back down to where Lani and Steve are, by Room 228.
We see Harriet and Theodore. At first I don’t recognize Theo because of his haircut. It is very nice to see them, but not to see them with Harold. Lani goes to them. In the hallway Harriet is walking towards Lani. Harriet doesn’t look good. She looks like she is going to cry. Lani picks Harriet up and then Theo. Lani is carrying both of them. They have a big hug. Steve and I stay back and watch. I don’t want to interrupt the moment. Most of the people in the hallway are looking, even the lawyers. It is such a pretty sight. I can’t hear anything around me. Everyone’s face is like in awe, except for Harold’s.
Harold has an asshole face while looking at Theodore, Harriet, and Lani. His face is red and his ass is burning with jealousy. If only I had brought my camera. It is very emotional. Then they come close to Steve and me. We all have a big hug. Harriet says, ‘Daddy!’ to Steve (I know Harold hears this) and then she says, ‘Veronica!’ Theo says, ‘Hi Veronica’ to me.
When Harold is taking Harriet and Theodore to the interview room, Theo looks back at Lani and waves and mouths ‘Mama’ to her. That breaks my heart. Dr. Dupée comes out of the room and says, ‘Hi kids!’ with a SUPER phony face and tone of voice. When the kids go in, Steve says, ‘What about their lawyer? Isn’t the children’s counsel supposed to be here?’ Dr. Dupée ignores him.
After Harriet and Theodore go into the room, we go to the 9th floor cafeteria. Steve and Lani smoke. I chew gum. When we come back down to the second floor outside the interview room, we see Harold. We sit on the bench next to the one he is sitting on. He is reading a book and chewing gum. Lani stands up and goes and sits on the bench right across from Harold. Harold then gets up and walks away.
While I’m here at Family Court I see a lot of girls with Coach purses who walk like ducks and swear they are hot when they are not. You see all kinds of things/people.
While we are there, it is like a sign, there is a lawyer in the hall saying to a guy, ‘You have to be stupid to go to family court without a lawyer, ESPECIALLY when the other side has a lawyer. You NEED to get a lawyer! You should have had a lawyer before today. It’s much more expensive to do it after than before. Don’t even go in there without a lawyer.’
We are like, ‘Whoa. There it is in our face.’ Steve goes to get Lani a coffee. Steve goes around the corner. Harold is sitting around the corner. I take a peek and, of course, Harold is looking at Steve. I then take another peek and, of course, Harold is STILL looking at Steve walk down the hall. It’s very obvious that Harold hates Steve.
Dr. Dupée comes out of the interview room and asks what time is the hearing and talks about wanting to have lunch at twelve o’clock, because after twelve o’clock it’s (she makes gestures with her hands indicating chaos). Dr. Dupée is on Harold’s nuts. That is very obvious too.
Harriet comes out of Room 210 from the interview. She comes straight to our bench. Harriet is touching Lani, Steve, and me. Harold is standing next to me. His appearance: Big, bad, tough, and enjoying control. Lani picks Harriet up and carries her down the hall. I’m surprised Harold doesn’t say anything. Lani comes back and shares Harriet with us. Harriet’s touch is like she is happy.
Lani gets up and goes over there somewhere. Harriet is in between Steve and me. Harold is still standing by me. Harriet is showing me her rings. Harriet tells me, ‘Look at this one. It looks hypnotic, doesn’t it?’ ‘Yeah, it does. It’s cool,’ I tell her. Harriet then has me in a headlock hug. It is a very firm one. She has a good grip on my neck with one arm. I think she has Steve by the arm. I can’t really move my neck and see. We are so happy, then Harold gets mad and says, ‘That’s enough. No touching. No touching.’ I can’t look all the way up because Harriet still has me by the neck, but Harold is hovering over me. I feel he is going to hit us. He looks crazy. Harriet doesn’t want to let go of us. Harold is trying to move Harriet away from us. That’s when I get a look at Steve’s face. He is like in disbelief with his mouth open. I am in disbelief too. Harold is talking like we are forcing Harriet. Harriet starts to cry and Harold doesn’t care. He is trying to get Harriet off of me because she won’t let go. I want to punch Harold and even call him out of his name.
‘How can he do this?’ I think. Well, duh, because he’s jealous. I already know that, but I just didn’t think he would do it. He yanks Harriet off of me. I tell Harold, ‘What am I supposed to do Harold? Not let Harriet hug me? As you saw, she was hugging my neck.’
‘I DON’T KNOW YOU,’ Harold yells at me. His face is full of anger and his eyes are bulging out. He looks scary.
‘You don’t know me Harold?’ I ask him.
‘NO I DON’T,’ he replies.
During all this Lani is yelling out, ‘Sheriff! Sheriff!’
Harold says, ‘You are not family.’
I remind Harold that I’ve known Harriet since she was two months old, but he doesn’t care.
Dr. Dupée comes out of the room where she is interviewing Theo. She has a face like, ‘What’s going on?’ Harold behaves differently, not vicious/intimidating when Dr. Dupée comes out. Like a big tattletale, Harold tells Dr. Dupée something about inappropriate touching (that we were hugging Harriet).
I tell Dr. Dupée, ‘Harriet was hugging ME by my neck. What am I supposed to do, Dr. Dupée? Not let Harriet hug me? Push her off? I’ve know Harriet since she was two months old.’
Dr. Dupée, in her accent, responds, ‘Well you’re not an auntie, not family. It’s best if you don’t,’ and takes Harriet back in the room. If she had read my declaration, she would know who the heck I am.
We are ticked off. Lani goes off down the hallway to look for a Sheriff. She comes back and tells me she found Officer Soto. Harold is sitting around the corner. Lani, Steve and I are on the same side.
I am so mad I get itchy. I am furious. We can hear that Harriet is upset and crying in the interview room.
While we are there, Dina, the woman from Room 228 is talking to a young Hispanic girl out in the hall by us. The girl is talking about her crazy boyfriend. The girl believes her boyfriend has done something to her car, cut wires and stuff. Dina is telling her to get a restraining order on the guy. This is bringing flashbacks to me. It is like someone is talking about me. An officer asks her what her boyfriend has been incarcerated for. She says she doesn’t know. He won’t tell her why. The girl says her boyfriend has an ankle bracelet, but he told her that was for tickets or something like that. The officer starts to laugh and tells the girl, ‘You don’t get ankle bracelets for that.’ The officer tells the girl she can go to Public Access Inmate Info. and enter her boyfriend’s name and birth date and find out. Dina keeps urging the girl to get a restraining order. Dina also tells the girl, ‘Physical violence or emotional violence, kids will pick a lifestyle kind of like yours.’ I thought, ‘How can they tell this girl to get a restraining order on the crazy boyfriend? Like that’s going to protect her.’ The whole thing is upsetting.
When Harriet and Theo come out of the room. Harriet is crying and Theo looks scared. Harriet is holding a box of Legos. Dr. Dupée has given them presents. Harriet cries and is very upset. Lani goes by Harriet and Theo. I hear a Hispanic lady say, ‘Que triste, esto es pura tristesa.’ (How sad. This is pure sadness.) and then she turns her back so she will not have to see.
I want to cry.
Harold leaves with Harriet and Theo.
