Unfortunate Humans of Central Park
Chapter Two
As I looked up, I noticed that the father was not sitting next to his wife. He was standing a few feet away from his family talking on the phone. His calm and pleasant demeanor had changed and his heartwarming smile had vanished from his face. His face contorted in a morose expression. He gripped his phone tight to his ear and was pleading with the person on the other end of the phone.
“You can’t do this! I promise I will get your money! I just need one more day!”
Maybe it was an associate he owed money to? It sounded pretty suspicious. I stood up from the bench, gathered my stuff and sat down on the grass a few feet away from the father. I wasn't too far away but I wasn’t too close enough either to raise any concerns. I could hear the father yelling and pleading to give him one more day over and over again. The phone call ended abruptly. His face grew somber as he looked at his phone. Finally, he made his way back to his family and put on a fake smile as he waved at his children still playing tag a few feet away. They hadn't noticed the intense phone call their father just had. The mother, however, heard everything. The father sat down next to his wife. The mother didn't look at him. Instead, she looked at her children. Her face was despondent and her eyes were glossy.
“Jenny,” the father sighed, as he placed his hand on his wife’s shoulder. His face was only a few inches away from her but she did not look at him once.
“Jenny, please look at me!”
“What are we going to do, Andrew” Jenny cried as she threw herself at her husband. She sobbed on his chest.
“We have to go the police, Andrew” Jenny exclaimed. “We just have to!”
“Jenny, we can’t do that. Colin will know and he will release evidence of my past to the firm and the police. I’ll go to jail. And who will take care of you and the children? I can’t go to jail. I can’t abandon our family.”
“What does he want from us” Jenny sobbed.
“$100,000 and my resignation letter to the firm,” Andrew sighed.
“We don’t have that kind of money! How are we going to pay him?”
“I don’t know. But I promise you, Jenny, I will get us out of this mess.”
Jenny sighed. “I love you, Andrew Lipton.”
“I love you, too, Jenny” Andrew said as he embraced Jenny even tighter.
I pulled out my cellphone from my bag and googled “Andrew Lipton”. About hundreds of thousands results popped up. Andrew Lipton is a criminal defense lawyer and partner at one of the most prestigious law firm in New York. A famous case that Andrew was involved in was the Johnson murder case that occurred many years ago. Though Andrew did not win this particular case, it gained lots of media traction. Andrew was defending a man named Colin Johnson who was charged with second degree murder of his ten year old daughter. Though the evidence against him were unbelievably strong, Colin claimed he was not responsible for the murder of his daughter and that he was framed and that he was completely innocent. However, the evidence in his favor were not strong enough to clear his name. He was arrested and sentenced for life in prison. According to a political website, sources claim that Andrew’s relationship with Colin was not civil. Andrew was very judgmental towards Colin since the first day he was assigned the case. Currently, Colin is on house arrest after making a bargain to the judge. It seems that Colin provided useful information to the judge that remains fully disclosed in exchange for a reduced sentence. Colin was back on the prowl.
What could Colin possibly have on Andrew? Maybe it was an illegal crime Andrew committed in the past? Or maybe it could have something to do with the case? Or maybe it was something Andrew did to Colin and he wants to get revenge? Maybe Andrew purposely sabotaged Colin’s trial because of his prejudiced views towards him? But why would Andrew do that? Things didn’t quite add up and thinking about it only made me upset and frustrated. I looked at my wristwatch. 12:59 P.M. I gasped and quickly grabbed my things. I was already 14 minutes late to my class and the subway will take about 15 minutes to get to NYU. I stood up and took a final glance at the family. Jenny and Andrew were in a tight embrace while Jenny was still sobbing on Andrew’s chest. Their beautiful children were playing in the grass with the other children in the park with no acknowledgment of their parent’s situation. I felt bad for their family. Soon enough, Andrew will be arrested, leaving Jenny on her own to raise their children. Andrew will probably be fired and might be revoked of his attorney license. I felt even worse for Jenny and her struggle to care for their children without a father figure in their lives. I wish I could help them. But I turned around and walked out of Central Park and have not seen that beautiful family ever again.
“You can’t do this! I promise I will get your money! I just need one more day!”
Maybe it was an associate he owed money to? It sounded pretty suspicious. I stood up from the bench, gathered my stuff and sat down on the grass a few feet away from the father. I wasn't too far away but I wasn’t too close enough either to raise any concerns. I could hear the father yelling and pleading to give him one more day over and over again. The phone call ended abruptly. His face grew somber as he looked at his phone. Finally, he made his way back to his family and put on a fake smile as he waved at his children still playing tag a few feet away. They hadn't noticed the intense phone call their father just had. The mother, however, heard everything. The father sat down next to his wife. The mother didn't look at him. Instead, she looked at her children. Her face was despondent and her eyes were glossy.
“Jenny,” the father sighed, as he placed his hand on his wife’s shoulder. His face was only a few inches away from her but she did not look at him once.
“Jenny, please look at me!”
“What are we going to do, Andrew” Jenny cried as she threw herself at her husband. She sobbed on his chest.
“We have to go the police, Andrew” Jenny exclaimed. “We just have to!”
“Jenny, we can’t do that. Colin will know and he will release evidence of my past to the firm and the police. I’ll go to jail. And who will take care of you and the children? I can’t go to jail. I can’t abandon our family.”
“What does he want from us” Jenny sobbed.
“$100,000 and my resignation letter to the firm,” Andrew sighed.
“We don’t have that kind of money! How are we going to pay him?”
“I don’t know. But I promise you, Jenny, I will get us out of this mess.”
Jenny sighed. “I love you, Andrew Lipton.”
“I love you, too, Jenny” Andrew said as he embraced Jenny even tighter.
I pulled out my cellphone from my bag and googled “Andrew Lipton”. About hundreds of thousands results popped up. Andrew Lipton is a criminal defense lawyer and partner at one of the most prestigious law firm in New York. A famous case that Andrew was involved in was the Johnson murder case that occurred many years ago. Though Andrew did not win this particular case, it gained lots of media traction. Andrew was defending a man named Colin Johnson who was charged with second degree murder of his ten year old daughter. Though the evidence against him were unbelievably strong, Colin claimed he was not responsible for the murder of his daughter and that he was framed and that he was completely innocent. However, the evidence in his favor were not strong enough to clear his name. He was arrested and sentenced for life in prison. According to a political website, sources claim that Andrew’s relationship with Colin was not civil. Andrew was very judgmental towards Colin since the first day he was assigned the case. Currently, Colin is on house arrest after making a bargain to the judge. It seems that Colin provided useful information to the judge that remains fully disclosed in exchange for a reduced sentence. Colin was back on the prowl.
What could Colin possibly have on Andrew? Maybe it was an illegal crime Andrew committed in the past? Or maybe it could have something to do with the case? Or maybe it was something Andrew did to Colin and he wants to get revenge? Maybe Andrew purposely sabotaged Colin’s trial because of his prejudiced views towards him? But why would Andrew do that? Things didn’t quite add up and thinking about it only made me upset and frustrated. I looked at my wristwatch. 12:59 P.M. I gasped and quickly grabbed my things. I was already 14 minutes late to my class and the subway will take about 15 minutes to get to NYU. I stood up and took a final glance at the family. Jenny and Andrew were in a tight embrace while Jenny was still sobbing on Andrew’s chest. Their beautiful children were playing in the grass with the other children in the park with no acknowledgment of their parent’s situation. I felt bad for their family. Soon enough, Andrew will be arrested, leaving Jenny on her own to raise their children. Andrew will probably be fired and might be revoked of his attorney license. I felt even worse for Jenny and her struggle to care for their children without a father figure in their lives. I wish I could help them. But I turned around and walked out of Central Park and have not seen that beautiful family ever again.