I have heard that she is supposedly the most down to earth person who works in her position. Personally, I felt like she played games and was dishonest, but then she and I started spending a lot more time together. I still think that she sometimes plays games, but I guess I can tolerate those games more now, especially since she admitted to me that sometimes she plays. Had we met under different circumstances, I think she and I would be good friends. Presently, I doubt we will ever be the type of people who interact socially outside of work.

It is so hard to get one’s mouth to form her last name that everyone simply calls her Trudy. It’s a name uncommon enough that there’s no confusion. She is brilliant in her medical knowledge, although a prosecutor bitter about how great Trudy is angrily quipped, “Come on, you can’t believe her. She could diagnose a ham sandwich.” I mean, if it’s pork and bread and maybe cheese or a little mayo, then can’t we all make that determination? I think what the prosecutor meant to say is Trudy is the epitome of the working woman who can do everything.

One of our first fights was at Christmas when I was14 years old. She bought me thermal underwear that didn’t fit. When I told her that the gift needed to be exchanged, she said, “Oh, I didn’t know you were that fat.” From that moment on I never again called her “Nana” and only called her Frances. My grandfather had always called her Frances when he was annoyed with her, and I knew she hated it. I also only wore black around her. I began to realize why my father avoided Frances and why my mother is so cold.

He was a great lawyer until he met his clients’ girlfriends, who could get him anything he wanted.  Manchester was a people person who could talk to anyone, talking his way into or out of anything.  But he couldn’t see all the great things I saw in him, and he lacked self-esteem.  Perhaps I was just his enabler.  He went to rehab, but I think lying is one of his deeply ingrained survival mechanisms.  The revolving door that opened and closed for him at rehab crushed his dreams a little.  I still have hope that he will recover for good.

Matt has the makings of a future televangelist, except he’s a Buddhist. He threw in some anecdotes about the frustration of being the only man at a workplace filled with women. For a moment I expected him to peel back his face and show that he is Joel Osteen underneath. He has a friendly and compassionate way about him that makes it impossible not to like him. He made me feel comfortable on my first day at a Buddhist center, which left a huge mark on my life because I decided to return for future classes due to his kindness.