Unsafe New York: Part Thirty Seven

GOING TO THE HOUSING COURT TO CHECK FOR ADJOURNMENT DAY OR THE "RUSSIAN" FILE:
As the date of appearing in the Housing Court in front of just and judicious judge Cheryl Gonzales drew near, I looked everywhere for the note with the court of date appearance. If you have read the previous episode, you remember what the wonderful lady said to me and how she treated me in court, that day. I've realized that in my subconscious, I had a deep, deep desire never to appear before that person again in my life. Consequently, I have mispplaced the note and now did not have it. I have called the court but was told there was no information on the computer. The clerk has advised me to come in person and request the same information from the specific assigned for that purpose window. She was very suprised to find out that there was no information in the computer, and found it...strange.
I followed through her suggestion and came to court in person on January 11th 2007. On that day, I have arrived to the Housing Court of the county of Brooklyn, City of new York, United States of America to receive my notice for a third court appearance. After diligent search on the part of the clerk I was told the same thing: no information of reappearance was entered into the computer. I would need to go to the court room itself and request the clerk on premises for the information needed. It was 1:15pm and the court room was out to lunch. I would have to wait until 2:30pm. So I did.
At the assigned time I went upstairs to the fourth floor, to the room 409. I have submitted my paper work to the court room clerk and was sternly asked to "sit down". So I did. After a few minutes, my file was located. I have sat down to read it. Many different papers were in there but something among them did not feel right: on the second glance I've realized the papers did not carry my name but the name of Elizabeth McLalan (I couldn't quite make out her last name, but I believe it was close to that). One paper, second paper- both with her name. Finally, my name started appearing. I was sorting through many many papers, just wanting to see what was up with my case. I was done and put them all back, leaving Ms. McLalan's papers outside. Perhaps there was a mistake? The two name could distinctly sound the same...Dana Zakharov and Elizabeth McLalan...Suddenly, I've realized that something was written on the file of my case. In big, blue lettering, across the file, was written in someone's handwritting: Russian file.
That was me, that is. This was the "Russian" case. I was on the Russian file. I sat for a few minutes and did not what to say or feel. I looked over to the county clerk and saw him smirk but hide his face. I looked down. Suddenly, I became so embrassed. I realized that these people were right. I was Russian, you know. And I looked liek a Russian. And my eyes were Russian eyes. And my nose sniffed air like a Russian nose would, I guess. And my tongue tasted food and drink like, like..like a Russian. I sat in court, in court of justice, in front of the Judge's bench and felt my Russianness fill up the air. I felt that my Russianneess became so big, so huge, there was no way I could hide, it was just so there, so present, there was no escape. I felt that everybody knew I was a Russian and there was no use in hiding it. I was guilty and people would not hear otherwise.
I was a Russian.
And my case was Russian too, a case of a Russian. And I just did not intend to quit the Russianness. I just intended to stay Russian and fill up the room with my stench. And when I handed the file back to the court room clerk I've realized that this man could now think that the Russian hands have touched this file. Will he take a tissue before he handles the diseased file? The Russian remarked that Elizabeth McLalan was not Dana Zakharov and returned her case separately. The court room clerk looked at a Russian and sighted.
The Russian exited the room and left the Housing Part of the Civil Court of the New York City.
The Russian went home, where everything was infiltrated with the Russian air.