It was a fund specifically designed to provide free legal defense for elderly veterans and their spouses who were victims of financial fraud and familial abuse.
It was poetic justice. My parents had tried to steal from an old woman; now, that woman’s money would stop people like them forever.
My phone rang in my pocket. I pulled it out. It was a call from a blocked number.
I knew who it was. My parents had lost their house three months ago. My father avoided jail time by pleading guilty to a lesser charge, but his reputation was destroyed. My mother was living with her sister in Ohio. They called me once a week, asking for a loan, asking for “just a little help until we get back on our feet.”
I watched a young law student helping a homeless Vietnam vet fill out a disability claim form. The vet was crying, thanking the student.
