Men's Rea

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NARRATION (Intro): Steve became a feminist in his sophomore year at law school, the year the Supreme Court stripped a judge to his robe. The judge had ordered the youngest and prettiest of his clerks to massage his back, and then his buttocks. Clad then flopped over into a supine position and pulled her head down.

Professor Sadueste : “Mens rea?” You’ve never heard of mens rea? Well for your information, Mr. Pieto..

Mr. Steve Pieto : “… mens rea is monthly offering to the Goddess of Fertility- a discharge of blood nobly endured by women, but suffered even more nobly by their husbands!” (serious)

_______________________________The class laughed________________________________

Steve : (eyes dropped to where Helen was rapping upon the textbook page ) called out, “It means ‘criminal mind’, sir! It is the evil intent that turns a simple act into a crime!”

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NARRATION : Steve had never been in love, but he knew the symptoms from brief interludes in college that he had filed away with care, to be savored in moments when life had proved itself a joke and him a miserable loser. Helen, he knew, was in love with him. Long, helpless moments she spent gazing into his eyes. Oh, she had mens rea for him, all right.

They talked about human- rights lawyering, of going corporate, of where the best jobs were: in Congress or in an NGO, in Makati or on campus, and so on. Whenever he found himself mired in the morass of Abortion, or Rape, or Wife Beating, he knew he could steer her by the nose to safer ground. But with each argument he found himself genuinely having a good time. On her turf, at that, Gender issues.

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Steve : What would you do if I came to class tomorrow morning a feminist? ( chuckled)

Helen : Marry you.

Steve: (amazed at what Helen said)...