I was born in Chicago in 1937, and I lived there continuously from 1954 to 1979. I haven't been back since and have no intention of ever returning. First and foremost is that it is simply too cold. I'm not happy unless the temperature is at least 80º F (27º C), and I mean all year round.

There was a time when I was a proud citizen of that city and claimed that I loved the four seasons, but that has all changed.

I worked in Chicago's steel industry from 1955 till 1979, in various steel mills, fabrication plants and engineering offices, earning what was at the time a very handsome salary. During my second marriage, I owned a fine house in Sauganash, Chicago's best residential neighbourhood.

In 1978, my second wife, to whom I had been married 9 years, sued for divorce. I can't say I really blame her, but the fact of her suing me is not what galled me so much. I was more than willing to work out an amicable settlement, and I was very generous. The only problem was that I needed a few months because, unbeknownst to me, she had loaded us up with a lot of debt that I wanted to pay off before I refinanced the house to pay her a settlement. As it was, I worked 100 hours a week for 3 months to catch up.

Cook County was famous for its corrupt courts, corrupt especially in the area of family law. During the proceedings in my divorce case, there were repeated forgeries and perjuries, as well as obstruction of mail, extortion, obstruction of justice and other crimes. The whole case was just one big fraud and theft. The presiding judge also violated rules of civil procedure on numerous occasions.

All of these tricks and deceptions caused me to lose my house without a penny's compensation. They also led to the ruin of my then perfect credit standing, and caused an arrest warrant to issue, which in turn necessitated that I abandon my job, where I was the supervisor of 30 people.

Even all this would not have soured me on Chicago in general, as if I would blame the whole city for my particular problems. But I applied to all the competent law-enforcement agencies in regards to the many criminal acts committed by my wife and her lawyer and his partners. I also sought disciplinary action against the lawyer and the judge. I carried on my efforts for well over a year, but got absolutely nowhere. In other words, there was absolutely no way for me to right the wrongs done me. I even tried to hire other lawyers, and I wrote to local newspapers. My wife was an employee of the US Senate, so I also stayed in contact with the Senate Ethics Committee for over a year. In fact, it was my wife's very employer, Adlai E. Stevenson III, who chaired the committee at the time. He wouldn't lift a finger, till I threatened him, whereupon I had the FBI breathing down my neck for a while.

Anyway, when I finally resigned myself to the futility of trying to undo the crimes, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where I remained three years.

The ironic thing is that, even if the divorce had not occurred, my days of prosperity in Chicago were numbered. At about the same time, the steel industry, largely centered in Pittsburgh and Chicago, was failing. Whereas earlier I had been able to get as many job offers as I wanted, it came to the point where I couldn't get a job at all. After a short stint in Houston, Texas for Brown and Root, I found myself down and out in New York City, never again to get a job in the steel industry.

But that isn't the end of my woes. I always thought I had loyal friends and relatives in Chicago. I had a beautiful house and always gave nice parties and dinners. My wife was a great hostess and good cook. So we had a lot of friends. When these trappings disappeared, so did my friends. When I got to Atlanta, it was all I could do to get a single pathetic little letter or Christmas card from all those people who had always said that they thought I was so great.

I remember things like catching sight of my mother-in-law, who had always fawned on me so hypocritically, helping carry my favourite chair out of my house to load into her husband's van. I remember seeing my brother-in-law walk by me on the street in downtown Chicago without even looking at me.

Sure I liked some of the good things about Chicago - Brookfield Zoo, Field Museum, the Art Institute, Lyric Opera, the downtown department stores - but it's simply not enough. I can't think of a single reason to to return to Chicago. I'll find other stores and museums, and in warm, sunny places too.

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About the author Thomas Keyes: I have written two books: A SOJOURN IN ASIA (non-fiction) and A TALE OF UNG (fiction), neither published so far.

I have studied languages for years and traveled extensively on five continents.

Email: udikeyes@yahoo.com

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