FIRST DAYS..PART FIVE

WHEN ANGEL DANIEL LEFT ME HERE. HE DID NOT LEAVE ORKIE.  ORKIE WENT BACK TO BOPFF.   WHAT A NIGHT MARE THAT ISLAND WAS....I JUST HAPPENED TO BE OUT WATERING THE LAWN WHEN BOBBY CAME BY TO THROW MY PAPER.  HE STOPPED TO TALK.  HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIS BEDROOM...HOW IT WAS HIS PACE TO BE ALONE AND TO HAVE HIS THINGS ALL TO HIMSELF.  HE TOLD ME OF HIS SECRET PLACES.  THE LATHE HOUSE NEXT TO THE GARAGE WHEN HE GREW HIS PLANTS....HE WAS FASCINATED WITH SUCCULANTS...A JADE GREEN ...AND HE HAD HIS PARAKEETS THERE IN A CAGE.  HE TOLD ME ABOUT COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL AND FINDING THE FIFTY GALLON BARREL BROKEN THE METAL BANDS HOLDING THE STAVES TOGETHER BROKE AND ALL OF HIS MINNOWS WERE DEAD ON THE GROUND.  OF COURSE, I KNEW ALL OF THIS.  I KNEW HE MIGHT QUALIFY AS THE WORLD'S FIRST NEW AGER.  HE LIKED INCENSE BURNERS, CANDLES, OLD MARBLE CLOCKS, AND MAPS OF THE WESTERN STATES ALL OVER THE WALL. IN FACT, HE WRAPPED HIS SCHOOL BOOKS WITH MAPS.  AFTER HE WAS THROUGH, HE SAID:  "WOULD YOU PLEASE COME DOWN AND SEE MY ROOM....  I WANT TO SHOW YOU MY OLD FIVE BAND RADIO....I CAN PICK UP HAM RADIO OVER IT,,,FROM ALL OVER.."  I TOLD HIM TO ASK HIS PARENTS FIRST, AND IF THEY SAID IT WAS ALRIGHT, I WOULD BE HONORED TO SEE HIS ROOM.   HE HAD THROWN HIS PAPERS FOR THE DAY....AND RODE HIS BIKE AROUND CORNER ONTO SUNVIEW AND DISAPPEARED....IT HAD BEEN A VERY SMOGGY DAY...HAZY SUNSHINE,  NO BREEZE...MY EYES BURNED FROM THE POLLUTION.  I WENT BACK INSIDE AND WASHED SOME CLOTHES AND PUTTERED AROUND.   IT HAD GOTTEN DARK, AND I HEARD SOMETHING SO WONDERFUL....THE NEIGHBOR'S TRASH CAN LID CAME LOOSE AND FELL WITH A CLANK TO THE DRIVEWAY...I HEARD A RUSH OF WIND...THE SANTA ANA WAS BACK...THAT GREAT SWEEPER OF THE SKY....I STEPPED ONTO FRONT PORCH.  THE BIG DEODAR ACROSS THE STREET  WAS WAVING ITS LIMBS...LEAVES FLYING DOWN THE STREET..VERDUGO HILLS SHARP AND ETCHED IN BLACK...STARS....I KNEW BOBBY WAS HAPPY....(TO BE CONTINUED)