NEXT DAY..PART 16

IT HAD RAINED ALL NIGHT, BUT THE STORM MOVED ON AND I WAS TREATED TO A BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE.  THERE WAS A SPECIAL LIGHT THAT FELL ON THE VERDUGO HILLS, STARTING AT THE TOP AND WORKING DOWN.  IT WAS A BRILIANT ORANGE FALLING ON CLUSTERS OF DARK GREEN.  ONLY A FEW CLOUDS CRESTED THE TOPS OF THE MUCH HIGHER SAN GABRIELS TO THE NORTH.  IT WAS TUESDAY AND PEOPLE WENT BACK TO WORK OR STOOD IN THEIR KITCHEN APRONS WASHING DISHES FROM BREAKFAST.  I HEARD  A LITTLE WHISTLE AND MY WORD, THE HELMS MAN.  I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF THE HELMS DELIVERY FOR DECADES.  A YELLOW CHEVROLET VAN THAT DROVE SLOWLY UP THE STREETS AND THE DRIVER ANNOUNCED HIS PRESENCE BY BLOWING A LITTLE HARMONICA LIKE DEVICE.  I DECIDED TO STOP THE HELMS MAN AND HE STOPPED AND OPENED THE DOUBLE DOORS IN BACK.  THEN, HE PULLED OUT LONG WOODEN AND SHALLOW DRAWERS AND OUT CAME FRESH CINNAMON ROLLS, BREADS, COOKIES,  THEY WERE FRESH AND THEY WERE KEPT WARM.  THIS WAS A WONDERFUL SALES PLOY; HOW COULD YOU NOT BUY WITH THE WONDERFUL AROMAS.  I BOUGHT SOME DOUGH NUTS AND SOME COOKIES.  I PAID HIM AND WE WENT ON HIS WAY WITH A TOOT TOOT.  I THEN SAW BOBBY, STANDING WITH HIS NEIGHBORHOOD BUDDIES IN FRONT OF PHIL'S HOUSE.  THE BOYS STOOD THERE WHILE THE GIRLS STOOD ACROSS THE STREET RIGHT WHERE THE SCHOOL BUS WOULD STOP.  I REMEMBERED SO WELL THE THREE YEARS I RODE THE BUS TO CLARK JR HIGH.  THE BUS MADE SEVERAL STOPS IN OUR GENERAL AREA TO PICK UP OTHER STUDANTS.  IT GOT PRETTY FULL AND THEN BEGAN ITS TRIP TO CLARK.  IT WAS PRETTY EASY FOR THE BUS ENGINE UNTIL WE CAME TO RAMSDELL.  THAT WAS UPHILL FOR A MILE OR TWO AND THE DRIVER HAD TO PUT IT INTO SECOND GEAR IN ORDER TO MAKE IT, SOMETIMES HE HAD TO GO TO FIRST GEAR.  THE KIDS WERE VERY POLITE BACK THEN AND NEVER RAISED ANY TROUBLE ON THE RIDE.  I REMEMBER ONE DAY I LOOKED DOWN AT MY LEGS AND THOUGHT MY THIGH BONES WERE TOO SHORT.  I CONTINUED TO WATCH THE BOYS WAITING.  THEY LIKED TO PULL THE  LITTLE CYLINDER UP ON ONE OF THE SPRINKLER HEADS. AND THEN PUSH IT DOWN AND WATCH THE WATER COME OUT.  THE BUS LUMBERED UP ROSEMARY, STOPPED, PICKED UP THE KIDS, AND WENT ON ITS WAY.  BOBBY WAS NOT IN THE CARDS FOR ABOUT EIGHT HOURS.  I DECIDED TO DRIVE TO DOWNTOWN GLENDALE.  GLENDALE WAS A BEDROOM COMMUNITY  TO LOS ANGELUS.  DON'T KNOW WHY I SAY THAT, GLENDALE WAS SUFFICIENT IN ITSELF.  IN FACT, THERE WERE ABOUT FIFTY CITIES ALL PACKED TOGETHER THAT COLLECTIVLEY CALLED THEMSELVES  "L.A."     AS FAR AS LIVIBILITY IS CONCERNED, GLENDALE WAS THE PICK OF THE BUNCH, THE CREAM OF THE CROP.  BEAUTIFUL RANGES OF HILLS ALL AROUND.  IT WAS CALLED "THE JEWELL CITY"   IN ITS EARLIER DAYS, IT WAS A BASTION OF WHITE, ANGLO SAXON, PROTESTANTS AND EXTREMELY CONSERVITIVE.  IN FACT, IT WAS A WELL KNOWN FACT THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR HAD BETTER BE OUT OF TOWN BY SUNDOWN.  NO PUBLIC DANCE WAS ALLOWED FOR MANY YEARS.  FUNNY THING, NOW IT IS OWNED AND GOVERNED BY ARMENIANS.  GLENDALE HAS THE SECOND LARGEST ARMINIAN POPULATION IN THE WORLD.  THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY WEALTHY MAN NAMED L.C. BRAND. HE SAW SOMETHING HE LIKED IN GLENDALE AND INVESTED MILLIONS IN THE DEVELOPEMNT OF IT.  HE BROUGHT THE PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAIL CARS TO GLENDALE, HE HAD ALLOT TO DO WITH BRINGING UTILITIES TO GLENDALE.....AND..HE BOUGHT A LARGE PARCEL OF LAND UP AGAINST THE VERDUGO HILLS AND BUILT A FABULOUS CASTLE THERE.  IT IS STILL THERE AND HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A LIBRARY.  SINCE THEN, MUCH OF HIS LAND HAS BEEN SOLD OFF AND NICE HOUSES BUILT ON IT.  BUT, BACK THEN, BRAND WAS INTERESTED IN AIRPLANES, AND SO HE BUILT A RUNWAY FOR LANDING AND TAKE OFF AND THREW A PARTY TO END ALL PARTIES.  ONLY THING WAS, YOU COULD NOT COME BY CAR, YOU HAD TO FLY IN!....AND FLY IN THEY DID....MOVIE STARS AND THE CREAM OF SOCIETY....WELL, I AM STANDING HERE ON THE CURB WITH SOME DOUGHNUTS AND COFFEE WAITING INSIDE.  I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE REST OF THE DAY AS SOON AS I LIVE IT.    (TO BE CONTINUED)