RELAPSE PART 28

I was just sitting there that morning,  on Rosemary Ave.,  and something overpowered me.  How can we carry on, how can we progress, when things bigger than we are take over?  The healer became the sick, the teacher became the student.  The spirit of the little boy just down the street became one with me.  The world of old lanterns, incense, quartz rock, maps on walls, beckoned to me.  Maybe this was planned so I could be more refreshed in knowledge of what it was really like back then.  Maybe I needed this to mentor myself.  In my world, time divisions had no purpose, subject matter was paramount.  The counsel of Psychologists, logisticians all went out of the window.  So, I just laid my very tired head back on the pillow and thought of the hymn," Lead on Oh King Eternal."   I felt like I was going to sleep in one World, and waking up in another.  I had rushed my trip to Tulsa to the point that it worked against my purposes.  Time had no meaning and developement of sequince meant nothing either.  So, as I had no choice in the matter, I just went along with it.  June, 1953.  Back seat in new Chevy.  Ray Kinnard driving, his son, Bob in back seat with me and a little boy.  Another little boy in front seat.  We had pulled out of the heavy and cool Marine layer of southern California, and were entering the Mojave desert.  By the mile, the temperature climbed.  We stopped beside road for lunch,   Ray brought out an ice chest and we ate fried chicken.  We continued on through Arizone, up through Prescott where we stopped for gas.  We slept beside the road near Winslow...Drove on to Clinton , Okla.   slept outside of Clinton...Bob Kinnard and I could not sleep, and late in night, we decided to walk back into Clinton just for something to do.  Bob was older than I and he said he wished some kids would challenge us for a fight.  Did not appeal to me.  We entered Clinton and passed the Marcy and Rosebush  Beer distributorship.  We walked back.. Slept towards morning.  Got up, drove on.  Blazing heat pouring in through windows...Reached Tulsa...said goodbye to Kinnards and hello to Grandma and Aunt mimi..   I bedded down in my little bed in the very back.  The hum of the window fan  in the bathroom pulling hot air in over me and Grandma Bertha and Aunt Mimi.  They deserved this lovely fan, they worked hard for it.  Lacy white curtains blowing in.....and, not known to me, the farm girl visiting next door, peering out through her window into my window.  Like two ships passing in the night, a friend for the Summer, only to disappear and become absorbed by a very great mass of the un-knowns.   I really like her and she liked me.  She was my first kiss on the lips.  We went to see the movie Shane together down st the Orpheum Theatre downtown.  A grand old theatre with marble statues.  The damp cool of the inside kept us comfortible as we watched Alan Ladd outdraw a real bad man.  We munched on popcorn and drank pop together.  When the movie was over, we walked back up the aisle and out the front door,  Blinding Sunlight and searing heat.....A wonderful memory....She was a beautiful, suntanned farm girl.....just a cipher....just passing through...I guarantee you, I am not through with that summer of 1953.  Bobby will come later after I am more equipped.  (to be continued)