INDEPENDENCE


THEY WOUND UP INTO THE HILLS, KNOWING ONLY THAT THEY

WERE CLIMBING AWAY FROM THE CITY'S MAIN DRAGS. PAST THE

STACKS OF WELL-TENDED AND UNATTENDED RESIDENCES;

INVESTMENTS FOR SOME AND JUST HOMES FOR OTHERS.

IRRIGATED, ORDERLY, PROTECTED. STEEP DRIVEWAYS TWISTING

BACK DARKLY FROM JUNGLED GATEWAYS, FORBIDDING

ENTRANCES HINTING AT MYSTERIOUS FRUITS OF MYSTERIOUS

LABOURS. NOT A DOG OR PEDESTRIAN TO BE SEEN, ONLY

CONFIDENT HEADLIGHTS WHIPPING INTO VIEW OUT OF THE

TROPICAL NIGHT. WITH EACH STARTLING TURN OF THE

PINCHED ROAD THEY'D SMELL A DIFFERENT KIND OF

FLOWER. THEY COULDN'T STOP GRINNING AT THEIR GREAT



ILLICIT MEETINGS, INTOXICATED PALM GARDENS, UNKNOWN

PHONE NUMBERS-THE BREEDING GROUNDS OF FAME!

SUDDENLY, THEY WERE OUT IN THE OPEN AGAIN, ON A

DESERTED BEND OF MULHOLLAND WHERE THEY HUNG HIGH

ABOVE THE FIREWORKED VALLEY. THIS WAS BETTER THAN THE

VIEW YESTERDAY FROM THE GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY-OR

MAYBE JUST AS GOOD, ONLY DIFFERENT. THEY HAD DRIVEN

UP AND DOWN THE PHONE-POLE FILTHINESS OF SANTA

MONICA BOULEVARD AND FOUND IT UPLIFTING. THEY

HAD SWUM IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THEY HAD WALKED

HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD, IN AND OUT OF MOVIE THEATRES

JUST TO LOOK AT THE POSTERS. REVERENT AS THEY EXAMINED

THE JAMES DEAN STORES. WILDLY EXUBERANT THROUGH

HUMPED-UP SATURDAY-NIGHT TRAFFIC. IT WAS ALL PART OF A

WONDERFUL SECRET, AN INFINITE NUMBER OF WELCOMING

GIFTS THAT HAD LAIN WAITING IN THE SUN.


(reproduced with respect but without permission)