A Night

For the first time in a while, I went to see some improv at a particular theater in Hollywood. It was IO West, to be precise. A friend and I went down there on the subway, and if we were responsible we would have been headed home in plenty of time to catch the train back. Instead, our parting from friends delivered us into the hands of one unsavory character after another. This is typical for any late night excursion to Hollywood, so maybe there was nothing we could have done.

I've written about how rough late night buses can be around here. The 656 from Hollywood up to the San Fernando Valley was in rare form, and maybe it reflects poorly on me, but I recognized people. My friend and I didn't manage to breathe easily until we had gotten off the bus. I always seem to be counting the seconds until I expect that bus to arrive at my destination. It never can get there fast enough. On this night, there was a peculiar trio of women.

One of them was a big mess, one of whom was in fine shape but indifferent to the plight of her friends, and one who was in the middle. I accidentally stepped on the toe of the second one, but escaped reprisal because I hadn't damaged her painted nails. Maybe you can say better than I, reader, why someone would roam the night in sandals. I don't wear them out of my home unless I bring them to put on at the beach. There are just too many bad things that can happen, and no good thing I can think of.

Once off the bus, one might think it was all through. No, it wasn't to be on this occasion. On nights like this, it doesn't end until I'm in my bed and under the covers. My friend and I were approaching the building in which we both live when a neighborhood vagrant known to be fond of playing musical instruments came into view by the building. All I can say for sure is that he had his cart in between two parked cars and either had laid a heavy bags of coins on the grass there or had found the bag.

Either possibility was of sufficient intrigue that we both rushed up to the roof to gaze down on him from a safe distance. There we found one of my roommates, with whom we chatted a while. After a while that broke up, and at long last I got back to my apartment unit. It had been some five hours deep into the night and it had gotten perhaps a bit unruly, but it was good, and as always I managed to find my way back home safe and sound. That last point is the key to a good day.