Black Dog

Imagine

I woke up the following morning and went straight to the hole in the wall to get some US dollars. There was 500 dollars missing! Shit! I’d been so knackered the day before, I’d gone to bed without thinking about much other than sleep. I’d left my jeans on the floor with my wallet in the pocket, I was in a room with 5 other guys…stupid…What to do? take a deep breath, go for a walk and think, did I use that card in Fiji? still a bit jet lagged, I decided if someone was able somehow to get at my money they couldn’t get any more until tomorrow, I probably used the card along the way somewhere although I couldn’t remember where. I walked up the Boardwalk to Santa Monica, trying to shut out any thoughts of ending up on the street, with the rest of the homeless, the only thing that separates us is, I got money in the bank. In that one day I passed 4 camera crews, shooting a scene for some movie or TV show, recognising one actor being prepared with make up, although I wouldn’t have a clue who he was. I was back in the hostel late afternoon and met Adam in the next bed, he was up from San Diego looking for work, with no work and a card to buy weed, he was making a few extra bucks selling his wares. What can I say I’d had a strange day, a bit of medication wouldn’t hurt….I could feel the black dog approaching…..The next morning I walked up to Santa Monica again and stuck the card in the wall to get a balance…..F…. another 300 missing. OK, now I have to do something. There was a pub down the road which I’d been told by a Canadian girl I’d met in Fiji, I should go to, she had worked there, and said the owner was English and liked bikes. I was in a bit of a panic and not thinking straight, went into the pub saw Peter, explained the situation and could I possibly use his phone to call the bank in Australia, oh! and Catarina sends her regards. Peter, was very gracious and rang the number which was on the back of the card and I was speaking with someone at the bank. According to our records sir, you have only taken out 100 dollars,so why do I have two balances here telling me otherwise I asked, oh don’t worry the banks in America can’t work it out, I wasn’t convinced but she assured me it was the case. OK all cool I can relax, pint of Kilkenny please, as I sat down next the the black dog.

The next few days, I did a lot of walking around the streets, trying to feel right, in this vast city, every time I turned a corner I’d look up and I was in the same long  wide street I’d just left. The traffic, the same square concrete buildings, one after the other, over and over again, no variation, the black dog walking along side me all the way. Adam had gone back to San Diego and was replaced by Vegas who burst into the room just as I arrived one day. Hey man, just got back from the medicine man, as he pulled out bottles and bottles of pills, hey what you want man? I got it all here, he put a couple of pills in his grinder,turned them to powder, put out a line, quick snort, punching the bed and turning purple. A few seconds later, he was talking at 100 miles an hour with his body jerking and bouncing around like a jumping bean Thanks young fella! I think I’ll pass, the black dog sitting on my shoulders, I picked up the laptop, something was wrong it wouldn’t start up. Hey Vagas you know anything about computers? yeah man, I know all about computers,..wink -wink, nudge -nudge… give it here, he pulls out the battery gives it a shake and starts it up, what’s your password? errr! that’s OK son, alarm bells ringing in my head, I’ll take it back now thanks. Now not knowing much about the electronic age, I began to conjure up all kinds of things in my mind…could he have copied my hard drive etc, etc ,etc. The mind can fuck with you, the heart tho’ is true and will always guide you…if your prepared to listen…. I went through all my stuff to make sure nothing was missing and noticed a pin prick in the chip on my visa. The mind was fucking with me right now! None of my other cards had a hole in it, I started to think about Identity theft which seems to be the new crime wave here, according to every thing I read. I was stupid those first few days, leaving myself vulnerable and I was paying the price… paranoia?… maybe!… I rang the bank again, to find out if some one was able to get personal  information from the chip, yes but only your name, address, date of birth, etc, etc. I think that was a yes! I’d reported my suspitions I could do no more.

OK we were ready to leave but I guess I have to go see the big sign, it’s part of the rules right? if your in L.A. you must go to Hollywood. The bus from Venice takes you to Santa Monica Boulevard where you change for the 15 or so miles along the said blvd, to get to the big sign and the Hollywood hills. We were thinking more about getting to San Francisco than going to Hollywood, a couple of day’s to go and we’d be on our way. Just coming into Beverly Hills, a black guy gets on the bus and sits directly opposite me, he’s clutching his bag and having a bit of a conversation with himself….Motherfucking whore of a slut, who you think you is boy, sittin there when all the shit goin down out there, what the fuck you know any god damn way, what the fuck is it about anyway?…….Whatcoo talkin bout motherfucker, I were no where near the bitch at the time yo talkin about. Sheeeet man! I half way outa town at that time…….. It’s when they start answering themselves back, I start worrying, then you got two mentally troubled gentlemen to deal with! No one else in the bus was paying any attention, even though all could hear the rantings of a mad man, its just  a normal day out in Hollywood. The bus stopped at the bus stop, the ranting stopped, the bus started up again, the ranting started again,I probably shouldn’t have smiled at all but it seemed a bit funny at this point, maybe this was when I upset him, when I could no longer ignore him, looked him straight in the eye and smiled. A young boy with his girlfriend  was taking it all a bit personally and wanted to plant him but the more sensible  girlfriend held him back. No it was me he had his sights on, It was time for me to get off the bus, I stood up, our friend stood up and stood right in my space, hand in the bag, looking at me right in the eye, I had no where to go, so I looked him in the eye right back. He’d stopped ranting, we stood looking into each others eyes without a word probably for about 5 seconds, I saw nothing in those eyes, just black holes, a deep cavern. Icouldn’t see any thing but I sensed anger, along with fear but no violence. I was waiting for his next move, it came, he stood to one side and let me pass, I looked down at the black dog as we were getting off the bus, he looked up at me and shook his head, we didn’t look back, instead I looked up at the big white sign, in my mind I could see Eric Burdon on stage with Alan Price and Chad Chandler, pumping out, WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE IF IT’S THE LAST THING WE EVER DO’OOOO. I wasn’t gonna make it in Hollywood! We walked down Hollywood Boullivard, saw the stars on the sidewalk, got the next bus back to Venice Beach to start organising a trip to San Fran and Tahoe.

I am….THE LONESOME TRAVELLER….travelling east….BE HAPPY!