My first wife and I fought a lot -- separated a lot, had sex practically never. We fought while dating. A lot. She told me after we were married that she started the fights because she liked making up. But the fights after we married? Most of that was my fault.
In 1955, shortly before Christmas, she told me that her parents were coming over for supper that night to discuss our tempestuous marriage. Being somewhat of a passive-aggressive type, I decided to hitchhike to LA instead, sans letting anyone know I was doing so. Hah! That'll show her. She'll be sorry.
I once got angry with my mother when I was in first grade and I told my mother that I had torn up the May basket that I had just made in school and of which I was very proud. She said, "I don't care."
My younger brother lived in LA - in Inglewood, actually. I didn't know his address so I stayed at the YMCA. I think it cost me $7.00 a week and I put it on the tab. I had a bed in an open dorm-like room with about twenty other people. There were a lot of Blacks that spoke Spanish in there, which really surprised and fascinated me. They were Cubans.
One morning I had twenty-five cents left to my name so I had to decide whether to buy a pack of cigarettes or breakfast. I chose the cigs.
There was a kind of donut shop in downtown LA where you could get a cup of coffee and a donut for a dime. That was the only thing they served -- coffee and donuts. It was a large place -- a counter that ran in a "U" shape. Since it was a large building and was located in downtown LA, you would think that the rent for that place must have been pretty high, How could they stay in business? Down the street a block away was a park famous for speakers on soapboxes. Human speakers -- not Hi-fi's. If I ever remember the name of that park, I'll interrupt whatever I am saying at the time and tell you what it is. "Something" Park. I went there to listen to them once in awhile. They always got heckled. Fascinating for a young Iowan hick.
Somewhere between leaving Estherville Iowa and landing in LA, I formed this intense desire to be a cop. I had never before ever, ever thought of being a policeman -- even as a child. I wanted to be Tarzan. This desire was to have far reaching consequences in my life. Actually changed my life.
Strange thing happened.
When I was a senior in High School in Emmetsburg, Iowa, I got into a fight with a boy from Mallard, Iowa. With my foe was this other boy -- his friend. I knocked the guy down with one punch, the cops came and we all ran. Big crowd!
That last part, about me winning the fight with one punch is neither here nor there, but I have so few things in my life to brag about that I'm sure you will forgive me.
So here I am, walking the street in downtown LA and who should come right up to me and say, "Hi, Reynolds! What you doing here?" it was the guy I hit's friend. Big city, I run into a guy I only saw once from a tiny town in Iowa. What are the odds?
A couple of years later I am in Mallard visiting my folks and the same guy comes up like we are old friends. I never knew what he looked like - I never recognized him. Remember, in those days I couldn't look at anybody. I still do not know what he looks like. The night of that fight is the only connection I had with that guy. That's weird to me. Maybe not to you, but it is to me.
I got hungry in LA - Hey! Good title for a song, "Hungry in LA" -- and I didn't have any money and I never thought to beg on the streets. I went into a Manning's cafeteria downtown and asked the manager if there was any work I could do in exchange for a bowl of soup or something. He said the union wouldn't allow that, but he would give me something to eat. He said his mother had some pull with a company -- something to do with lumber. I got the idea it was more of the order of lumbering that lumber-yarding. He said he would ask his mother if some work was available there and if I came back the next day, he would tell me if his mother could lead me to a job. I said, OK.
I went back the next day and the manager said that a busboy had just quit working at Manning's, so if I wanted the job, it was mine. He said I would get all my meals free. He said the pay was $32 a week and I thought, Boy! Food AND money! I would have worked just for the food.
I always had strawberry shortcake with my meals and someone said everyone always eats strawberry shortcake when they first start, but they get tired of it. I never did.
By this time I had applied for a position as an LA policeman, was waiting for cop school to start.
Will continue later. This is a long story
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