Freque Factory
Post High School, Part 3
At the end of my first year of college I was ready for new adventures. My mom had convinced me to take about a month to visit my adopted brother, Doug, in Alabama. I was ready for a change. Barbara had moved out. Roya and Henry were going to Iran for the summer to meet Roya's mom and dad. It would be quite an adventure. HJ had started dating Bob.
But before I left town Brian came over for a visit. I have no idea how he got my phone number-maybe from Monique's mom. The news was good. He was out of jail. He'd been through drug rehab and was clean. He was committed to staying clean. Brian really, really did not want to return to jail.
His version of what had happened with him and Monique was different, of course. He still cared about her (I think that's really why he came over), but wished her the best. Brian was excited about his future. He was going to school and had his first legal job. I was looking at adult Brian. He was happy. That's how I like to remember him, because I never saw him again.
The month I spent in Alabama was pretty important. I fell in love for the first time. But in the end I came back to Southern California. I'll write in more detail about that adventure later.
Roya and Henry had an amazing trip. The Iran they visited was still under the Shah, so it was very cosmopolitan. The heavy Muslim influence wasn't there yet. Lots of evenings in clubs late night. Henry passed inspection, but the family (and his) were putting a lot of pressure on the two of them. By the time they left Iran they were engaged. The families did not like the idea of the 4 of us in one small apartment, so we found a house to rent. In my home town. All this happened while I was gone, Once I got off the plane I was packing and moving. In September we started school again.
Late in September Monique and Blonde made plans for a road trip out to CA. They made the trip in his sports car, the same one he had driven out to CA before. Unfortunately they were in a bad car wreck in Colorado. Icy bridge vs. the car and the car lost. They only had minor injuries, but the car was totaled. Monique's parents, when they called them the next morning, unexpectedly offered to pay for plane tickets to Los Angeles.
Blonde couldn't stand to be separated from his beloved car in its hour of need, so he stayed and went back to Minnesota with it. He got it repaired, but it never was the same. Monique flew home. What she found out when she got there was heart breaking.
Just about the same time she and Blonde were getting into their wreck Brian was driving home from visiting Freddie up in the Hollywood Hills. He was hit by another car and his car went off the road and down the canyon. He probably died instantly. The coroner's report said Brian was sober.
Monique's parents were right to wait to tell her at home. She fell apart. The coincidences were too much. She stayed with her parents for several months before going back to Minnesota. Her marriage was done at this point, she just didn't know it.
And the others? Elias and Joanne had gotten married. She got pregnant. They both stopped using drugs and drinking while she was pregnant. Elias worked as a mechanic, his chosen career. They found out that staying sober worked for them. He was a better mechanic and soon was making a decent salary. Joanne found work as a sales clerk. It wasn't what her parents intended for her, but they were happy. They found a whole new circle of friends and we didn't hear much from them anymore.
Susan and Betty both had gotten tired of 1 night stands. Susan ended up marrying a guy from our town who was a couple of years younger. I hung out with them some. She had started cutting ties with Freddie. Susan tried was not able to get pregnant. She always thought that was the primary reason her marriage fell apart. They stayed friends, but divorced. Susan vowed to stay sober and to have a real life.
Betty was still dating the one guy from Freddie's crew (besides Brian) who was worthwhile. They decided to get married. It was a private ceremony. Soon after they both cut ties with Freddie. Betty wasn't able to have children after the Mexican abortion, but her husband didn't mind. In fact, he encouraged her to go back to working on her art. Betty was a good artist when she wanted to be.
Against all off, Joanna and Jim were still together. I was visiting her one day when Jim tried his last suicide attempt. She was furious with him. Joanna made it very clear that she was done with him and the suicide tries. He checked himself into the hospital, got his stomach pumped and promised Joanna that he would not do that again. And he didn't.
She took him back and they got engaged 6 months later. Jim was unable to get a decent, legal job. No real job skills and no high school diploma was a problem. Somehow he was able to get an army recruiter to sign him up. Just before he entered the service they had the most depressive wedding I've ever seen or been a part of. Jim had convinced me to give Joanna a place to live while he was in basic. He didn't want her to continue living with her mother any longer.
More on the fall of 1972 next week.
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