“I don’t know what the laws here are as far as marrying age are concerned,” she said. “We might have to wait until I’m eighteen.”
“We’ll find out.” He kissed her hand again. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you, May. I know I keep telling you that, but I can’t help it. The feelings I have for you are so strong.”
She smiled at him. They were still holding hands. She took his hand and rubbed it against her cheek. The news about the killer on the radio yesterday seemed far away and unreal now. Nothing bad could happen, not here, not anymore. It had been silly to doubt him; Cricket could never hurt anyone.
“Let’s check into a motel for a few nights until we can find a place to rent. Okay?” Cricket asked.
“Yeah, I guess we’ll have to. I don’t know where to even begin to look for an apartment.”
“Well, we’ll get a paper and see what is available. Then we’ll go out and take a look at different places until we find something that you like.” Cricket smiled at her.
“What about something you like?”
“Sweetheart, for me it’s all about making you happy.”
“I guess we should be looking for work, too,” May said.
“Yeah, we can see what jobs are open in the paper. First things first… Are you hungry?”
“Very.”
“Okay, let’s stop and get something to eat. Then we’ll buy a newspaper, go get a room, and take it back there and start looking.”
“Sounds good,” she said.
A man stood on the street in front of the café where May and Cricket had planned to lunch. His long black hair hung in knots all the way to his waist. He wore a long black robe and carried pamphlets. As they walked by, May caught a glimpse of the front of the paper. A picture of Satan holding a cross was depicted. May trembled as the man smiled at her.
“Join the movement of the Unification of Christ and Satan,” the man said, offering May a pamphlet.
Cricket gave the man a threatening stare. Then he gently, but firmly, pulled May’s hand, moving her away from the situation.
The small coffee shop had a few booths, two tables, and a counter where patrons could sit on stools. Cricket escorted May to a booth in the corner. On the wall a bulletin board hung, where individual people wrote advertisements. They were giving away pets, or renting apartments. May walked over and began to read.
“Cricket, come over here and look at this.”
He walked over.”There are lots of places for rent on here.”
“Yep, and not too expensive.”
“Well, let’s take some numbers, and we can either go to a phone booth and call, or get a room and call from there.”
May took a pen and paper out of her purse and wrote down several listings. Then she also took the number of a coffee house that had a post searching for a waitress.
They ordered organic vegetable sandwiches and chips. The food wasn’t fancy, but it was filling.
“Let’s try and find a phone booth,” May said. “Why spend money on a room if we don’t have to? I’d rather try and find a place today.”
“Okay, let’s try,” Cricket agreed, and he took a dollar bill out of his wallet. “I’ll get change for the phone.”
After they paid the bill, they walked down to the corner of Haight and Ashbury, where they found a phone booth.
“I can’t believe I am actually here, Cricket. I’ve dreamed of this moment for as long as I can remember. But you being here with me makes it even more perfect.”
The fragrance of incense mixed with marijuana wafted through the air. A man with long golden hair, a colorful headband, bare feet, and sunglasses walked by them and said hello, as if they were all old friends.
Cricket made the calls while May waited. He’d set up several appointments to look at apartments. All of them were within walking distance. As they headed down the street toward the first apartment, they were approached by several different people asking for money. May noticed that the crowds seemed to make Cricket nervous.
He was looking around constantly, and grew very protective of her. But all May felt was excitement; she would thrive here. This place had everything she needed. But what she loved most was the used bookstores that lay cradled between the head shops and cafes. She would have plenty of access to books here. Most of the people who filled the streets were young and friendly, and to May, it was just as she’d imagined California would be.
As they passed an antique book shop, May noticed a help wanted sign in the window. It was a two-story brownstone with a sign that read: “Malachi’s Rare Books.” From the street she could see redwood shelves filled with old and wonderful books. She turned to Cricket.
“I want to go in and see if I can get a job here.” She indicated the help wanted sign.
“Maybe we should get a place first.”
“Please Cricket. I think I would love to work here.”
“May, we have an appointment.”
“Cricket, please. I hope you aren’t going to start trying to be my father, or worse, Red.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take control like that. Go on and see if you can get hired. I’ll wait out here.”
She kissed him and went inside.
Malachi had shoulder-length, thinning brown hair, and a beard that reached his chest. His keen eyes were the color of the forest after a rain storm. At first, May was intimidated by him. But when she got closer and he spoke, she saw kindness in his face that she had not seen initially.
“Come in, come on…” Malachi said. “Don’t be afraid. There is nothing to fear here. There is only me and a world filled with the minds of great thinkers.” He indicated the books with a wave of his hand. “So, young lady, how can I help you?”
“I’m looking for work. You have a sign in the window.”
“Yes, so I do. And, why would you want to work in a bookstore amongst all of my imaginary friends? Now, don’t tell me because you need money… That’s the wrong answer.”
“Well, actually I do need money. But I love to read and for as long as I can remember books have taken me to places I would never have gone without them. Besides that, they have been my friends and my escape.”
“Excellent answer. If this were a game show I would give you ten points.” He laughed.
“Can I fill out an application?”
“But, of course,” Malachi said, and he tore a sheet of paper from the scratch pad on his desk. He handed it to May with a pen. “Write down your name and phone number and I’ll call you.”
Cricket was right; she’d applied too soon. She didn’t have a phone yet, she didn’t even have a place to stay.
“I’m sorry. I feel like an idiot, but I just got here to California and I haven’t even got a place yet. We, my boyfriend and I, were on our way to look at apartments and I saw this sign…so I came in. I’m sorry; I’ll come back.” She turned to leave.
“Hold on there…take a moment. Let’s reflect on this. So, you have no place to stay. You need a job, and you love books. Right.?”
May nodded her head.
“Good enough for me. You’re hired. Come in on Monday at eleven. I don’t open early. I hate mornings. Much prefer afternoons. Don’t you?”
“Yes,” she said, and a giggle escaped her lips. She had a job!
“Don’t you want to know how much you’re going to be paid?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“How does two dollars an hour sound?”
“Great!” That was double minimum wage, and to work at a job she would love. She was so excited.
“Good. Then I’ll see you on Monday at eleven?”
“Yes. I’ll be here.”
“Hey, by the way, I’m Malachi. What’s your name?”
“May,” she answered.
Chapter 56
The first apartment they went to was infested with roaches. It was a third floor walk-up in an older brick building. The previous tenant had left a pile of dirty dishes in the sink, whi
ch the insects were now feeding upon. A pile of newspapers had been strewn about the room, and an odor of garbage permeated the air.
When they walked in, Cricket and May glanced at each other. May gagged. The woman who showed them the rooms was only in her early twenties, but a map of hard living had etched itself upon her once-pretty face. She wore a flimsy nightgown, and her hair had been bleached to almost white.
“This is the apartment,” the woman said. “The rent is real cheap.”
“Thanks, anyway. I don’t think this is for us.” Cricket took May’s hand and led her back down the stairs.
When they got outside, Cricket looked at May “Shit, did you see that place? How could that chick have the nerve to show it to us in that fucking condition?”
“You’re upset?”
“Yeah, I’m worried. I just want to get a decent place that we can afford, where I know you’ll be safe and comfortable.”
“At least I got that job.” She’d told him right away as soon as she left the bookstore, but he hadn’t said anything so she repeated herself.
“I want to support you. I want to be good husband to you. You having to work doesn’t make me happy at all.”
“And you will support me, Cricket. But at least I’ll have a job doing something I really like until you can find work.”
“I’m going to the local hospital to put in an application as soon as we find a place to live.”
Cricket rejected the next three apartments. They did not meet his standards. Some were filthy, others had thin walls and he could hear the neighbors playing loud music. Finally, they arrived at the fifth. By now, they were tired and discouraged. It was a garden apartment a few steps down from the sidewalk, surrounded by a wrought-iron fence, with a pretty window box filled with red and white flowers. The manager of the building was a woman in her late thirties. She wore a long, flowing cotton dress and yellow daisies in her curly brown hair.
“Come in,” she said to Cricket and May. “My name is Isis and I manage the building. We have a lot of really groovy tenants here. As you can see, the apartment is accessible from the street. You never even have to come into the building. Here, let me show you.” Isis lead them back outside to a door on the side of the building. It opened to a clean and bright room. Although the place was small, there was room for a bed and a table and chairs.
The bathroom was old, but immaculate, and the front window could be pulled open, allowing the fragrance of the flowers to drift inside. An avocado-green stove and refrigerator made up the kitchen, with a small pantry. There were a few cabinets, with a matching green counter top. Another window box sat above this sink, with live, growing herbs.
Isis saw May looking at the window box. “There’s basil in there, and oregano makes for great salads. On the other side you’ll find mint. It’s really good if you put it in your tea.”
“I like it,” May said to Cricket. This apartment was a little more expensive than the others, but she felt it was worth the money. It was clean, and different from the other places they’d seen.
“We have a washer and dryer in the basement of the building. I’ll show you.” Isis took May and Cricket through a back door in their apartment that lead to the inside of the building. Then they walked down a flight of stairs. There were two washers and two dryers standing side by side, while a clothes line hung across the room, allowing for air drying.
May smiled at Cricket. He nodded in agreement.
“What’s the best you can do on the rent in here?” Cricket asked Isis.
“Two hundred. It’s right on the Haight. It’s clean and it has nice amenities.”
“Yeah it’s got amenities; you mean the laundry stuff. Okay, but still it’s really small, and garden apartments are not as safe as places on higher floors,” Cricket said.
“Best I can do,” Isis said.
“Come on May,” Cricket said. She looked at him with disappointment, but he winked at her when he was sure Isis did not see. “Let’s go; we have a few more places to look at.”
May took Cricket’s hand. “Thank you,” she said to Isis, and they began to leave.
“Hold on. All right. $175 but that’s the best, the very best I can do.” Isis folded her arms across her chest.
“We’ll take it,” Cricket said. “Can we move in today?”
“Sure,” Isis said.
They rented a truck, and then went shopping at the Salvation Army store, where they bought a used bed and a small table with two chairs. There was no room for a sofa or even a love seat in the apartment.
After Cricket brought the furniture inside, they went back out and purchased a couple of dishes, glasses, and pots at the five-and-dime. They added towels, a shower curtain and linens to their purchase, as well as soap and laundry detergent. May selected a pair of curtains that would fit the picture window, giving them some privacy. Then it was off to the food shop, where they stocked up on a few staples, and some plastic flatware.
Once they were finished, May made omelets, and she and Cricket surveyed the apartment.
“Well, at least we are done for now. I’m sure there will be more that we need.”
“Yeah, but at least we’re settled. I wish the place was a little bigger,” Cricket said.
“Me too, but it’s still much better than any of the other ones.”
“Now, that’s a fact. I’ve never seen such shitty places.” He shook his head. “Filthy. The hippies are sort of disgusting; don’t you think?”
“No, I kind of like it here. I like the way it feels to be here. It feels like freedom.”
“You’re all caught up in that bullshit, huh?” He laughed. “Well, as long as you’re happy, Baby, that’s all that counts.”
They sat staring out the window for a few minutes, neither of them saying anything. It was near dusk and the sun looked like the inside of a giant, ripe cantaloupe as it began to set. The sky enveloped it’s ruler in a colorful embrace of cobalt blue and stunning ruby.
“The sunset is magnificent here,” May said
“Yep.”
“Cricket, you don’t seem to be happy.”
“Well, May, I don’t know. I mean, I’m happy that you’re happy. But, I had a job in Chicago. I was making decent money. Now, here we are in a strange place. And I do mean strange. There’s no guarantee that I’ll find a job here, and especially one that pays as good as the one I had in Chicago. But worst of all…I feel guilty about just leaving Red without any explanation. I should have talked to him. I should have told him everything. I know my brother; he would have been mad at first but then he would have understood.”
“Yeah, but Cricket, he is so violent and I just didn’t want to get into it with him. He can be a real fucker.”
“Hey, don’t talk that way about my brother.”
She could see he was angry. “I’m sorry,” she said.
His eyes softened. “It’s okay, Baby. I know. I know how he can be. And you’re right, in a way; I mean, he does get violent. I just don’t think he would have ever hurt me.” Cricket walked over to May. She was eating. He took the fork out of her hands and placed it on the table. “I didn’t mean to snap at you,” he said. Then he took both of her hands in his and helped her up into his arms. Tenderly, he kissed her as his hand found it’s way into her hair. Softly, she sighed.
“I wish we had met first before I met Red. That would have solved all of our problems. He wouldn’t have felt like he had some kind of claim on me.”
“I know. But we can’t worry about what we can’t change,” Cricket said. He pulled her closer to him, breathing in the scent of her hair. She could not see it, but a tear had come to his eyes. With his arms wrapped around her, he held her tightly as they watched the sky display its incredible light show. His hardness pressed against her hip. The desire that shot through him came shooting through her. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she stroked the muscles in his arms. When he held her, she felt safe and protected.
Loved.
Loved as she’d never been by anyone. If her family had only cared, maybe she wouldn’t need this so much. But she did. She needed him in every way a person could need another person. Cricket was her salvation. Without him she’d just been wandering, alone, unloved, and at the mercy of Red, who was nothing but a sadistic madman. So, no matter what the future brought, even if Cricket proved to be the killer (and she couldn’t believe she was even thinking that), she would stand behind him.
“Cricket?” Her voice cracked with emotion as she reached up to tenderly stroke his brow.
“Yeah?” He said as his fingers tangled in her hair as he passionately pulled her toward him. Their lips met.
“I think we should draw those curtains, don’t you?”
“You bet,” he said.
Chapter 57
The following morning, Cricket got up and went out hunting for a job while May waited in the apartment. She sat up in bed and watched through the window as the Haight slowly burst into life. Her stomach was queasy with nerves. It was hard to believe she was really here, in California. And it felt so strange and wonderful to get up and shower in the new place, a place far away from Red. As she got dressed, she looked around the room and decided that it needed some artwork to make it look like a home. Although she’d never painted, she considered giving it a try. Maybe she’d do a mural on the wall. Flowers? Peace signs? She would decide.
Once she was dressed and had gulped down a cup of black coffee, May went out on the street. She wanted to feel the movement of Haight Ashbury; she wanted to walk the streets alone. After several blocks of observing the artists on the sidewalk and the musicians playing guitars, she ran into the woman who had rented them the apartment.
“I’m Isis.” The woman reminded May of her name. “And you’re May, right?”
“Yes.”
“You remember me, don’t you? I rented you the apartment yesterday.”
“Yes, of course. Sorry if I look a little lost. It’s my first day here.”
Isis laughed. “Welcome to a world within a world. When I first got here, I thought I’d landed on the moon. It was so different than anywhere I’d ever been. You see, little one, this is the Haight. It’s where it’s all happening. And you’re right in the heart of it. Groovy, isn’t it?”
A Time of Anarchy- Mayan's Story Page 20