Heritage 54

Living in the West

San Francisco

San Francisco was a wild town and Helen did not like it very much. She told me that Ra bought property in Los Angeles and they were moving in a few weeks.

Los Angeles

I asked Alta to take me to LA and perhaps we could settle there. Alta said OK. LA was small and dusty and dry and sparsely populated. There was plenty of land here. I located Ra's property and persuaded Alta to buy the lot next to it. I worked with the architects out of the hotel room, using Helen's plans, and designed my house with a window that looked down into their parlor where they would entertain guests for tea and parties. After we moved into our new homes, Ra had a party for his workers and the people of the community in general. Alta and I were invited.  After that, Ra had lots of parties and Helen was a very good hostess.

Periodically, Ra and Alta would travel to San Francisco and check on their businesses.  I had tea with Helen and a few of our neighbors.  Our community attracted new businesses and homes were being constructed until we became a nice high classed set of people.  Living a respectable distance from each other, and having community meetings almost weekly.  These were social affairs where we got to know one another and engaged in the ordering and buying of goods and services from each other.  I maintained a window spice garden for the delicious foods I learned to cook.  Alta let me have a couple of parties too.  At those, Ra and Helen would almost always leave early.

I tried to continue my affair with Ra.  I would corner him at the parties we attended, and persuade him to follow me.  We would talk and hug and kiss away from the eyes of others.

Alta's business associates called on him almost daily. I would serve tea, then leave and visit with Helen. I felt somewhat triumphant. Ra would be in his office working. During this time, my father died. My mother wrote and told me. I was sad but I accepted it. I remembered our last talk together, and let it go...

Back to My Story   Links:   Heritage Outline    2   3    4   5    6   6a  7    8    9    10    11   11a    12    13    14   15   16    17     18    19     20    21    22    23     24    25     26    27     28    29   30    31   32    33   34   35   36    37    38    39     40    41     42   42a    43    44     45    46     47   47a    48    49   49a  50   50a  51     52    53     54    55   56   57     58    59    60    61   62   63    64    65   66