Flashback #4
Ok I've told this story to some people already (what can I say, I am little more than a handful of memories) but I just love telling it because it's so damn weird.
When I was about elementary school age (6?), I used to live in the basement of a house (another story in and of itself). Upstairs lived another Korean family. I think there was a son, a daughter, and another son and I *think* I had the impression they were "bad" kids. I think I looked up to them because they just seemed so awfully disrespectful and cool.
One day the youngest son who I think was about 13 came down to visit me. I could tell he was pretty pissed off and he asked me gruffly, "I'm getting out of here. You want to go with me?" Wide eyed and completely taken aback it was all I could do to mew out "Ok" and follow at his heels while he dug through his mom's purse to steal some money and then we walked to the bus stop.
I believe we ended up at the Westlake Shopping Center. Now, anyone from my part of the Bay Area knows this place at the border of Daly City. It's really a pathetic strip mall with a dirty little Michael's being its best asset. I don't remember much of what we did there but I do remember he got me ice cream. I think that's when I fell in love for the first time. I think he got over his temper tantrum so we caught another bus to head back home.
And then it got dark. And then we realized we were on the wrong bus. And then I realized the fucker had no idea where we were. All love quickly evaporated (first experience in heartbreak perhaps?). So now we are wandering the streets of San Francisco in the dark with no idea of what the hell to do next.
This is where the miracles happen. I remember being approached by a couple. I don't remember the conversation but we ended up in a small red car. Can I repeat that? My pre-pubescent escort and I went into a stranger's car! We ended up at a brightly lit house. I remember it had a cottage feel to it. There were a lot of other people there. And a big black lab. I think they tried to talk to me and feed me cookies but I was probably too freaked out.
The rest of the night was a blur but I do remember ending up in our small cozy basement kitchen, back in my mother's arms.
I think the upstair's kid got the shit kicked out of him.