THE BABY: A STORY BY RICK CASTRO

SOMETIME DURING 2001,  I WAS SITTING AT MY FAVORITE CAFE IN LOS FELIZ VILLAGE- FIGARO BISTRO, ENJOYING A NICE CUPPPA EARL GREY TEA & CROISSANT. 

LIFE WAS A BOWL OF CHERRIES.

THE FOOD AND DRINKS HERE ARE EXCELLENT. I’VE BEEN A REGULAR SINCE IT OPENED BACK IN THE 90'S. MY ONLY COMPLAINT, AND THIS GOES FOR THE ENTIRE LOS FELIZ VILLAGE; IT HAS BECOME HOPELESSLY- "BOUGIE",  AS IN BOURGEOIS.

 AS A LIFE LONG RESIDENT OF LOS ANGELES I CAN SAY THIS WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE... AND WITHOUT GUILT . 
THE MANY CHARMING HAMLETS OF LA COUNTY, (ECHO PARK, SILVERLAKE, EAST HOLLYWOOD, HIGHLAND PARK. MOST RECENTLY BOYLE HEIGHTS AND LINCOLN HEIGHTS) HAVE BEEN INFILTRATED WITH GENTRIFICATION THAT BRINGS A SELF-ENTITLED ELEMENT THAT, (TO ME) SPOILS THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS IS MY LITTLE PET PEEVE.

SO I'M SIPPING ME NICE CUPPA TEA AS THIS ATTITUDY LADY WALKS BY- NOSE IN THE AIR- PUSHING HER EQUALLY SNOBBY BABY IN A STROLLER. HE REMINDED ME OF 70’S CHILD STAR MASON REESE. AS THEY WALK PASS ME THE BABY LOOKS AT ME WITH A GRIMACE, AND SNEERS AT ME!
 HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? HOW CAN SUCH A YOUNG THING HAVE SUCH ATTITUDE? 
 I TURN MY HEAD AWAY WITH THOUGHTS OF "THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.” 

WITHIN SECONDS I HEAR A SCREECH. TURNING MY HEAD BACK AROUND, 
AND VISUALIZE THE ATTITUDY MOTHER ON THE GROUND IN THE MOST TWISTED POSITION. I DIDN'T KNOW THE HUMAN BODY COULD CONTORT THAT MUCH.

THE STROLLER IS TURNED OVER AND THE BABY IS JUST HITTING THE PAVEMENT- FACE FIRST. 

AN EQUALLY BOUGIE LADY DRIVING HER MERCEDES, OR VOLVO OR WHATEVER, WAS TURNING RIGHT ON A RED LIGHT. NOT BOTHERING TO LOOK BOTH WAYS,  SHE ONLY LOOKED LEFT TO SEE ANY APPROACHING CARS. ONCE  CLEAR, SHE STEPPED ON THE GAS, HITTING THE MOTHER AND BABY AS THEY STEPPED OFF THE SOMEWHAT SAFE SIDEWALK AND INTO THE NO-MAN'S LAND KNOWN AS THE CROSSWALK.

 AFTER ALL THIS IS LOS ANGELES. NOBODY WALKS IN L.A. 

WELL THIS TIME SOMEONE WAS- AN ATTITUDY MOTHER & SNOBBY BABY.

SO AS I TURNED MY HEAD THE BABY WAS JUST MAKING CONTACT WITH THE PAVEMENT .... THEN IT HIT. THE LOOK ON IT'S FACE WAS STUNNING. 

YES- I WAS SITTING THAT CLOSE SO I COULD SEE ALL THIS TRANSPIRING. 

THE BABY OPENED IT'S MOUTH IN A SILENT HOWL. 
LIKE THAT FAMOUS PAINTING BY EDVARD MUNCH.

THEN THE SILENCE TURNED TO A SCREAM. THE SNOBBY BABY LET OUT SUCH A WAIL IT WOULD'VE MADE ALL THE COWS COME HOME- IF WE WERE ON A FARM.

THE BOUGIE LADY DRIVING THE VOVLO EXITED HER CAR LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN. SHE WAS TREMBLING. SHE RAN TO THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. WHEN THE BOUGIE LADY SAW WHAT SHE HAD CREATED OUT OF HER NEGLIGENCE SHE CRUMBLED WITH ANXIETY. 

I WOULD'VE GOT UP TO HELP, BUT THERE WAS ALREADY MANY PEOPLE HELPING SO I FIGURED TOO MANY DOCTORS WOULD SPOIL THE SOUP.

A KIND STRANGER WALKING BY TRIED HIS BEST TO HELP UNTANGLE THE BOUGIE MOTHER. SHE WAS LIKE A PRETZEL. HE ONLY ASSISTED HER. NOBODY YET KNEW HOW SERIOUS WERE HER INJURIES.  ONCE THE BOUGIE MOTHER COMPOSED HERSELF SHE RAN TO HER SCREAMING BABY AND SNATCHED IT UP. 

AT THIS TIME THE BOUGIE LADY DRIVING THE VOLVO COLLAPSED WITH STRESS. SHE SAT ON THE CURB AND STARTED TO SOB.

 " I'VE KILLED A BABY," SHE KEPT SAYING IN A LOW VOICE. 
THE KIND STRANGER CONSOLED HER AND GAVE HER A HUG.

 SHE WAS A WRECK.

 IN AN ODD WAY I FELT SORRY FOR HER MORE SO THAN THE BOUGIE MOTHER & SNOBBY BABY.  SHE HAD TO OWN THE FACT THAT SHE WAS SO SELF-ABSORBED, SHE DIDN'T BOTHER TO LOOK TO SEE IF ANYONE WAS CROSSING.

 I'VE WITNESSED THIS MANY TIMES. I'VE EVEN BEEN HIT BY A CAR FOR THE SAME REASON. AT THE TIME, "OH SORRY! I DIDN'T SEE YOU," WAS THE ONLY RESPONSE I RECEIVED. 

AS EVERYBODY TALKED AMONGST THEMSELVES, IT WAS DECIDED THE BOUGIE MOTHER & SNOBBY BABY WERE FINE. NO BROKEN ANYTHING. THE EQUALLY BOUGIE LADY IN THE VOLVO ASKED IF SHE COULD DRIVE THEM TO THE HOSPITAL. SHE WAS CONCERNED THE BABY, (AND MOTHER) MAY HAVE INTERNAL BLEEDING OR CONCUSSION. 

THE BOUGIE MOTHER SAID IT WASN'T NECESSARY, BUT THE EQUALLY BOUGIE LADY INSISTED. SHE WOULD NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. 

THEY ALL PILED INTO THE VOLVO. THE KIND STRANGER FOLDED UP THE BABY STROLLER AND PLACED IT IN THE BACK. HE WAVIED THEM GOOD-BYE AS THEY DROVE OFF SMILING AND CHATTING. THE SNOBBY BABY HAD LONG STOPPED CRYING AND WAS ALSO SMILING. THEY HAD FOUND FAMILY; THEIR OWN TRIBE. 

CRISIS CAN CREATE AN UNLIKELY BOND. 

SOMEHOW I FELT THEY WOULD BECOME FRIENDS AND STAY IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER.   THE SNOBBY BABY WOULD BE GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL BY NOW. 
THE BOUGIE LADY COULD ATTEND THE GRADUATION CEREMONY. 
AS A GIFT SHE COULD PAY FOR THE NOW ADULT BABY’S SPRING BREAK TRAVELS TO EUROPE.

NOWADAYS  LOS FELIZ IS MORE GENTRIFIED AND EVEN MORE BOURGEOIS.

 IF THAT WAS TO HAPPEN NOW- I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD'VE STOPPED. 

THEY WOULD BE ON THEIR  CELL PHONES CALLING THEIR LAWYERS.

RICK CASTRO- 2017- COPYRIGHT