GiGi. Man. We ate lunch together joined the Girl's Athletic Association together (because I liked gymnastics) and we hung out at school. Eventually, GiGi invited me to her house to spend the night. It was sad for me because I knew I could never ask her to come to my house, so this would be the end of our friendship. But, I really wanted to go. I was excited and curious. I asked for permission and got it when I mentioned GiGi's last name. How about that? I think my stepfather had visions of selling GiGi's father real estate and insurance. It was a Friday and after school I piled into the back of that big shiny black limo with GiGi and her driver, who called her Miss G. We headed out of the city and into the desert. We drove a long time and I was wondering how she ever got into our school district, but, it was probably better not to ask.
*
Finally we pulled into a curving desert road lined with big white boulders and pricky pear and tall suaro cactus and a few scrubby mesquite trees. That was the landscape for miles and there were no neighbors, just black mountains not too far in the distance. I still refuse to describe the location of this house and I doubt anyone could find it without specific directions. I knew GiGi was rich, but, I didn't know how rich. I'd never known that people lived like that. I was silent as I took it all in, I think I was in shock, for real. The home was enormous. It was the traditional adobe, but, not like my house. At all. GiGi's house was that orange/golden color of the Arizona sunset and had all the sweeping curves attributed to good Spanish architecture. It seemed to mimic the desert and looked like it grew there. There were cathedral shaped Spanish windows, more than I could count. It was two stories, not counting the basement garage and that was really unusual. People don't build that way in the Southwest because of the heat. It was jaw droppingly gorgeous and looked like a Mexican palace. The driver parked the car in an underground garage that held at least 12 other cars, many of them classics. GiGi and I entered a door into a private elevator and went to the second floor where her suite was.
*
Finally we pulled into a curving desert road lined with big white boulders and pricky pear and tall suaro cactus and a few scrubby mesquite trees. That was the landscape for miles and there were no neighbors, just black mountains not too far in the distance. I still refuse to describe the location of this house and I doubt anyone could find it without specific directions. I knew GiGi was rich, but, I didn't know how rich. I'd never known that people lived like that. I was silent as I took it all in, I think I was in shock, for real. The home was enormous. It was the traditional adobe, but, not like my house. At all. GiGi's house was that orange/golden color of the Arizona sunset and had all the sweeping curves attributed to good Spanish architecture. It seemed to mimic the desert and looked like it grew there. There were cathedral shaped Spanish windows, more than I could count. It was two stories, not counting the basement garage and that was really unusual. People don't build that way in the Southwest because of the heat. It was jaw droppingly gorgeous and looked like a Mexican palace. The driver parked the car in an underground garage that held at least 12 other cars, many of them classics. GiGi and I entered a door into a private elevator and went to the second floor where her suite was.
*
We arrived on the second floor landing and on either side of the sweeping double stairway (I'd never heard of a double stairway and I don't think I've ever seen another one in a private home in real life) and the halls stretched for miles. The floor was made of shining huge square tiles, also a sunset color. GiGi said the were imported hand made ceramics from Italy made to mimic the traditional Mexican style. Whatever that was, I liked it. The walls were white textured adobe, or orangish adobe and every wall had a huge Southwestern style oil painting with it's own light. There were arched niches filled with sculpture all in the same theme. I found out later, one of them was an original Georgia O'keefe. There was also a small Picasso. These were accented by the addition of strategically placed huge unglazed Mexican earthenware pots filled with massive cactus plants. The kind that were on the endangered plants lists. The effect looked extremely expensive, but, warm and gracious. We click clacked our way down one hall and GiGi opened the huge heavy rough wooden door, I remember all the doors were enormous and arched. This was her room! Oh...My..God.
*
I didn't know what to say because I didn't know places like this existed. Back in Iowa, the richest girl at school had an electric toothbrush and two bathrooms in her house. GiGi had no idea how many bathrooms she had..she'd never bothered to count. Her room (calling it a room is funny) was primarily done in purple. She loved orange and purple, but, not together, so she had a decorator come in and "do" her room in shades of purple because the rest of the house had an orange vibe. Geez, I'd never heard of a decorator either let alone met one. She had her own private living room with an adobe fireplace and all purple furniture and it wasn't from a regular store. It had been made for her. She had two, TWO!, color TV's with remote control boxes..I was fascinated by that, I'd never seen a remote. Back then, they were new and they were big boxes about the size of a square tissue box you could carry around. The second TV was in front of her enormous water bed..never had seen one of those either..and the bed had a purple silk covering and purple silk curtains on the tall posts. Tons of "hippie" type tye dyed silk pillows and drapes, everything trimmed in gold, completed the look. It looked like a harem palace. I thought it was the coolest thing I ever saw and it might still be. I wish I had pictures of it. She had three bathrooms to herself. One on either side of the bedroom, she said these were "his and hers" bathrooms. What the fuck? And she had what she called a half bath off the living area. Again..news to me. There were sunken jet tubs, Mexican tiled showers you could have kept a horse in and faucets plated with fourteen carat gold. I mean, man, I just couldn't believe this was for one small girl.
*
We had a blast, I found it strangely exciting that her end tables were actually small refrigerators and held unlimited soda and goodies. Anything else she might need could be found in the series of huge ones in the enormous modern kitchen and there was a chef in residence ready at all times to complete GiGi's requests. And a maid to bring it up to her. The thing about GiGi was, she wasn't snotty or demanding and considered these people her family. She mostly ate cereal anyway and usually fixed it herself. She was like that. I found out she didn't fare any better in the parent department than I did, except that her dad was rich and always getting richer. That's all he seemed to care about and was seldom home. He called her his "Little Princess" and gave her credit cards and blank checks, but, she hardly ever saw him. I met him a few times and he was really nice to me and called me Little Princess number two. Maybe he couldn't remember my name, but, he treated me like his own daughter, meaning he bought me stuff and ignored me. I was never afraid of him and at that time, I was afraid of almost all men. So he must not have been a bad guy. Her mother was a drunk. This came as a shock to me, I'd thought only men were drunkards and I didn't know women could be that way too. Anyway, GiGi's mother liked to belong to exclusive country clubs, played tennis when she could stand up and had an outfit for everything. I actually only saw her once, going up the sweeping staircase in some designer ball gown and disappearing in the opposite wing of the mansion. I DID see her closets once when GiGi took me on a tour. I've lived in houses smaller than her closets and that's no lie. It was like a department store on 5th avenue. She never bothered with GiGi and had no desire to talk to her daughter. Children bothered her and she got headaches. So basically, GiGi was raised by the help. The help who had taught her good manners and indulged her, and she was a nice girl. She was just lonely. She had no real friends at school because of her father and there were no other kids in her family and no neighborhood kids in that isolated part of the Sonora Desert. It was a strange sad fantasy life.
*
We went swimming in GiGi's backyard pool. Of course it had a native boulder waterfall and was kind of free form. It had a grotto too. I remember being really upset that I didn't own a bathing suit, but, GiGi told me there was one in the cabana I could use. Yeah, there was one..and about 100 others in all sizes and colors, just in case. And towels and bathrobes too. It was like a fancy hotel. The backyard also had an expanse of green lawn, this was unheard of and I still wonder where they got the water to maintain that. Maybe it was piped in from California. I'd heard of that, but, there it was, right in front of me. Her mother insisted the back gardens be regular gardens and not cactus. So, there in the desert was this paradise of Rhododendrons, Mountain Laurel, lilies and all sorts of deciduous plants. It was bizarre and beautiful. A gardener was in residence in a matching guest house. I was very taken with the koi pond, it was such a strange thing, with these huge colorful koi fish who were so tame you could pet them. We'd swim at night even, splashing around in the strange blue underwater lighting. The entire house had colorful uplighting all in blue and orange. Even the gardens and fish pond. It was like another world. Especially at night.
We went swimming in GiGi's backyard pool. Of course it had a native boulder waterfall and was kind of free form. It had a grotto too. I remember being really upset that I didn't own a bathing suit, but, GiGi told me there was one in the cabana I could use. Yeah, there was one..and about 100 others in all sizes and colors, just in case. And towels and bathrobes too. It was like a fancy hotel. The backyard also had an expanse of green lawn, this was unheard of and I still wonder where they got the water to maintain that. Maybe it was piped in from California. I'd heard of that, but, there it was, right in front of me. Her mother insisted the back gardens be regular gardens and not cactus. So, there in the desert was this paradise of Rhododendrons, Mountain Laurel, lilies and all sorts of deciduous plants. It was bizarre and beautiful. A gardener was in residence in a matching guest house. I was very taken with the koi pond, it was such a strange thing, with these huge colorful koi fish who were so tame you could pet them. We'd swim at night even, splashing around in the strange blue underwater lighting. The entire house had colorful uplighting all in blue and orange. Even the gardens and fish pond. It was like another world. Especially at night.
*
And no parents to bother us or tell us what to do. GiGi could count on the help if she needed something, but, they had no authority over her. She did whatever she dammed well pleased and I loved it. She never did anything real bad though, just night swimming, staying up as late as she wanted and playing loud music. It was her world and she made the rules. I don't want this to sound like I liked GiGi just for her fantastic lifestyle, because that's not true, but, there is no way I can tell you I didn't enjoy it and wasn't blown away by it. I wasn't and I'm not materialistic, but, I didn't understand why I couldn't own anything. I know my stepfather was a Buddhist and they can lead simple lives, but, he didn't follow that philosophy when it came to himself. He owned nice things and liked nice things. A new car, good label nice suits, electronic gadgets. My brother had a few things, like normal kids have, toys, a record player and stuff like that..but, I owned nothing and couldn't get anything. And I still believe it is not normal for a girl that age to have three outfits for school, a few cast off articles of clothing and one pair of shoes. That is not normal. I was too old for toys, but, shouldn't I have been allowed to own a purse, some posters for my walls, a bedspread, a magazine, an extra pair of shoes, a night gown, a radio or a record player and a bra?? I mean really. I have never heard of a kid who owned nothing at all and I was a little bit mad about it. It seemed weird. And I didn't know how to change things. When I finally got up the nerve to tell him that I needed a few of these things he said they weren't necessities and I didn't need them to survive. He told me to go collect rocks. Those were free. He thought he was fucking hilarious saying stuff like that and my idiot mother would laugh with him, like he was Red Skelton or some shit. So I did. Collect rocks. I'd walk the desert and out to the mountains, which was a long long way, and I collected rocks. I also started collecting reptiles. They were free too. I'd build them cages out of the junk he had in the garage and I kept all sorts of reptiles in my "room." That was my entertainment. I never kept them for long, I liked to study them and then let them go free and get some more. I had a King snake I found, I loved that because it looked like the poisonous Coral snake. I kept him as a pet for a long time. I memorized the old rhyme Southwestern kids are taught.. "red touch black, friend of Jack, red touch yellow, kill a fellow." It pertained to the snakes colors and was supposed to save your life. Coral snakes are endangered though, I rarely saw one even in the remotest parts of the desert. Another rare thing I searched for was the famous Gila Monster, the fat beaded lizard of legend. They have been nearly wiped out. I found one once and I watched him all day. That tells you how far out into the desert I walked and I know now, I shouldn't have gone to those remote places alone. It was dangerous. But, it was free. I chased and caught a REALLY big lizard once and I showed it to Andrew and he took it to the University and we found out it was a Scaley Swift and that it was really rare and endangered so I donated it to them. He got HIS name put on the donation plaque. I guess Scaley Swifts are really fast too and that meant I was faster. I had all sorts of spiders and insects in jars and anything I could find that was interesting to watch. I found a big hunk of Amethyst once, I still have it. I got books from the school library. So, it's not like I was locked in jail, but, still, it pisses me off to this day that I wasn't allowed to own any material things. I think that's fucked up.
And no parents to bother us or tell us what to do. GiGi could count on the help if she needed something, but, they had no authority over her. She did whatever she dammed well pleased and I loved it. She never did anything real bad though, just night swimming, staying up as late as she wanted and playing loud music. It was her world and she made the rules. I don't want this to sound like I liked GiGi just for her fantastic lifestyle, because that's not true, but, there is no way I can tell you I didn't enjoy it and wasn't blown away by it. I wasn't and I'm not materialistic, but, I didn't understand why I couldn't own anything. I know my stepfather was a Buddhist and they can lead simple lives, but, he didn't follow that philosophy when it came to himself. He owned nice things and liked nice things. A new car, good label nice suits, electronic gadgets. My brother had a few things, like normal kids have, toys, a record player and stuff like that..but, I owned nothing and couldn't get anything. And I still believe it is not normal for a girl that age to have three outfits for school, a few cast off articles of clothing and one pair of shoes. That is not normal. I was too old for toys, but, shouldn't I have been allowed to own a purse, some posters for my walls, a bedspread, a magazine, an extra pair of shoes, a night gown, a radio or a record player and a bra?? I mean really. I have never heard of a kid who owned nothing at all and I was a little bit mad about it. It seemed weird. And I didn't know how to change things. When I finally got up the nerve to tell him that I needed a few of these things he said they weren't necessities and I didn't need them to survive. He told me to go collect rocks. Those were free. He thought he was fucking hilarious saying stuff like that and my idiot mother would laugh with him, like he was Red Skelton or some shit. So I did. Collect rocks. I'd walk the desert and out to the mountains, which was a long long way, and I collected rocks. I also started collecting reptiles. They were free too. I'd build them cages out of the junk he had in the garage and I kept all sorts of reptiles in my "room." That was my entertainment. I never kept them for long, I liked to study them and then let them go free and get some more. I had a King snake I found, I loved that because it looked like the poisonous Coral snake. I kept him as a pet for a long time. I memorized the old rhyme Southwestern kids are taught.. "red touch black, friend of Jack, red touch yellow, kill a fellow." It pertained to the snakes colors and was supposed to save your life. Coral snakes are endangered though, I rarely saw one even in the remotest parts of the desert. Another rare thing I searched for was the famous Gila Monster, the fat beaded lizard of legend. They have been nearly wiped out. I found one once and I watched him all day. That tells you how far out into the desert I walked and I know now, I shouldn't have gone to those remote places alone. It was dangerous. But, it was free. I chased and caught a REALLY big lizard once and I showed it to Andrew and he took it to the University and we found out it was a Scaley Swift and that it was really rare and endangered so I donated it to them. He got HIS name put on the donation plaque. I guess Scaley Swifts are really fast too and that meant I was faster. I had all sorts of spiders and insects in jars and anything I could find that was interesting to watch. I found a big hunk of Amethyst once, I still have it. I got books from the school library. So, it's not like I was locked in jail, but, still, it pisses me off to this day that I wasn't allowed to own any material things. I think that's fucked up.
*
At home, I watched TV through the front window, sitting on a fold out lawn chair, because I wasn't allowed inside. That meant whatever I watched was something someone else chose. Once in awhile my brother would give me a break and put on something I liked, like The Monkee's, Laugh In or the Brady Bunch..or my favorite David Frost. I had a huge crush on David Frost and also on Dick Cavett. I was an odd child, I guess. They just seemed so smart and quick witted. It slayed me. Also Dick Cavett had this strange chick on who seemed to be a mismatched friend of his and I was awestruck. She sang and my eyes popped out. She talked and I laughed and laughed, she was so funny. My mom and stepfather said she wasn't a good singer and all she did was yell and she was a stupid hippie who needed to comb her hair, but, I loved her. Her name was Janis Joplin.
*
GiGi liked Janis Joplin too and she bought her album and we'd put it on her turntable and crank it up. They sure didn't play that in the school lunchroom. They played her Bobby McGee, that was about the only one that was socially acceptable. They also played The Association, Bobby Goldsboro,(hated that fucker, still do), The Beatles, Stone Poney (loved them) The Turtles, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Aretha (awesome) Tiny Tim, Marvin Gaye (doesn't get better than him), The Vouges, Glen Campbell (despise that idiot, always will), Jeannie C. Riley, Manfred Mann, the Grass Roots (good stuff), Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elvis (you can't escape him), The Box Tops, The Rascals, lots of that goofy Jose Feliciano and anything else that was popular pop. The instrumental version of Love Is Blue by Paul Mauriat was huge and it played constantly. I could have lived without it. My point is, that some music was acceptable and you heard it all day and some music was not acceptable and you never heard it. It was an underground cult when it first came out. It wasn't like today when you can hear everything on the Internet, radio and TV. Hippies were coming into vogue and there was a line drawn between them and their lifestyle and "normal decent" people. A war was raging and the world was changing. I'm glad I was there and saw it happen. Nothing like that will ever happen again. It was a once in a lifetime happening in the history of the world. In fact, the whole world was one big happening. You'd think you could listen to anything that was a hit, like today. The radio would play it, right? No, that's not the way it worked. Radio stations could only play "nice" music and the uptights didn't want their kids listening to any god damned hippie war/druggie/sex shit. They wanted us to cut our hair, wear some more polyester and watch Lawrence Welk. God and Nixon help you if you didn't. GiGi not only had Janis's music, but, she bought whatever she wanted. She didn't have to think it out like most kids, you know, like what to spend her limited allowance money on. Anything that looked interesting, she'd buy it. This ability of hers opened up my world in a big way. I'd never been to a record store, but, she had a driver and credit cards. She bought an album by this wild looking black dude just because she liked the album cover. His name was Jimi Hendrix. OMG, you didn't hear that stuff on pop radio. We loved Jimi. He was crazy.
GiGi liked Janis Joplin too and she bought her album and we'd put it on her turntable and crank it up. They sure didn't play that in the school lunchroom. They played her Bobby McGee, that was about the only one that was socially acceptable. They also played The Association, Bobby Goldsboro,(hated that fucker, still do), The Beatles, Stone Poney (loved them) The Turtles, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Aretha (awesome) Tiny Tim, Marvin Gaye (doesn't get better than him), The Vouges, Glen Campbell (despise that idiot, always will), Jeannie C. Riley, Manfred Mann, the Grass Roots (good stuff), Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elvis (you can't escape him), The Box Tops, The Rascals, lots of that goofy Jose Feliciano and anything else that was popular pop. The instrumental version of Love Is Blue by Paul Mauriat was huge and it played constantly. I could have lived without it. My point is, that some music was acceptable and you heard it all day and some music was not acceptable and you never heard it. It was an underground cult when it first came out. It wasn't like today when you can hear everything on the Internet, radio and TV. Hippies were coming into vogue and there was a line drawn between them and their lifestyle and "normal decent" people. A war was raging and the world was changing. I'm glad I was there and saw it happen. Nothing like that will ever happen again. It was a once in a lifetime happening in the history of the world. In fact, the whole world was one big happening. You'd think you could listen to anything that was a hit, like today. The radio would play it, right? No, that's not the way it worked. Radio stations could only play "nice" music and the uptights didn't want their kids listening to any god damned hippie war/druggie/sex shit. They wanted us to cut our hair, wear some more polyester and watch Lawrence Welk. God and Nixon help you if you didn't. GiGi not only had Janis's music, but, she bought whatever she wanted. She didn't have to think it out like most kids, you know, like what to spend her limited allowance money on. Anything that looked interesting, she'd buy it. This ability of hers opened up my world in a big way. I'd never been to a record store, but, she had a driver and credit cards. She bought an album by this wild looking black dude just because she liked the album cover. His name was Jimi Hendrix. OMG, you didn't hear that stuff on pop radio. We loved Jimi. He was crazy.
*
So, alot of things I loved were things GiGi turned me onto because I wouldn't have known about them otherwise. Nice girls did not listen to Jimmi Hendrix. Or Janis Joplin. Or any of the others we liked. I had finally confessed to GiGi how I lived. I hoped I could trust her because if it got out I would be made so miserable at school. My life would have been over because that's all I had. You know what? GiGi shocked me. She said all she had was money and we weren't that different and she didn't give a fuck how I lived. I even got my stepfather to let GiGi spend the night at our house, he was still hoping to meet GiGi's father otherwise he would have never let me talk to anyone outside of school and I would have remained isolated. GiGi really didn't give a fuck that I had nothing, it was hilarious to see her lift her silver mink coat and piss down the drain in my floor. And later be picked up by her chauffer. And if you've ever seen anything funnier than a rich girl in a mink coat and thousand dollar shoes pissing in a hole in a cement floor and yelling "Don't let any Black Widows crawl up my butt crack!"..then I'd like to hear about it.
2 comments:
Oh my god DD! That last sentence cracked me up. I'm loving GiGi. I'm so happy that she turned out a good kid so far. Let's see the next chapter! :)
I'm so happy for you that you found such a good friend!
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