Chapter 40

Saturday morning my usual exercise routine had more zest. I was getting to play today! I hadn’t done anything fun with kids my age for what seemed forever. I headed to Nina’s house and arrived at the agreed-upon at eight o’clock. They actually had a gate across their driveway and it was manned. Nina had left my name so I was allowed right in.

She was ready to go. She suggested that I drive the family station wagon. Her older brother used it for hauling his surfboards around. It was a pretty beat up 1937 Ford Deluxe Station Wagon. Before we could leave I had to be introduced to her Dad. I had seen Mr. Monroe at the studio but didn’t know who he was at the time.

He was a pleasant late forties medium-sized guy with dark hair. He had a pencil-thin mustache as you saw in the movies. Oh yeah, he made the movies, not in them, made them. He knew who I was. Nina had told him about me and he knew I was working with Mr. Wayne.

He told me, “John likes you. He says you have a good work ethic and true grit. I’m not sure what he means by that but I know it is a compliment.”

“Thank you, sir, I enjoy working with Mr. Wayne and Warner Brothers.”

“Okay that’s enough of the chit chat, you kids have fun today.”

On the way out to the car, Nina told me, “Daddy usually gives my boyfriends a hard time, he must like you.”

Stop the presses, boyfriend? I accepted her comment and went with the flow. The car drove fairly well, not as good a ride as my T-Bird, but then I wouldn’t want the mess of a day’s surfing in it.

I wish I could tell the world that I was a natural on the surfboard and soon would be a world champion. I didn’t drown. I had a lot of fun. The waves at Santa Monica were okay I was told, but not really great. I did manage several nice rides and even made it all the way in once. All in all, I would do it again. Higher more frequent waves would be better. It seemed like we spent most of the day waiting for the right waves.

We had started surfing at ten o’clock. Nina had their cook pack us a lunch which we ate on the hood of the car. We gave up at two o’clock because the tide had turned and the waves were very low. We showered the salt off at the freshwater showers the city had along the beach. We changed into street clothes using some fancy maneuvers in the car.

I accidentally got a flash of a breast. At least I think it was an accident. It was only for a second but I would think about it for days.

We strolled up on the Santa Monica pier. The amusement park was open so we spent some time there. We even rode on the Ferris wheel which was at the end of the pier. That was cool, riding a Ferris wheel over the Pacific Ocean.

Even though it was February it was a warm day so I was wearing a golf shirt and shorts along with tennis shoes. I didn’t even have on socks; try that in Ohio in February!

We were eating cotton candy on our way back to the car when a small kid, maybe four years old like Mary came running past us. His parents were chasing right behind. “Stop Billy,” yelled his Mom. Billy was enjoying the game so he ran faster. Looking over his shoulder to see his pursuit he veered to the right, right off the edge of the pier into the Ocean.

As Dad had told me there was a time to think, and a time to act. I certainly didn’t think. At least not linear thought, I dropped my wallet on the wooden deck and followed Billy into the water. He had run under the railing, I jumped over it.

On the way down I was able to grab my nose as taught in Boy Scout Life Guard training so I wouldn’t break it when I hit the water. Holding my privates I managed to hit feet first, legs together, fairly straight in so I plunged down. I mean I plunged down like fifteen or twenty feet under the water. It was a good thing because just as my downward motion had stopped and I was starting back up I ran into Billy. I grabbed him and kicked for the surface.

When we broke the surface I put him in the standard life-saving grip with my arm around his chest and under the chin. I oriented myself and headed for the shore. Billy was coughing so I knew he was going to be okay. He hung on to me like he was drowning. Then it occurred to me he had good reason to cling to me!

By the time I had him up to dry land his parents were waiting. His mom grabbed him and held him. There were the tears that one would expect from both of them. Nina was also waiting. She had the presence of mind to pick up my wallet. The parents introduced themselves and thanked me profusely. Their last name was Gates. I didn’t catch their first names.

A lifeguard was there and got all the details from us. He had to record all problems in his beach sector. He wanted to know where we lived, and if we worked, where and telephone number if they had to contact us. He looked up at me when I said I worked at Warner Brothers Studio.

“Are you an intern there?”

“He is starring in a movie with John Wayne,” Nina proudly told him.

“Wow, that is cool. I would love to break into movies.”

“Are you registered with Central Casting?” I asked.

“No.”

“That is where most people get their start.” I had been getting, “I want to break into movies,” comments more and more so I had learned to give the Central Casting answer.