Author's Preface to Lake Mariposa

Author's Preface to Lake Mariposa

I started writing Lake Mariposa after I wrote a few episodes of The Cover Up. I have always wanted to write a coming of age story about the nineteen-sixties. Lake Mariposa's episodes are now running concurrently with The Cover Up. I decided to write both novels at the same time as I found that I would need to take an emotional break from The Cover Up. The Cover Up is a hard hitting work of fiction that is emotionally draining to write. There is a lot of pain and darkness in The Cover Up and it mirrors only too well the present state of our mental health delivery system.

Lake Mariposa too, has it's dark moments but is mostly a love story and a story about relationships. After a month of writing episodes for Mariposa I came to the realization that it is also historical fiction. This, of course, means that I am old enough for the time my youth to fall into this genre. This is indeed a sobering thought. Lake Mariposa has been fun to write perhaps as it beckons to a time of youth and of growing up in a time of hope. However, I have made sure not to romanticize this period in history as it certainly had its turbulent issues.

I must emphasize that above all, both The Cover Up and Lake Mariposa are works of fiction. I have attempted in writing both novels, not to be preachy. This can be hard to do. The characters and situations in both these works are

total works of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons either alive or dead is strictly coincidental. This does not mean, however, that some of the scenes in these stories will not be disturbing or offensive to some readers. I believe that if one is to create art one must be prepared to offend somebody. It comes with the territory. With this being said, I hope that you will enjoy reading both The Cover Up and Lake Mariposa.

Keep on rocking,

Ken David Stewart

Lake Mariposa Part Sixteen

“In what ways?” asked Rick.

“Well, one morning Misty got out of bed at a much earlier hour. Previous to this Misty might not wake up until four in the afternoon. She came downstairs for her usual cigarette and coffee but instead of going back to her room for awhile, Misty went to the bathroom and had a shower and washed her hair. During the last couple of months Misty might do this only once a week. This was the second time in two days,” said Sasha.

'' The after her shower, she came to the breakfast table to visit with us for awhile. Previously, it appeared that carrying on a simple conversation drained too much of Misty's energy. She just had just one pancake and two strips of bacon and then lit another cigarette and poured herself another coffee,” Lloyd added.

“Misty started to talk very quickly and would get very annoyed if one of us tried to make a comment or ask her a question. She would get impatient if one of us didn't pass her the salt or pancake syrup quickly enough,” said Sasha.

“Misty then put her cigarettes in her pocket and told us that she would be back in the evening,” said Lloyd.

“Then when Dad asked her where she was going, Misty told him that it was none of his business and then stormed out of the house,” said Sasha.

“That was the first day that we noticed that Misty had suddenly changed, “said Lloyd. At first we thought this change was for the better. After all, Misty wasn't spending all of her days in bed and she appeared to have got her energy back.”

“Too much energy as we quickly found out,” added Sasha. '' Misty would be out all day and all evening and then when it was bedtime she couldn't sleep.”

“Exactly,” replied Lloyd. “Misty would still be up after midnight playing her stereo very loud. I'd ask her to turn the volume down as the rest of us were trying to sleep.”

“This didn't go over to well with Misty,” added Sasha. “She would turn her music down for about twenty minutes and then up would go the volume again.”

“This turned out to be the least of our concerns with Misty. I often didn't know where she was going when she went out or who she was with. It wasn't with her usual friends as some of them would still phone to ask for her,” said Lloyd.

Lake Mariposa Part Eleven

Lloyd continued to take requests throughout the evening including sing-a-long songs such as Let It Be and Yellow Submarine by The Beatles. One of the last songs that Lloyd played that evening was Just Like A Woman by Bob Dylan. Rick and Sasha could not resist cuddling up during this number and by this time were not embarrassed by a public display of their affection.

At around 11:00 PM. The group was tired and was ready to turn in for the evening. Three tents were already set up. Lloyd gave the instructions for this evening’s sleeping arrangements.

“The red tent is for me,” Lloyd directed.”The blue tent that was originally intended to be for Misty and Sasha’s is now solely Misty’s due to a change of plans. The yellow tent is for Rick and Sasha.

This announcement made everyone very happy. Rick and Sasha cuddled and kissed during the next forty minutes and eventually fell asleep in each other’s arms.

The next morning Lloyd was the first to arise. After smoking a cigarette and boiling some water for coffee Lloyd attended to breakfast preparations. Misty helped Lloyd build the fire. Lloyd started cracking several eggs to put in the frying pan while Misty started to put bacon strips on a skillet.

The group enjoyed a hearty breakfast that morning. Everyone felt so full that they went back to their tents to lie down for about an hour. When everyone was rested and had time to let their food digest it was time to head out to the main stage for day two of the rock festival. Lloyd and Rick carried the large cooler and Misty and Sasha brought along the snacks.

The sun was shining brightly and it was already getting warm. After they’d walked a little ways down the path Misty said, “Hey, there’s that freak I saw at Memorial Park just up about ten yards ahead of us.”

Misty didn’t even wait for a response from the others. She ran ahead to greet the freak that she liked. He was with his own group of friends and Misty noticed that there wasn’t a female in his party. She took this as a very good sign.

Misty immediately introduced herself. She walked right up to the guy she had her eye on and said, ” Hi, I’m Misty. Are you guys headed out to hear the bands?”

“You betcha, honey,” replied the freak. “You wanna join us.”

“I’d love to,” was Misty’s answer.

The freak said that his name was Sky. He wasn’t wearing a shirt but wore a leather vest. His hair was long, black and scraggly. He had a noticeable scar on one cheek. He had an earring in one ear and looked like a cross between a biker and a pirate.

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Lake Mariposa Part Ten

Posted: May 13, 2012 in new fiction
Tags: coming of age stories, creative writing, love stories, new fiction, relationships, rock festivals, the sixties

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“Yes, it does,” answered Rick. “I think I love you.”

“I love you too, man.” Sandy embraced Rick with a passionate embrace. Their two bodies felt like their were melting into each other. They must have held this hug for a full five minutes. Many people walked walked by them but they didn’t even notice. They were the only two people on earth for that moment in time.

When they finally became too physically tired to hang on to each other any longer they broke their embrace.

“We better go back and find Lloyd and Misty. They might be worried that something happened to us,” said Rick.

“Well, they would be right about that,” Sasha said with a giggle.

When they got back to the main stage area it didn’t take them long to find Misty and Lloyd.

“Well, you two seem to have hit it off,” Lloyd commented.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Rick said with a blush.

“I thought you two had hitched a ride to LosVegas for a quickie wedding and honeymoon,” Misty chimed in.

“Come on, Misty, Rick and I only met this afternoon,” said Sasha feeling a little bit embarrassed.

“Well, Romeo and Juliet fell in love in even less time,” said Misty.

“Ah, come on, Misty. You’re just jealous,” said Lloyd taking a drag off his Marlborough.

“ Don’t worry dad. I always get lucky at these outdoor festivals, “ Misty replied taking a sip from her can of Bud.

“I know that Misty. I’ve never known you to miss at a rock festival,” laughed Lloyd.

After the last band played their set the happy group headed back to the campgrounds. As soon as they got there Lloyd had the charcoal barbeque going. Misty put the hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. After they ate, Lloyd got his guitar out of his tent.

“Any requests this evening?” asked Lloyd as he tuned up his prize Martin D-18.

“Do you know Gloria by Them,” asked Rick.

“Oh, that old three chord wonder,” laughed Lloyd. Of course, I started out playing with a garage band.”

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The Cover Up Part Two

Posted: May 13, 2012 in new fiction

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In under five minutes four paramedics arrived on the scene. The paramedics in this city were very familiar with this facility and the surrounding neighborhood. It was not unusual for emergency personnel to pay ten to twenty visits per week to this facility. Many of the calls they received were in

essence false alarms. When the paramedics arrived at the scene they would

often find that the client was very intoxicated with either alcohol, drugs or both being the culprit. Other times they would be called out due to a client complaining of being short of breath and or having chest pain. Other occasions the calls would be for residents experiencing anxiety attacks or going into psychosis. Two years ago they had been called to the scene for an actual fatal stabbing incident.

A young blond female paramedic in her twenties was the first to attend to the resident in the stairwell. She and a handsome young male paramedic were the first to attend to the resident on the stairwell.

“He’s not breathing and I’m not getting a pulse,” the female medic said to her partner.

“He’s feeling stiff and cold to to the touch,” added her male colleague.

Just then a young police constable and his senior partner arrived on the scene.

“ How’s the man doing?” asked the younger police officer.

“ He’s dead,” the male paramedic answered. “He has numerous contusions on his body and his neck could possibly be broken as a result of a fall or a push.”

“The medical examiner will need to determine the exact cause of death. I’ll call for the detectives,” the senior constable said to his young partner.

Within ten minutes a big ,burly detective in his early fifties named Jeff Barnes arrived with his partner, Krista Holland, a trim, attractive, strawberry blond, female detective.

As all this was happening, the security guard, Jim Bellows, had called a code blue for the building. This meant that all available staff who were available were to respond to the site of the incident. The first residential care worker to arrive at the scene was a tall, thin woman in her late forties. She was instructed to stay where she was by the male detective.

After a brief introduction to each other Constable Redding asked the residential care worker to round up the rest of the staff of the facility and have them wait in the staff room until the detectives were ready for them.

The second staff to arrive at the scene was Rick Jennings, the mental health wing supervisor. Rick was a good looking physically fit man man who had just turned forty. He quickly identified himself to the detectives. When Rick asked what had happened, the female detective, Krista Holland, told Rick to wait in the staff room but not before informing the supervisor that a resident of the facility was dead.

The body of the deceased resident was taken to the city morgue after the

detectives had taken pictures of him and had taken notes on what the resident

was wearing and for any belongings in his clothing.

After approximately fifteen minutes the two detectives went to the staff room on the second floor to talk to the staff of the facility.

The House of Hope was a four floor building that housed approximately seventy residents. It was the brain child of the government’s Health Division and was considered to be state of the art. There were two main treatment facilities located in the building. The fourth floor contained the substance abuse treatment center. The third floor was a rehabilitation unit for clients presenting with severe and chronic psychiatric disabilities. The second floor was for female residents that had previously been homeless or were escaping from abusive relationships and the first floor was occupied by men who didn’t have a safe and permanent place to live in the community. The administrators of The House of Hope were very proud of their building as it purported to meet so many divergent needs in the poorest area of the city. When a first time visitor came to The Center, they would first notice the offensive odor that only chronic and severe poverty can provide. There was always a strong smell of body odor present.

“As some of you have probably heard one of the residents in your building has passed away tonight. We are not sure as yet how he died. The medical examiner will examine the body to try to determine the exact cause of death. My partner, Detective Holland and I will be interviewing any of you that we feel can provide us with some background information about the deceased resident and what may have happened tonight. Detective Holland will start with Cora Sanchez who apparently was the first to discover the body. I would like to question the mental health supervisor first. We ask that the rest of you wait in the staff room until you are called by either Detective Holland or myself.

“If you will be kind enough to take me to your office, Mr. Jennings we can start with your interview.”

“Certainly, “ replied Rick.

The detective and Rick arrived at Rick’s office. Rick’s office had recently been refurbished and looked professional. Although there never seemed to be money in the budget for programming for the residents, there was enough money in the building fund to spruce up the supervisor’s office and buy him a computer complete with all the bells and whistles. Rick pointed

to a red upholstered chair for Detective Barnes.

“How long have you been the manager of the mental health wing, Rick?”

asked the detective.

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Lake Mariposa Part Nine

Posted: May 12, 2012 in new fiction
Tags: coming of age stories, creative writing, new fiction, rock festivals, the sixties, Winnipeg

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“Okay, were you looking forward to coming to Winnipeg before you knew that you’d meet me?” asked Rick after taking a bite off his corn dog.

“Yeah, I was,” said Sasha thoughtfully. “Spending the summer with my dad and my sister is kind of a break for me. If I was staying with my mom this summer she would probably send me to Bible camp for a couple of weeks. Plus, it’s good to see how the heathens live,” laughed Sasha.

“Can I ask you a real personal question, Sasha?” asked Rick with a nervous expression.

“I guess so,” said Sasha with a chuckle. “After all you took me for a pee in the bush.”

“Sasha, do you have a boyfriend in Los Angeles?” Rick could hear the quiver in his voice when he was asking Sasha this question.

“Sort of, but he likes me better than I like him, “ Sasha answered honestly.

“So will you still be seeing him after this summer?” Rick asked.

“ Probably, but just off and on.”

“Why do you still go out with him if you don’t like him that much?” said Rick with a hint of anger in his voice.

“Mostly because of my mother. She and Devin’s mother are close friends. They attend the same weekly Bible study. I mean, Devin’s a nice enough guy I guess, but there’s no heat there. You know what I mean,” said Sasha trying to explain herself.

“So you’re saying you see him to basically keep your mom happy,” asked Rick quizzically.

“I guess so.”

“Do you see other guys in L.A. besides Devin?”

“Yeah, but none of them really turn my crank either.”

“So, you are presently now a free agent?” asked Rick hopefully.

“Oh, no.” replied Sasha.

“Because of Devin?” asked Rick in a worried tone of voice.

“No, because of you, silly boy.”

Rick let out an audible sigh of relief. He felt momentarily weak and went down on his knees.

“Are you alright, man?” asked Sasha with deep concern.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay. Just give me a few seconds. As his head cleared Rick rose to his feet once again.

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Lake Mariposa Part Eight

Posted: May 11, 2012 in new fiction
Tags: coming of age stories, creative writing, divorce, new fiction, rock festivals, the sixties,Winnipeg

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After they purchased their corn dogs and soft drinks Rick and Sasha found a round table covered by an umbrella with the Pepsi logo on it.

“So why did your mom want you to go to a Christian school?” asked Rick as he took a sip of his Pepsi.

“My mother has some Christian friends that highly recommended the Christian School in our neighborhood. At that time I was getting into a lot of trouble at the public school that I was attending. My mother hoped that the Christian school would provide me with some good moral standards,” Sasha explained as she unwrapped her corn dog.

“And has it?” Rick asked as he tried to block out the sun’s rays that were shining directly into his eyes.

Sasha laughed, “To some extent. At least I’m starting to think about the repercussions of some of my behavior. In that sense the Christian school has been good for me.”

“How does your mom feel about you staying with your dad over the summer?” Rick asked.

“She’s cool with it for the most part. She doesn’t hate my dad. She wishes that he would become more mature and give up a lot of his bad habits. My mother left my dad because she didn’t think that he was capable of providing a stable life for us,” Sasha answered with a look of sadness on her face.

“It must be hard for you, with your parents split up and living in different countries,” said Rick.

“It is, but it would be worse if they were still together. They are so far apart in terms of philosophy of life that they may as well be living on different planets.”

“ You see, my mother wants me to have a relationship with my father even if she does not approve of his life style. Her parents split up when she was young and she said she lost all connection with her father. She didn’t want the same thing to happen to me.”

“So you’re glad that you’re spending this summer with Misty and your dad?” Rick asked.

“Of course, silly boy. Otherwise, how would I have met you?” laughed Sasha.

“That’s true,” said Rick while smiling lovingly at Sasha.

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Lake Mariposa Part Twelve

The freak said that his name was Sky. He wasn't wearing a shirt but wore a leather vest. His hair was long, black and scraggly. He had a noticeable scar on one cheek. He had an earring in one ear and looked like a cross between a biker and a pirate.

“Before I go to the main stage I need to conduct a little business. By the way I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Gypsy,” said the pirate freak.

“I'm very pleased to meet you, Gypsy. My name is Misty. I came here with my dad, my sister and her very new boyfriend.”

“Very new boyfriend?” asked Gypsy.

“Yes, they just met today and now they're madly in love with each other,” explained Misty.

“Who knows? Lightning may strike twice today.”

With this, Misty blushed. “Can I come along with you Gypsy?”

“Yeah, sure you can walk with me,” answered Gypsy.”It's about a ten minute walk from here to where I'm headed. I found a great spot near the lake. It's a little secluded.”

“So what kind of business are you in Gypsy?”

“I'm in sales,” said Misty's new friend with a sly grin.

“And what is it that you sell?'' Misty had a pretty good idea what his Gypsy's product line is.

“I sell products to expand your mind. My products give you vivid dreams and help you see colors you've never seen before,” Gypsy answered adjusting the leather bag strapped over his shoulder.

When they arrived at Gypsy's designated spot Misty saw that it was a little grassy area surrounded by trees and very close to the water. It was also situated where people walking along the path could see them.

“This is a good shady area to set up shop,” said Gypsy taking his satchel off of his shoulder. Gypsy pulled a piece of yellow poster paper out of the big. Printed on it in sharp black lettering were the words. Sweet Dreams Sold Here.

Within a few minutes a skinny young man wearing a white tank top walked towards them.

“Whatcha got for sale, man?”

“That depends upon how far you want to take your dreams,” answered Gypsy.

“I want them to go real far,” the young man said.

Lake Mariposa Part Thirteen

“Well, I got some good blotter acid that should help you get there,” said Gypsy.

“How much?”

“For you, my brother, ten bucks.”

Gypsy went into his satchel and pulled out a large manilla envelope. He then took a sheet of white blotter paper that had been divided into little squares. In the center of each square was a transparent liquified spot. As the white tank top dude passed over a crumpled ten dollar bill Gypsy cut out a square and handed it to his first customer of the afternoon.

“Thanks, man,” said White Tank Top Dude as he put the little square in his mouth.

“It was a pleasure doing business with you. Enjoy the festival.”

After only a few minutes four new customers came up to Gypsy's make shift kiosk. They bought some weed, hash and mescaline.

“How much longer are you going to be here Gypsy?” asked Misty.

“Oh, for about another twenty minutes. I'll see how sales go,” replied Gypsy.

“I'm not going to stand here all afternoon. I intend to have some pleasure along with my business. I'm not one of these greedy pseudo freak capitalists. I just sell enough dope to get by. I might come back here after Chopping Block finishes their set. I'll see how it goes,” Gypsy explained.

Gypsy and Misty then starting walking towards the main stage area. As they were about twenty minutes away Gypsy and Misty had a little time to get to know one another.

“How old are you, Gypsy?” Misty asked.

“I'm twenty three, my dear, a little older than you I imagine.” answered her companion.

“Are you from Winnipeg?”

“No, I'm originally from Berkeley, California but I've spent most of this year just traveling across the States and Canada.”

“So what brought you to Winnipeg this summer,” Misty asked.

“I came up to visit my sister. She has terminal cancer and the doctors aren't sure how much time she has left. I wanted to see her in case she doesn't last the summer,” Gypsy explained.

“Wow, man, I'm sorry,” said Misty quickly looking at the ground.

Lake Mariposa Part Nine

“Okay, were you looking forward to coming to Winnipeg before you knew that you'd meet me?” asked Rick after taking a bite off his corn dog.

“Yeah, I was,” said Sasha thoughtfully. “Spending the summer with my dad and my sister is kind of a break for me. If I was staying with my mom this summer she would probably send me to Bible camp for a couple of weeks. Plus, it's good to see how the heathens live,” laughed Sasha.

“Can I ask you a real personal question, Sasha?” asked Rick with a nervous expression.

“I guess so,” said Sasha with a chuckle. “After all you took me for a pee in the bush.”

“Sasha, do you have a boyfriend in Los Angeles?” Rick could hear the quiver in his voice when he was asking Sasha this question.

“Sort of, but he likes me better than I like him, “ Sasha answered honestly.

“So will you still be seeing him after this summer?” Rick asked.

“ Probably, but just off and on.”

“Why do you still go out with him if you don't like him that much?” said Rick with a hint of anger in his voice.

“Mostly because of my mother. She and Devin's mother are close friends. They attend the same weekly Bible study. I mean, Devin's a nice enough guy I guess, but there's no heat there. You know what I mean,” said Sasha trying to explain herself.

“So you're saying you see him to basically keep your mom happy,” asked Rick quizzically.

“I guess so.”

“Do you see other guys in L.A. besides Devin?”

“Yeah, but none of them really turn my crank either.”

“So, you are presently now a free agent?” asked Rick hopefully.

“Oh, no.” replied Sasha.

“Because of Devin?” asked Rick in a worried tone of voice.

“No, because of you, silly boy.”

Rick let out an audible sigh of relief. He felt momentarily weak and went down on his knees.

“Are you alright, man?” asked Sasha with deep concern.

“Yeah, I'll be okay. Just give me a few seconds. As his head cleared Rick rose to his feet once again.

Lake Mariposa Part Eight

After they purchased their corn dogs and soft drinks Rick and Sasha found a round table covered by an umbrella with the Pepsi logo on it.

“So why did your mom want you to go to a Christian school?” asked Rick as he took a sip of his Pepsi.

“My mother has some Christian friends that highly recommended the Christian School in our neighborhood. At that time I was getting into a lot of trouble at the public school that I was attending. My mother hoped that the Christian school would provide me with some good moral standards,” Sasha explained as she unwrapped her corn dog.

“And has it?” Rick asked as he tried to block out the sun's rays that were shining directly into his eyes.

Sasha laughed, “To some extent. At least I'm starting to think about the repercussions of some of my behavior. In that sense the Christian school has been good for me.”

“How does your mom feel about you staying with your dad over the summer?” Rick asked.

“She's cool with it for the most part. She doesn't hate my dad. She wishes that he would become more mature and give up a lot of his bad habits. My mother left my dad because she didn't think that he was capable of providing a stable life for us,” Sasha answered with a look of sadness on her face.

“It must be hard for you, with your parents split up and living in different countries,” said Rick.

“It is, but it would be worse if they were still together. They are so far apart in terms of philosophy of life that they may as well be living on different planets.”

“ You see, my mother wants me to have a relationship with my father even if she does not approve of his life style. Her parents split up when she was young and she said she lost all connection with her father. She didn't want the same thing to happen to me.”

“So you're glad that you're spending this summer with Misty and your dad?” Rick asked.

“Of course, silly boy. Otherwise, how would I have met you?” laughed Sasha.

“That's true,” said Rick while smiling lovingly at Sasha.

Lake Mariposa Part Seven

“You can turn around now Rick. By this time Sasha was buttoning up her jeans. “Man, did that feel good. There was no way that I was going to sit on one of those disgusting Port-O-Sans. Thanks for coming with me Rick. I feel safe with you around. I really trust you.”

“That's very nice of you to say Sasha but you didn't even know me a few hours ago,”said Rick with a look of contentment on his face.

“I may only be fifteen years old Rick but I know guys and you're the real deal,” said Sasha.

Rick could no longer contain his joy. He gave Sasha an overpowering bear hug.

“Easy Rick. You're going to break my ribs. You lift weights don't you?” said Sasha trying to get her breath back.

“Sorry, Sasha. Yes, I do train with weights,” answered Rick with an apologetic expression.

“You don't need to apologize Rick. My ribs will heal. I always wanted to date a real man,” responded Sasha with a comforting expression on her face.

“Thanks Sasha. I never had a girl say that about me before. By this time the pain of Rick's recent betrayal by Arwen seemed a distant memory. Rick was starting to feel elated.

Although Rick and his family did not attend church, Rick had always believed in God. He whispered,”Thank you God,” under his breath in response to the good day that he was having, But was also praying that his relationship with Sasha wouldn't meet the same fate as the one with Arwen.

He whispered loudly enough for Sasha to hear him.”

She looked at Rick and asked, “Do you believe in God, Rick?”

“Yes, I've never really doubted God's existence. My parents aren't religious or anything but whenever I look up at the night sky or look at animals I can't help but think that they were created by some Higher Power,” Rick explained.

“Just like in the book of Genesis you mean?” asked Sasha.

“Do you read the Bible Sasha? “ Rick asked with real interest.

“Not as much as I probably should but I'm exposed to a lot of Biblical teaching at the Christian school I attend in L.A.” answered Sasha.

“Your dad doesn't strike me as the religious type,” laughed Rick.

“ He isn't. It's my mother who is the Christian. She got saved about three years ago.”

“Saved? What do you mean by saved? Saved from what?” asked Rick lighting up a Cameo cigarette.

“Saved from many things but most importantly saved from hell,” answered Sasha.

“And how does one get saved from hell?”

“By accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior,” answered Sasha.

“I'd like to hear more about this but I'm getting a strange urge for a corn dog. The smell from those concession stands is really getting to me,” said Rick looking in his wallet for money.

“I'd love to stop for a corn dog, Rick,” said Sasha.

“What are we waiting for then? I've got enough money for two corn dogs and drinks for both of us,” Rick offered as they walked about ten yards across to the concession stand.

Lake Mariposa Part Six

The first band to take the Main Stage was a band called Next. Their lead singer was a great vocalist named George Boulanger. Next opened their set with their new local single, Tobacco Road, a cover version of a song originally recorded by The Nashville Teens. As Next rocked through their set Misty was busy rolling joints which she generously passed down the line. Rick really didn't like smoking marijuana but in the spirit of the occasion he took a toke when a joint was passed his way. By the third song Sasha had cuddled up beside Rick.

After Next finished their set a stage crew came on to change up the equipment for the next band, Brother. In later years Brother would prove to be a legendary band. They were Winnipeg's first super group featuring three of the city's most prominent musicians. Kurt Winter was on guitar, Vance Masters was on drums and Bill Wallace played bass and sang lead vocals. The Lake Mariposa gig was one of their debut performances. Brother was a unique band in that the band both wrote and played only original material. This super group was unfortunately short lived as when the internationally famous The Guess Who's guitarist, Randy Bachman left the group they quickly replaced him with two guitarists, Greg Leskiw and Kurt Winter. The loss of Kurt Winter meant the end of Brother. Ironically both Bill Wallace and Vance Masters would also end up in The Guess Who as the band juggled line ups. But this afternoon Brother was intact and were playing in top form. Their set consisted of original compositions such as Bus Rider and Hand Me Down World. As Brother performed on stage Lloyd started to pass out cans of beer to Rick, Misty and Sasha. To combat the inevitable marijuana munchies the group snacked on Old Dutch potato chips. This intimate group rocked and grooved along with the music.

After about half an hour Sasha gave Rick a nudge. “Rick I need to pee. Will you walk with me to the washrooms?”

“Of course,” replied Rick brushing some potato chip crumbs off his red tank top shirt. “Yeah, the beer's starting to get to me too.”

Rick and Sasha navigated their way around the bodies that were either standing up, sitting or lying down. It was a beautiful day but it was starting to get very hot. Most of the audience seemed to be having a great time, smoking cigarettes, sitting or dancing, smoking dope, drinking beer or eating snacks. The air smelled sweet with the aroma of marijuana and Patchouli oil.

Rick and Sasha held hands as they found an open pathway on the way to find the washroom facilities. When they arrived they discovered that the washroom amenities amounted to a row of about ten Port-O-Sans. People were lined up two or three deep waiting for the next available portable outhouse. When one of the Port-O-Sans was finally vacated, Sasha walked towards it. She got within five feet of it when she said to Rick, “I can't go in there Rick. If I go in there I''ll puke.”

Rick had to admit that the smell emanating from the outdoor toilet was very nauseating. “Where do you want to go Sasha?''

“Take me down the path to the wooded area. I'll find a place to pee there but I want you with me to stand guard. The couple only had to walk about ten yards before Sasha found a nice, secluded spot by a tree. “Now stay right here Rick and turn around.” In a few seconds Sasha had unbuttoned her jeans and pulled down her panties. Rick soon heard the sound of Sasha urinating on the grass and leaves.

“You can turn around now Rick. By this time Sasha was buttoning up her jeans. “Man, did that feel good. There was no way that I was going to sit on one of those disgusting Port-O-Sans.”

Lake Mariposa Page Five

After a couple of minutes of heavy sobbing a troubling thought raced in Rick's mind. He had to get back to the Park. Lloyd and Misty would be looking for him. Rick ran from behind the building and made it back to Memorial Park in under a minute. Just as he calmed down and got his bearings Rick recognized Lloyd's bright yellow van turning onto Memorial Boulevard.

Lloyd's van pulled up and parked on Memorial Boulevard and Rick started to wave and to yell out, ''It's Rick. I'm over here.”

Misty stuck her head out of the window of the van, “Where's your girlfriend?” Isn't she here yet?”

“Well, she was here but you just missed her by a few minutes,” Rick managed to say calmly.

“Where is she now?” asked Misty.

“Headed back to Vancouver with her old man. I think she's planning to join a rock band there,” Rick said in answer to Misty's question.

“That's a real bummer, man. I feel bad for you Rick,” said Lloyd in a comforting tone of voice. Lloyd like all males had felt the pain of being rejected by a woman. It feels like a hard punch to the gut that makes it hard to breathe.

“Well, hop in the van buddy. We're going to try to ease some of that pain. You may be hurting but you won't be lacking for female company,'' said Lloyd.

'You can ride in the back with my sister, Sasha,” Misty offered.

“Hi Sasha,” Rick said without really looking at her.

“ Don't worry. I'm still in a bit of shock now but I'll work my way out of this funk. I'm sure glad you guys are taking me to the rock festival. Hearing good music and being with good friends will help to cheer me up,” said Rick.

What bands do you like Rick?” asked Sasha.

This time Rick turned towards Sasha taking a good look at her. Rick could see that Sasha was a few years younger than both he and Misty, but she was cute. Sasha was a short girl with shoulder length blond hair. She was wearing a Jimi Hendrix tee shirt. The picture on her shirt was from the cover of Jimi Hendrix's first LP. Sasha wore a red beret on her head.

“ I like what you like,” Rick answered. He was already starting to feel a bit better. It's amazing how the potential for a new relationship can make one forget about the pain of the last break up.

“How do you know what I like?” asked Sasha with a look of surprise.

“Well, your tee shirt's a dead give away. You have a picture of Hendrix on it,” answered Rick. In fact I just bought that record two days ago,” said Rick in a friendly sliding over a little closer to Sasha.

“You're right,” said Sasha laughing. She did not show any sign of discomfort when Rick moved closer to her. “ I like some hard rock like Jimi Hendrix, Cream and Blue Cheer.”

“Ah, right on. I love Blue Cheer's first album, Vincebus Eruptum. “

“I've only heard their single, Summertime Blues on the radio,” Sasha said adjusting her beret.

“Would you care for a Coke, Rick?” Lloyd asked.

“Yes, that would be great.”

“How about you Sasha?''

“Yeah, I'd love one.”

It was starting to get hot already and all the windows in the van were now being rolled down.

“ I know what you're going through. My boyfriend dumped me for another chick two weeks ago,” said Sasha pulling the tab off her Coke. “But to tell you the truth today I don't even miss him.”

It was about an hour's drive to Lake Mariposa but the time passed quickly for Rick and Sasha. It turned out that they had many interests in common. They both loved to read, and liked art, animals and bike riding.

As the van pulled up to the festival gates Rick paid for everyone's admission by purchasing a family pass.

“How much do I owe you Lloyd ?” asked Rick.

“Your admission's covered Rick. You already earned it by keeping Sasha entertained the whole way. Before I knew that you were coming along I was afraid that Sasha would be bored, No chance of that now,” answered Lloyd before breaking into a loud guffaw.

“Don't worry sir. I'll take good care of your daughter,” said Rick with a smile.

“A gentleman yet! What more could a father ask for?” said Lloyd and they drove towards the campgrounds.

“The guy at the gate said that we could take the first open camping area that we like, Lloyd said as they passed through a wooded area. Rick always loved the smell of campgrounds. There was the sweet aroma of burning wood and people barbequing meat. The van finally stopped at a somewhat secluded area bordering the lake. The whole party agreed that this would make a great campsite.

“Well, let's get our tents set up first before we find the area the bands will be playing at. Rick helped Lloyd unload three Army Surplus tents from the back of the van. As Lloyd, Misty and Rick were all experienced campers the tent set up took less than twenty minutes.

“Rick, could you carry a cooler to the band area for us?” asked Lloyd as he was about to close the door to his van.

As they walked to the main stage area Rick could already smell the distinct odor of marijuana. Or was it just that he noticed that Sasha was wearing patchouli on her skin?

When they arrived at the main stage area there was no doubt that it was dope that Rick had been smelling. Misty started rolling out their blankets. She brought three blankets along and they were all very colorful. One had a picture of a tiger's head with a black background. The second one had an engraved picture of the Grateful Dead. The Third one was a print of The Beatles Abbey Road album cover.