|
It Was A Time
Historical, Romance, Suspense |
|
It Was A Time
Historical, Romance, Suspense |
| Book description: During the eventful year of 1969 in the San
Francisco area, two young people find love and danger amid the chaos of rock
concerts and wild parties.
In 1969 during her seventeenth summer, Alex discovered the exciting world of artists, musicians, drugs and hippies on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley. It was there she met Michael, an artist, musician and draft dodger, who like herself came from a dysfunctional home. Alex desperately escapes the grim home of her alcoholic parents and goes to Telegraph Avenue and to Michael, the only one whom she feels understands her. In the house he shares with his roommate and fellow musician Jonathan, the three of them form a close friendship. Alex and Michael help to heal each other’s painful pasts, but their relationship becomes a perilous journey through love and danger amid the tumultuous backdrop of social protests and the Vietnam war. When Michael agrees to hold a stolen package for his childhood friend Tom, a Hells Angel, the three of them are watched by the Secret Service, Tom's brother and a wealthy couple in the printing business, who are all in search of the stolen article. In a daring act to rid themselves of the package, they set off a chain of events that ends the life of one and changes that of the others forever. |
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author:
Send check, money order or credit card information to:
Kandice Crusat
P.O Box 6932.
Ocean view HI 96737
Phone: (808) 929-8198
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Read a sample chapter below:
Chapter 1
"Street Venders"
There was a morning chill that Saturday in July 1969, when
Alex opened the door of a blue Lincoln Continental and stepped out on Telegraph
Avenue for the first time. Her Father, a well groomed man in his early
50’s, opened the trunk and helped unload her batik paintings onto the
curb.
"You sure you’ll be OK here today?" he asked with a worried
expression on his face, not wanting to leave her there alone.
"I’ll be fine Dad, really, don’t worry." Alex kissed
her Father on the cheek reassuringly and quickly glanced around, hoping no
one was watching. But there was someone who noticed her while he was setting
out his blown glass sculptures on top of a dark green tapestry cloth. They
were arranged by colors, giving them the appearance of a rainbow. The glass
blower glanced over at Alex the moment she stepped out of the flashy new
car. His eyes devoured the form of her slim youthful figure and long blonde
hair. She was wearing faded blue jeans, a tight navy blue sweater and high
heeled boots that made her appear quite tall.
Alex looked slowly up and down the sidewalk, hoping to find
an open space to set up her batiks. It was only 7:30 in the morning and she
thought she had come early enough to get a good spot. Both sides of the street
were already crowded all the way to the University of Berkeley, where the
street vendors and Telegraph Avenue ended. Looking across the street by Cody's
Bookstore, she saw an opening next to a guy with long wavy black hair tied
in a ponytail. He was wearing a cream colored fisherman’s knit sweater,
baggy jeans split open at both knees with a peace sign over the right one.
An older woman was talking to him and looked interested in buying his colorful
glass sculptures. Shyly, Alex approached, inquiring about the open space
beside his table.
"Sure, far-out move right in," he replied, giving her a big
smile, showing his clean and straight white teeth.
Quickly laying out her paintings on top a faded pink blanket,
Alex felt overjoyed to be on Telegraph Avenue, opening up a new world for
herself away from the turmoil of her parents home. She felt confident this
new extension to her life would be good and help her to escape the existence
where she now lived. Growing up in an upper middle class suburb, east of
San Francisco, she was bored with life there. She started painting at a young
age and was taught Batik by a friend, then quickly discovered that it suited
her abilities. Her parents were big on the social scene in their town and
had succumbed to alcoholism as a part of it. Their nightly drinking, then
arguing routines, made Alex retreat to the solitude of her bedroom. She was
left on her own to find a way out from the war zone she heard down the hallway
every evening. It was during these disturbed and lonely times she tried
experimenting with various drugs that were easy enough to get at her high
school.
A loud clunk, from an old wooden window being opened on the
second floor above, caught Alex's attention. Music came blaring out from
within the room. It was The Beatles singing, "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,"
broadcast as from a loudspeaker to the street below. Alex smelled something
familiar also making its way down from the window above. It was the smell
of marijuana sending its intoxicating scent into the streets of Berkeley
again. Alex was amazed at how casual everything seemed. The table on the
other side of the glass blower was unattended. It was covered with a black
satin cloth, on top were bags filled with herbs, dozens of different kinds
that she never heard of. She was fascinated reading the beautiful hand scripted
labels with instructions on each bag. Primrose tea: good for calming, Hawthorn
tea: good for cheering the spirit, Valerian Root: mild sedative. There were
also brightly colored boxes of incense with tiny oriental writing on top.
Some were left open to let passersby smell their fragrance and an incense
holder had a sample burning from within. A thin curl of smoke was slinking
its way out through holes in the lid, sending a spicy scent into the summer
air. As she breathed in the aroma, Alex wondered what it reminded her of
and her Grandmother's musty closet filled with boxes of old and treasured
things came to mind.
"Good morning!" A small oriental woman spoke, bringing Alex
out of her dreamy state. "I’m Yuri, are you interested in some healing
herbs today?"
"Oh, I was just looking" Alex answered. "I’ve just set
up my batiks over there," she pointed to her paintings. Alex noticed the
young woman's dark and mysterious almond shaped eyes and was immediately
enchanted.
"Hey they’re really groovy, I like the one of the pot
plant. I’m really into herbs you know." Yuri said happily, drawing her
long silky black hair around to the front of one shoulder. She was wearing
a long turquoise jacket embroidered with red dragons on the front and back.
"So I guess you’ve met Michael?"
"Not really," Alex looked over at Michael who was wrapping
up a sculpture for his lady customer.
When Michael finished his sale he came over to the two girls.
Soon the three of them were talking like old friends. A big, tall man approached,
wearing a long orange and green striped robe. He had a beaded headband on
that was barely visible through his immense afro hairdo.
"Hey what's happenin bruthas?" he boomed in a deep voice. A broad
smile revealed huge horse-like teeth.
Alex was introduced and found out that Kahlid was a candle
maker as well as a street vendor. His candles were unique because he embedded
driftwood collected from nearby beaches along the outside of the candles.
"I’m looking for Doc, you guys seen him?" Kahlid asked.
They said no and Kahlid walked on down the street, his raven
eyes searching the crowds that were gathering quickly.
Michael and Yuri told Alex about Doc. It seemed he was previously
a Doctor, but had lost his license years ago after botching up a patient.
He now was known as "Doc The Pillman" and could get you just about any type
of drug you wanted. They described him as a older man in his 50’s with
a short gray beard and gray hair. He always wore a long black overcoat, even
on a hot day. Alex scanned the sidewalks as she listened and expected to
see him pass by.
It was the kind of lazy summer Saturday in the Bay Area for
sleeping in late, mowing the lawn or tinkering in flower beds, then relax
in the shade with a cold bottle of soda pop. Many residents chose to stroll
through the cities in search of superb shopping bargains. Casual walkers
meandered among the Telegraph Avenue street vendors looking for a new wave
of art almost as a ritual. Those with a good eye for artistry hoped to discover
something new and exciting. The atmosphere on the Avenue was both interesting
and exciting and people felt connected spiritually just being there and
participating. Whether they were buyers, sellers or just lookers, everyone
seemed to flow in unison.
For Alex the day had held excitement beyond her wildest
imagination. And with each new person she met, she was more captivated than
the last. The peaceful harmony on the Avenue was also pulsing with the undeniable
beat of Rock-n-Roll. By the end of the day she had happily sold almost half
of the paintings she had brought. The ones of marijuana plants and peace
signs painted in flowers sold first. It was cool and foggy by 4 o’clock
when a large woman with flaming red hair came by to talk to Yuri. She wore
a bright purple gauze dress and her enormous breasts were further enlarged
by long layers of brightly colored beads. Large silver hoop earrings with
amethyst bangles at the bottom stood out boldly from inside her wavy hair.
Yuri introduced her to Alex as Esmeralda, she made silver jewelry and did
Tarot Card Readings on Telegraph. They talked about the Jimi Hendrix concert
that night at the Filmore in San Francisco, which they were attending together.
Alex was wishing she was going too, but knew her parents would never let
her go to the Filmore. It was known for its wild party like atmosphere with
drugs circulating like popcorn and candy.
While they were packing up their things, Michael told Alex
that he played guitar with a friend at the White Horse over on Shattuck Avenue
on weekends.
"Why don’t you come on by," he suggested.
"Oh that sounds great, maybe I will," Alex replied, knowing
well she couldn’t get in even if she could go. She was only 17 and had
told Michael she was 18 when he asked. An old faded yellow VW Bus pulled
up along side of the curb in front of them with music exploding from inside.
Jimi Hendrix was bellowing out his hit tune; "Hey Joe."
A skinny guy with long stringy dark blonde hair came around
from the drivers side, singing along with the music.
"Hey you ready to go?" he called out as he walked up to
Michael.
Michael quickly introduced Alex to his roommate Jonathan.
"We gotta go man, we gotta set up by 6 o’clock tonight,"
Jonathan said quickly.
Alex gathered Jonathan was playing at the White Horse with
Michael. She peered inside the open back door of the van which was fixed
up like a bedroom. There was green shag carpet on the floor and bright yellow
curtains covering all the rear windows. A mattress on the floor had a flowery
printed bedspread over it and on top of the bed were big yellow pillows.
The two guys quickly loaded Michael's boxes into the van and Alex watched
as it noisily rambled off down the street, music still blaring from inside.
A few minutes later her Father's shiny Continental pulled into the vacant
spot left by Jonathan's van.
"Well, guess it’s back to the lonely grind," she thought
with a sigh. "But I’m comin back next week!"
On the ride home Alex immediately told her Father about some
of the new friends she met that day and how different they were from her
friends at school.
"The kids at school are so phony," she explained. "They talk
about everyone as soon as they turn their back. They try to act like someone
they're not. I just don't fit in with any of them."
"You do the best you can Lexie, just be your sweet self," he
reassured her.
They each drifted off into their own thoughts the rest
of the way home.
