19, and such. Chap.1
Nineteen. It was 1972 when I was that age, a world here in Los Angeles so different from now. One day, it was a beautifully colored dusk in warm July, the still palms sillouets against the clouds, rush hour traffic drone, but serene mood across the shimmering water. Sitting by my usual tree in Westlake Park, then came a big surprise. In one fairly scary and unexpected instant, two guys jumped out from behind a nearby bush, both commanding me to "FREEZE!" Well, I did just that, thinking I was getting robbed, but no such luck, so to speak. They were ununiformed officers from the notorious and elite Metro division, I later learned. But, their sudden and crashing entrance somehow didn't prevent my automatic response of flicking the glow end off the skinny joint I was smoking, and pop it down my throat. But, not quickly enough to go unnoticed, as the next thing I heard and felt was "He swallowed it!" Then, very strong hands tightening around my airpipes. "Spit ...