Popular Culture Review Vol. 8, No. 1, February 1997 | Page 28

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A rm s e x t e n d e d in a n
T i m lov e d b e ing in th e b a c k y a rd
a f f ection a t e e m b r a c e , “A h c o m e
f or su n s e t. F r o m th e re o n e h a d
o n ... l et’s h a v e so m e t hin g to e a t.
a p a n or a m ic vi e w of gr e a t e r Lo s
It’s s u c h a be a utiful su ns e t. I
A n g e l e s , fro m d o w n t o w n o n th e
th o ugh t w e c o uld sit out in th e
left to C e n t u ry C i ty o n th e right,
y a r d ... ”
with S a n t a M o n ic a a n d th e
“N o t h a n k s, gott a g o .” Stic k ing
P a cific b e y o n d tha t; th e w h o l e
a ro u n d a n d e a ting h e r f ood whil e
vi e w w a s fra m e d b y th e Hills of
t al k ing a n d l a ug h in g with her
B e v e rly.
h u s b a n d w o uld re a lly h a v e
P o s t-c a n c e r. O u t s i d e his office
p is s e d h e r off. W a s that th e idesR
w in d o w, T i m h a d a h u m m in g
A s I d ro v e b a c k to R e s e d a I
bird f e e d e r inst a ll e d. T h e last
c a m e to th e in e vit a bl e co n clu s io n
f e w tim e s I w a s th e re , th e
th a t Lif e with L e a ry w a s m or e
c o nv e rs a tio n a bru p tly p a u s e d
e x o tic th a n I w a n t e d . W h e n I got
e v e ry tim e s o m e o n e a rriv e d at it.
h o m e , t h e re w e r e s e v e ra l
T i m lov e d w a tc h in g h u m m in g
m e s s a g e s o n th e m a c hin e . T h e
birds. T h e y ’re a lot lik e th e
first o n e w a s fro m Ti m . H a p p y,
ch e erf ul cric k e t: m o vi n g at
c h e e ry, up b e a t, v e ry fri endly. A s
incr e di bl e s p e e d s whil e
if n o thing h a d h a p p e n e d . H e
sim ult a n e o u sly st a n din g still on
e n d e d with, “I h a d fun with y o u
o n e u n c h a n gi n g not e.
t o d a y ...”
“I b e t y o u d i d .. . ”
Ju l y 3 1 , 1 9 9 1 . M y forty-first birthd a y. A brilliant S o u t h e rn C a lif orni a d a y.
I w a s pu tzin g in th e front y a rd w h e n th e p h o n e r a ng.
“H a p p y Birthd a y! H a p p y Birt hd a y!” Ti m o t h y s o u n