The Life of Oddley - Episode 14

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE - "Hollywood Oddley", Part Two

Welcome to another edition of "The Life of Oddley".  Things are humming along here with the story and let me tell you, I think that the change is episode length is helping to seeing how far I can take stories before Oddley moves on to the next tale.

Now, back to the story.  Last week, we opened our fourth serial with Oddley standing in the ocean after completing his long trip from Chicago.  Once out of the ocean, Oddley and Rita use their method of gaining a room and spent a night at the seashore.

Once morning arrived, Oddley and Rita headed out for a time on the town.  However, Oddley decided to conduct a secret search for his friend Ogden, who had stated he was in Los Angeles.  After a shopping spree, the two took in the Chinese Theater, complete with a moment at the square housing the prints of Rita Hayworth, who turns out to be Rita's namesake and idol.

Soon after that, Rita found herself called for an audition from a man named Ogleman they meet on the street.  Oddley's joy at this is short-lived as he finds himself being knocked down by a car crossing the street.  Luckily, the car turns out to belong to Ogden, bringing a reunion of the two after many weeks apart.  Needing a new place, Ogden leads our travelers to the Hotshot Hotel on Melrose.

The three then spend the rest of the day catching up on things, including Oddley filling in on his activities after Ogden's departure and before being run down by a car in Los Angeles.  As night falls, the trio are trying to enjoy themselves as Oddley suffers a brush with the future famous and the present famous, Ogden running off with the future famous, and Rita drinking herself into a stupor...

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The next day, Saturday, began for me at the sunrise. I was sound asleep until 8:00 am, with dreams of Raquel Welsh on my mind. I was running with her in a field of flowers, in slow motion. What a dream! That fantasy ended as I felt the hands of Rita, prying me out of my sleep and into the waking world.

"Wake up, Oddley!" she was saying as I came to.

"I'm coming to." I told her, opening up my eyes.

"Today's a big day for you and me." she said as I sat up on the couch, which had been my bed.

"What?" I asked.

"My audition." she said.

"Rita, don't get too much in this. Last night, you were about ready to throw it away." I said, getting off the couch.

"Why not?" she asked me.

"Because I don't know if you will ever succeed in getting the job. One always has to think of all outcomes." I said.

"That's typical you, Oddley. You always bring in the dark side of things on a happy day." she said.

"That's how I ended up being hit by Ogden's car. By the way, where is my friend?" I said.

"He's still not here." she said.

"You bet. If I know him as well as I do, he woke up this morning with that Susan Raye." I said.

"Don't get too mad at him for doing it." she said.

"I'm not. I just know him and that's his way." I said.

"You'll find him." she said.

"I just wonder where Susan's room is, so I can go get him in person." I said.

"Let him have his moment in the sun." she said.

"And where is that?" I asked.

"Leave it alone." she replied.

"How long have you been up?" I asked her

"Two hours." she replied.

"Then what's with the delay in awakening me?" I asked.

"I just lost track of time." she said.

"I'll have to accept that, for it's the only reason you'd be up for two hours without waking me." I said.

"I'm more than what you think I am." she said.

"So you say." I said.

"Stop that now." she said.

"Get ready for the audition today." I told Rita.

"Good idea." she said, moving away.

As she did, she was holding her head a little. That told me that she had a hangover. That was the last thing I needed from her today. My mind had a million things on it and I still was thinking when the two of us made it down to the lobby.

I was still thinking about all of this when I exited the elevator. As we stepped away I felt hunger pains within my stomach. My mind had forgotten about breakfast in the rush to get ready for Rita's audition.

"Rita, I think it's time for breakfast. Any good places to get some?" I said.

"I don't know any good place." he said.

"Hello, Oddley." said the voice of Ogden from the lobby.

"Hello, Ogden. Where have you been?" I said to him.

"I've spent a funfilled night with Susan." he said.

"Was she any good?" I asked.

"She had a good body, and a good time." he said.

"Listen, I happened to be in need of food, so let's cut this whole thing short." I said.

"I know a great place, and it's close. If you like, I can take you out to eat." he said.

"Count on me." I said as he lead Rita and me out of the lobby.

"Ready for some breakfast?" asked Ogden.

"I am, my friend." I said.

"Then follow me." he said.

I was more than happy to. Ogden led us to this place a few blocks from the hotel. It was a nice-looking diner, about a decade behind the outside world, but the smells I could get up my nose drew me in.

"Here we are, the best place to eat." said Ogden as we walked in.

"I know that." I told him.

"Here's a table." he said, pointing to one right beside the door.

"Shotgun." I said, sliding into the booth.

"I hope you like it here." he said.

"Me, too." I said.

"Ditto." said Rita.

"Welcome to Chuck's Diner. I'm your waitress today. Would you like some menus?" said the waitress, pulling up to our table.

"Yes, we would." I told her.

"Here they are." said the waitress, handling them to us.

"We'll let you know when we're ready to order." I said to the waitress.

"I can't wait." the waitress with an air of sarcasm as she left us.

"I wonder what dishes they have." I said.

"I know what to order." said Ogden.

"And what is that?" I asked.

"Chuck's Breakfast Special number three." he replied.

"What does it have?" I said.

"It has two eggs, a side of ham and sausage, a stack of pancakes, and hash browns." he said.

"Then I'll have one, too." I said.

"The same for me." said Rita.

"We're getting to see eye to eye." she said.

"I know that." I said.

Our meals soon arrived and we ate them. We managed to stay silence as I walked her out of the diner. Our plans for the day, beyond the audition, were still unclear, but we walked in the direction of downtown, hoping for an answer.

"That was a nice breakfast." I said to Rita.

"It was." she said with a happy sigh.

"If only every breakfast could be so good." said Ogden.

"Say, why don't we go shopping?" said Rita.

"Shopping? What on earth for?" I asked.

"For an outfit for the audition." she said.

"Remember, my funds are limited." I said.

"I've got $3,000 in my pocket right now." said Ogden.

"Where were you when I needed help against Newshaw?" I said.

"An nice lady gave it to me the third night I was in L.A. Said it was payment for a night well done." he said.

"Ogden, I never thought you'd sale it for cash." I told him.

"We met at the Hotshot Club. Had a few drinks. We got together and she gave me $4,000 as a gesture of thanks." he said.

"You said she gave you $3,000. Don't tell me you spent $1,000 in a week and a half." I said.

"That I did. I had to paid for the room." he said.

"That's right. I guess we can spend a couple hundred more, finding the right outfit for Rita's audition." I said.

"Follow me, boys." said Rita with a wry smile.

Rita lead us to this nice clothing store several blocks from the hotel. I think she must have spotted it when Ogden took us to the Hotshot. It was a nice place, if you have the money to spend there, and thanks to Ogden's lust, we did.

"Rita, now don't go too far." I told her as we entered.

"It's not that big of a store." she said.

"I mean with money." I said.

"I'll be careful. I know how to shop on a budget." she said.

"That's nice to know." I said as Rita headed further into the store.

"Off she goes." said Ogden as we took seats near the front.

"You know, the first day we were here, me and Rita went shopping." I said.

"I was wondering where you got that suit." he said.

"The two of us had a good time shopping for new outfits. We then went down to the Chinese Theater... " I said before a thought struck me.

"What's wrong?" asked Ogden.

"I just remembered. We left our car at the Chinese Theater yesterday." I said.

"You did?" he said.

"I didn't mean to, but your run-in with me wiped it out of my mind." I said.

"Don't blame me for your bad memory." he said.

"I'm not, but it does make it easy on me." I said.

"Are you gonna tell Rita?" he asked.

"No. It's best she forget about that car." I said.

"What else have you left behind?" he then asked.

"I told you that yesterday. A housewife and a snake bit victim in Tulsa." I said.

"I wonder if Brooke has resumed her trip." he said.

"Probably not. I'm responsible for the break-up of a marriage." I said.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"If Roy hadn't come after us, we could have fixed the tire and continued our trip. Instead, I lead Brooke to stay at his bedside. She'll probably start an affair with him when he recovers." I said.

"You don't know that." said Ogden.

"She's one thousand miles from her husband. Trust me, it'll happen." I said.

"Get your mind off that trip and focus on Rita's audition today." he said.

"If you say so." I said.

"Tell me, is this Gilda better at my job than I am?" he then asked.

"I wouldn't really know. Most of the time we've worked together, I was fixated on my debt problem with Newshaw." I said.

"Just at a glance." he said.

"Ogden, do you want your old job back?" I asked him.

"Is that farmer still hanging around the store?" he asked me.

"I haven't seen him since you took off. I think he's hunting for you." I said.

"Maybe I should head back to Chicago, if he's left." he said.

"Well, you'd be safe for a while until he came back." I said.

"What if he does?" he asked.

"Not for a long time. You'd still be safe." I said.

"How long is that long time?" he said.

"Ogden, let us change the subject again." I said.

Me and Ogden sat there for an hour, not speaking. Apparently, we had run out of subjects after our reunion. Anyway, the silence was broken by the return of Rita, all ready to go.

"Hello, guys." she said to us as she arrived.

"Did you do your shopping?" I asked.

"I did. I'm just going pay for these." she said, pointing to a pile of clothes in her arms.

"Give her the price, Ogden." I told him.

"How much?" he asked, getting out his wallet.

"About $75." she said.

"That much?" I said as Ogden handed her the money.

"I told you. I know how to shop on a budget." she said, taking it.

"Well, make sure it stays that way." I said as she ran off.

"I wonder what Rita got for $75?" I said.

"We'll find out in due time." I said.

Back at the hotel room, Rita was dressing in the bathroom as me and Ogden paced outside. We were waiting in silent curiosity over what Rita was wearing to the audition.

"Come on, Rita." I said.

"In a minute." came the answer from behind the bathroom door.

"She sure is taking her time." said Ogden.

"Like all women do." I said.

"Here I am." said Rita as she came out of the bathroom.

"Let us see it." I said.

I then noticed that Rita was wearing an brightly-colored outfit. A green dress, with yellow skirt, red sleeves, her old brown fringe vest, and the same sunglasses she got yesterday.

"Like my new outfit?" asked Rita.

"Yes. I liked it when it ended the broadcasting day." I said.

"It's her outfit for the audition." said Ogden.

"Rita, you're trying to win a film role, not blind people." I told him.

"This looks great." said Rita.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I said.

"Lay off, Oddley." he said.

"Let him have his moment. I've learned that he's a nice person at heart." she said.

"And that's after four days of friendship." I said.

"I've had twenty years." he said.

"You'll catch up someday." I said.

"Say, let's grab some lunch before the audition." she said.

"Good idea." I said.

It was at 1:00 pm that the three of us made it to the famous front gates of Paramount Pictures. Those twin gates looked wonderful in the California sun as we walked up. As we reached the gate, I saw the studio guard meet us halfway.

He was your typical guard, about 40-ish, with his brown uniform and hat. He reminded me of the cop back in Oklahoma but this guy was different. He had actual authority over who got in and who didn't.

"Hold it there." he said with a slight lisp.

"Yes, sir?" I said.

"Are you three supposed to go inside?" asked the guard.

"Look under Rita Louise." I told him.

He then took a look at his clip board, with the names of those who can get into the studio. He scanned with his finger until he stopped more than halfway down.

"'Rita Louise' That's what it says." he said.

"That's this girl right here. She's here for a screen test." I said.

"And you two are with her?" he asked.

"That we are." said Ogden.

"You may enter, but be careful." he said, letting us pass.

There we were, walking into Paramount Studios. As we walked through the lot, I saw the various films and television shows being made, with cast and crew wondering around freely. I was very lucky to get to walk there. Of course, we were there for Rita's audition.

"I can't believe I'm here." I said.

"Believe it, Oddley." said Ogden.

"I wonder if we'll meet anyone famous." I said.

"Probably not, but this is a busy lot." he said.

"Maybe we'll even meet Rita Hayworth." said Rita.

"I don't think she's working here today." I said.

"I can dream, can't I?" she said.

We managed to find the building that Ogleman had written on the back of his card. It was a small building near the place where Paramount and Desilu bordered each other. It looked very old but it had people going in and out, so we went in.

We ended up in the upstairs of the building. We eventually found ourselves in a room, filled with women, also auditioning for the same role. I kept my worries to myself but I could tell from Rita's face that she had the same ones.

"Look at all these women." said Rita.

"I'm looking." said Ogden.

"Ogden, you don't have time to get all their phone numbers. Besides, some of them might be married." I said.

"That never stopped me." said Ogden.

"Let's just take a seat and wait for them to call Rita's name." I said.

"Gladly." said Rita.

We did fine three unoccupied seats and we took them. As I looked around the room, I saw the Hollywood hopefuls, all waiting for their turn. I then moved my eyes to the seat next to me. On my right was Rita. I then noticed the girl on my left.

She was a blonde, best I could tell. I saw some dark roots, but I let it go. I saw that she was applying lipstick onto her nice lips with the help of a compact. She was dressed in a similar outfit to Rita, except no vest, and she was wearing those capri pants.

"Hello there." I said without question.

She turned in my direction and our eyes locked. Let me tell you, I felt something then.

"Hello there, yourself." she said to me.

"I'm Oddley Mitchell." I told her.

"My name's Loretta." she said.

"Loretta what? Your parents had to have a last name." I said.

"Loretta Swit." she said.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Swit. Are you here for the audition?" I said.

"I am. I've just spent some time in a touring company, and now, I'm trying to get into films." she said.

"I'm here with Rita over here. She's also auditioning." I said.

"I hope she doesn't win." she said.

"We all want what we can't have." I said.

"You're a riot." she said.

"Say, where are you from?" I asked her.

"Passaic, New Jersey." she said.

"I'm from Chicago, Illinois myself. I work there as a supermarket employee." I said.

"A honest man, making an honest living." she said.

"Just the honest living. Honesty is not always my policy." I said.

"Is this your first time in Los Angeles?" she then asked.

"First time ever." I told her.

"I just moved here from Passaic, myself." she said.

"Tell me about Passiac." I said.

"It's not as big as Chicago but it's a big city to me." she said.

"You can say the same thing about Los Angeles." I said.

"It's been home to me for a few months now." she said.

"I've only been here three days now. It's still pretty big to me." I said.

"The same here." she said.

"No matter what, I always manage to get around." I said.

"Really?" she asked.

"I have always have found my way, wherever I am. I come from a large repository of knowledge I have in my brain." I said.

"How much do you know?" she then asked me.

"You wouldn't believe everything I know. It comes from years of experience and just living the life I got." I said.

"Do tell." she said with her hands supporting her chin.

I don't know what possessed me to tell Loretta my life-story, the short version, but I did. I told her about my parents, how my father came home from Korea in a pine box, and how I got my job at Easy-Mart.

"What a life you've had." she said.

"I've managed to live through it all." I said.

"My life doesn't compare." she said.

"Few people do, compared to me." I said.

"Don't think yourself high and mighty." she said.

"I always end up humble." I said.

I then saw Ogleman comes out of a door. It lead to another office. Besides was an interesting-looking fellow. He looked like he was over 40, with a comb-over and wearing a white button shirt and brown pants.

"I see that you're here, Ms. Louise, and you brought friends." said Ogleman as he spotted us.

"Remember me? I'm Oddley. I'm now her manager." I said.

"And I'm Ogden Hamilton." said Ogden.

"He's my associate." I said.

"We're ready for the auditon." said the man standing next to him.

"This is Harold, he's the director of the picture we're casting." said Ogleman.

"Hello, Harold." I said.

"Is the star ready?" asked Harold.

"She is." I said.

"Then let's do the audition." said Harold.

"Ms. Swit, you'll be next after this one." said Ogleman.

I saw Rita and those two walk into the other office. Me and Ogden stayed in the outer office. That, to me, meant more time with Loretta, with who I was getting to know better.

"So, I can see you're next after Rita." I said.

"If you say so." she said.

"That Ogleman told you that you would." I said.

"I heard him. I was just playing with you." she said.

"You'll be a star one of these days. After all, you can certainly put one on me." I said.

"You sound like that doesn't happen often." she said.

"It doesn't. I've ruined more surprise parties that you can guess." I said.

"I can imagine. You are an interesting person to me." she said.

"Just wait and see. There's more to me than meets the eye." I said.

Rita must have been in there for a while, for I had enough time to really chat up Loretta. My best guess would be that 20 minutes past before Rita emerged from the other office with Ogleman.

"I hope we can get in touch with you later." said Ogleman as they were walking out.

"You can reach Rita at the Hotshot Hotel." I said.

"I'll make sure you get a message if your audition results in a film role." said Ogleman.

"Okay, sir." said Rita.

"Ms. Swit, you're next." said Ogleman.

"I must go inside." said Loretta.

"And I must leave this place." I said.

"Will I ever meet you again?" she asked me.

"I'll see you tonight in the Hotshot Club for a drink." I told her.

"Where is that?" she asked, getting out of her seat.

"It's at this place called the Hotshot Hotel, over on Melrose." I said.

"I'll be there with bells on." she said, heading into the other office.

"Oddley, are you all right?" asked Ogden.

"Ogden, I'm in love." I said.

As we walked out of that building, I thought about the audition. How it was done and how they had done it. I wondered if Rita's road to success was even paved. Then again, no major studio gives two dunces a place to audition naive beauties to films never made.

That night, I met Loretta for a round of drinks at the Hotshot Club. It was a Saturday night, after all, and it was time to drink the week away. Loretta had a nice whiskey sour and I joined her in that regard. It was a nice drink, made even nicer by her being there.

Loretta hung on my every word, like my every word is worth remembering. It was my life story I was telling, not the latest novel. I've always felt that she grew attached to me because of her loneliness.

I was giving her the basics of my trip out to California, about Brooke, about Tulsa, Roy, and the snake. I also told her about Rita and our two consecative hotel stays without a personal violation.

"That's amazing." she told me.

"It's true. I've actually slept in the same bed with a woman I consider a friend and not a sex object." I said.

"You must be modest." she said.

"To a point. My flower was picked long ago. I just water it once in a while to make sure I can face myself in the mirror." I said.

"You'll make a girl a very happy wife one day." she said.

"All I have to do is find the right girl." I said.

"Maybe you have already." she said.

"Where?" I asked.

"In front of you." she said.

"I guess you could count." I said.

She then did something I'll never forget. She gave me a kiss on the lips from across the table. She must have wanted to do that for a while and I just let her. Let me tell you, I was beside myself.

"I think Rita's audition went alright." I said to her.

"That's nice to know." she said.

"I just have a few... feelings about all of this." I said.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like is this a real audition? I mean, these two could be casting nothing." I said.

"You went to a major studio for the test. It must be real." she said.

"The script she read from was for one of those beach party movies. I mean, staring in one of those films is not a good way to get a career off the ground." I said.

"Rita's a good person. She'll defy the odds." she said.

"You haven't really met her yet." I said.

"But you haven't stop talking about her." she said.

"I do tend to do that." I said.

"You care a lot about people. I mean, that's one reason I like you." she said.

"Are you the same way?" I asked.

"Stick with him, and you'll find out." she said.

"I'll see if I can." I said to her.

I knew that I wouldn't be able to. I had to get back to Chicago. At the same time, however, Loretta was doing something to me and my heart. It had been only a few hours since I had first seen her but I knew then that I was in love.

Midnight came and I decided the two of us should part for now. As we walked out of the club, Loretta put her head on my shoulder. It was a nice feeling to have as we walked over to and out of the big front doors.

"I guess this is where we part." she said, taking her head off my shoulder.

"As it must, less not we do otherwise." I said.

"You're so deep." she said, staring to walk away from me.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I said.

"I'll count the seconds." she said.

I was very happy. On top of the world. I actually made myself a girlfriend in California and her name was Loretta Swit. I kept repeating her name to get used to the sound. As I headed back inside, my thoughts were 110% of her.

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Once again, the cliffhanger is a bit weak, but it does make you wonder what'll happen next week.  As you know, there's only one way to find out, by coming back next time and reading the results.  That's the only way to learn in a serial.
 
Next week, Oddley finds himself in love's tender bonds, while Rita learns if her audition will either lead to fame and fortune, or a one-way ticket back home.  A episode of thrills, to be certain.
 
That's on Saturday, November 12th, at 3:30 pm, right here on the John Maxwell Blog.
 
Until then, this is John Maxwell, saying that there are better ways of breaking into show business that this...

The Life of Oddley - Episode 13

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE - "Hollywood Oddley", Part One

Greetings, everyone.  Welcome to the new posting time of "The Life of Oddley".  The reason for changing when the postings happen is to get more people to read it if it is posted during the weekend.  Time will only tell if it works.

Back to the story.  Last week, we concluded the small three-part story "The Road to California".  In that closing chapter, Oddley found that Rita hadn't abandoned him but just was waiting for him in the car.  Once that was out of the way, the trip resumed.  It was to be a non-stop flight to the coast.

Along the way, Rita and Oddley thought over what they would do once they got to Los Angeles.  Rita wanted to be in a movie and told Oddley he could meet those he admired.  Oddley himself was passive about meeting his favorite sci-fi actors in person and stuck to just taking in the California sun before heading back east.

Also, Oddley remembered his original partner-in-crime, Ogden Hamilton.  Oddley told of how the Alabama father of a pregnant blonde with the IQ of a 3-watt bulb came in with a shotgun, ready to drag Ogden to his wedding, like it or not.  Ogden decided to flee the store and the city.  Oddley then found out that Ogden's flight had also taken him to California.

Determined to make it to the ocean before dark, the duo rushed into Los Angeles, in headlong flight to the shore.  As the sun was about to set, Oddley and Rita finally arrived at the shore.  With cheerful want, Oddley ran across the sand of a beach and right into the ocean wave, his four-day (eight weeks to us) journey completed at last...

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I stood in that ocean for a few minutes, letting the surf pound me every time it came in. Finally, I had enough ocean and walked my way out of it and over to Rita, sitting on the sand, next to both of our shoes.

"Did you have a nice time in the ocean?" she asked me.

"That I did. Now I can grasp what Ogden told me in his letter." I said as I sat down next to her.

"I see you trust what he says." she said.

"That I do." I said.

"Then, how do you know he's here in California?" she asked.

"His letter had a Los Angeles address and postmark on it. Trust me, he's many things but not anyone who can mail letters to disguise his location. Where he is is where he is." I said.

"That's nice." she said.

"Now, I get to test my trust in you." I said.

"How's that?" she asked.

"By seeing if you don't abandon me here." I said.

"I would never do that." she said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I'm sure. You're an interesting person. Why would I head back to Tulsa and those cookie-cutter, judgmental people?" she said.

"Then I guess I have a pal to enjoy the California life with, for the next seven days." I said.

"Seven days of this. I hope you're not a bad person to enjoy it with." she said.

"If we find Ogden, it'll be twice as fun." I said.

"Then I hope we find him." she said.

"He'll probably find us first, with our luck." I said.

Several minutes later, the sun set, and with that, the fourth day of my vacation passed on. As I put on my shoes and walked back to the car, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I had never been to the ocean before and now, I had stood within it.

When I got back to the car, I noticed that the time was now 6:32 pm. In my mind, I knew that Rita and I needed lodgings but I wondered if I had enough funds to last a week in California, land of high prices. First thing I needed to do was tell Rita.

"Rita, we need to talk over something." I said to her.

"Go ahead." she replied.

"It's about where we're gonna stay here in California." I said.

"We are gonna need one." she said.

"Do you have any idea where?" I asked her.

"No, but I bet you do." she said.

"Where?" I asked.

"With Ogden." she said.

"I barely remember his address. Besides, Los Angeles is a big place and we don't have the time to search every street." I said.

"Let's just get a room tonight and we can search tomorrow." she said.

"There's an idea, and so far, the only one." I said.

"I think I saw one a mile or two back." she said as she started the car.

Rita's brief sighting was right. It was a nice hotel, offering a room for $10.00 a night, or that's the sign said outside. Rita and I agreed to do what we need last night. I went and got the room and she stayed in the car. To my amazement, it worked twice.

The minute I got into the room, I turned on the television and began watching shows while Rita went through her unpacking routine. Wearing the same clothes for four days was starting to lose its appeal. Rita was getting used to it herself, but she had more changes of clothes than we had days to spare.

"Maybe while we're here, we can get you a new wardrobe. Yours is getting stale." said Rita.

"I know that. Remember, I didn't plan this trip." I said.

"That's no excuse, now that we're in California." she said.

"I guess I could get some new clothes, maybe clean these." I said.

"I can clean those when we find Ogden." she said.

"Maybe we can get you some high-fashion items." I said.

"Good idea." she said.

Friday arrived slowly but surely. Once again, I spent a night in bed with Rita, dressed in her nightie, with me trying to hold in my lust. Eventually, I woke up with the sunlight in my eyes. I managed to find Rita still asleep this time.

I got out of bed quickly and took a seat at the only chair in the room and stared out of the window. I could actually see the ocean. A constant blue ribbon next to a ribbon of sand. The sun was now shining from the east, giving an eerie glow to the scene.

"Where are you, Oddley?" I heard Rita's voice ask.

"At the window." I said.

"Why are you there?" she asked.

"Because I want to." I said.

That answer must have been enough for Rita, because she then made no attempt to talk to me further as she readied for the day. Within an hour, she was ready to go, and so we did. We headed back into town. I knew that today was all about the search for Odgen. Rita had other ideas.

"I have an idea, Oddley." she said to me, driving and smoking.

"What is it?" I replied.

"Why don't we enjoy the sights before we go find Ogden?" she said.

"Why should we?" I asked.

"Because we're here, and we should take in the sights before we find him." she said.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to take in some sights before we go look for Odgen." I said.

"That's the spirit." she said.

One of the first places we stopped was a clothing store. Rita was being true to her word about getting me some new clothes. Rita and me had a time going through the racks of clothing. Rita really had a time, getting the best-looking stuff in the place.

We finally selected some articles and paid for them. Our combined amount dropped a fair number. I was hoping that we find Ogden today. As I walked out of the store, I was dressed in a Hollywood three-piece suit, with Rita wearing a fancy-looking dress, wearing sunglasses.

"I can't believe what I have just done." I said.

"I can. We just dressed for Hollywood." said Rita.

"I look Hollywood. I wonder if I can act Hollywood." I said.

Me and Rita climbed back into the car and continue our drive. As we drove around, I also, in secret, began my search for Odgen, looking out my window and hoping to identify his car. I had memorized his plate, so I scan every one I found.

About 45 minutes after leaving the clothing store, I found that we had turned onto Hollywood Blvd. That world-famous street. Rita was star-struck already. She became even more when she stopped our car in front of a famous landmark.

Grauman's Chinese Theater is, to many, the center of the Hollywood universe, because here is where they premiere films to go all around the world. I had never dreamed that I would see it myself, yet here I was standing, looking at it with Rita.

"That's Grauman's, isn't it?" I said to her.

"That it is." she said.

"Let's take a look at the footprints." I said.

"Lets." she said as me and her started to roam around.

As I walked around, I saw all the famous names who had left their mark behind. Even then, some of those names were gone from us and unknown to me. One space I walked to was of Clark Gable, who my mother had a minor crush on in her youth.

On a whim, I placed my feet into his prints. While the back part fit perfectly, the front of his shoes went over an inch beyond mine. I just whistled as I stood there. Once I removed my shoes, I made a search for Rita and saw her staring at another space.

When I got over to where she was, I saw that she was staring down at the handprints of Rita Hayworth. The look on her face was one of near relevance. It was almost as if she was making a silent prayer over the prints. I gotta say, it was a solemn time at the Chinese Theater.

"What's with the act?" I finally asked.

"It's her." she said, pointing at those handprints.

"She was a good actress, but not good enough to deserve a service." I said.

"I was named after her. Rita Hayworth Louise. That's what my mommy named me." she said.

"The only things I know about Rita Hayworth was that she was in movies and once married to Orson Welles." I said.

"I'm a big fan of hers. That's why I came out to California with you." she said.

"You helped me on my journey to the ocean just to met Rita Hayworth?" I said.

"It's my own great wish. I just wanna say a few words to her." she said.

"If I see her, I'll point you her way." I said.

"Like you know what she looks like now." she said.

"Just a joke. A passing joke." I said.

"Thanks, Oddley." she said, her face brighting up.

"Say, I have an idea. Why don't we take a walk?" I said.

"That's a good idea." she said.

We then began our walk. I kept up my secret search for Ogden, by looking for any car that looked like Odgen's and reading its plate. After fifteen minutes of this, I was beginning to feel that Rita was on to my scheme.

"What are you doing?" she asked me.

"Nothing." I said.

"Then why do you keep staring out at the street?" she asked me.

"No reason." I said.

"You're looking for Ogden, aren't you?" she said.

"So what if I am?" I asked.

"I thought we were gonna see the sights." she said.

"We are. It's just that I'm also looking for my friend." I said.

"You can look for him, and while you're at it, you might as well look for Rita Hayworth." she said.

"I told you, I was joking." I said.

"You promised me that we'd just see the sights." she said.

Before I could respond, we were met up by a slick man. I call him a slick man because he had all the hallmarks of one. He had a cheapo version of my Hollywood three-piece, minus the tie, with cheapo sunglasses and a balding head. He had a slick look in his eyes as he walked over to us.

"Excuse me there, darling." said the slick man.

"Are you talking to me?" asked Rita.

"Yes, I am. My name is Charles M. Ogleman, I'm a talent scout for Paramount Pictures." said the slick man.

"Nice to meet you." I said.

"Who are you?" he asked me.

"Oddley J. Mitchell." I said.

"Please to meet you. Now, my dear, I happen to notice you as I walked by and I think you're perfect." he said.

"For what?" she asked.

"For a movie role we're holding auditions for tomorrow afternoon at Paramount." he said.

"Paramount Pictures, where they make Star Trek?" I asked.

"That's the one." he said.

"Lucky." I said to myself.

"Anyway, we're holding these auditions tomorrow afternoon and I think you'd be perfect for the part." he said.

"Thanks." she said.

"Don't thank me. Thank the lucky stars above for this." he said, before he then handed over his card and wrote something on the back and then left.

"I can't believe it." I said.

"He gave me his card, and he wrote where to go for the audition." she said.

"I can take you to Paramount Pictures. Who knows? I could meet Leonard Nimoy after all." I said as me and Rita started walking.

"Just think. I'm gonna be a star." she said.

"You? A star?" I said to Rita.

"I can be." she said.

"I can't believe that some Hollywood guy is getting you an audition for a film." I said.

"I'm surprised myself." she said.

"I hope you succeed in that, because if you succeed, I do." I said.

"How's that?" she asked me.

"Because the beginning of your film career will be managed by me." I said.

"You, be my agent?" she said.

"Think about it. I'm the only one who knows you out here, so a plus there." I said.

"If you want, you got the job." she said as we began crossing a street.

I could see it all in my head. Rita nailing her audition, getting a small part in a movie, eventually getting bigger parts, allowing me to have larger and larger ten percents of any salary. The stars shone bright in my eyes. That's when it hit me: a car.

I blacked out for a moment or two before I came to. As I opened my eyes, I looked around me. I could hear voices all around me. For a second, I thought that I was now dead. I then heard the voice of Rita and keep back to life.

"Are you all right?" she asked me.

"I'm fine." I said.

"Gee, just when I thought I had killed my friend." said a very familiar voice.

I looked around and found myself gazing at the face of Odgen, with his blonde hair, glasses, and a pair of short sideburns. It was a sight I had hoped to see since I got to California.

"Odgen! I finally found you." I said as I got up off the crowd.

"I'm glad you found me, and not that farmer." he said with a grin.

"So this is Ogden." said Rita.

"That I am, ma'am." he said.

"Didn't that shotgun blast teach you anything?" I asked him.

"Would you tell me your name, m'lady?" he then asked Rita.

"I'm Rita Louise, sir." she said, holding out her hand.

"Rita Hayworth Louise." I said as Odgen kissed the hand.

"Odgen Hamilton's my name." he said.

"I told her about you, Odgen." I said.

"Nice of you to do that. Saves me time." he said.

"Time in doing what?" I asked.

"Never you mind. I'll keep to myself, if you wish." he said.

"Good." I said.

"I guess your search is over." said Rita.

"Ogden, if you have a place to stay, may we use it?" I said.

"I have gotten a nice room at a hotel downtown. I think I can squeeze in two additional people." he said.

"Lead us there." I told him.

Lead us, he did. He led us to a run-down joint called the Hotshot Hotel some distance from the glamour of Hollywood, on Melrose. It was an old hotel. In its headay, it must have been a beautiful building, with movie stars checking in and out. Now, those days had long gone, even by 1968.

There's not enough words I know to describe the sight I saw. Let me just say that my own apartment home was the Taj Mahal compared to this place in terms of how it looked. I just let it flow past me as we entered the lobby.

The lobby was almost as worse as the outside. The furniture in the lobby looked like it had been there as long as the hotel, with those 1930s fabrics and colors, now faded. The centerpiece of the room was the large oak desk, just as faded as the furniture.

"Hello, Mr. Ogden." said the smiling desk clerk.

The clerk was different from the surroundings. He looked just a few years older than I did. He had a tan from a life spent in the California sun and a accent to match. He was dressed in a usual hotel clerk outfit, complete with tie and hankerchief stuffed into a pocket.

"Hello, Mason." said Ogden as he walked up to the desk.

"Nice to see you again. Say, who are those two?" asked Mason.

"The guy over here is my best friend, Oddley Mitchell." said Ogden.

"So, this is the legendary Oddley. Ogden has told us all about you." said Mason.

"That's me. The legendary Oddley." I said.

"And I'm Rita Louise." said Rita.

"She looks nice." said Mason.

"She looks nice enough for an audition tomorrow at Paramount." I said.

"You're not the first or last person to say that." said Mason.

"Listen, Mason. These two need a place to stay... " said Ogden.

"No problem. They can stay with you, free of charge." said Mason.

"Thanks, Mason. You're a pal." said Ogden.

"No sweat." said Mason.

"Oddley, as we walk to my room, you might explain how you came to be hit by my car." said Ogden as he lead us to the elevators.

So, I told him everything that had happened from the time he'd left to when he'd hit me with his car. It took from the front desk to the door of his room to tell as much as I could. When I'd finished, he nodded his head as he unlocked the door, telling me that he believed what I'd said, for it was the only way I could have done it.

"That was an amazing tale." said Ogden as we entered the room.

"It's the truth. I went through all of that to get here." I said.

"Oddley, even without me, you get into trouble." he said.

"That's what I gather." said Rita.

I then turned my attention to the hotel. In my mind, I could picture someone like Rita Hayworth making her bed here while filming one of her pictures or having a vacation from fame. In my eyes, it was a worn-out room with a worn-out bed, with the makings of Ogden all over, with signs of earlier occupants easily seen.

"How do you like the room?" asked Ogden.

"Well, it's... very nice." I said.

"It's not much but I've had to make it home since I left Chicago." he said.

"You know, you should come back." I said.

"And you know when I will." he said.

"And I told you about that." I said.

"That wasn't a nice letter. Nice to hear that Mr. Randall replaced me." he said.

"He would replace his own mother if she were to bail on the job." I said.

"So you say." he said.

"You guys. If Oddley hadn't told me you were friends, I wouldn't know." said Rita.

"This is our friendship. It's not much but it's ours." I said.

"Rita's right. We need to be friends again." he said.

"And how do we do that?" I asked.

"There's a small club next to the lobby. It used to be the usual hotel bar, but now, it's this honky-tonk-like place. It's called the Hotshot Club." he said.

"Does it have country music?" I asked.

"Every night, from the jukebox and on stage." he said.

"Then I'm there." I said.

"Don't tell me, Ogden, that you're into country music like Oddley?" said Rita.

"No one is as much as a fan as Oddley." he said.

That night, we went downstairs to the Hotshot Club. As I entered, I realized that the place was how a Californian would build a honky-tonk. It had all the stereotypical things, from a dime jukebox, playing Buck Owens, to the neon, which looked like it came from the old days of the club.

The centerpiece of the place was the bar, where California hillbillies drowning their sorrows to the music. Across from the bar was the old stage, where I could see a Grestch guitar on its stand, a steel guitar, drums, a upright piano, and a stand-up bass. I began to wonder where the band would start to play.

"This is the Hotshot Club." I said to Ogden.

"That it is." he said.

"Where do we sit?" asked Rita.

"Right here." I said, pointing to the table near the middle of the room.

"Good enough for me." she said as we took our seats at it.

"Howdy, gang. What can I get ya?" said the waiter, with his western outfit and western face.

"Two beers and... what'll you have?" I said, with the question to Rita.

"A whiskey, please." she replied.

"Two beers and a Jack, coming up." said the waiter, walking away.

"I've got a nice view of the stage." I said to Ogden.

"I know you would do this." he said.

"Listen, Ogden, you really oughta return with me to Chicago." I said.

"I don't have a job there." he said.

"I can get you your old job back easy." I said.

"What about the shotgun farmer?" he then asked.

"If I know him, he's gone on a chase for you. He won't be there." I said.

"I hope you're right." he said.

Our drinks soon arrive. I enjoyed my first sip of beer since the Depot, while I saw Rita sip slowly at her whiskey, not caring that tomorrow, she had a screen test. I then heard the jukebox come to a stop as the band members arrived on stage. I then saw our waiter run onto the stage and up to a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's Friday night, so it's time for our star attraction. So, please let me introduce you to that cutie, Susan Raye!" said the waiter, who then bolted from the stage.

The next person to step up to the microphone was the star herself. I didn't know that fame was coming her way back then, but as she opened her mouth to sing, "All of Me Belongs to You", I knew something was going on.

It was as she sang her second song, her own version of "I Don't Wanna Play House", that I had my next moment. It came as a voice from the next table to my right, a voice that I would regonize no matter what.

"She's gotta a mighty fine voice, hasn't she?" said the voice to me.

"Yes, it is... " I said as my eyes stopped on the sight of the man from the jukebox, Buck Owens.

"What's wrong?" I heard Ogden say.

"Look, Buck Owens." I said, pointing him out.

"That's who I am." he said with that trademark smiling grin.

"I listen to your stuff all the time and I'm from Chicago." I told him.

"I've been there myself." he said.

"This Susan. She has an amazing voice." I said.

"Maybe I'll hire her for my act." he said.

"You better, so the world can share this gift." I said.

I don't know why I never got credit for Buck hiring Susan some time later, but if I had a part in it, this is my record of it. Anyway, I've always felt that I had my hand in the best sound I've ever heard: the duets of Buck and Susan.

What happened next took me totally by surprise. It came as Susan was singing her second song, her version of "I Don't Wanna Play House" It was a nice version but that wasn't the thing that happened.

"Oddley?" said Ogden.

"Yes, Ogden?" I asked.

"You think I have a chance with that girl?" he said, pointing at the table.

"Knowing you, I think you can swing a drink and talk." I said.

"Thank you." he said.

"What would you want with her?" asked the drunk Rita, on her second whiskey.

"I just wanna talk to her. Get a feeling for her." he said.

"Are you sure it's more than that?" I asked.

"I'm pretty sure. It's just a passing fancy." he said.

"That's what you thought about that Alabama blonde." I said.

When her set had ended, Ogden got out of his seat and rushed over to her as she left the stage. I don't know what he said to her but it must have worked because after a minute, she followed him over to another table. Just another typical thing by Ogden.

"I guess it's just us two." I said to Rita.

"It would seem so." she said.

"I hope your audition goes well tomorrow." I said with a smile.

"I don't care." she said to me.

"I know that's the whiskey talking." I said.

"Are you sure? It may be my true feelings about this." I said.

"When did this happen?" I asked.

"I don't know." she said.

"Maybe you can tell me if you give me a few clues." I said.

"I don't know what clues to give." she said.

"You'll think of them." she said.

As she sipped it down, Rita and me had a nice long talk. By midnight, Rita had had enough to float a ship, but I was still somewhat sober. I saw Ogden walk out of the Hotshot Club with Susan. I could only guess where they were going, but I knew where they would end up. It was his way.

I headed back to Ogden's room. Rita was weaving her way back to the room, with wide rights and lefts all the way. I managed to keep straight, with only a few wobbles. I knew that an audtion was tomorrow. The question was: would she be ready for it?

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That's a good question.  Will she?  As you can see, Oddley's reunion with Ogden has caused a new set of problems for our hero.  Will Rita pass her audition and get a role in a movie?  The only way to find out is to come back next week and read about it.
 
Next week, Oddley, Ogden, and Rita make their way to Paramount Pictures for the audition.  There, Oddley finds something that he hasn't found so far: love.
 
That's on Saturday, November 5th, at 3:30 pm, right here on the John Maxwell Blog.
 
Until then, this is John Maxwell, telling you that on Halloween, keep a sharp eye open for werewolves, because you'll never know when the full moon strikes...

The Life of Oddley - Episode 12

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE - "The Road to California", Part Three

Hello, people, and welcome to another edition of "The Life of Oddley", here on the John Maxwell Blog.  Well, by my count, Oddley's been en route to California for seven weeks now for us, while it's been three days for him.  However, with this week's posting, Oddley will officially complete his journey there.

Now, back to the story.  Last week, Oddley and Rota avoided major jail time when Oddley successful managed to charm a cop out of an arrest.  Once finished with his food, Oddley returned to the road.  After a while, Rita managed to come down.  She then revealed to Oddley that her drug trip was her first and that her last friend gave her the joint.

With the drug adventure behind them, Oddley and Rita drove all the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the setting sun forced our travelers to find a hotel.  Thanks to a scheme thought up by Oddley, he and Rita snag a single room, complete with a single bed.  Oddley, wanting to keep their friendship where it is, has a hard time keeping himself composed.

The next morning arrives swiftly and Oddley awakens to find Rita has disappeared...

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I couldn't believe it. Rita had left me behind. She told me that I could trust her. I now saw that trust was nothing but hollow. I got out of bed to see if Rita was still in the room. A through search of the entire room produced no sign of her.

After my search, I decided to leave the room. No use in hanging around if I had no reason left to be there. I grabbed the motel key and walked out the door. I locked it behind me and began walking to the front office.

My mind began racing as I walked. What was I to do? I was hundreds of miles from Chicago. I was still nowhere near my goal: the ocean. My decision was once again, to either head back home and finish my vacation there or continue my trip to California and the ocean.

I was halfway to a decision and halfway to the front office when I happened to take a look around. I felt that if I looked at Albuquerque long enough, it would hasten my decision to get out, east or west. It was as I was scanning the horizon that I spotted it. To think that I would have missed it.

I saw the car that Rita and I had been driving since Tulsa. It was still parked where I had done so last night. I was so surprised to see it there that I stopped in front of it. On closer look, I saw her: Rita. She was sitting in the driver's seat, puffing away on her cigarette. She was blowing a smoke ring when she saw me.

"Good morning, Oddley, you lazyhead." she said.

"Rita! You're still here." I said.

"Did you think I had gone?" she asked me.

"Yes, Rita." I said.

"Well, I just woke up before you. So, I just got dressed and sat out here, waiting for you." she said.

"I can really trust you." I said.

"That you can." she said.

"Let me return this key and I'll join you." I said, resuming my walk.

"I'll be here." she said.

A few minutes later, me and Rita was pulling out of the motel's parking lot and heading westward again on Route 66. As the morning sun shone down on the western desert, I looked over at Rita, with one hand on the wheel and a cigarette in the other. She was proving to be a better traveling companion than Brooke.

New Mexico eventually turned into Arizona. To me, there wasn't much difference between the Arizona desert and the one in New Mexico. It was just one big desert, with only political lines separating it into smaller ones. As the sun climbed higher and higher, boredom began to set in.

"I'm bored." I said one hour into Arizona, without thinking.

"Bored? Of me?" asked Rita.

"No, of this desert outside." I said.

"I can see that." she said, taking a puff.

"I haven't been this bored since... yesterday." I said.

"What happened yesterday?" she asked.

"Miles and miles of Texas." I said.

"That's all behind us." she said.

"Not the miles of desert ahead of us. There's so much sand before the sand on the coastline." I said.

"There's a song lyric." she said.

"It's more than that. It's what's around us." I said.

"What can we do about it?" she asked me.

"Nothing." I said.

"Then why mention it?" she said.

"Because once we get out to California, what are we gonna do?" I said.

"Beats me." she said.

"Me, too. We can forget trying to get into movies or television, and music is something that starts at home." I said.

"Maybe you can get me into a film." she said.

"I have 10 days of vacation left, and I need at least three days to get back home, so we'd only a whole week to get you a film role." I said.

"That's a toughie." she said.

"So what else can we do?" I said.

"I don't know. Maybe we can meet celebrities." she said.

"Like who? What celebrities would wanna meet us?" I asked.

"Maybe someone from your shows?" she said.

"Like I could meet people like Leonard Nimoy or Jonathan Harris." I said.

"Maybe you'll get lucky." she said.

"Maybe. All of this is a big maybe. I didn't even start this." I said.

"I know that." she said.

"The only reason I'm going to California is because I was anxious to get my debt cancelled. Me and a housewife, now me and you. I wonder who'll my next traveling companion is?" I said.

"Don't be so hard on yourself." she said.

"It's just the way I am." I said.

"Listen. I'm helping you the best I can because you strike me as the type who doesn't take no for an answer." she said.

"You're right on that count." I said.

I then fell silence for another hour. As I stared at the desert, I let my mind roam on California. That golden state. I knew that much of the state looked like the sight outside my window but my goal was on the ocean.

It was an hour later, as my mind wandered onto the sights and sounds of Hollywood and Los Angeles that an old memory booted itself to the front of my brain. I had only received the news over a week ago but I was surprised that I had forgotten.

"Ogden!" I said out loud.

"What?" asked a surprised Rita.

"Ogden. I forgot him. Shame on me." I said.

"Wait a minute. Who's Ogden?" she said.

"Ogden Hamilton. He's my oldest and dearest friend." I said.

"Strange. You haven't mentioned him." she said.

"I know. With all the business over the last two weeks, I guess I just let him slip my mind." I said.

"I thought that Gilda was your best friend." she said.

"Only the latest one. Ogden's been there since I was three. He's my sidekick." I said.

"You two must have had many adventures together." she said.

"Always. We both attended the same classes, the same schools. He even got a job at Easy-Mart." I said.

"You two are inseparable." she said.

"That's not true. Despite our long friendship, me and him are two very different people." I said.

"How so?" she asked.

"He's a kind of... cad. He dates women just for the fun. Also, he's nearly broke half the time. He's also a terrible liar." I said.

"That bad, eh?" she said.

"He does have his good side. He's cunning and quick. When I need help, he's there to give it, whether I need it or not. That's why he's my friend." I said.

"Then why isn't your friend anymore?" she asked.

"That's an interesting story." I said.

"Do tell." she said.

"Remember how I said that he dates girls for the fun?" I said.

"Yes." she said.

"I meant it. Ogden's a ladies man. He spends more time in other people's beds than his own." I said.

"Get on with the story." she said.

"Anyway, it happened a couple of weeks ago. Just before this mess between me and Newshaw started." I said.

"Go on." she said.

"It concerns Ogden's latest conquest: a transplanted blonde from Alabama who had the same number of I.Q. points as fingers. She was an easy one for him." I said.

"I see." she said.

"Anyway, they slept together a few times. Purely for fun and the joy." I said.

"Naturally." she said.

"A couple of weeks after Ogden's last date with her. You see, he moved on from her like he usually does." I said.

"Yep." she said in agreement.

"Anyway, this man comes into the store with a 30.06 double-barrel in his hand, demanding to see Odgen, but not those words." I said.

"What words did he use?" she asked.

"I can't repeat most of those words. Anyway, this guy turns out to be the father of the transplanted Alabama blonde with the low I.Q. and he reveals that she is with child and Ogden is the father." I said.

"A plot twist." she said.

"This father has a sense of honor from the hills and the 19th century and he's there to drag Odgen to his wedding. A double-barrel one, if you catch my drift." I said.

"Caught it." she said.

"Odgen then decides that he must do the right thing... and proceeds to run to the back of the store." I said.

"Oh, my." she said.

"Luckily the father decided not to fire within the store. This gave Ogden the chance to run out of the back of the store." I said.

"What happened then?" she asked.

"Well, Odgen climbed into his car and sped away fast. The father then decided to fire... and missed by a barn." I said.

"So, Odgen just cut out and run?" she said.

"A week later, in the midst of my time at the lab, I received a letter from him, saying that he had reached the ocean, the one we're heading towards, and he was gonna stay there until either the transplants headed back to Alabama or hell froze over." I said.

"Did you reply?" she asked.

"I did. I told him that both things will happen at the same time." I said.

"That's a wry thing to say." she said.

"I hope I manage to find Odgen, then we can settle the matter of the double-barrel wedding." I said.

"I wanna meet him." she said.

"And him you if he sees you." I said.

After a moment, the car fell silent again. It was this way all through Arizona. My mind was spent on the memory of Odgen, running for his life away from the shotgun and the wedding that awaits him if the owner of that shotgun ever captures him.

At midday, we passed into California, the last state before the ocean. I smiled when I saw the welcome sign on the side of the road. There was still more desert around me but I knew that soon, water would be in my vision.

A few minutes into California, I turned my eyes to Rita, still driving and smoking. I gazed at the woman who had brought me this far in two days and I had known for three. What a person she was for taking me to the ocean and let me have a dream to see it once in my life and also an opprotunity to be reunited with Ogden.

Then, a serious thought entered my head. What if Rita would only take me to the ocean? She could easily leave me on the shore and drive back to Tulsa. I would then be marooned in California, with only a slim chance on running into Ogden. That thought had not entered my mind before.

Rita had told me that I always put my trust in people, even those I hardly know. She also told me that it would one day come back on me. I now wondered if today was that day. I soon put my worry away, because I needed to enjoy the rest of the way to the ocean. I would worry about it later.

I couldn't even count on Route 66 leading me to the ocean. I found out that it now ended in Pasadena. It didn't matter to us, because we continued along the same road. The sun was now on its downward side, heading towards the western horizon. I was determined to make it to the ocean before sundown.

Eventually, we reach Los Angeles, where Hollywood lay. As we drove into the city, I marveled at the sights I saw. However, it was secondary to our goal of reaching the ocean. My worry resurfaced, each time I looked at the clock in the dashboard, reading 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm, and so on.

As the sun set lower and lower in the sky, we got closer and closer to the ocean. I had never set my eyes on one before and I was about to get my chance. Rita was looking straight at the road, waiting to see the ocean herself. It had been a sight that Ogden had relayed in his letter but even he wrote that he couldn't put what he saw into words.

Finally, we saw it. Beyond the unbroken line of sand was the solid mass of blue water that is called the Pacific Ocean. I stared at it as best I could. The sun was just hovering over the horizon line and so, I had to look away every minute or so to avoid eye damage. I knew that my journey was complete.

Rita pulled the car into a parking lot for a public beach as the clock in the dashboard reach 6:00 pm. I knew that in 30 minutes, the sun would be gone for the day. I got out of the car as soon as it came to a stop. As soon as I had removed my shoes, I handed them to Rita and made my run towards the water.

It seemed like a slow run but it was probably done in less than 30 seconds. Each of those seconds pass slowly as I got closer and closer to the water itself. I could just feel the sand between toes. It was nice and warm after a day under the sun. Then, I felt a change. The ground between my toes was cold and runny.

Water! I had reached it. My feet were now in the Pacific Ocean. When I stopped my run, I found that I was now up to my knees in ocean water. I then just stared out at the sun, now beginning its low sink below the horizon. To tell the truth, I don't why I was so happy to be there. I didn't start this trip on purpose but now, the road to California was done.

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After eight weeks and two complete serials, Oddley had managed to complete his accidental journey to California and Hollywood.  What's next for Oddley?  With the cliffhanger I gave you this week, I know your curiousity will bring you back for next week.
 
Next week, we begin a five-part story titled "Hollywood Oddley", which includes a visit to the Chinese Theater, a look at the hand and show prints of the stars, a moment of relevance, and one heck of a cliffhanger, for sure.
 
Also next week, "The Life of Oddley" changes time slots.  Instead of Thursdays at 2:30 pm, episodes will be posted on Saturdays at 3:30 pm, beginning on October 29.
 
Until then, this is John Maxwell, telling you that a bird in the hand is a great way to lose an arm...

The Life of Oddley - Episode 11

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE - "The Road to California", Part Two

Hello, my loyal followers, and welcome to the 11th week of "The Life of Oddley".  With my series entering a third month without word of how I'm doing, I'm beginning to think that Oddley's story is falling on deaf ears.  Nonetheless, I will continue to present his story as he tells it to me.  Lying can get you places.

Back to our story.  Last week, we began the third serial of the series with Oddley's final departure out of Tulsa with the help of his new friend Rita Louise.  Getting out on a friendly note was Oddley's hope.  However, that hope was stashed when Rita proceeded to smoke a joint.  Oddley managed to gain control of the car but not of the original driver.

Soon enough, lunchtime came and Oddley stopped for a bite to eat, hoping no one would notice the drugged Rita, dazed in the passenger seat.  This is not to be, as Oddley noticed a cop eating at the same place.  Keeping an eye on the cop and Rita proved to be a bit tiresome, but not as tiresome as when he gained the attention of the cop, who has begun walking over to Oddley and Rita... 

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As he walked over, I saw the look on his face. It was of a stern expression, directed at both me and Rita. I quickly turned back to Rita, still being silent towards me. However, I couldn't keep doing that, because he soon walked up to my window with a slight grin.

"Howdy, son." he said to me.

"Hello, sir." I said as I turned his way.

"I'm sergeant Sherman J. Williamson. What's your name, boy?" he said.

"I'm Oddley Mitchell." I said.

"Oddley? What a weird name, boy. Who named ya?" he said.

"My mother did, sir." I said.

"Where are you from, boy?" he asked.

"Chicago, Illinois." I said.

"A city boy, I see." he said.

"That's right." I said.

"I have a question I wanna ask you, son." he said.

"Ask away, officer." I said, with a gulp.

"Do they have police officers in Chicago, boy?" he asked.

"Yes, sir, we do." I said.

"Then why are you starin' at me? Haven't you ever seen a cop?" he asked.

"Yes, sir." I said.

"Then why look at me like you ever haven't seen one?" he asked me.

"Because... I was concerned?" I said.

"I see you have a passenger, boy." he said, pointing out Rita.

"Her name's Rita, sir. Rita Louise." I said.

"Mighty nice name. Better than yours, son." he said.

"I'll keep that in mind." I said.

"She looks a little off, son. Care to explain it?" he said.

"Well, sir... she's sick." I said, after a few moments to think up an excuse to give.

"Sick, boy?" he said.

"Yes, sir." I said.

"Well, she does look a little ill to me, with that glazed look in her eyes." he said.

"After I finish eating, I'm gonna take her to the hospital." I said.

"See that you do, boy. I must be goin' now. Take care." he said as he then walked back to his car.

"That was close." I said to himself.

In short order, the food arrived and I quietly ate my burger, while I saved Rita's for when she would return to normal. Once I had finished in silence, I quickly started the car and headed away from the drive-in and the cop and slowly continued my way westward. Within a minute, I managed to depart the small town.

My progress across the rest of the state was slow and steady. As I looked ahead, I kept an open ear for when Rita would stir out of her high and back into normal reality. That moment came an hour into the car, me, and her car's time in Texas, our second-largest land. It came none too soon.

"Oh, man." she said, her first words in four hours.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

"As much as one can after doing that." she said with a air of remorse.

"You should be used to that by now." I said to her.

"How can I? That was my first time." she said.

"Then why act if you had been doing it for a long time?" I asked.

"It was something I told myself, and you, to hide the fact that it was my first time using." she said.

"Where did you even get that stuff?" I asked.

"The last friend I met before you handed to me and said, 'enjoy the trip.'." she said.

"You could have tossed it." I said.

"I decided to try it." she said.

"And driving a car was the time to do it?" I said.

"A laspe in judgment." she said.

"I can see that already." I said.

"From now on, I'll just stay with the usual." she said.

"And what is that, pray tell?" I asked with a leer.

"Good old cigarettes." she said as she took a pack of them out of the glove box.

"I'll take a pass on those, too." I said as she took one of the pack.

"Suit yourself. You need to get out more." she said as she put it in her mouth.

"I live my life that way I wish to, not what others want me to." I said.

"That's how I live my life, probably a bit more than you." she said as she lit up.

"I can see that. The more and more I get to know you, the more I realize that you're a free spirit, moving with the breeze." I said, two steps from a song lyric.

"I am the girl named Rita Louise." she said, completing my lyric without asking.

"I wish I had a piece of paper and a pencil. I could impress my band with that." I said.

"You have a band?" she asked, taking a puff.

"I just joined before I left. The name of the group is the Pickadillies, spelled P-I-C-K-A-D-I-L-L-I-E-S." I said.

"What's interesting about that?" she asked.

"That's not how the Brits spell it." I said.

"Leave it to musicians to spell things correctly." she said.

"'She's a free spirit, moving along with the breeze, the young girl named Rita Louise'." I sang.

"That's good. You belong in a band." she said.

"You're the first person in my life to say that." I said.

"Glad to be the first." she said, taking another puff.

Texas, after a drive through the streets of Amarillo, became the deserts of New Mexico. This ancient land looked as old as it should. The mountains and plains mixed well here. By now, Rita was on her second ciggy and it seemed to calm her down a bit better than the joint ever did.

The sun was beginning to set as we made our way towards Albuquerque, the mainstay town in this part of the state. As the sun began to touch the horizon, I was beginning to suffer from white line fever, from having stared at it for hours and hours. I was also getting tired of changing stations once in a while.

Pretty soon, the idea of lodgings came to my mind. The main thought I had was how to fit Rita in. It was to be a hard task. The motel stay back in Tulsa was all Brooke's doing and I just followed. I thought about using her method but I didn't trust Rita enough to go along with the idea.

As the sun was sinking below the horizon, we arrived on the outskirts of Albuquerque. I decided that I couldn't hold off on the lodging question without running into the desert pass the city for miles and hours. I saw a motel sitting on the side of the road. Quickly, I pulled off the road and into a parking spot near the front office.

"Rita?" I said to my passenger.

"Yes?" she said back.

"How far can I trust you?" I asked her.

"Very far, indeed." she said, putting out her cigarette.

"You know that we need a room for the night." I said.

"I know that." she said.

"I've been thinking. We're gonna have to share a room." I said.

"What's wrong with that?" she asked me.

"People frown to two unmarried people, especially when one is male and the other female." I said.

"You're being kind of a prude about this." she said.

"I'm open minded. Not these people." I said.

"So how do we get the room?" she asked.

"I'll get the room and I'll let you in." I said.

"Is that a good idea?" she said.

"It's the only idea." I said.

"If that's the truth." she said.

With a quick gulp, I got out of the car and did the slow walk into the front office. It was an unassuming place, with an unassuming desk clerk, in his mid-30s, with greased hair, a nice button shirt and vest. A typical motel clerk, in all.

"Hello, good sir." said the clerk.

"Yes, I would like a room." I said as I reached the front desk.

"I see. Let me see what I have." he said, walking over to the wall of keys.

He spent a moment, looking over those keys, hanging from their hooks, before he took one off the wall and walked back over to me.

"Here's your room. Number 120." he said.

"Thanks." I said.

"That'll be twenty bucks, please." he said.

"Right. Here you are." I said, handing over the amount.

"Just sign the book and you've got a room." he said, pointing out a open book on the desk.

"Right." I said as I put my name in there.

"Enjoy the room." he said to me as I made a path out of there.

"That was close." I said to myself as I walked back to the car.

"Did you get it?" asked Rita when I got to the car.

"Room 120. Meet me there." I said, now making a bee-line for the room.

Rita got out of the car and followed me to the room. Once I opened the door, we got a good look inside. I looked like the room I had back in Tulsa, complete with the television and the table. I did notice something else.

"There's only one bed." I said to Rita.

"So?" she asked me.

"Remember what I told you about how people view two unmarried people, one male, one female, sharing a room?" I asked.

"You told me that." she said.

"Well, the same goes for a bed. I mean, a male has those feelings when she shares a close space with a female." I said.

"You can keep those feelings in check?" she asked.

"I can, and I will." I said.

"Then, let's ready for the night." she said, heading back for the car.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Getting my suitcase." she said.

An hour later, I was laying in bed, watching television as Rita readied herself for bed. I must admit, having had worn the same clothes for three days straight was odd to me. Rita had put on that see-throught nightie and I was trying to keep my eyes on the screen.

"How many times can Dr. Smith prevent those Robinsons from getting back to Earth?" I asked myself.

"Must you watch those awful science fiction shows?" asked Rita, brushing her hair in front of a mirror.

"Don't bad-mouth these shows. They're a look into things we don't understand." I said.

"What's there to understand about cardboard monsters?" she said.

"They're not cardboard. They're the reflection of our fears." I said.

"Science fiction is not for intelligent people." she said as she put the brush down.

"Ever heard of Issac Asimov? Arthur C. Clarke? Robert Heinlein?" I asked her.

"No, I haven't." she said.

"The science fiction authors and they're the most intelligent people around." I said.

"Whatever you say." she said, walking over to the bed.

"Just wait until Friday night at 8:30 pm. I'll show you intelligent science fiction." I said as she climbed into the bed.

"I'll remember that." she said.

"Good night to you." I said.

"Get under the covers." she said.

"No way." I said.

"Why not?" she asked me.

"Because I wish to keep a simple morality between you and me." I said.

"Afraid you'll do something you'll regret?" she asked me.

"Sort of." I said.

"I think two unmarried people can sleep in the same bed without anything happening." she said.

"I believe that, too, but I don't think I could stand the test without help." I said.

"What kind of help?" she asked.

"The kind of help a very used motel bedsheet can provide." I said.

"That's almost funny." she said.

"What would you do if I was to... seduce you?" I asked her.

"Nothing wrong with a little nighttime loving." she said with a sly grin.

"I'll keep to myself tonight." I said.

"Suit yourself." she said as she headed off to sleep.

I spent some more time watching television. Eventually, my eye lids grew too heavy and I drifted off to dreamland. I don't remember what I dreamed that night but it must have been uimportant if I can't recall it.

The next morning did arrive. As I opened my eyes, it took a moment to focus them to see the early morning light pouring into the room from the curtained window. I looked to my left to say good morning to Rita but I saw that side of the bed vacant.

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Has Rita left Oddley?  It seems like it.  With the ocean in reach, is Oddley finally marooned elsewhere for good?  The only way that you'll get the answer to these and any other questions on your mind is to come back next week and find out the usual way, by reading.
 
Next week, we finally conclude the third serial of the series and Oddley's long journey when he manages to reach the Pacific Ocean at last.  It'll be a sight Oddley will never forget and neither will you as Oddley tells us of one thing he needs to do in California.
 
That's on Thursday, October 20th, at 2:30 pm, here on the John Maxwell Blog.
 
Until then, this is John Maxwell, saying that there are many roads in life, but choose the one that was recently paved for the smoothest ride...

The Life of Oddley - Episode 10

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE - "The Road to California", Part One

Hello, people, and welcome to the first episode of the third month of the series.  Now, many of you may have noticed that the serials have been contained within a single month.  The first serial was contained within the month of August and the last one within September. 

Let me tell you, that's not the plan here.  I planned the last serial for four parts but ended up writing five, and I actually wanted to start the series on July 28th, but due to a planning snafu, I had to move it a week.  This serial will be a three-parter and will finally get the series onto new footing.

That being said, back to the story.  Last week, Oddley finally broke the ice and got out a few words.  That lead to Rita mixing up a few drinks and Oddley downing those drinks.  After an long nap, Oddley shared his wish to leave Tulsa and continue his journey to the ocean.

Rita then tells Oddley that she will grant him this wish and drive him to California and the ocean.  Oddley, without any other option, agrees to the idea.  After a night spent in Rita's house and surviving breakfast with Rita, wearing a see-through nightie, Oddley and Rita finally get out to the car and when we last left off, they were heading out...

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As the mid-morning sun shone down, I saw the hint of the east Oklahoma landscape of farmland and oil derrecks. It amused me some that Brooke was now trapped and I was moving away from that city, this time with a new girl. It was a kind of turnaround that amused me enough to laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Rita.

"Nothing." I said.

"Come on, tell me." she said.

"Remember I told you about Brooke?" I asked.

"You did." she said.

"Well, it's because she's now marooned back there in Tulsa and I'm moving forward." I said.

"I wouldn't call it being marooned." she said.

"I would, and believe me, I've been trapped in worst places." I said.

"I see. You must live an interesting life." she said.

"I'm starting to, it seems. A few weeks ago, I was a mere supermarket employee, pulling an average $25.60 an hour wage." I said.

"Now what are you?" she asked.

"A man of many things. I've dabbled in science, I've joined a rock band, paid off a debt, and many more." I said.

"You also saved a person's life." she said.

"And he'll never get the chance to thank me for it." I said.

"He will, if things work out for him." she said.

"He'd probably pound me first, before he'd thank me for saving him." I said.

"You don't know that." she said.

"You may be right. I'll see if and when it happens." I said.

"That's the way to live." she said.

Within ten minutes of leaving the city, we passed Brooke's car, still sitting on the side of the road. That told me that she was still with Roy and hadn't phoned a single mechanic. That car had taken me this far, so I gave it a wave as we passed by it.

"What are you waving at?" asked Rita as I did.

"That car. It took me all the way to Tulsa." I said.

"Shouldn't be with a mechanic?" she asked.

"It should, but I know Brooke. She's probably crying at Roy's bedside." I said.

"You don't know that." she said.

"Listen, when I left her yesterday, she was all up about staying with him." I said.

"She might have changed." she said.

"Not likely. She was forgetting her husband back home and probably any children that she has." I said.

"Don't assume things, Oddley. It will only hurt you." she said.

"Only sometimes do I assume anything. Just when the facts can bear me out." I said.

"We'll see how it works." she said.

"Ditto, here." I said.

I was now moving further westward at last. The sun was shining bright and I was a bit happy to heading to California. It was a happy land, from what I heard. Television had shone me a land of movie stars, musicians, and artists. I was hoping to see if any of it was true, and if so, how could I get in on it?

Ten minutes after passing the car, I noticed that Rita was a bit pensive, as if she was fighting off something in her mind. Maybe she was having second thoughts about our trip to the ocean. Maybe she was studying my reactions to her way of life. Whatever it was, it might have explain the following scene.

"Do you mind if I smoke?" said Rita.

"Of course not." I said, thinking she was going to smoke a cigarette.

She reached inside her left vest pocket and pulled out a joint. She then pulled out a lighter from her right vest pocket. As she put the joint in her mouth, she lit it with the lighter. She put the lighter out and put it back in her right vest pocket. She then took the joint out of her mouth and let out a puff of smoke.

"Ah, I feel a little better now." she said.

"From what?" I asked.

"From whatever." she replied.

"I see." I said.

"Things just get to me and I need something to take my mind off." she said.

"That stuff there will do it." I said.

"I know." she said.

"Listen, if you're gonna do this, then let me drive." I said.

"Why should I?" she asked.

"Because if you're gonna get high, you'll be in no shape to drive." I said.

"You're absolute right, Oddley." she said.

It took us a minute to pull over to the side of the road, get out of the car, change places, and get back out again. Let me tell you, driving a car was a bit different than driving an old army jeep, but I got into it.

"You know, you're the second person who had driven me on this trip." I said.

"Who was the first?" asked Rita.

"Her name was Brooke, a runaway housewife. Remember, I told you about her." I said.

"She sounds nice." she said.

"Only at first." I said.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I don't wanna talk it right now. I just wanna keep driving." I said.

"Okay then." she said.

"Rita, do you mind if I turned the radio on?" I asked her.

"Go ahead." she said.

I turned on the radio. As it came on, I heard a classical music piece play.

"Could you change the station?" I heard Rita ask.

"Of course." I said.

I turned the tuning knob until I heard a country station. The station was playing a Merle Haggard song, "Swinging Doors".

"Good song." I said.

"What is that?" I heard Rita ask.

"That's Merle Haggard." I said.

"Who's that?" said Rita.

"He's a country singer." I said to her.

"You like country music?" she asked.

"Yes, I do." I said.

"You think you could put the radio on a pop station?" she said.

"You a fan of those rockers from California?" I asked.

"Yep." she replied.

"I like to keep it on the country station." I said.

"Fine by me." said Rita.

"Say, mind if I ask you a few questions?" I asked.

"Go right ahead." she said.

"Where are you from?" I asked.

"Would you believe me if I told you if I came from Tulsa back there?" she asked me.

"Not in the least." I said.

"Good, because I'm not. I'm from Cinncinati." she said.

"I see. How did you get from there to here?" I said.

"The usual way." she said.

"I see." I said.

"You should do more than see." she said as the stuff took hold.

I then heard a noise come from within me. It was my empty stomach, growling at me because I hadn't fed it the lunch I promised it. I realized that drug-dazed Rita was not someone I should show off in public, so I decided to hold off on lunch until later, now turning my trip into an survival contest between me and my stomach.

Things soon got quiet. Not a sound. I could hear the D.J. on the radio say, "We had Merle Haggard before the break and he'll be at Cain's Ballroom here in Tulsa in two weeks and speaking of which, Charlie Louvin will be in Okemah next Friday and speaking of him, here's his big hit from last year, 'Will You Visit Me on Sunday?'."

Besides that, it was quiet as the morning dawn. It lasted for five minutes or so. My mind took time due to the quiet to sort what had happened since we entered this house. When I woke up this morning, I knew something different would happened, but not like this.

I took another look at Rita, smoking her joint and tried to figure out how she was. I figured out what she wasn't, based solely on what she was doing at that moment. I couldn't query further without hurting our new friendship, so I kept my opinions and questions to myself and kept on driving.

"Oddley, you look like a person who could use a trip." said Rita.

"No thanks. I'm trying to avoid drugs." I said.

"Drugs? This isn't a drug, this is a calmer." she said as she took the joint out of her mouth.

"A calmer?" I queried.

"That's right. This thing here keeps you calm." she said.

"I'll pass. I've got other things to calm me down." I said.

"Come on, Oddley, open your mind. You need to take a toke off this. It'll make you feel better." she said.

"I don't need anything like that." I said.

"You do, too. You may have been raised to think differently but I feel that what your parents tell ya is wrong." she said.

"My parents taught me right. I just don't do drugs. They can kill people." I said.

"Suit yourself." said Rita.

I kept on driving for as long as I could do. Finally, after two hours, my stomach was making a lot of noise and I was feeling faint. I needed food, so I began looking for a drive-in. Luckily, I found that I was entering a small town, so I knew a drive-in had to exist around here.

I did find one and I did pull off the road. As I pulled up to a stall, I remembered Rita, joint now gone and so was her mind. I knew that she would hurt me much if anyone found out that she was high, so I thought over my order.

I decided to get the both of us the biggest item on the menu, an thing called the Super-Burger. I decided that it was good enough for me and for when Rita comes off her high and demands a lot of food. I then pushed the button and waited for a voice to speak.

"Hello, and welcome to Billy Bob's Drive-In. Can I take your order?" said a female voice through the speaker.

"Yes, I would like two Super-Burgers." I said.

"Do you want some fries?" she asked.

"Yes, please." I said.

"And drink?" she asked.

"Two cokes." I said.

"Cokes!" snorted Rita.

"Let me see if I got your order. Two Super-Burgers, fries, and two cokes." she said.

"That's right." I said.

"That'll be $5.50, sir." she said.

"Thanks." I said.

"Your order will be ready in a few. Bye!" she said as the speaker shut off.

In my waiting, I started to scan the other stalls. As I scanned the stalls on the other side of the drive-in, I saw it, a police car. Inside was a cop. I couldn't make him out at first, but I did see that he was eating a burger, so I felt I was safe. That didn't stop me from keeping an eye on him.

"Rita, are you doing well?" I asked.

"I'm the best I've ever been." she said with a big smile.

"Good, because there's a police car here and I need you to tone down the flying." I said.

"No way, man. I'm flying and I'm gonna stay flying." she said.

"Please do it at a lower altitude." I said.

"I'll fly as high as I want." she said.

"That's my problem." I said.

"Let me take your problem. I take everyone's problems, it seems." she said.

"I keep my problems to myself, if you don't mind." I said.

"I don't mind. I don't mind anything. Anything, at all, as a matter of fact. Nothing's on my mind." she said.

"I hope you come down soon." I said.

"Maybe you should come on up. Come on." she said.

"I'll take a pass." I said.

"Why should you? It's fun." she said.

"No, fun is staying on the ground." I said.

"You're being such a killjoy." she said.

"I don't wish to be, but I must." I said.

"I can see that." she said.

"Me, too." I said.

Rita then lapsed into silence, which I enjoyed only a few seconds. That was because as I looked back up at the cop, he was staring back at me. I tried to overt my gaze but it was too late. He was getting out of the police car and he didn't look happy to me at all. For a moment, I wondered how I would travel without Rita. 

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How would he travel without Rita?  I know we've known her for just three weeks now, but we've come to like her and I know many of you do, too.  How will this showdown with the law will go down?  Tune in next week and find out.  Next week, Oddley makes friends with the law and the trip continues, with Oddley spending the night not alone, but he wish he was.

That's on Thursday, October 13th, at 2:30 pm, here on the John Maxwell Blog.

Until then, this is John Maxwell saying that we must keep an eye on those who want us to elect them, for an evil force can disguise itself as good.  Remember that next year...

The Life of Oddley - Episode 9

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE - "Stuck in Tulsa", Part Five

Greetings, people, and welcome to another episode of "The Life of Oddley".  I haven't seen much input regarding last week's postings dealing with the shows I would pitch to television but I will be patient and wait for your word.

Now, back to our story.  Last week, Oddley finally decided to leave Brooke behind after she decided to stay at the hospital to tend to Roy.  With Brooke out of the picture, Oddley now went ovet his options.  While making a lunchtime visit to go over those options, he finds a new friend.  Her name is Rita and she proves to be a good person. 

Oddley, after lunch, accepts a visit to Rita's house, which is an old house.  This renders Oddley without words as he settles in.  As we last left him, he was trying his best to break the ice...

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"Well, what shall we do now?" I said after a minute or two.

"How about some more drinks, of the evening variety?" suggested Rita.

"You mean, liquor?" I asked.

"That's right." she said.

"I should tell you, I'm only 20." I said.

"I won't tell if you won't." she said.

"I guess so." I said.

"Now, what'll you have?" she asked me as she walked to a drink-mixing kit on the far side of the room.

"Surprise me, for I have no experience in ordering drinks." I said.

"Surely, you've had a few." she said.

"Only beer." I said.

"So, you've been drinking." she said.

"Only for two years, and in only one place." I said.

"I see." she said.

"It's just how I operate." I said.

"Well, I operate a little differently." she said.

"That I've noticed." I said.

"Here you go." she said as she put down a finished drink.

"What is it?" I asked.

"A nice whiskey sour, all ready to go." she said.

"Thanks." I said.

As I took a sip, I felt the whiskey flow throught me. It was a good feeling, one I had never felt before. I proceed to continue sipping slowly while Rita made herself one and joined me on the couch.

"So, what do you wanna talk about?" asked Rita, taking a sip.

"Nothing on my mind right now." I said.

"Give it time." she said.

"Give what time?" I asked.

"The drink. It'll give you something to talk about." she said.

"I hope so, because I need it." I said.

"Maybe I can start by asking where you're from, because you told me that you needed a place to stay." she said.

"I'm from Chicago." I said.

"That's a big city. Are you a native?" she said.

"Born and raised, and now working." I said.

"Not now." she said.

"Not right now, but usually. I have three weeks off and I've already spend one week working." I said.

"Working where?" she asked.

"At a science lab, working as an assistant to a female scientist." I said.

"How well did that go?" she then asked.

"Well, I was almost killed by a muscle man on a untested chemical, saw the doctor in her birthday suit, and uncovered the means by which I left Chicago." I said.

"And what was it?" she asked.

"Well, I found this chemical that turns any woman into a raging nymphomaniac. I called it nympho-drops." I said.

"Interesting discovery." she said.

"I then used those drops on my sister to cancel a gambling debt, which worked." I said.

"Then what happened?" she asked.

"The next morning, I went back to my sister's place to collect the stuff, which I had left there, and found her taking a little more than you should." I said.

"How does all of this make you leave Chicago?" she asked.

"Well, in my long-distance run from my chemically-altered sibling, I actually ran into a car, which belong to a housewife, who decided to go on a trip, with me along." I said.

"How did that happened?" she asked.

"I used her car to hide from my sister and wasn't able to bail beforehand." I said.

After a few more minutes, I had finished my drink, so Rita refreshed our glasses and returned to the couch. I soon drank that down and moved on to a third. By that time, I had told Rita everything about my time with Brooke, in detail. She just took it in and let me roar on like the drunk I was being.

I don't know how many whiskey sours I drank, but it was enough to put a gap in my memory, because the next one took place in the late evening, as the sun was setting in the distance. I was watching some television as my memory returned to me. I saw that Rita was watching with me.

"Having a nice nap, man?" I heard Rita ask me.

"Did I take one?" I asked.

"Yes, you did." said Rita.

"Then it must have been a good one, because I don't remember taking one." I said.

"My friend Lisa has does gaps, too." she said.

"Do you fill her in once she comes to?" I asked.

"I don't, but with you, I can. You were just napping." she said.

"Good to know. I needed that." I said.

"Listen, I've been thinking about what you said, about continuing westward." she said.

"I've always wanted to see the ocean." I said.

"Well, maybe I can take you the rest of the way." she said.

"You don't have to do that." I said.

"But I want to. I'm beginning to really like you and I wanna see you happy." she said.

"That's nice to know. I guess I could take you up on that." I said.

"You'll won't be sorry you did." she said with a giggle.

All that drinking must have short-circuited my thinking, because I was now about to take a car ride with a person I had known for less than 24 hours. Then again, I knew Brooke less than ten minutes before I decided to travel with her. Maybe it's a weakness in me that I just can't get rid of.

That night, I dreamt that I was back in Chicago after a long trip. Things were normal at first. I was at work, where I saw Gilda, just working away stacking cans in the same way that I did when I first met her a couple of weeks ago, before this whole thing even started.

"It feels good to be back." I said to her as I walked up.

"I know it. Did your trip go well?" said Gilda.

"As well as can be expected." I said.

"How was the ocean?" she then asked.

"Wet. Very wet." I said.

"Good, good. Met any famous people?" she said.

"Not that I saw, maybe once or twice." I said.

"Maybe you'll remember." she said.

I then moved on. I decided to scan the aisles before learning what job I had at the store that day. The first aisle I visited was normal. It was full of people, getting items and such. There was a whining child and his nervous mother as they fought over an item that he wanted but she didn't.

As I rounded the corner into the next aisle, I saw it. It was the bloodied body of Newshaw, laying stiff, face-down, in the middle of the aisle. I ran over to it and checked for a pulse but found none. He was dead, all right. The question was: what killed him. I looked the body over and found where the blood was coming from.

It was coming from his midsection. I looked around a bit before I turned him over. There, I saw a horrible sight. I can't describe it fully, but let's just say that a certain organ, common to all males, was torn to bits and/or missing. The mystery deepened for me as I looked down at the awful sight.

I then heard footsteps behind me. Slowly, I turned around and saw that it was my sister, but not the way she should be. Instead, it was the thing that had forced me to leave Chicago, but much more than what I saw then. It was a pure monster, with evil eyes and large muscled frame, staring at me.

I could tell that there was only one lone thought on her mind, and it was that thought that had killed Newshaw dead. Quickly, I ran down the aisle away from her but she gave me chase, just like last time. I threaded my way through the aisles, ever thinking of the idea that this time, running wouldn't help me.

I had only one option: the front door. Quickly, I ran as fast I could to the front door. When I got there, I saw my sister, pacing back and forth like a lion, waiting for its dinner to arrive. I was trapped, and there was no way. I tried to run away but I ran into the cans that Gilda was stacking before and made another discovery.

It was Gilda, and she, too, was dead. This time, anything sexual on her was gone and she was just a dead body. The monster-Susan heard the crash and raced towards me. I grabbed some cans and threw them at her, but she just ate them. She pounced onto me and was about to cut into me when I heard it.

It was the ringing of an alarm clock. My eyes sprung open and I was back in Rita's living room, sleeping on the couch. I looked around and saw the thing causing the noise. I shut it off and then realized that it wasn't there last night. Rita must have put it there after I'd dozed off.

The time on it was 7:45 am. The sun was rising and I was alone in there. I got up and looked around a bit for her. I headed upstairs to see if she was still asleep. I saw that the bedroom doors were open. I looked into one and saw that it must be Lisa's room, due to the decor.

It was covered in little furnishings, except for a bed, bedside table, make-up table, and three chairs. Lisa struck me as the plain and simple type, the opposite of Rita. I tried to figure out how could this person live with Rita, unless there was something else I wasn't aware of. I then moved on and continued looking.

I looked into the second room on my search and discovered Rita's room. Her room was covered in spendor. Colorful paint filled the walls. The furniture within was the best one could get around here. The bed alone was classic 19th century sleeping place, with frills and bows all around it.

Inside the bed, under lace covers, was the sleeping Rita. For a moment, I thought about awakening her, but I decided to let her sleep. She looked so peaceful to me. Her dreams must be the best ever, compared to what I had last night. Quietly, I reversed course and started back downstairs.

A quick bowl of cereal became my breakfast as 8:00 am arrived. From upstairs, I heard a beautful ring, the sound of Rita's alarm clock. I ate my cereal slowly, as I always do, to let it one bite settle before the next one, and also to think. I thought about the day before and how I'd left Brooke behind.

After a minute, my ear picked up the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs. They slowly moved down the stairs. The footsteps reached the bottom of the steps. I realized that Rita wasn't wearing shoes because the steps sounded soft, not hard. She then entered the kitchen and my eyes almost left their sockets.

I saw that Rita was wearing a nightie, but not a normal one. I was that it was a mini-skirted type of nightie, complete with lace trim. Another thing about it was that it was see-through. In a way, it was like she wasn't wearing it. The morning sun wasn't helping by shining light through the thing, showing everything.

"Good morning, Oddley." she said with a smile.

"And a good morning to you." I said.

"I see you're having breakfast." she said.

"That I am." I said.

"I'll make myself a bowl and join you." she said.

That she did and in a minute, was sitted across from me. I saw that the nightie was really see-through, even without sunlight. It had a low neckline and showed a lot of chest. I had only known Rita for almost a day and yet, I feel no romantic or sexual feelings towards her.

"What's wrong?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"What?" I said.

"You looked distracted." she said.

"I am, a bit." I said.

"On what?" she asked.

"On your... bedroom attire." I said.

"What about it?" she asked.

"It's... showing me more of you than I wish to see." I said.

"Don't you like my body?" she asked with a grin.

"Very much. In fact, you have a lovely... shade of skin." I said.

"I thought you were gonna say chest." she said.

"That, too, as well." I said.

"Don't worry. I'm an open and honest person and I feel that the human body is a beautiful thing." she said.

"Whatever floats your boat." I said.

I finished my breakfast and so did she. After a moment, she retreated back up the stairs to get ready for the trip. Meanwhile, I took another tour of the living room. I had only been in the house less than a day and yet, I felt the history it must have contained. I sure looked old and the stories it could've told me if I only had time.

Time was something I didn't have on this trip. Mr. Randall had only given me three weeks off and I had wasted one week at that lab and the first three days of this week in Tulsa. By my count, I only had 12 days left of my vacation and I intended to spend most of it looking out at the Pacific Ocean.

Eventually, 9:00 am rolled around. That was the time that me and Rita had agreed to begin the trip. I was standing next to the car itself, an old white Chevy, with about over tens of thousands of miles on it, when I saw Rita exit the house with a suitcase. She was dressed in practically the same clothes as yesterday, except the turtleneck was blue.

"I see you've managed to dress today." I said as she walked up to me.

"You need to free up your mind." said Rita.

"I've tried. Believe me, this past couple of weeks has given me cause to do so." I said as Rita put the suitcase in the trunk.

"You need to free it up some more. After all, what happened in the kitchen shows that your mind is still a bit closed." she said as she walked over to the driver's side door.

"I'll remember that, Rita, if you ever decide to go without that nightie for a night." I said, opening the passenger's side door.

"Be careful, Oddley. You might get your wish." she said as she got in.

"I've heard that before." I said as I got in.

"Ready for this?" she asked me.

"As ready as I can get." I said.

"Then here we go." she said as she started the car.

The car roared to wonderful life in the mid-morning atmosphere. It took a moment to get ready and then, Rita began to move the car out of the driveway. Within a minute, the car was in the street and with a roar, moved forward and westward towards California.

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This concludes our second serial on "The Life of Oddley".  Next week, we begin our third serial, a short one titled "The Road to California".  Over the three parts of the serial, Rita takes Oddley from Tulsa to the shores of the ocean.  Along the way, Oddley learns what kind of person he has put his trust into.
 
Next week, Oddley and Rita have an interesting start to their journey.  That interesting start leads to a lunchtime stop, complete with the threat of jail time hanging over the travelers' heads.  What can it be?  Tune in and find out.
 
Until next week, this is John Maxwell, reminding all that the man who has all his cars has a good train running on the tracks of his mind...