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The Girl from Spadra
Dec. 13th, 2017 12:58 pmLate one night in Spring, 1975, I was on my way home from record shopping in Orange County, and had stopped for a late night snack at the In-N-Out by Brea Canyon Rd. When I got to Valley Blvd and Grand Ave (which was still a lonely rural intersection 40+ years ago), I saw a teenage girl standing in the center divider, waving her arms like she wanted me to stop. She was wearing what looked like pajamas, not street clothes, which was very strange. I didn't really want to stop because the situation was so unusual, but I did, and she ran up to my car window and begged me for a ride. Now, I basically never pick up hitchhikers, but this girl was in obvious distress (frantic was more like it), and the fact that she wasn't wearing proper clothes... well, I was pretty concerned about her. I thought I better let her in because who knows who else might find her out there all alone.
Anyway, after she got into my car, I could tell there was something "different" about her. I guess today we might call her "developmentally disabled." Maybe she had Down's Syndrome, who knows, but all I did know for sure was that she needed help. So I asked her where she wanted me to take her, and she said her parents' house. She told me which direction to go, what streets to take, so she wasn't disoriented or anything, and though I don't recall anymore exactly where her parents' house was, it was up in the hills by Diamond Bar.
So we got there and I stopped my Mustang across the street from her house. She thanked me over and over for helping her, and she implored me to please "Come in and meet my parents!" I just smiled and shook my head no. Considering the circumstances, my gut instinct said I don't think that's a very good idea. ;) I was just happy to get her home. Then, for several seconds, she just stared at me with one of the most grateful expressions I've ever seen on anyone's face. I'll never forget that. She was so happy and relieved. Then she opened the car door and ran toward her house. She stopped at the door, turned around and waved, I waved back, and then I headed home to play the new album I'd just bought: Jeff Beck's "Blow By Blow." (Which is how I remembered when all this happened.) ^_^
At the time, it honestly never occurred to me that she might have escaped from the nearby mental hospital at Spadra, but I think now it's pretty obvious that that's what happened. Anyway, I always wondered what happened to that girl. If she was from the hospital, I hope she didn't have to go back. She may have been a little impaired in certain ways, but she certainly wasn't the kind of person who we'd think today would need to be institutionalized. I just hope she grew up to have a happy life. :)
Anyway, after she got into my car, I could tell there was something "different" about her. I guess today we might call her "developmentally disabled." Maybe she had Down's Syndrome, who knows, but all I did know for sure was that she needed help. So I asked her where she wanted me to take her, and she said her parents' house. She told me which direction to go, what streets to take, so she wasn't disoriented or anything, and though I don't recall anymore exactly where her parents' house was, it was up in the hills by Diamond Bar.
So we got there and I stopped my Mustang across the street from her house. She thanked me over and over for helping her, and she implored me to please "Come in and meet my parents!" I just smiled and shook my head no. Considering the circumstances, my gut instinct said I don't think that's a very good idea. ;) I was just happy to get her home. Then, for several seconds, she just stared at me with one of the most grateful expressions I've ever seen on anyone's face. I'll never forget that. She was so happy and relieved. Then she opened the car door and ran toward her house. She stopped at the door, turned around and waved, I waved back, and then I headed home to play the new album I'd just bought: Jeff Beck's "Blow By Blow." (Which is how I remembered when all this happened.) ^_^
At the time, it honestly never occurred to me that she might have escaped from the nearby mental hospital at Spadra, but I think now it's pretty obvious that that's what happened. Anyway, I always wondered what happened to that girl. If she was from the hospital, I hope she didn't have to go back. She may have been a little impaired in certain ways, but she certainly wasn't the kind of person who we'd think today would need to be institutionalized. I just hope she grew up to have a happy life. :)
