BOW #22: Sophie Chin

San Diego, California

March 1, 1974

3:10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time

Following the return street directions he’d made, coming out of ‘The Alamo’ they turned left onto ‘Via Ote’, walked past the corners of ‘Avenida Miguel Negrete’, ‘Via Poniente’ and ‘Via Oriente’ to ‘Empleados Federales’ then…

As the sidewalk over the bridge had a one way, south bound turnstile into Mexico, in order to return to America all visitors must go through ‘Immigration’ where they are asked for identification by a U.S, Border Patrol Officer, then allowed to return to the U.S.A.

****

The top to the Buick Wildcat lowered with fragrant American air once again ruffling their hair.

“Know what?”

Glancing over his shoulder, “What?”

“Other than that Burrito, that was really pretty good, I wasn’t all that impressed with Tijuana.”

“Yeah, me, too. And they make really shitty Margaritas in Mexico, too.”

***

Arriving at the ‘Shelter Inn’ at 3:45, there was a message from

Sophie Chin advising that she had the escrow documents and asked that they call her when they get in.

...“Sophie, hi! It’s Marcie Lipensky.”

“Marsha, hello! So how did you enjoy your day here?”

“The weather’s dreamy, and the car we rented… I wish I could pack it in a suit case and bring it home with us.”

“How’d you enjoy Tijuana?”

“Not so much, it’s… ‘different’ and kind of dirty and, ‘yucjk’ I made the mistake of ordering their version of chili…”

Laughing… “I know what you mean. Mexican chili isn’t quite the same as what you make at home, is it?”

“Yeah, you can say that again! It was so hot…” laughing, “...I had to use Mitchell’s Margarita to cool my tongue. But the drive along the ocean to Sea World was beautiful and we loved Coronado and the hotel there! ‘Wow,’ it was unbelievable! And we even got to see ‘Rock Hudson’.”

“Living here you’ll get used to seeing lots of familiar looking Hollywood types that want to be treated like any stranger and just left alone. And I rather thought that’s what you’d think of Tijuana. When you get further into Mexico it’s much nicer…beautiful, in fact.

“Anyway, I have your documents, and I spoke to Alice again and your buyers in Schaumburg are agreeable with a ‘concurrent close’ because they plan on doing the same with their old property.

“I’ve also spoken to the Sawyers and they’re all set too. So I’ll be running to La Jolla to have them sign the ‘docs’ after I’ve seen you and Mitchell.”

“Well, we’re back at the hotel, so anytime you want, come on over.”

“Give me twenty minutes.”

“Do you want to meet in the lobby or up in our room?”

“Let’s see? By the time I get there it’ll be after four. So, being as I’ve worked my butt off today and I’m ready for a glass of wine, what say we meet in the hotel bar?”

“Yeah…” Marsha said “...and I’m ready for a ‘Ball Banger’.”

“And a glass of ‘Pino’ for me.”

“See you in little while.”

When they’d returned to ‘The Shelter Inn’, Marsha and Mitchell had been extremely reluctant to give up the powder blue Buick convertible because, well, because they ‘really’ liked it. More practically, though; thinking that they would be using the car to go wherever either Jason or Sophie recommended they go this evening.

“Jason, hi!”

Coming from behind his desk,.“Good evening. How’d you...” his eyes shifting from Marsha to Mitchell “...enjoy your day?”

“Mexico left a bit…”

Interrupting, “Mexico left a ‘lot’ to be desired.” Marsha said.

“Yeah, but everything else was fantastic. And those directions you gave us were absolutely perfect.”“Good. Glad to have been of service… I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve taken the liberty of going over your itinerary and, if there’s no objections, I’ll put a ‘wake up’ call for you at seven. That’ll give you plenty of time for breakfast here and then, after you checkout, our shuttle will get you to ‘Lindbergh’ by nine.”

“Jason...” Marsha said “...you’re ‘great’ ! Thank you.”

Sincerely said. “Thank ‘you’… Do you plan on using the car later?”

“Yes. We’re wondering where you’d suggest we go for dinner and do some sightseeing.”

“’The ‘Embarcadero’!” Jason said immediately. “Matter of fact, I was going to suggest you go there tonight.”

“ ‘The ‘Embarcadero’?” Mitchell questioned.

“The Embarcadero’s a boardwalk that runs along the downtown waterfront from the ‘Embarcadero Marina’ to the ‘Maritime Museum’ of San Diego. And there’s ‘The Star of India’ that you’ll definitely want to see. There are plenty of good restaurants there, but I’d recommend ‘Anthony’s’.”

“Okay, thanks Jason. That’s what we’ll do then.”

“I’ll give you instructions on how to get there.”

Glancing at his watch. “We’ve got to meet someone in your bar now, but we’ll stop by on our way out, okay.”

****

Having enough of Margaritas, his ‘back in Schaumburg’ drink of ‘Gn and Tonic’ before him, Marsha no longer interested in alcohol, a glass of ‘Coke’ — out of spilling range to her left and Sophie, sitting between them with a glass of white wine, also out of spilling range, there were five pages of escrow documents on the table before them.

“Here...” pointing to paragraph in the center of the first page “...initial here… Now you, Marsha. And sign on the bottom…” Going to page fwo… “And here…. Here, too.”

Going page by page, Marsha and Mitchell initialed and signed as directed by Sophie.

Putting the packet of signed documents into her briefcase. “Okay...” Sophie said “...I’ll have your copies wired to Schaumburg, and if I have any questions I’ll call you…

“Alice and I will be in contact with each other to be sure that all’s going smoothly with the paperwork and the ‘concurrent closing’ of both your houses. And also, don’t forget the third house; the house of the people that bought your place... Any questions?”

“This all sounds so complicated! It’s almost like a house of cards: if something goes wrong three houses down the line, everything falls apart.”

“That’s why you have Alice and me, Marsha. To be sure nothing does go wrong. And if you want to think ‘complicated’, remember there’s also the broker of…? What’s the name of the people that bought…”

“ ‘Limberger’.”

“Yes...” Sophie said “...there’s also the ‘Limbergers’ broker and we can only hope…”

“And ‘pray’.” Marsha added.

“Yes. ‘We can only hope and pray’ that the ‘Limbergers’ broker knows what she or he’s doing…”

And, Sophie thought, he really needs the sale!

“What time’s your flight tomorrow?”

“Plane takes off at nine-thirty and we’re supposed to be there about nine…”

“Is the hotel shuttle taking you?”

“Yes. Jason… The ‘Concierge’ said that he’ll set us for a call at seven so we can have breakfast here, then the shuttle will take us to the airport.”

“How’s about the snow?” Sophie asked. “The news says it snowed like hell all day yesterday and both airports were shut down.”

“That’s not unusual for Chicago at this time of the year.”

“Yeah, I spoke to my mother right after we talked to you and she said the news is saying that everything will up and running today.”

“What do you kids plan on doing tonight?”

“Jason recommended we have dinner and do some sight-seeing at the ‘Embarcadero’.”

“Good choice.” Sophie said, “I’d recommend you have dinner at ‘Anthony’s’.”

“Yes,” Marsha said, “we plan on doing that.”

Standing. Hugging first Marsha then Mitchell. “Don’t you two worry about anything here. Everything’s going to go just swell…

“Remember where the key was yesterday?”

Thinking a second. “Yeah,” Mitchell said.

“You’ll probably be here a day before your furniture and stuff, so that’s where I’ll leave it so you can get in.”

“How will you be traveling?”

“We’ve a ‘Mercury’ station wagon…” Marsha said “... and we’ll only have two of the kids and Sabra.”

“ ‘Sabra’?”

“Our Great Dane.”

‘A dog?” Sophie said, looking at Mitchell. “It might be hard to find a motel here that’ll take dogs. You want me to check around for that first night?”

“Figuring the distances we’ll be driving each day, we figure it’ll take us three days…” Mitchell said “...with two nights on the road.

“We got driving instructions and a book giving us motels that we might be able to stay at from the Automobile Club and there’s a few in or around our stops that say they allow dogs.”

“Mitchell’s mom and dad just bought a house near ‘Miramer’ that we’ll spend that last night at.”

“Your parents…” Sophie questioned “… bought a house near the Marine Air base?”

“Yeah…” Mitchell said “.. it was my father’s ida…”

“And his mother says the noise is driving her craze.”

“Two minutes in Miramer would drive me crazy.”

Looking at her watch, then finishing the bit of wine in her glass. “Still got to get the Sawyers to sign…” tapping her briefcase “... so I’d better get going if I want to catch them before they leave for the day.”

“Thank you, Sophie. Mitch and I really want to thank you for ‘having our home’.”

“Me, too. I thank you for believing me…. Have a good trip back to Schaumburg, and I’ll see you after you settle in here.”

“We’ll look forward to it.”

“Bye, now.”

“Bye.”

Next Bow 23: Embarcadero