PIT #36: Changes

Points In Time

Elysium Fields

Topanga Canyon, California

Sunday June 7, 1986

4:12 p.m.

“Lita, I hate to say it, but I think your husband is full of shit.”

“That’s okay, I think so, too. So I came here to see that if so long as— like he says, ‘no’ black man would want me, so I came here to see, how’s about a white man?”

“And you got me the second you walked into the pool.”

“But you thought I was someone else.”

“Someone else that looks like you, only you’re about thirty-eight years older.

“Makes a difference…” lifting her left breast and letting it flop  back onto her chest “...doesn’t it?”

“Not to me, baby. I love your tits and your ass and ‘whatever’ colour your skin is.”

Once more Marsha imagined herself making the gagging gesture.

Jokingly, “Thanks for that, Mitchie.” Shifting from her sitting position, Lita lay onto her side facing the white man that lay alongside.

“So that’s why you got so angry at me last time; because I was afraid to, uh start something with you?”

“Yes. When you rejected going to one of the private rooms with me, I thought that I came all this way only to be turned down by a really nice white guy…”

“Kind of fortifying your husbands bull shit.”

“Exactly, Mitchie. Being here with you like this…” putting her hand onto my forehead “...and knowing I’ve been accepted this quickly by your friends.”

“Lita, why wouldn’t you be?”

“Mitch, when I originally made the decision to put myself into wholly ‘white’ populated situation just to see if I could be attractive enough to meet someone…”

“A white guy, you mean?”

“I’ve always liked most of the white guys I’ve met. And, yes, because I was so ‘taken back’ by what Henry told me.”

“About you not being attractive enough for any black guy?”

“Mitch, I look in a mirror every day and see that I don’t look like other women of my race.” running her hand over her nose and lips, then placing l her finger onto my lips to keep me from speaking .“Yeah, I know what white people tell me… The white kids in school that I was friendly with. The white, ‘mostly’ adult— some ‘really’ annoying men I know that, other than when I knew I ‘must’, I wanted ‘nothing’ to do with. And now I find myself — other than family, without ‘any’ black friends. So, like I told everyone a few minutes ago, I wanted to find someplace where I could go where I would be safe… ‘physically’ safe enough to be ‘me’ — like Janice wants to be ‘her’, and not only a beautiful…” shrugging her shoulders “… so I’ve been told, ‘almost’ white face.”

“Lita… Trust me, I’m glad you ‘are’ here, but I’m still confused about why you choose to be here, at Elysium when you could meet ‘good’ white man almost anyplace.”

“I do ‘not’ do bars! And me, too, Mitchie. I’m confused too, but I guess it’s also because I wanted the ‘Elysium experience’, and wanted to get here before they shut it down.”

“What do you mean, ‘shut it down’? Shut what down?”

A few weeks ago, in the ‘Times’, I read an article about Elysium that said they’ve been trying to shut it down for years.

“An ‘article’ about shutting Elysium down?”

“Yeah. You know they’ve been trying to close this place for years now.”

“ ‘No,’ I didn’t know that.” Sitting up. “It’s so beautiful here and we’re not bothering ‘anyone’! Why would anybody want to shut it down?”

Sitting up also. “The article said that Elysium is situated on three acres of prime real estate.”

“Yeah…” sadly “...I always thought that. That they could put a small tract of homes in this area alone, forgetting the spa and pool areas.”

Hearing the conversation, and the reason for this conversation the six others became extremely attentive.

“Yeah, I’ve been following those articles, too. And It’s much more than just for the real estate, you know.”

“Morgan, what the hell you talking about?”

Looking from Evie to Janice and to Ken, Sandy and Marsha . “None of you knew? You haven’t read about it?”

“Knew what?”

“I figured some of you had to knew, but didn’t want to talk about it because it’s been going on for years and figure it’ll keep going on.”

All sitting up, eyes going from Morgan to Lita.

“He’s a lawyer!” Cocking his heat towards the administration structure.

“Morgan, who’s a lawyer?”

“Apparently the old guy that owns all this…” motioning about “...lives in one of the small apartments behind ‘administration’ is a lawyer and has been fighting this for like fifteen years.”

“And being a nudist himself…” Lita said “... according to the ‘Times’, he decided to make it into a nudest colony about thirty-five years ago when the Village of Topanga was just a spot on the map and…”

“The Topanga City Counsel has been fighting to get rid of Elysium, and Elysium’s old resident lawyer has been fighting ‘tooth and nail’ to keep them from doing it.”

“Topanga wants Elysium for it’s land?”

“They don’t say it’s ‘really’ for land value… They kind of downplayed that, Marsha, but thinking about it, that’s ‘exactly’ what it is.”

“The ‘Times’ says ‘Topanga’ really wants us out of here for religious and moral reasons.”

“Of ‘course’ it does, because we’re all a bunch of lunatic sex fiends….”

“ ‘Religious and moral reasons’? ‘Really’! What the hell are they afraid of?”

“Maybe one of us nudie sex fiends would escape and run down the rod waving our arms, screaming and attacking their children.”

“Or one of them might ‘accidentally’ come in and see… ‘Oh, my God’, a naked lady.”

“ We’re ‘sex fiends’ huh?” Looking about. “Well…” laughing “...maybe they’re not so wrong about that.”

“Hey, speak for yourself... “ empathising “... ‘Mitchie’!”

“I remember lots of stuff about you from when we were in Janice’s pool, Ken, and how that teeny weenie of yours kept slipping out of my wife’s pussy.”

Said in a pretend humorous way.. That did not sound too humorous.

“Oh, will you two stop it. You sound like a couple of little boys comparing your dicks.”

“I’ve got it on pretty good word…” glancing at Marsha “...that you and me are pretty much ‘endowed' the same way.” Looking at Sandy. “He have much ‘slippage’?”

“Nah!” Looking at Mitchell— actually at his penis which, of course was in full view. “No slippage at all, Mitchie fits ‘real’ good!”

“No, Evie, they sound like a couple of big boys comparing their dicks.”

“Ken, turms out my wife hates me and will say anything bad about me. Huh, Marsha?”

“That is true , Ken. About hating him and ‘his’ teeny weenie’”

What began as a joke, was turning into something other.

5:10 p.m.

Glancing at her watch. “Mitchie, I’ve got to get home and get dressed then drive all the way to Hancock Park fort dinner with my folks, and traffic might be getting heavy, so I’ve really got to get going and I’ll see you next Saturday.”

Hating to see Lita leave. “Ill walk you to your car.”

Knowing what would happen once they got to the privacy of her car, and though really wanting to, but actually not having the time to. ..

“No, Mitch, I’ll see you next Saturday, okay?”

“Sure, Lita…” kissing her. “… I’ll be looking forward to seeing you again.”

“Lita, look up ‘Joe’s Liquor’ in Van Nuys for my address.”

“I’ll do that, Morgan.”

“Then I’ll be looking for you at about seven-thirty.”

“I’ll be there.”

“We’ll decide then if I drive, or you follow.”

Standing, putting shorts and a light blouse on and sliding her feet into flip-flops. Gathering her few belongings. “It’s been great meeting all of you!”

“You, too, Lita.” Janice answered.

Waving over her shoulder. “See everyone next week.”

Watching as Lita walked to the dirt path. “Maybe it’s time we go home, too.”

“Yeah, Mitch...” standing “...I’ve had enough for one day.” Dressing and gathering their blanket and picnic basket,“I’ll see you Saturday.” Marsha kissed Morgan goodbye.

“I think I’m ready to go home, too, Ken.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

Remaining sitting… “You got any wine left?”

Opening the ice chest— that surprisingly still had remnants of chipped ice. Lifting the near empty gallon bottle. “Yeah, enough for a couple of cups. You both want?”

“Yeah…” Janice said “...then we’ll be heading out, too.”

Figuring they’d stop at the Kosher style deli on Topanga and Ventura and pick up a couple of pastrami on rye sandwiches along with some crispy dill pickles, go to Janice’s and eat, take a naked swim, watch TV and go to bed together.

...About ten minutes from home.

“You enjoy the day?”

Their words coming ‘clipped’ , tinged with anger.

“If you;re asking ‘did I enjoy fucking Morgan’? ‘Yeah, I did, a ‘lot’! And, ‘yeah’ I did enjoy the day. But have a question.”

“What’s that, Marsha?”

“What do you intend doing with Lita?”

“You mean besides fucking her?”

“Yes. What are you going to do ‘besides’ fucking her’?””

“ ‘Besides fucking her’? Marsha, you of all people know how much I enjoy eating pussy, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be doing a lot of that, too.”

“Sure I remember ...”— More often than not, that was the part of sex with her husband that she enjoyed the most. “...but what do you intend doing with her after?”

Knowing exactly what she meant, but...”What do you mean by ‘after’ Marsha?”

“You know ‘exactly’ what I mean! No mater how pretty you think she is…”

“I don’t have to ‘think’! Lita ‘is’ beautiful!”

“Yeah, she is. I know she is, but she is still a ‘shvartzer’ and you’re still a white guy. So what the hell you going to do with her when the two of you leave Elysium and go out to dinner, or a movie?”

“I’ll be fucking proud…” adding “...for a change!"

Although, truth be told, Mitchell Lipensky had always been proud of his wife.

Next PIT #37: Thereafter