FOLLOW THE LEADER - Chapter 30

Chapter 30


It was a hot fall day in the Haight. Sheena had been shopping along the notorious street for at least a half hour, yet there was nothing in her tote bag but a small purse and wallet, a switchblade knife and a can of mace.

         She wiped sweat from her brow as she trudged along the last block of the western end of the district.  Tufts of blonde hair poked out from her Raiders cap, which she wore backwards, and stuck to her damp forehead.  So far she had seen no one who reminded her of Rainbow. Jason had asked her to find a young woman who “embodied” Rainbow’s spirit. 

         Whatever that meant. 

To Sheena, Rainbow had been a naïve woman who seemed to be wandering in a perpetual daze. She was well over thirty, yet she kept saying things like “The universe will provide.” Maybe Rainbow was just plain dumb.  Who else but a dope would risk seeing a guy from the “outside” when she knew the penalty would be expulsion or death? 

Sheena crossed Stanyan Street and approached the downslope of a grassy knoll. This was Jason’s favorite hunting ground. It was always peopled with runaways and small-time dope dealers, along with young and old panhandlers. Further into Golden Gate Park there was Hippie Hill, made famous during the Summer of Love. This was Losers Hill. It was supposedly part of smaller Buena Vista Park, but few people cared about that.

Sheena crossed Stanyan Street and headed for the motley crew that spread across the grass. She saw one girl with greasy black hair, a vest and a ring through her nose. There must have been ten guys spread out, but only the one woman with the nose ring. And she was jawing with a black dude clad in a tie-dyed tee shirt. Not good. She would have to hang out with these idiots until something better came along.

She was about to take off her backpack when she heard shouting behind her. It was coming from the market she had just passed. A big guy in a sleeveless sweatshirt was chasing a girl in the parking lot.

”Gimme my shit, bitch!”

“I don’t have it!”

He grabbed her arm, but she was strong and twisted away from him.

She ran straight into Stanyan Street, dodging cars, lunging across. The driver of a SUV slammed on his brakes, nearly hitting her. Her pursuer stopped until traffic cleared.

“Give it back!”

“I haven’t got it! Are you deaf?”

Sheena noticed that the young woman in tight denim shorts and big muscular legs was edging toward some guys. They sat like spectators, which they were.

Sheena knew they would not help. She stepped in front of the girl.

The sputtering oaf hustled across the street.

“Stay out of this,” he warned.

Sheena stayed put.

The girl behind her took a few steps back, ready to run if the big guy tossed Sheena aside and came after her.

Sheena said: “You heard her. She doesn’t have your fucking dope or whatever else you’re worrying about.”

“Step back, bitch.”

Suddenly there was a switchblade in Sheena’s hand. She clicked it open. The gleaming point of her blade pointed up to his crotch. 

“Whoa. No need for that.”

The girl stepped around Sheena and held up her purse.

“See for yourself,” she said. She unzipped the purse and held it upside down. Its contents spilled onto the grass. No dime bag of dope.

Sheena said, ”Now you can go back to wherever you come from. And make it fast or I’ll cut your nuts off.”

He backed away.

“You musta hid it back there in the store,” he said to the girl. “I’ll find it, bitch.” Then he turned his back to them and prepared to cross the street.

The spectators clapped. One said, ”You go, girl!”

Sheena shrugged. “I knew none of you pussies were gonna help her.”

She turned back and saw the woman picking up the meager contents of her purse. She saw a half smoked joint amongst the lipstick and bobby pins and other assorted items.

“You need protection,” said Sheena.

“I’m all right.”

“You’re shaking. Let me buy you a cup of coffee.”

“That’ll just make it worse. I need a downer. A Lude, maybe.”

“I can get you anything you want. Anything. I know how it is out here. A girl needs a little help now and then.”

What does she want?

Rhonda studied the girl in front of her. This one was nothing  like that Pocahontas bitch who had invited her to some weird camp in the woods. Maybe it was the scar. There was something about that pretty girl she did not trust. Unlike the Indian girl, Sheena had bad teeth.  She was skinny. Under that cap she was bald, or at least it looked that way.

And this one was by herself. No strange little guy in sight. This gal was more like her. A loser.  A street person. But she was tough, she had already shown that. 

        What the hell, she thought. Her travelling companion had long gone, probably headed back to Salem. Had it not been for baldy, here, her boyfriend might have chased her down and roughed her up. Again.

        “Come on, honey.”
 The girl in the cap reached for her wrist and gave it a little tug.

         What the hell.

         Soon they were walking down the sidewalk together.

 “What’s your name?” her new friend asked.

“Rhonda. You?”

“Sheena.”

Rhonda giggled.

“That’s got to be your street name, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Wasn’t she a jungle goddess in the comics?”

“Sort of. Wanna get high with me and my friends?” Sheena asked.

“Where? Here in the Haight?”

Sheena nodded.

“It’s a block away. You can meet our leader.” 

Sheena saw a glint of fear in Rhonda’s eyes.

“What kind of group are you in?” Rhonda asked.

“We’re mostly women. Like I said, we look out for each other. We share our dope, too, in case you’re wondering.”

“Good. I got no money.”

“None of us do.”