In these United States it always seems to be the same old story, man falls in love with a woman, they build a life, have kids, go to church, join the PTA and have at least three jobs between them not including the nesting and nurturing of a home.
Then it happens. One of the two, the man or the woman, gets a promotion, a raise or a life changing professional challenge and then their world slowly turns to trash.
Slowly the man or the woman becomes a hindrance to their partner professionally or socially and before you know it the slow process of exclusion, alienation, anger, depression and loneliness (not necessarily in that order) pull apart a world 20 to 30 years in the making. There are many casualties when worlds come apart, many damaged lives after the divorce becomes final. Much of it not evident until a drama occurs in life.
Life is full of hardships of one kind or another. In the USA, you have the option of choosing your hardships. Ara and Levon are brothers who came to America as little boys from their native Armenia. Without going into a history lesson, their parents, college professors, introduced them to the fullness of the American dream, which they embraced in ways that their parents had not foreseen.
Ara became a well to do real estate lawyer, Levon, the younger by just a year, followed a different path. After going to Azusa Pacific University, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fuller Theological Seminary and became an Elder in a large Methodist denomination. After what his Denomination considered scandalous (his wife left him for a really hot woman) they marginalized him. He was fired from his job in the Church. It was summer, 1998.
Seeing his bills pile up, he was about to loose his house, his kids finally ended up living with his parents, Levon was despondent. His Church all but gave him up, the congregation whispered scandalous lies about him and he was hurt beyond words about his wife (a WASP from Oregon) whom he was still in love with (Levon’s family never considered his wife family). He sat alone in his sparsely furnished home in Tujunga, in the hills overlooking the canyon.
As night fell Levon was alone chain smoking cigarettes, with a rock glass half full of Jack Daniels Whiskey, the square bottle not far from the glass. His Bible was open to the book of Hosea (a prophetic book of the Old Testament) and his Beretta 9MM pistol was next to the Bible. As the Santa Ana winds roared through the hills, he saw a vision, the whiskey gave it clarity. 
She was a pretty half naked skank slut in black fishnet stockings. She had long black hair, large firm tits and bright hazel eyes. The words from the Bible echoed in Levon’s house as the skank played with herself, “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord.” Levon heard the voices and knew how he was to restore his life.
As the skank whore disappeared in the darkness as the howling wind shrieked through the night, Levon had a new call and purpose for his life.
He called his brother Ara, told him his vision and proceeded with “the plan” for his life. Eleven years later, Levon would be living his American Dream and the world would now go looking into what was raised from the ruins of a shattered man with a ruined life.
“Attorney Service, Dee speaking…Hello Jan, what’s been happening?” “Dee, Ara wants to see Kirk as soon as possible, this is really important.” Dee could tell from Jan’s voice this wasn’t another Court filing or Process or locate…something was up. Kirk went to Ara’s swank office in Century City (real estate law has been good to Ara) to meet with Ara. Ara, wearing a $1,200 Hart, Shaffner & Marx suit and $500 loafers, he greeted Kirk in his office and asked him to shut the door.
“Kirk, I need your help, some of this is definitely legal work, some of this involves a little investigation…it might get sordid and dangerous.” “Tell me what’s going on straight out” said Kirk. Ara cleared his throat, “Levon, my brother, a former Theologian, has got involved in the night club world and has several side business including the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana.
Apparently Levon’s ex-wife objects to his business ventures and the effect it has on his two kids a son and a daughter who are in the custody of our parents. The kids are 15 and 12, the boy is the oldest, his name is Jeezus and the girls name is Lilia. After Erin left Levon for her dyke lover, Jeri, Levon didn’t speak to Erin for about three years. In that time Levon found another woman, a black woman named Michal.
Michal is quite involved with him in his businesses, she is a retired Marine Corps Officer, and quite a business partner as well as his life partner. Jeezus ran away from his grandparents home and cannot not be found. I believe he is with Levon and Michal, where that is, no one knows. Levon accepts mail and process at his nightclub in North Hollywood.” Kirk listened and asked, “if he can be served what’s the problem?”
Ara who was reclining at his desk telling Kirk these details now sat up and said, “we really don’t know what is going on in Levon’s life. He doesn’t come to many family functions and when he does it usually ends in argument and bad feelings. I am the only one in my family who speaks to Levon and we do get along but he keeps his life very, very, hidden from us.” Kirk said, “what do you want from me?”
Ara stood up and looked out his window on the scenic view of Beverly Hills and said, “I need to find out all about his world, more detail on his businesses but even more important where and how he lives.” Ara told Kirk about what the Church did to Levon after Erin left him for Jeri. Ara also told him about the gentlemen’s clubs, nightclubs and other establishments that Levon runs with Michal.
“With the information you get us Kirk we intend to get Jeezus back in our custody and send him to a military school in New York near to my Dad’s brother, my Uncle Zed.
We don’t approve of Michal, although she is both smart and beautiful we don’t know her, she is hard and sometimes nasty with us.”
Kirk figured that it was because she is not from Armenia. “Well, can you investigate this?”
Kirk reclined and said, “sure, I have the right man for this job, but we will need to work out some arrangements, that is lines that we can cross socially, culturally and religiously so you don’t get in our way. In order to get what you want and we don’t cause a rift between us professionally we need to cross many ‘boundaries’ go so we can get what we always want, that is ‘paid’ without a problem and referrals. OK!”
Ara and Kirk worked out the arrangements. Kirk called Dee, “There is only one person who can walk into this and get what is requested”…Dee said, “I’ll call RJ now.” Meanwhile on the other side of the United States….“RJ, we need to show your house on Thursday for the Realtors in the area so we can all get on the same page” said Cindy as she walked out of the front door. “Sure, just give me a time I said.”
After Cindy left I continued going through bills as I endured my ongoing melancholia. I was angry, pissed, tired, cold and alone as the phone rang. I picked it up even though the caller id said “Out of Area”. “RJ, its Dee, look I have a project you and only you can help me with…how fast can you get to LA?” “Dee, I’m trying to sell my house, I’m stuck in an admin battle over Mom and her medical bills, I just don’t have time.”
“Make time!” Dee snapped and said that Kirk really needed help with an investigation and that I was the one most qualified to do it. “I haven’t been actively investigating since 2003 and I’m not really in a position to depend on anyone to help me with my current problems. Even if I did get free, I don’t have money to go messing around LA.” Dee explained the details, after she told me she called my Mom.
“Why did you call Mom? She has nothing to do with me and only I can unfuck these medical bills and other bullshit…” “Shut up and listen RJ, your Sisters are handling the problems with your mother…you need to get unstressed and on a plane to LA as soon as possible. Kirk needs you,…and this is the kind of assignment that will help take your mind off of your world collapsing. So come on.”
As the plane landed I just wanted to get something to eat and take a nap. I got picked up by Dee and taken to Ara’s office where Kirk was waiting. After sitting with Ara and Kirk I told them, “If the kid is not in any physical danger, why not just go get him and find out from him what his daddy’s world is all about?” Ara’s answer was short, “we need a set of eyes from a professional witness.”
I said, “If you want me in a court room to testify against your own brother this could get really time consuming and expensive, if you just want an overview so you and your family can get custody of a 15 year old, family court is the easy way out.” Ara said, “I have other reasons for doing this, I want to bring my brother back from the dark, I want to save him from this darkness he is in, you can relay that message in ways I can’t.”
Ara ran off my resume, Marine Corps, Dallas Theological Seminary, Law Enforcement, Regional Task Force…I had to stop him. I didn’t need to be reminded of my yesterday’s when today sucked so bad. “OK, I’ll get what I can get, I’m making no promises, I guarantee no results whatsoever. Take that or leave it!” Ara looked at Kirk who smiled like the cat who ate the canary. Ara said, OK, GO!
I rode with Kirk back to the office. Kirk ran down some leads for me, Kirk said, “Your going to be staying in your old house in Altadena with Alvida while your in the area. Alvida is Marissa’s sister, she is an ‘exotic dancer’ RJ. You’ll never guess where Alvida is working?” “Don’t tell me, at the Big Cahuenga Gentlemen’s Club for Levon.” Kirk smiled, “Yeah Man” you are going to be quite inside the matter if you know what I mean.”
“How did Alvida get my old house Kirk?” “Marissa bought it from the teacher you sold it to, Alvida is renting it from her sister.” “How did you convince Alvida to let me stay there Kirk?” She has this thing for Cops, retired or not, when she found out you were the prior owner she felt you wouldn’t treat her place like trash…I filled in some details about you and there you are RJ.” “Yeah, there I am.” I looked at the Rose Bowl as we tooled down the 134, I was having a real bad feeling about this.
Alvida was in her mid 30’s with a 19 year olds body only enhanced in the right places. Her 38 E cups tapered to a tight muscular midsection into a 26 inch waist, an ass that makes grown men drool uncontrollably and long 37” inch legs that make her frame dazzle as she walks. But all of that body is casually noticed when you see her glowing angelic face and a smile that can melt steel. Alvida has lovely Latin features and truly looks angelic, even in jeans and a t-shirt but she was a devil through and through.
After Kirk did the introductions and enjoying a light conversation, Kirk left us and we started to talk. (Kirk told Alvida I was a pain patient Veteran looking into getting medical marijuana as a treatment) I took notice of the fireplace and the awards on the mantle, “how long were you in the Marine Corps Alvida?” “Four years, I was deployed to Iraq in Desert Storm 1, I was a logistics clerk for the air wing.” “Alvida, you have any kids?” “No, I never married RJ.”
I was now truly intrigued as to why a Latina woman in her mid 30’s had no kids. “Alvida, do you mind if I ask if you have a boy friend?” “What your getting at is why I have neither a man or any kids, right RJ?”
“I did wonder, forgive me if I did offend you Alvida.” “No offense, I can’t have children RJ, one result of being sexually assaulted in Iraq.” “My God, I hope you had the son of a bitch prosecuted Alvida.”
(To Be Continued)
