My Female Side Kick at MGM

Her friends call her Esther…I call her Maureen

Let’s Go Back Jack and Do it Again… There’s those old kids again they never stop climbing fences

Book signing at Sony – If MGM Guards could see us now. They are represented fondly in this book Maureen is holding.

I hear sirens , Hurry up and get this shot!

Huron Avenue, that’s my street, and all the kids who live on it know my new hobby… Trespassing MGM.

My helmets and ammo made a big impression. While playing Combat, I had a belt full of blank ammo shells and a fancy helmet. I had found the helmet in a building in German Village, when we first met.

Her backyard is France …1944. I was at war. While running through the neighbor’s yards, I met this girl while I was shooting other kids. Now, I just tolerate girls mind you. She is different. I think- I kind of fancy her, and her bombed out backyard!

I always thought she would have made a swell boy. Her name is Maureen. The prettiest girl around these parts, I find myself wanting to impress her. I want to show her around MGM,  but I am torn. Jimmy and I have an alliance that girls do not belong there. They would slow us down and they scare too easily.  Dare I say our first crush is MGM lot 2. I figure she will probably say “No” to trespassing anyway. I casually ask her if she would like to come with me. I offer fair warning: “I guess this is illegal.” She rubbed her hands together and said “Let’s Go.”

Understand, most of the boys are scared. The prettiest girl around is all in. That is, if she can climb.

Well this Saturday morning she strolled down to my house in comfortable pair of running shoes. We walk the tracks on the steel rails themselves, like a tight rope. When we arrive at the barb wire pole behind Grand Central station. I brief her. I fill her in on what to expect. We kick at the gravel alongside the rails. This is where the rubber meets the road, literally. If she climbs this successfully, it’s a good sign we will work out. She is dressed in cutoff jeans and a T shirt, not a whole lot of protective clothing. I am going to get a kick out of this!

” There you are, that’s the climb, I will go first, watch where I grab.” I say

I’m now inside as her pretty little head pops above the fence, followed by her pretty behind. The prettiest climb I have ever seen. Slow-motion, pretty, like a shampoo commercial. She jumps down and looks thrilled. I dampen her enthusiasm by letting her know she needs to do it faster … next time. Silently, I am Frigging impressed.

I first show her the trains. We sit in the plush but filthy seats and talk about things. We avoid sports and the army. We just talk about stuff. There is really nowhere we have to be…any set is cool. Somehow, I am relaxed. This is going well, this girl thing.

I feel brave and we cross the field to a building we named Boystown. We named it after seeing a movie that used it called- Girls Town. Jimmy and I changed it to Boystown, since we’re boys…

We find a bench on the bottom floor. I wanted to bring it up to the top of this building. We can sit and view the Tarzan lake from a nice high vantage point. She helps me get this bench up to the top of this 4-story maze. I couldn’t do it without her so she is already paying off.

She is covered with dust but she even looks prettier filthy. Plus, none of the guys smell this good. The first piece of furniture is in the new Penthouse fort we are building. The Red Bronco has come in, and does the the rounds, below us. We can see the main gate from here, that’s big. We know we are alone when the guard exits that main gate. Not sure when he comes back, but, he is gone now…we are alone.

Jane’s looking pretty good to me right now …up here, not wanted or being chased. She’s is an angle. She glows in this dim room. Sun beams direct themselves on her glittering blonde hair. Her blue eyes are silver. A strong attraction takes over. I release a Tarzan like yell projecting over her towards Tarzan Lake. It is powerful enough for the birds in the forest below to take flight…

I lead her down from this maze of a building. We run across a dirt road holding hands. So Romantic, we our overdressed for this party.

Then, we cross over the lake. on a tiny foot bridge. I have a row boat stashed with a couple of paddles, just above the pond edge in thick bushes. Aah, the perfect way to end this afternoon. We float around listening to a transistor radio playing 93 KHJ…Boss Top Thirty hits.

The Real, Don Steele. Charlie Tuna, Humble Harve and Robert W. Morgan spin classic vinyl on a classic lake. The prettiest girl I know framed by this exterior,

Jethro Tull’s hit song Bungle in the Jungle evokes a journey to the jungle. The lyrics take you across the green pond. You traverse under two bridges. Meanwhile, the sun slowly begins to sink into a blaze of orange blinding light.

This area is secluded and a guard would probably have to leave the vehicle to see us…that rarely happens. We even doze off as we sit low in the boat. Hazy sun reflects through the trees and off the water. The lake is the sky as clouds in the sky duplicate their image on the water, as do our faces. The lake is a giant mirror of its environment. A pair of ducks mingle around us, as does a bull frog. This lake is loaded with crawfish, minnows, and carp but more so than anything else- history!

This is like dream, this legendary place is my new backyard. And, I have a new friend to explore it with. We dock and step off into the jungle that is magical and gigantic. I step on a twig, as it snaps, a thousand birds took off like a Hitchcock movie.

That can work for us. I remind myself of this. If the birds suddenly take off, it’s a signal someone bad may be coming.

The only problem the lake has for us is that it is located in the middle of the lot. This means you have a long run from here to the fence if things go bad. Better off hiding, most likely. I am always thinking ways to keep ahead of my pursuers. Small stuff adds up. I’ll take any advantage I can.

We end our day hungry like typical teenagers, so climb out over an old green wood fence. Maureen is probably the dirtiest kid in town right now. Using lake water to clean up smeared dust and created mud. She looks like a native in war paint. and now she smells like an aquarium. There is just something magnetic about her…

We picked a spot not barbed to exit. Maureen has already earned an advanced climbing badge. I grade kids on my own set of expectations like an Iowa Test at school. swears she will someday pole vault this sharp obstacle.For now…she’s one pretty -pole dancer.

Donnie thinks he so tough…Guys are the biggest chickens! That fence is nothing…

 She runs over to her apartment. “Wait till she looks in the mirror. Good-by Jane,” I salute. She looks like she exited a Hollywood Movie.

I thought to myself as I was going to bed…”Girls aren’t so bad after all!” 

Maureen and nephew Chad… notice MGM in background…German village and China St.

Leon, you asked for more Maureen, who doesn’t. Try this on for size.

A typical day in the life in our private Disneyland…

Written and lived by Donnie Norden and Maureen Miller…