been all around the city

1976

My parents spent most of their time fighting in their bedroom because they didn't want my sister and I to see them struggling.

They recently had to spend long hours working to pay off debt so my sister and I offered to help them no matter what.

But they needed the money pronto.

Few weeks later, they figured out how we can contribute.

My mother looked away in dismay as my father explained to us how to make easy cash.

 

Days later,

Dad said to dress pretty

Because he was going to take us out.

 

1986

 

We walked through the everlasting grass field: inhaling the sweet bliss of Mother Nature.

I felt the nightly cold breeze as I took the time to appreciate this divine moment of serenity.

The gleaming light, from the moon, reflected onto the creek. It was similar to the shine that shone in my sister's eyes every time dad said it was time to get to business.

 

It was 10:45 when we arrived a new part of the city.

My father drove up and down the street, looking for a place to drop us off. Before he told us to get out, he told us that people spend lots of their money here and that we should smile because “expressing happiness is what men admire.”

What is there to be happy about? Our own father is selling us away.

 

We were left at the end of Larkin Street -- which is on the south side of San Francisco

As we made our way down the street a group of men whistled at us and called us beautiful.

They insisted that they would give us tons of money if we spent the night with them.

 

One of the guys walked up to my sister and asked how much for the pretty lady in the tight pink skirt.

I said, “$250 the night”

 

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