Never did make it to Ricks ship. We immediately hit the highway and hitched our way home. I asked him what happened and all he was really willing to say about it was that the guy dropped him off on a beach somewhere in Southern CA. and that he had been walking and sleeping in phone booths those last few days. The only conclusion I was able to come up with was that he was probably raped.

I have a very strong belief in God, he spoke to me once and gave me some power that transformed my life at the time, and I pray to him every morning before I get up. This belief does not fit in with any organized religion, it's personal. But that day in the park changed Louie's life forever. He became a devout Christian which ultimately gave him the faith to recover from a devastating fall from a roof which put him in a body cast and paralyzed him. Shortly after they removed the cast in an Oroville hospital Louie got up and we hitched over to Chico and attended a party were he danced his ass off.

I ultimately moved away and we lost touch but if you're still out there old friend, God bless you and I'll see you on the other side.