#35 Yucca Cactus

problem. They ate the hot dogs and laid back down. The brothers fell asleep, and started spooning. Al adjusted the angle of the umbrella a couple times to cover them with shade. China laid very still.

There was herbed pork tenderloin and noodles, with sweet, buttered peas, homemade by Liz for supper. Of course, there was a tofu version of the pork for China. California was proving to be a great place to shop for veggie items. Liz didn’t have any trouble at all.

The next day, they drove to The Getty, an art museum. The admission was free, but not the parking, which is astonishing considering the art that was there. It was all European art. There were sculptures, paintings, busts, and some were in glass cases just like Paramount. China wanted to spend all her time outside in the gardens as they were so alluring. It was a whole other world. It was so harmonious. She could live in it. There was a rock with the words…the world is constantly changing…etched into it, and that was true. There were flowers, trees, and moving water all around her. She especially loved the cactus garden. There were multiple gardeners; they were probably students. This was a place where plants met art, and it was alive. She didn’t view it; she was in it. The trees were her roof, and the stones, or grass, paved a path. Charming and handsome, it was a mature room to be in. It breathed its seasons, and it sheltered people from the temper of the world. The inside, and all its pieces of art was wonderful, but this estate was magnificent. Liz treated them to tea, and egg salad sandwiches on white bread with the crusts cut off.

When they got back, they ate Baked Haddock, Fries, coleslaw, and drank pop. China chose Orange Crush while the others chose diet cola. It was predictable. There was one for each, and they drank it right from the bottle. They discussed The Getty. China agreed with others, and said the inside was lovely. It was sweet of Liz to bring the sandwiches, and the thermos of tea, but China was enchanted to eat in the garden. She tried how impressed she was with the garden, but they didn’t understand, so she agreed with the group. She was inspired by it.

Chinas train ticket was booked for the next day, so the last thing they did together, was go to The Joshua Tree National Park. Liz rented a jeep, and they all piled in. It took a couple hours to get there, then Liz took the roof off and rolled down the windows, it was arid. Liz filled up the tank, told them all to put their hats on, and fill their water bottles. It was the desert, after all. The Joshua Tree was named by the Mormons, who passed through there in their migration, because it pointed to the promised land, but it was actually a Yucca cactus. It mostly pointed to Heaven, and reminded China of where she spent her childhood. China sat on the edge of the bench seat in rear, the two boys sat together beside her, and Liz and Al sat up front. They were all buckled in. China looked around, and suddenly felt lonely. She wondered if she would ever have a husband again. They set out on the dusty road, that was on the map that Liz picked. Al was driving.

There were lots of Joshua cacti and rocks too. The road was bumpy and dusty. The store-guy probably gave them that map because Liz said they were driving an off-road vehicle. They were getting thrown all over, so it was a good thing they were all buckled in. Liz wanted to drive because she said it looked like fun. Fun for her, maybe as the driver, she knew where all the bumps were. If it weren’t for the seat belts, they might get tossed out, and if their hats weren’t tied on, they would have lost those too.

The vehicle broke down, but Liz was prepared for that. She had water in the trunk. In jugs. There was lots. China had to carry one. She guessed that the criteria must have had something to do with their