FRANKLY SPEAKING- ROBERT MALLARI

It was early one evening in the late fall. The sun had set, it was dark outside and the cars on the street had to use their headlights to navigate as they traversed from their work to their homes. Robert was changing the photo chemicals in the photo processing equipment at the Mexican Consulate. The Consulate was a busy place, but on this fall evening, as Christmas approached, Robert found himself the sole occupant of the consulate other than the security guards.

The Consulate involved was the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, California. As I said it was normally very busy, probably the busiest Mexican Consulate in the world. In fact, it was probably the busiest consulate any foreign government had in the United States. The Consulate was located across the street from MacArthur Park, on the west side of downtown Los Angeles. You know MacArthur Park…Sung By: Richard Harris or Donna Summer. Undoubtedly it is one of the worst songs ever written:
Spring was never waiting for us, girl
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants

MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

I recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave
On the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the trees
MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warm
And never let you catch me looking at the sun
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
You'll still be the one
I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
I'll be thinking of you
And wondering why
MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!Oh, no
No, no
Oh no!!

Ok, I’m letting my 1960’s folklore stand in the way of a good story! So against that backdrop Robert went about changing the chemicals.
As he went about the task he noticed a woman walk past the photo processing equipment, aware that the chemicals used in the photo process were both highly corrosive and if mixed very toxic; he maintained his attention to the details. When it seemed appropriate Robert turned his attention to the woman. She stood at the window looking toward MacArthur Park.

Suddenly Robert realized the woman was transparent. He could see through her!

Robert, a first generation Filipino immigrant, ran to and through the back door of the Consulate.

The security guards, on seeing the look of fear on his face said, “You just saw our ghost didn’t you?”

To my knowledge Robert never entered the Consulate again when he was alone and it was dark.