At An Alley In Chinatown

By Jeff Baker

They filmed that scene right here,” Anthony Lee said, staring up at the fire escape a floor or so up. Grey metal draped with blue jeans, shirts and baby clothes. “Twenty-nine years ago. Seen it in reruns at least two dozen times.”

“Wow!” Marcus Guyle said, staring up.

Anthony had grown up there in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Marcus was from Minnesota.

“The car roared down Mason Street…” Anthony said, pointing.

“The yellow G.T.!” Marcus said delightedly.

“…and turned at the corner and stopped right under this fire escape.”

“Wow!” Marcus said again.

“And that’s when Berto Blasco, played by a stuntman, wearing that jacket…”

“With the green stripes on it!” Marcus said.

“Yeah. Ran onto the fire escape and jumped down to the alley and got into the car.”

“The door barely closed when the car roared off!” Marcus said laughing.

“Berto complaining about Maxx’s driving all the way!” Anthony said. Laughing too.

“You know, the scene of him running through the apartment?” Anthony said. “That was filmed on a sound stage. That was my Grandma’s apartment up there and she wouldn’t have allowed any running. Even from a high-paid actor!”

“Hey,” Marcus said. “Were you there when they filmed this? Did you meet Stagg Arthur?”

“Naaah! I was about one year old. But supposedly I was up there, asleep in a crib in the bedroom.” Anthony stared up again. “At least, that’s what Grandma told me.”

“Y’know, Stagg Arthur went to High School down the road where I grew up.” Marcus said.

“Yeah, you told me.” Anthony said. “Of course back then he was just called Artie Gist. Saw his yearbook once, he did a bunch of plays.”

They both stood and stared up at the clothes swaying in the slight breeze on the metal railing.

“Look at that!” Anthony said pointing up. “Blue, red, orange, yellow…”

“Yellow? Where?” Marcus said, looking up and squinting.

“The stain right there,” Anthony said. “On the white shirt.”

“Oh.”

“Looks like a Rainbow Flag to me!” Anthony said.

Marcus grinned and the two men kissed standing under the fire escape. They kissed again and held it for a moment as a car drove by on the street and honked.

The two of them imagined it was a yellow G.T.

—end—