Fred

This is Fred, a "disenchanted Bible scholar." After picking him up at the Yuciapa on-ramp and agreeing to take him to Banning (ten miles away), he told me his story. Originally from Belgium, Fred traveled throughout Europe and South America as an evangelist and came to California in the 70's to preach, although "in my churches you hear nothing but echoes." Having found too many contradictions in the Bible, Fred is not now connected with any particular church. This afternoon he was going back to his motor home in Banning, parked on a street whose name he could not quite recall. Wanted by the cops for illegally housing the homeless in his RV, he must stay on the move. After taking him up and down several of the back streets of Banning, he realized his home is gone, towed by the police or perhaps stolen by the homeless men ("They haven't done any drugs for months") who stay with him. As far as I could tell, Fred took the loss of his home with a befuddled equanimity. I drove him to his friend's place of business where he would perhaps stay until he finds his home.