“El Sobaco”

By kiki

Circa 1964, my friend Joe (not real name), who used to run a boxing gym in downtown L.A., and I were driving back from the Chino State Prison after attending some boxing matches; as we were getting close to Los Angeles, Joe asked me: "you want to go dancing?" "I don't know, Joe; what do you have in mind?" "I have a lady friend waiting for me at the International Ballroom."

The International Ballroom, which was, if memory serves, on 1st Street west of Soto in Boyle Heights, was known as "El Sobaco" (The Armpit) because it stank; I don't think the people that used to go dancing there believed in deodorant.

" I don't know, Joe, that place is for old people, and I am told it stinks in there."

I was 27 years old, and Joe was in his mid-60s. It was a place that drew people over 50 years old, so I was not comfortable going there, but Joe wanted to go, and since we were riding in my car, I said okay.

We got there and walked up the stair where the ballroom was; the first thing I did was get a close look at the band that was playing; the guys playing with the band looked so old that they must have started playing back in 1909; I then got a good look at the people, the youngest looked like they were in their mid-50's. - Joe spotted his lady friend sitting at a table with some other people: "c'mon, let go to their table" we did, and Joe introduced me to his friend Rosie (not her real name) and the rest of the people at the table.

As Joe was taking Rosie out to dance, he said to me, "find somebody to dance with" I looked around at the old ladies and said: "I'll be at the bar."

I sat at the bar, and after drinking two or three beers, the old ladies started looking younger, so I decided that I would like to dance. I spotted one when I looked for the most youthful-looking lady to ask to dance. She looked in her mid-50s, but in my buzzed eyes, she looked younger, so I asked her to dance "would you like to dance?" she looked me up and down. "No, I don't dance with just anyone; besides, you're too young" "damn!" the first time, I was turned down for being too young! So I returned to the bar and nursed a beer until closing.

When we were back in the car, Joe asked me, "how come you didn't dance?" I didn't know how to answer Joe, so I just muttered, "I am too young" Joe didn't know what to make of that "what!?" "Nothing, Joe, nothing."