I MARRIED A DUG DUG
by MARGARET DE LA TORRE WILKEY
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The town of Tijuana has some very loose morals, but on some things they are quite strict -- for example, there is no kissing allowed on the streets! One night Jorge and I were standing outside the club between sets, getting some fresh air, when we shared just a small kiss, and in came the police to take Jorge off to jail! We were in a panic. The bail was $24 and at first nobody seemed to have it. But then, along came good old Mike from the bar with the bail money, and Jorge was finally released after several hours.
Jorge started to be recognized more and more on the streets. He had a great personality, and became a favorite celebrity, even to other band members in Tijuana. One night Jorge took me down to the Aloha Club and introduced me to someone named Carlos, who also had a brother named Jorge -- yeah, there were a lot of Jorges! It wasn't until much much later in time when I realized that it was the Santana boys! I don't remember hearing them at the time, but then again, I had seen so many bands play by then that after awhile, they all became a blur.
And besides, my friends and I really didn't care about any other band but the Dug Dug's. They were the Beatles to us, and had the most distinct sound. Everytime they played a Beatles song we were truly amazed. Not only were the girls starting to follow the band, but also the guys, and they were from all different walks of life. Yes, they loved the band and the great dance music, but also the big crowds of American girls who came down to listen to the band nightly. It seemed like you were part of a special breed if you knew the Dug Dug's. They were becoming very popular, not only onstage but off.
One evening, a bunch of us were out drinking beer. The car was driven by Gustavo and he was dating Diane. There was also Jorge and I, Pajaro Alberto and his girlfriend Edna, and Sharon. We all were feeling pretty good, sitting up in the hills of Tijuana in the car, watching the lights and laughing at everything and everyone. Diane and I had to be home by 4 AM so we could go to beauty school at 8. I didn't know it then, but Jorge tried to follow us across the border.
The next night, we went back to Tijuana to see our boys and I was told about Jorge being detained in the States. I was very distressed. But then I made one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in my life. Diane and I, along with a group of Jorge's friends and fans, started drinking, and I made a fool out of myself by drinking too much. We all decided to go to a room at the Palacio Hotel. There was Diane and Gustavo, Pajaro and Edna in one part of the suite, and Sharon and Ernesto -- a good friend of Jorge's -- and me and a guy named Carlos on the floor. In my drunken stupor, I began kissing Carlos. We made out heavily but nothing else happened.
Jorge was released the next day, and upon returning to Tijuana, he was met by Ernesto with the story of what he thought had happened the night before. The truth was bad enough, but of course, he said more than that happened, and it broke Jorge's heart. The innocence that Jorge had showed at one time slipped away and bitterness filled its place. He started going out with other girls and drinkng more heavily. It became a vicious circle. I would try to talk to him, but all he would do at this point was sing to me from the stage, and all these songs were about heartbreak. It was a very bad time.
By now my parents knew what I was doing, and of course they were horrified. They wanted me to finish beauty school and live my life without Jorge, but Tijuana was like a drug to me. I couldn't leave him, or leave the life that I had come to know. I knew that he cared for me, but did not know how he was ever going to forgive me. My heart was down in the center of Tijuana, as I waited to be carried away by my Mexican knight.
The Dug Dug's were now playing Sunday afternoons at Mike's, so finally one Sunday, I went down there with Diane and just camped out there in the club waiting for him to come to me. This time, I did not leave for a couple of days. In the end, my parents and my brother finally came down and physically carried me out of Mike's, crying and telling Jorge how much I loved him as I was being taken away from the life I came to crave. I remember looking at Jorge's face and seeing that yes, he did care. But at the same time, he was singing "These Boots Are Made For Walking." It was very surreal. I probably should have left it alone at this time, but I couldn't.
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