I MARRIED A DUG DUG
by MARGARET DE LA TORRE WILKEY
The door to the outside world shut, and there we were, all standing and looking at each other. I think the shock of the sudden company was too much for the guys. Eventually we all were given a warm welcome and sat down together and talked for hours. Armando went down to the desk and got a room just for himself and Marlene. We spent our first night together in the same room with two other couples and Gustavo. The next day, we all got up and went out to breakfast at a little restaurant near the hotel. What a treat it was to be sitting again with Los Dug Dug's, sharing stories and listening to them rattling off, in Spanish, what I supposed were the future plans of the band. I felt like I was home.
We saw the sights of beautiful Mexico City in the daytime. People would stop on the streets staring at this group of long haired guys who gave off an aura of excitement and vitality. I felt so special being by Jorge's side, carrying his child. The band was playing at some clubs around town, and there was talk of them appearing on television. They were making enough money to pay for their rooms and have a little bit left over. They would practice at the club during the day, and you could see that they were starting to get a following.
Jorge and I eventually got our own room at the Hotel Colonia Roma. It was a small room with just a bed and dresser, but It felt like a mansion to me. Jorge really seemed to have settled into a good routine of practicing in the day, or seeing the sights, playing at different places at night, and then coming home afterwards. I was getting well into my pregnancy and hadn't seen a doctor, so he found one in the nice area of town, near Chapultepec Park. I still didn't speak much Spanish, but I was learning a few words a day. The other girls were going back home to their jobs, and the boys were ready to move on to new ventures. The last to leave was Georgianne. Also leaving was Tizoc, the drummer, with Jorge Lujan returning to take his place.
Los Dug Dug's were soon playing steadily at a club whose name escapes me, but it was owned by a really nice man who seemed to take to the band and wanted to better the boys' careers. Armando was always the one who made all the decisions. Jorge did get in on the business dealings once in a while, but things didn't go smoothly between him and Armando. But overall, they were a good group of guys who cared about each other and all had the same goal: to become the best they could in the Mexican Rock scene. Other bands were starting to pop up all over Mexico, but that just made the band work harder and become more determined. They hired a manager to help get them jobs around town, and eventually help them get gigs on TV.
The next morning, after we saw the car towed into town and dropped off at a car service, we boarded the bus for the final leg of our trip. We rode the bus for 2 more days, all talking about the greetings we would get from the band when we would knock on the door of the Hotel Colonia Roma. What kind of place is this going to be? Will we set up our little homes in this place? The anticipation was too much.
By the seventh month of my pregnancy, I had lost a lot of weight and was down to about 115 pounds, and with my height of 5' 7" that was a little thin. I wore regular clothes, because the money wasn't there to buy any new clothes. Jorge was again starting to drink and stay out late. His whereabouts were always a mystery, especially in a city the size of Mexico. It was impossible to try to find him. The band was now appearing in magazines, and their fame was definitely growing -- and the more it grew, the further Jorge grew apart from me.
The only person who would check on me was Armando. I don't really remember him being with so many women at that time. He was focused on the success of the band, babysitting the boys and looking after me. He was very caring and attentive. Jorge did not like the attention that other people gave me, so I was more or less isolated in my room. There were still the occasions when Jorge and I would go out. They all loved to go to the movies, so off we would go to see some film and I would sit there and watch, not understanding a thing that was going on. But I turned this opportunity into a learning experience. I started asking questions, picking up words, and in about three months I was starting to speak some Spanish.
Georgianne came back at the end of July 1966. She was a good friend then, always looking after me. And on August 8th, I found out what a good friend she really was. That morning, I started to feel cramps. This was the first child I had carried full term, so I didn't know what to expect. Jorge was in bed and I told him how I felt, but he said it would go away, and wanted me to go back to sleep. But I got up and went to get Georgianne. We went out and hailed a taxi, and traveled the distance to the hospital. She paid for the taxi and walked me up the steps to the lobby. As I checked in, she tried to call Jorge on the telephone, but he was not in his room. As usual, he had left and gone somewhere and we didn't know where!
So began my 48 hour labor. The band did eventually find out where I was, and they alll came up to see me later that day. They were to appear on TV on the night of the 10th, and had a lot of practicing to do. So they left and Georgianne stayed with me throughout the duration of the labor. Nobody seemed to know what to do. There was no talk of any painkillers or why it was taking so long. I just lay there in misery, waiting for Jorge to come back and hold my hand through this scary time.
Armando was the first one to return, and he said that Jorge would be coming soon. It was now August 9th, and things were coming along very slowly. Also visiting me was the owner of the club where the boys were playing, and he brought me two dozen long stem roses -- they were beautiful. Jorge came in and sat with me for awhile, but always seemed restless. The owner of the club put me in a large, private room. Los Dug Dug's were in and out. Even the people who worked at the hospital seemed to be impressed. What a sight it must have been: five long haired rock personalities, and two American girls.
Then, on August 10th, at about 6 PM, our lives changed forever. Our son Jorge was born, weighing under five pounds, very small and almost bald, with a few blond hairs. His father was not there during the birth, but when I awoke after having passed out from all the stress of the labor, he was standing there looking down at me. He had just come back from appearing on TV. The rest of the band was outside of the room as Jorge was the only one allowed in. He told me he loved me and that the baby was beautiful. He looked at the roses and asked if he could take one. Of course he could! Was he taking it to remember me and our baby? I fell asleep again, and when I awoke I was alone.
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