Hello,
This is an amazing continuing story. My family just had our own "Marilyn experience." After the encounter, I had to Google her and, of course, that's how I came to find your blog. Thanks for keeping this chronicle going. So here is our story:
After attending 12:30 pm services Sunday, December 27, 2009, at Santa Clara Church, in Oxnard, CA, my wife and I remained inside talking with some good friends. As we were speaking, a middle-aged black woman with small rolling suitcase approached us and introduced herself into our conversation as "Marilyn Rodrigues." Her neat appearance and hygiene belied her strange request for help with lodging. We all just looked at each other for a few seconds not knowing how to respond. But finally said we really couldn't personally provide accomodations.
Along with this strange request, she offered a rather incoherent story of having traveled from the East Coast with a goal of reaching Davis, CA. She rambled on about having been victim of "white racism" and "black racism" and how she was disowning her Black heritage in favor of her Hispanic (Rodrigues) roots from San Juan, PR. I couldn't understand much of what she was trying to say, although she spoke clearly, it was a string of nonsense - something about a crusade against the corrupt cops, being robbed of her millions of dollars, microwave oppression, etc., etc.
The upshot is our good friends gave her $40 for her lodging request and I chipped in $15 (I held tight to my wallet, figuring she was cuckoo). Anyway, I was so close to googling her on the spot on my Droid phone but held off until getting home. I wish I had looked her up because I would have found out sooner and gotten her photograph and maybe asked for her written manifest refrenced here. I also would have probably saved my friends and our cash. But, what the heck, the Marilyn Express rolls on towards Davis, thanks to our help. She should be arriving soon in NoCal. Good luck!
