I can’t remember exactly when, which month or which season, but sometime in the last 6 months or so, things started happening at a white bungalow, across from the Del Mor building, where Echo Park Avenue and Morton go their separate ways. First an odd, elaborate fence was built. It appears to be chrome. When the sun hits it in the morning it gleams white. It shouts, really, it’s so bright. It is probably the only chrome fence I have ever seen. When the fence was completed, I noticed a pile of wood. Plywood and other building materials. I never saw anyone actually working, but pretty soon a large rectangular box started taking shape. It could have been a photo booth. I wondered if it was part of a stage set. Since it was directly in sight of Chango, I am sure there was a significant amount of wondering that went on as far as the front-yard box was concerned. Pretty soon screen doors began to appear on the box -- two on one side, two on another side, and one and one. Full-sized doors leading to a tiny room. They were detailed with maybe-chrome, like the fence. The interior of this room is probably twenty square feet. Now people were saying it was a time capsule, a magician’s prop, a closet for claustrophobics, a display for doors. It was on wheels. It looked like a labor of love, whatever it was.

I went with my friend Cindy Bennett to take a picture of this marvelous weird thing. We arrived in front of the bungalow -– the front porch is piled high with furniture and boxes. As Cindy prepared to photograph, the automatic gate started opening suddenly. They were home. The chrome-fence-and-box people. It was a trim middle aged Asian-American woman and a younger woman. The younger woman, whose name is Jenny, explained to me what the box is about. It turns out her uncle makes fences and doors. He built the fence as well as the box, which is, in fact, a display for various types of doors he makes. His name is Ping Ya Situ. The box sits in the front yard because that is the best place to store it. The wheels will enable him to take it to trade shows. Or, I imagine, just out for a drive.

I didn’t ask what was inside, but I do know that there are six ways to get there.

Photo: Big box
By Cindy Bennett

Photo: Chrome fence and box
By Cindy Bennett