The Ludmila Confessions

Ludmila working as a top make-up artist in Beverly Hills

Jose just forgot about me. He wrote a few letters to me in LA, that he would soon be there, and as time went on I suffered like a mad beast, with my pride and my imaginary love for him! Leaving my dear Jack did not leave me with much peace of mind, and in the meantime Joy had got Jack closer to herself. I had invited them to a Mexican party, by that time I had a Mexican house boy helping me. But Jack seemed uninterested in me anymore, or maybe it was his pride. I couldn’t blame him nor did care to notice that he did not desire anything with me romantically, much less wanting me back.

The cane and the pipe became one with me. Daud had big parties with some families like the Saturdays with Baba, and some orgies I went to. I drank at home, I drank at the party, I drank in the car driving: I drank and drank and drank. I remember that I was restless; unhappy which is not in my nature, but I was missing something that I did not know or understand. I felt that there had to be more to my life, something greater, that I could be doing with my mind and life. But the time went by, the clock did not stop ticking. I did not know that there was help like A.A. available.

The two hair artists and Ludmila in the salon of Robinson on Beverly Hills

Then this great idea came to my mind: why not worked in cosmetics, since I knew almost everything there was to know about it, and modeling and acting were disappointing to me. Without realizing that the trouble was with me, not my profession, I went and got a job at one of the most prestigious Beverly Hills salons. Suddenly I was a “world-famous makeup artist!” I don’t actually know how I managed to get that title, since I had always been a customer on the receiving end, massages, facials, makeup, hair…but then I was telling these very rich women what to use, and the more they bought the more I would get. I was even invited to La Jolla to a large mansion with our famous hair artist to work at an incredible lavish wedding– he was doing the hair and me the makeup. They put us up at the fabulous La Jolla Hotel with all expenses paid.

At the wedding I met Jaclyn Smith for the second time, who kept staring at me and said, “Do I know you? Are you sure we didn’t meet some place?” I denied it, gently like the lady I was, but firmly.

Mexican style party in Ludmila’s home

Of course I knew her, when my dear aristocratic friend Octavio Senoret after not being very successful financially with his paintings, which were really gorgeous, he had an incredible style–unique, like every good creative artist. He was from a great family in Chile and in those times Mexico did not want any Russians like me! I had to pay a bond when I came to see Agustin Lara, guaranteeing my return to Venezuela. See how things have changed now, when the Mexicans want every right without paying. I don’t say that bitterly, just pointing out how history changes and we in Mexico gladly obey their rules as it is their country, just like the U.S. is another people’s country, with one big difference: do we have the Statue of Liberty standing high and mighty? We ought not to hurt and abuse her, but together make even more glorious this free land of milk and honey for the pursuit of happiness and freedom for all. Especially to whomever is willing to respect and love this beautiful land– I guess I am too old fashioned and so what? In any case, they did not allow Octavio to even enter Mexico, even to see his children that lived in Yelapa (Acapulco), supposedly because Chile was communist.