The Last Load: A Los Angeles Cleanup Finds Its Way

At 7:12 on a Saturday morning, a cracked ceramic lamp teetered on top of a mountain of old carpet, broken shelves, and cardboard boxes in the driveway of a Pasadena bungalow. Somewhere beneath the pile, a phone began to ring. Maya, balancing a mug of coffee in one hand, stared at the heap and laughed without much humor.