The following “letter” is part of the continuing series from the unpublished novel by James Garrett, “Benicia Letters Once More”. He does not plan to publish the book but instead is choosing to share the letters with the readers of the Benicia Herald. The letters continue the storyline of Garrett’s first novel “Benicia and Letters of Love”. Each “letter” tells of love in one of its many forms from a separate point of view. Benicia is represented prominently in the letters because of Garrett’s deep fondness for the city of Benicia. He hopes readers see themselves or others they know in the letters because the concept of “Love” is universal.

Mr. Garrett,
It never ceases to amaze me as to how love is expressed.
About 10 years ago my wife and I were down by the end of First Street leaning on the railing and enjoying the scenery. We started watching a large ship come up the channel just after it passed beneath the Carquinez Bridge. A little to the right from where we stood I noticed a man and woman older than us were also looking out at the ship.
From the direction of the nearby restaurant a man about my age came walking down the sidewalk. I don’t know if he was drunk, if life had recently been hard for him, or if he was simply a mean person looking for someone to bully.
I’m a wary guy by nature and experience so I glanced towards the three people on my right. The last time I looked in their direction the three were standing together. I couldn’t hear what was said, but I can read body language pretty well. That attribute has helped me out a number of times in my life. It all comes from experience.
The two men were facing each other so I couldn’t see the face of the older man, but I could see the other man’s face. He wasn’t a happy camper. There was something of a snarl look on his face. I’ve seen the same look and attitude more than once. Usually it is just before a bully pushes or hits someone over whom he thinks he has power. I have no idea what caused the verbal confrontation, but it looked as if there was going to be an escalation from talk to fight.
It was my duty as a human being to walk towards where the couple and the bullying man stood. I hope if the same time in life ever comes for me that someone would do the same. I wasn’t the cavalry coming to the rescue. I just wanted the bully to know I was there and that the couple had backup. It wasn’t my role to interfere, but it was my role to stand by in case the bully became physical.
I stopped about two strides from where the three people stood, and my wife stood about that same distance behind me. It was close enough for my wife and I to clearly hear what was then said between the two men.
The bully basically said he could, and would, kick the older man’s butt. That is when the expression of love came.
The older man said so calmly, “You can’t talk about my wife like that. You have to apologize.”
The younger man said he wouldn’t apologize and moved closer to the older man as he again stated he would kick the older man’s butt.
The older man said specific words I’ll never forget. He said to the younger man, “You may be able to kick my butt now, maybe not. I’m a lot older than you. But I can kill you.”
The words chilled me on that warm afternoon because I knew they were the truth. In hearing him say the words I realized how much he loved his wife and what he could, and would, do to protect her even at any cost to himself.
The man had no weapon which I could see and I doubt if he had one of any kind concealed on him. What was apparent was the fact he knew what he could do because he had done it before. He had been trained. He wasn’t cocky or pushing any issue. He wanted to avoid any problem, but he knew he could kill the man confronting him if he had to do that to protect his wife and himself. His wife knew that. I knew that also.
The bully looked a little stunned for a moment, and then said he had only been kidding the older man and meant no harm. Then the bully turned and walked back up the street. The four of us left standing there watched in silence until he had gone about half a block.
Neither the man nor the woman appeared excited or emotional in any way. They could just as easily have been talking a few minutes before about a piece of flotsam on the beach below, as having confronted the bully.
The man and woman thanked my wife and I for having stood by them, and the man shook my hand. It didn’t occur to any of us, I guess, to introduce each other. We were fellow humans whom fate brought together for a few short minutes.
The subject of the bully obviously came up. The man said he didn’t know why the bully had been confrontational and said what he said about his wife. He did say that things happen that way in life sometimes, and I agreed.
I said, “Bravo Zulu.” It was a compliment to the man as well as a test, and a challenge. I wanted to know if he was the type of man with the experience I believed he had obtained in his life. Mr. Garrett, I know you know that “Bravo Zulu” is the United States Navy signal for “Well Done.”
The man and his wife both then produced broad smiles.
He shook my hand again, and said, “I’ve been there. It was probably before you were born.”
He laughed. We were far closer in age than that, and he knew it.
I knew I had been correct in my quick evaluation of the man.
My wife and I and the other couple talked for a few more minutes and then went our separate ways.
Seeing the man and his wife and the man’s actions took me to a land of memories. Nothing changes in this world. The man and I had each walked some of the same paths in our lives.
–Ken

James Garrett is a lifelong resident of Benicia and a former teacher at Benicia High School. He is the author of the following novels: “Benicia and Letters of Love”, “The Mansion Stories”, “Chief Salt”, and “One Great Season, 9-0!” He also compiled a three-volume work entitled “The Golden Era: Benicia High School Football, The 1948 through 1960 Seasons, “A” History with Comments.” He can be contacted at jgstoriesnpoetry@aol.com.

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