James M. Garrett, a graduate of Benicia High School’s Class of 1961 and fomer longtime teacher, is the author of “One Great Season 9-0!” (Photo courtesy of James Garrett)

The following “letter” is part of the continuing series from the unpublished novel by James Garrett, “Benicia Letters Once More”.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.

Dear Mr. Garrett,
This will probably read as self serving, but it isn’t.
My husband and I held a dinner party over a year ago for a woman and a man we each love very much. They are each long-time members of our church here in Benicia as were the spouses of each. Over the years both couples were very active in church functions. Then, about the same time, each lost their spouse to cancer.
Those two fine people who remained behind seemed to shrink into themselves when their loved one passed. They had each been married to their love for decades and the losses of each were unexpected and sudden.
The wife was the first to pass. The disease attacked her with an effort which seemed mean and punishing for a woman who had always been so nice. The remaining couple helped the husband with all they could. At church the wife sat between the two men.
Then the husband of the other passed as he walked across his backyard towards his wife. He uttered his wife’s name and collapsed. She had stood a few strides away and turned to walk towards him when she heard him say her name, but he passed before she could reach him.
For a time after that it seemed as if a cloud had descended over the pew area where the two couples had sat together so many times. None of the parishioners avoided that area of the church, but each seemed to give the woman and man space which we all must have felt was needed.
The woman and man who remained stopped being regular attendees at church. When they did attend they sat side-by-side where the two couples had often sat. They appeared to stare at something others, at least I, couldn’t see.
At our yearly Christmas celebration we sat behind the woman and man. When everyone stood to sing, the woman and man seemed to lean into each other for strength or support. Some need to be close to each other was expressed in that slight movement. Then the man leaned his head towards the woman and she placed her head on his shoulder.
It was a lovely sight. There was nothing sad or maudlin in the scene. It was a picture of acceptance, serenity, and love. Those two had loved each other for years in the love a female and a male friend can share. That love had expanded.
As we all exited the church my husband and I invited the woman and man to the dinner party of which I wrote earlier. It wasn’t to make my husband and I look good in the eyes of anyone. It was done because it was something which needed to be done and which we could do. It was helping. Isn’t that part of what all of us were placed on Earth to do?
The woman and man are now spending much time together. Everybody needs somebody.
Mary

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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