The following “letter” is part of the continuing series from the unpublished novel by James Garrett, “Benicia Letters Once More”.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,
My mother and father thought I had sex with a boy, but it never happened. I think they both finally came to believe me, though doubt lingered for a long time. The doubt is what hurt me the most.
They taught me to be honest and to tell the truth. As a teenager I had been as honest and truthful as I could be with everything all along. There were little lies, like I know every kid tells their parents, but for anything important I always told the truth. Sometimes I offered it and sometimes I was asked by one of them or both, but I always told the truth those times.
The lack of trust by my parents might have been expected by me, but somehow it wasn’t. The term is rebel, and I did rebel. What they falsely accused me of I did after that with two guys. I discovered they had a bigger imagination than they had facts. One was reputed to be the school Romeo at Benicia High, but I knew more than he did about sex from having a family pet cat.
After college I met Hank. I was bluntly open with him after our second date. He said he understood what happened between my parents and me and proved over time that he did understand. I had long before talked things out with my parents. I had never been ignored or dismissed from their lives. Hank said my parents always loved and cared for me, which I knew was true.
I’ll always look on Hank as my first, and my one and only. The two other guys are still around town. One grew to be the good man he had shown he would be as a good boy. The Romeo has been divorced three times.
Hank and I have kids, and I see some things much as my parents did, and probably as most parents see things. We tell our children they can always talk with us about anything. If they tell us something, we will believe them.
Along the way Hank and I have been challenged by our kids a little at times to believe, but believe we did. There has been a slip or two along the way, with each of our kids, but I’ll match their honesty and truthfulness with the children of anyone.
I had been foolish in the way teenagers are sometimes foolish with their parents when they confronted me about having sex with the boy with whom I had been innocent. Perhaps they didn’t know how to handle things at that time. I was their eldest child and their only daughter.
Maybe I’m writing of morals here, but I know I’m not preaching. We aren’t born with innate knowledge of how to function through every situation which may occur in our lives. All we can do is try to be good people, understand as best we can, forgive the best we can, and try to improve. Sometimes we have to have experiences, both positive and negative, to appreciate what happens in our lives.
–Margarete

James Garrett 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 titled “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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