The following “letter” is part of the continuing series from the unpublished novel by James Garrett, “Benicia Letters Once More”.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,
Thanks for making me spark a memory in my mind about Mom’s trip down the slide at Mills Elementary School. The woman was about a thousand years old at the time but still spry and up to a challenge.
All of her far-flung flock came to town for a family gathering. After we all met at the house, we went to the City Cemetery to visit where Dad rests. Then we caravanned around Benicia remembering old places and seeing new. There weren’t any tears, but there were a few quiet moments in the van I drove with Susan, my wife, at my side and Mom in the seat behind with our two sons. As we drove, Mom told stories about many of the places we passed and many of them included me. There was a lot of laughter. The boys didn’t know of those stories Mom told and were surprised at some of the things I did “back in the day” as they say.
Then all of us pitched in like always either getting the meal prepared or helping out around the house doing the things which needed to be done. The guys did a lot of work in a short couple of hours mowing, trimming, cleaning gutters, and cultivating the garden. They were all jobs we had each once done with Dad.
We came in the back door and cleaned up in the laundry room. That room once held a ringer-type washing machine which I had to explore one day as a youth. I thought it was neat how the clothes were squished between the ringers and stuck my hand in one day. If that machine hadn’t been designed partly with stupid kids in mind I’d be called Lefty today. Yes, I ran the wash machine at times and made dinner at times like all the rest of us.
After a meal where I ate too much as I always did at Mom’s, we all decided to go for a walk. The walk took us to the Mills Elementary School playground. The younger of Mom’s kids and her grandchildren who were old enough headed for the slide. Two of the kids who were too small to go alone rode on the laps of adults as everyone took rides down the slide except Mom. She looked at the last of her brood slide down and told everyone it was now her turn.
She meant what she said and headed for the slide’s ladder. I headed her off at the foot of the ladder and told her I would be right behind her as she climbed it and would help her sit down.
When we got to the top, I told two of the guys to stand on either side at the bottom of the slide to help Mom up when she got to the bottom. They moved into position, Mom sat down, gave a little push on the railings and took off like a downhill racer.
Mom was wearing a blue pantsuit made of some synthetic material. The slide was shiny slick from the use of thousands of kids, and the warmth of the late afternoon sun made it even slicker.
When Mom took off, I looked at the two guys standing at the bottom and they were looking at each other, not at Mom. They were looking at her a moment later as she sat on the ground at the bottom of the slide in the shape of the letter “L”. Her legs were straight out and her arms were straight up in the air.
The guys couldn’t believe she got down that fast and apologized for not being ready to stop her descent before she hit the ground. I grabbed a handrail and jumped to the ground and went over to her.
She said, “That was quick”, as the three of us helped her up and everyone else gathered around. Then she laughed and told us she knew she could do it. I wish I had some photos other than those I have in my mind. She smiled, she was happy.
Mom was a squared away sailor, as we used to say in the Navy, and had a lot of courage and adventure in her. She dusted herself off, said she was OK, and we all walked her home. The only subject of conversation on that part of our walk involved some reference to her trip down the slide.
For all I know, Mom was bruised and had to sit on an air cushion for the next week, but she never showed signs of a problem.
It didn’t surprise me that she could go down that slide at her age. I remember once when I was a kid playing catch with a friend in a lot by our house. The other kid was standing with his back towards our house and missed the ball. Mom walked over and picked up the ball and threw me a strike which I admit hurt my hand a little. It was the only time I ever saw her throw a baseball but she had to have done it many times before. Dad loved baseball and she and he must have had some games of catch along the way.
Mom is with Dad now.
With love for Mom and Dad,
Respectfully,
George

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 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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