The following “letter” is part of the continuing series from the unpublished novel by James Garrett, “Benicia Letters Once More”.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 Jim,
Once I sat with a boy at the Royal Bakery. I thought I was in love. Probably most of the people, who will read this letter if you choose to include it in your book, will not know of the Royal Bakery. People who walk down Main Street today will see the site which once held the Royal Bakery as a Thai restaurant.
You and I know of the Royal Bakery. It was the place where we ordered cherry Cokes from the fountain and where we listened to music from the jukebox. We put our coins in the device at our booth after long minutes of picking out just the right song for the time and mood or immediately dropped in coins to play our favorite song of the moment. It was fun.
The boy with whom I sat was a classmate of ours. You and he played on teams together and I cheered on each of you. Those were the Classes of 1958 through 1961. They were our Classes.
I loved going to those games, especially the football games at Sanborn Field. I also loved the guy with whom I sat at the Royal Bakery that day. It was the love only a teenage girl in love for the first time can feel.
The one time the boy and I sat at the Royal Bakery is embedded in my mind. It was so long ago but seems as if it occurred today.
He was so nice to me. He looked me in the eye and talked with me as if he was actually interested in what I had to say. He really was. That is just the way he was and still is from the few times I’ve seen him over the years.
We never dated. He had to have known I liked him. He was always so polite, but never asked me for a date. I only remember him bringing a date to a dance at the gym once, and once to a dance at the Arsenal. It is sad to me that there are no more dances at the high school gym or in the Arsenal for kids. The gym is now the Civic Center gym and the Arsenal is now an industrial park. We’ve lost so much of our heritage in Benicia.
The boy always had girls interested in him. I know because each of my group of friends said at one time or another that they liked him.
I so much remember the time we shared at the Royal Bakery. I was there with my best friend when the boy came in. He saw us and came over to say hello and sat down. Then he went to the counter and came back with his drink. When he left to go to the counter, my friend said it was time for her to go home. She has never told me, but I wonder if she understood I liked the boy and was doing her best to set up some time between him and me.
He was so nice to me, but he was nice all the time so it was no surprise.
That was my time with him. We danced a few dances over the years. We shared some of the same classes. He dated someone else. Years later they got married. I’m happy for them both.
Laura

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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