The following “letter” is part of the continuing series from the unpublished novel by James Garrett, “Benicia Letters Once More”.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,
There was a teenage girl who once dared a teenage boy to swim across the Carquinez Straits. The two were sitting on the cliffs by the Ninth Street boat launching ramp.
She must have believed if she dared him to do it, he would at least try and she was correct. The boy said he didn’t think he could make it all the way across and if he did he knew he couldn’t make it back.
The boy handed the girl his wallet and everything else in his Levi’s, took off his shirt, shoes and socks and started walking towards the shoreline. The girl asked if he was actually going to do it then and he said he was.
The boy waded out into the water, it was a bright day but the water was cold, and started swimming using the breast stroke. The Straits were calm that Sunday afternoon.
The boy had gone a few hundred yards when logic came into play and not pride. He felt it was time to turn around and head for the shore. If the girl didn’t like his effort at taking her dare, that was on her. He had done what logic told him he could.
As he started for shore he could see the girl who had dared him talking with another boy. As he got closer to the shore the boy saw her wave to him and set something on the ground. The boy thought what she sat down could only be what he had given her to hold.
Then the girl was engaged in what could only be described as tongue-on-tongue with the other boy. His hands were a lot lower than the small of her back. Then she walked away with the other boy.
When the boy who had been dared reached the shore, he saw in a pile what he thought would be there. The girl who dared him and the other boy were nowhere to be seen.
The next day at Benicia High School the girl and the other boy were holding hands in the quad. So much for high school infatuation and love between a teenage boy and a teenage girl in Benicia that day.
Not too long after that the girl who made the dare was going with another guy. She was a few years more mature in physical and worldly ways than some of the guys.
The boy who was dared became a better swimmer in the water and in life.
His Friend

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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