The following “letter” is part of the continuing series from the unpublished novel by James Garrett, “Benicia Letters Once More”.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

Hey Jim,
When I grew up in Benicia, there were three other kids and me who were as close to being brothers as four guys could be without being related. I met them from 60 to 55 years ago. I loved those guys. I still love them. Time, distance, and death changed things some.
Most of the time there were only two or three of us at a time together. None of us had access to a car until our late teen years. Believe it or not, one of us didn’t have a telephone at their home. So unless we had a set date, rode our bike or walked to another’s home it was a little difficult at times to get us all together. There were many times, though, when all four of us were together.
We got in fights with each other the way young guys who hang out with each other do. No one ever backed down from a challenge from any of the others. Along the way we always stood up for each other. We even told each other when we had made a mistake.
We did about everything together we could. We called around to get up enough kids to play pick-up ball games, we dated the same girls at various times in our lives, and we played on the same teams in high school. It was a good time.
There were a few parents who were really upset with us at times. One of those times was when all four of us got on my bike at the same time. That is the time I remember most of the four of us together.
The other guys were at my house finishing a lunch of soup and sandwiches my mom made when we decided to go visit a girl on the west side of town.
The guys had walked to my home. I lived farthest away from the girl so I wanted to take my bike. I thought I’d walk it out to her house with them and ride back. After a few blocks, I came up with the brilliant thought that we should all ride on my bike.
I sat on the seat and obviously did the pedaling, one guy sat behind me on the rack, one in front of me on the frame with his legs sticking out to the right, and one on the handle bars. Cross my heart that is how it was. It was a pretty good balancing act. Facts are facts.
I got in a few pushes on the pedals when the frame broke right above the fork.
Four of Benicia’s 13-year-old boys went sprawling on that level stretch of street downtown. The small assortments of bumps, bruises, and scratches probably didn’t matter to any of us. We had each grown up getting contusions and abrasions in what today would probably be called rough-house play and in the pick-up games.
Some of our parents saw it as just that, but a couple others seemed upset when they found out what happened. It is hard to disguise the fact a bicycle is in two pieces instead of one. Heck, all four of us guys had probably done things that would have been more shocking to all of our parents.
I’m the only one of those youths left. One had a heart attack, one had cancer, and one simply stopped living one day. My day is coming, but I hope to show here the love I held for those companions of youth though I never would have known then it was love.
Thanks for letting me share these memories of some great guys and some great times here in Benicia.
-Ed

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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