“I was hoping you’d come,” he said.
Gina was comforted by the tenderness she saw in his eyes. But she saw sadness there also. She felt horrible for hurting him so.
“Why aren’t you on the ship with the others?” she asked, stalling.
The several feet of distance between them seemed to Gina as impenetrable as a brick wall. She was aching to touch him, but she was determined to know first if he still wanted her. Standing still, separated by that invisible wall of hurt, not even brushing against his sleeve, seemed strained and artificial. She searched his eyes to know his thoughts. She saw only pain.
“I’m supposed to be on it, like those other guys,” he said, gesturing toward the clump of sailors he’d left behind, who by now had reached the portable gangplank and were boarding the Flint. “But there was a snafu with my transfer back to the ship. When I went to report to my duty station a signature was missing, so I had to have some scrambled egg here on the island sign off.”
Gina had learned months ago that “scrambled eggs” to a sailor meant the gold embroidered oak leaves that decorate a commander's or captain's hat.
“The engines are running. Does that mean you’ll sail soon?”
Gina wished they could have several hours to visit on this lovely spring morning. Perhaps walk along the water’s edge. But they had only minutes together, and she was foolishly wasting them in empty chit chat because what she should be saying was so painful and difficult. It crossed her mind that this might be her last chance to tell him how she felt. She willed herself not to be cowardly.
“It means nothing of the sort. They could idle like that for hours. But they want me aboard right now. They’ve called an all hands.”
Gina looked puzzled.
“They want to count heads, to make sure everyone is onboard who is supposed to be,” Kevin explained. “After that we might sit here at the dock, engines running, till next Tuesday. It’s a particularly military exercise. We call it hurry up and wait.”
He was boarding this minute! She couldn’t procrastinate any longer. “Kevin, I uh …” Her voice broke. “I uh …”
Kevin stepped a foot closer to her and reached for her hand. “Why’d you come, Gina?”
She looked down at the ground, as if there was something there that might give her courage. It was too difficult to look into his eyes. But she had to. “I’m sorry for calling your proposal corny. I realize now you were perfectly serious. I love you, Kevin.”
The words had hardly passed her lips when he pulled her close in embrace and kissed her, once again, like that night in her apartment. The sweetness of his kiss was so keen it almost hurt. She feared she was dreaming.
“Yes,” she said.
He kissed her again. If only she could make time stand still.
“You’ll have to wait, though, for your ring,” he said, releasing his grip a little. But he kept his arms around her. “I thought if I brought it with me you surely wouldn’t come to the pier. Then I’d be depressed every time I looked at it for the next six months. I left it at my Dad’s.”
That stung.
“I can wait,” she said. “Besides, I’m sure the critters who room with you in the garage will have no interest in that type of carat.” She smiled, but then caught herself. “Oh dear, I think the pun virus is contagious.”
He pulled her closer and put his face in her hair, inhaling her fragrance. His eyes were full of happiness.
“Kevin, did you recognize me all the way across the tarmac because of my red dress?”
He stepped back a bit, scanned her from head to toe, and smiled wide. “The red dress made me think of you. But it’s not the dress that made me realize it was you.”
“No?” She was truly surprised. “Well then what?”
Kevin smiled. “I’d know those gorgeous legs anywhere.”
Epilogue
The Lesson is based on the true romance between a Santa Clara University co-ed and a sailor stationed aboard the USS Flint c. 1975. They were married in September 1977 in the gymnasium at the Mountain View, California church described in this book, are still married, and have four children and two grandchildren. He became an FBI agent. She became a writer.
He still wears his Golden Gate Bridge tie on her birthday, every May 27th. She still winces.
Whatever Happened to...?
Real people mentioned in The Lesson
− Donald Callejon − Former Superintendent of Santa Clara schools and former principal of Emil R. Buchser High School; dedicated employee of Santa Clara Unified School District for 43 years
− Dory and Jenny Pieters − Dedicated servants of Jesus Christ; Jenny has since passed on to be with the Lord; Dory is still active in her San Jose church
− Gary Edwards − Former Spanish teacher, Emil R. Buchser High School
− Louis Pastorini - Former math teacher, Emil R. Buchser High School (and brother of former American football quarterback Dante "Dan" Pastorini)
− Olga Lunceford − Former Spanish teacher, Emil R. Buchser High School
− Rev. Emanuel Cannistraci − Former pastor of Evangel Christian Fellowship of San Jose; still preaching and evangelizing around the globe
− Sister Vredenberg − Former radio minister and longtime preacher of the Gospel; died in late 1970s or early 1980s
Real places mentioned in the The Lesson
− The apartment on Lincoln Street, Santa Clara − The vintage house that had been remodeled into two teeny-weeny apartments was razed―I don't know when. A small apartment house is now located at the site.
− The single-car garage on Boston Avenue, San Jose − Still there.
− Big Bick's Restaurant, Santa Clara − Went out of business abruptly c 1976. A Good Earth restaurant was built at that site immediately afterward and later closed. Currently a pizzeria operates there.
− Emil R. Buchser High School, Santa Clara – Benton Street. Established in 1960, closed in 1981; Santa Clara High School now located on the site.
− L.C. Curtis Junior High School, Santa Clara –Pomeroy Avenue. Closed. Classrooms are now rented to small businesses and nonprofits.
− House of Joy, Santa Clara ‒ This Victorian on Bellomy Street still stands.
− USS Flint − Commissioned November 20, 1971; decommissioned August 4, 1995. Currently in service with Military Sealift Command.
− Mare Island Navy Shipyard − First U.S Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean; declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1975; closed in 1996.
− Concord Naval Weapons Station − World War II armament storage depot that supported war efforts during the Korean, Vietnam War, and Gulf wars. Part of the station was closed by the federal government in 2007.
− Toso Pavilion − The Harold J. Toso Pavilion became the Leavey Activities Center, named after the founder of Farmers Insurance, Thomas E. Leavey, class of 1922. After developing frequent tears, the fiberglass (cloth) roof was torn down and replaced with a steel structure in 2001.
− Church of the Crossroads, Mountain View ‒ Miramonte Avenue. Was sold to the Catholic Church. Saint Francis High School now located at the site.
− St. Justin's Catholic Church, Santa Clara − Homestead Road. The millstone was removed years ago. Church and thrift shop still exist.
− El Zarape Restaurant, Mountain View – El Camino Real. Sold. A Middle Eastern restaurant is now located at the site.
− Wilson's Jewel Bakery, Old Santa Clara ‒ Homestead Road. Closed October 2006 after 85 years in business. I don't think I'll ever stop grieving.
− Valley Fair Shopping Center, Santa Clara ‒ Stevens Creek Boulevard. Built in 1956 as an outdoor mall. Completely remodeled as an indoor mall several decades later, now called Westfield Valley Fair.
− Town and Country Village (Shopping Center), San Jose – Near Stevens Creek and Winchester boulevards. Replaced in 2002 by an upscale residential, dining, and entertainment complex: the shiny new Santana Row
− Alioto�
��s Restaurant – San Francisco Wharf. Still exists―wall of shells included.
About the Author
Ginny Welch was raised in Santa Clara, California, where she earned a Bachelor’s in English. She married and moved to northern California where she earned a Master’s in communications at California State University, Chico and where she was first paid for her writing: $25 for a two-page magazine article on how to get a permanent job through temporary work. Since those early days she has worked as a newspaper (foods and politics) writer, book editor, proposal writer and editor, and freelancer—moving around the United States as she followed her husband’s job transfers. She has four grown children and now resides in Virginia. The Lesson is her first novel.
Ginnywelch.com
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