Back in Riverdale (Early June 1964)

“Love Me Tender” (saxophone)

Listen to Chapter 5

“Oh! You’re really here!” It was plain to see that Julie was excited as she gave Bob a quick once-over.

Sandra hugged Bob. “Yep, all summer! Then one more year together—most likely at La Paloma—and then…” Her eyes spelled “wedding bells.”

“Neat!” Julie agreed. “Well, I guess you know I’ll be staying at La Paloma for summer school until August.”

“But after August, you’re really going to live it up,” Bob directed to Julie as he hugged Sandra. “Allen and I are going to show you gals the works—mountains, beach, Disneyland—”

Julie giggled. “Well, don’t forget to tell Allen about it.”

“Say,” reminded Sandra, “Allen’s down south working for that evangelism scholarship, isn’t he?”

Julie nodded. “Just eight more weeks! Then we’ll be together—a little summer, then college, then a lifetime.”

*****

The next couple of weeks were busy ones. Allen, just a little unsure of his long-desired plans for the ministry, was eager to get involved in this little taste of real evangelism, even if it meant more than a hundred miles away from his Julie. Although she was feeling alone, Julie soon lost herself in the whirl of the Western Civilization summer class and her job at La Paloma. Sandra, energetic and happy to be free from finals, soon landed a neat little position in the city library. And Bob, worn down but not out from hunting a job, satisfied himself with a temporary job at the Riverdale Packing Company while he looked for something—anything—that was better.

“Well,” Julie admitted to Sandra, “Larry and Glen both asked me if I’d play tennis with them this summer, but I haven’t seen either around.” She shrugged as she stared out Bob’s trailer door. “And I miss my ‘good buddy’.”

“Rafael?” Bob ventured a guess.

“No, I mean Greg Schultz,” Julie smiled. “I told you two about him. He’s in my music theory class, but what he’d really like to do is theater. We were so close, like brother and sister. He took me to the Spring Banquet at Mission Inn, but he can’t afford to come back to La Paloma.”

“He must have needed a Christian friend like you,” Bob nodded.

“But, speaking of Rafael—” Julie eyed Bob and Sandra mischievously as she dug into her purse and produced a small airmail envelope. “I heard from him last week.”

“Wow!” Sandra exclaimed as she looked at the letter Julie held in her hand.

“Oh, but it’s not what you think,” Julie explained. “It’s a goodbye letter. He’s spending the summer working at a hospital in Ohio.”

Sandra frowned, but Julie went on.

“I didn’t even like Rafael when I first started dating him. I just went with him to all those Spanish-speaking churches to play the piano for him when he sang. But we spent a lot of time together rehearsing in the music building practice rooms. And, well, after a while, before I knew what was happening, we were falling in love.” She stopped for a moment, remembering, as a smile played on her lips. Then, returning to the moment, she said, “Here’s what Rafael wrote in this letter.” And Julie read, “Juliana, you are the first woman I’ve ever been in love with; and I know that if I ever fall in love again, it will have to be with someone who is as wonderful as you.”

“Wow!” Sandra didn’t know what else to say.

*****

It was later when Sandra and Julie were alone that Sandra remembered something she had heard. “Say, I didn’t know your Aunt Jenny passed away.”

“Oh,” Julie responded a little sadly, “yes. It was just before finals last spring and I had to come home for five days. She and Momma were so close. It terrified me to go back, but I made it okay.”

“I’m sorry.” Sandra’s eyes wandered far beyond the sunflowers just outside Julie’s bedroom window. “I remember when my Aunt Hazel died a couple years ago. My mother was the one who took such constant care of her when she was so sick. You know, no one would have ever dreamed then that my mother would go so soon afterwards.”

Suddenly a strange new pang of fear shot through Julie’s body like no sensation she had ever felt before. Trembling, she left the room. “Sandra,” she called over her shoulder, “let’s play the piano—or something.”

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