Spring Break (Spring 1964)

“Close to You”

Listen to Chapter 4

As Sandra wandered down the silent dormitory hall in search of Julie, she was not a little reminiscent of the year she had spent at La Paloma away from Bob. The basement wing where Julie was now—that was where Sandra had lived, too, until her mother had taken sick and the tragedy struck. Life had seemed like one dreadful nightmare. She remembered the sickening white of the hospital walls and the morning fog that smothered the valley and the La Paloma campus. The organ, the black clothes and green carpets, the smell of oak and roses all spun around Sandra’s tear-stained face—then Bob was there. Yes, things had looked pretty dark then. So slowly the wound had healed. Now Daddy had a girlfriend—Sandra hoped—and at least Bob still loved her, very much….

“Sandra! What are you doing here?” It was the familiar sound of Julie’s voice.

“Oh, hi! I was just coming down to see you, Julie,” Sandra greeted her friend. “Too bad our Easter vacations didn’t coincide. But I thought I’d stop in and see you before I go back to Pacific.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. Come on down to my room and we can catch up on all the gossip. Bobbie’s out tonight.”

And so, after almost an hour of Julie’s study time had slipped away, Sandra bade her friend goodbye.

“See you next summer—I hope!” Sandra said.

“You hope!” Julie questioned. “Aren’t you and Bob going to spend the summer in Riverdale?”

“I don’t know,” Sandra replied. “He’s got a good year-round job at Pacific Christian College—even if he does nearly work himself to death. And Daddy has talked about getting me a neat office job with some friend of his in town. But how can Bob and I spend another summer apart? Last summer was enough!” Then Sandra grinned. “But, no need to worry. We both know, ‘all things work together for good’…”

Julie smiled as Sandra waved goodbye and hopped into the taxi. She was so optimistic. That was just Sandra.

*****

“And how’s ‘little sis’?” Bob asked.

Sandra opened her mouth to ask “who” but only for a moment. Julie, of course! Making her his “little sister” had been Bob’s way of trying hard to not hurt her when he had fallen in love with Sandra. “Oh, just fine, I guess,” Sandra responded.

“Is she still in love with Allen?” he asked teasingly.

Sandra’s expression remained unusually serious.

“Confidentially, honey, I’m just a little worried. Julie and I had a nice long talk—about Allen. They’re in love, all right, but—”

Bob’s smile faded. “But Julie’s too sweet for Allen to hurt her—again.”

“Really,” Sandra went on, “I thought we were bad that Saturday night at Willow Creek. But Julie and Allen don’t even believe it’s wrong!”

“Willow Creek.” Bob’s worry showed as he remorsefully remembered that night. “But how could they ever—”

“Well, it seems one night they got off campus with Bobbie and Derek. Remember that place called Rainbow Rock on that little road north of La Paloma College? I know you’ve heard about it—”

Bob took her hand. “Say no more, sweetheart. Just pray that Julie’s still a virgin.”

*****

The campus was a world of springtime colors and activities. The springtime whirl caught both Sandra and Julie—even in their two separate worlds.

“But I just couldn’t go out on Derek the way you go out on Allen,” Bobbie insisted. “Sometimes I wonder if you really are in love.”

“Oh, good grief!” Julie protested. “Of course, I love Allen. It’s just that he’s there and Rafael’s here. I think you’re just like my Momma—objecting to Rafael Gonzales just because he’s Spanish!”

“No, I’m not,” Bobbie argued. “Allen may not be the handsomest man in the world, but Rafael sure isn’t!”

“That’s not true!” defended Julie. “Rafael’s really cute. Anyway, he’s nice, too. But you know I’m going to marry Allen!”

Bobbie nodded, then lowered her eyebrows slightly. “Julie, aren’t you really rebelling? Going out with Rafael just because your Momma is a little prejudiced. Protesting against what you’ve believed all your life?”

Julie was silent. It was hopeless to argue with Bobbie.

*****

“Rafael Gonzales, huh?” Bob asked Sandra.

“Um-hum.” Sandra absentmindedly stuffed Julie’s letter back into its envelope.

“Well, maybe more casual dating of other guys will make Julie a little more inhibited when she’s out with Allen alone.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Sandra was now leafing through her notebook. Then, “Hey, we’ve got two minutes to get to English Lit—let’s go!” And Bob followed her racing feet out the dormitory door.

*****

“…so if Bob can stay in the trailer in your yard like he did two summers ago, we’ll be in Riverdale for the summer and maybe go to La Paloma College this fall. I’ve got a 50-50 chance for a library job, but Bob is coming completely on faith. Oh, Julie, you’re so lucky! You’re so positive of your secretarial ambitions and you have your California State Scholarship to put you through your four years. And then you’ll have Allen for a lifetime. ‘Pastor and Mrs. Allen Macintosh.’ Bob is so torn, but we can’t get married until he graduates with something and has a job!”

Julie plopped onto the bed and dropped Sandra’s letter on her desk. With chin in hands and pensive eyes gazing far across the warm green campus, she reaffirmed silently how happy—and lucky—she really was. Allen was hers, all hers, and she was his. How could Sandra possibly understand how much she had grown since Christmas! Bob was so much more warmly emotional than Allen that, of course, he and Sandra had to be careful. But Allen was levelheaded—and so lovingly affectionate. No, not even Bobbie Crawford really understood their unique relationship, the tangible and intangible things that bound their hearts together….

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