These were the kind of days children dreamed of. A warm sun shone over Coronado, California. December weather on the island didn't prevent outside play. The wind off the bay remained soft, even if chilled. Church had let out early. There was time to play before the mid day meal.
Jeremy Turner had been charged with his sister Sue. He dragged her along on his adventures with the Palmer boys. Jeremy was showing off his brand new red Schwinn by racing up and down H Avenue. Brain and Doug Palmer took turns on their grandmother’s relic trying to keep up. Doug and Brian never fussed about Jeremy dragging Sue along and Jeremy never made fun of the boys on a girl’s bike.
A large hedge separated the Turner’s yard from their neighbor, Mrs. Drake’s yard. The hedge provided just enough concealment to swap baseball cards out of Jeremy’s parents’ sight. Mrs. Drake recently lined her front walk with red poinsettias from Tijuana. Sue thought it was a path laid for Santa Claus. The boys dismounted their bikes and sat on her lawn. Mrs. Drake liked having children in her front yard. Her three boys were all in various stages of the Navy. The youngest would graduate from Annapolis in June. Her middle excelled in his Florida flight school. The oldest had the good fortune of being stationed somewhere in Hawaii; all doing justice to the memory of their distinguished father The Captain.
