Blue Eyed Sailor Man

By Virginia Powell Sharp

How was it possible for a Louisiana gal and New York sailor to meet and fall in love? After 40 years the tall blue eyed sailor retired from an electronics finn. Hed spent much of his life on the road travelling from power plant to power plant to repair and install instruments. He traveled to Puerto Rico and Venezuela trouble shooting and repairing. He had spent his time off sailing up and down the eastern coast and raising his family. Sue had lived abroad many of her adult years,
teaching, raising her three daughters, and being a wife. Now all their children are adults with families of their own. Will a daughters simple wedding bring them together? What does fate have in store for all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503519626

Virginia Powell Sharp

Virginia Powell Sharp always had the urge to write. Even as a teenager she penned an imaginary journal recalling young love. Her fellow classmates swooned over the journal. Deaths of former cheerleaders led her to write eulogies for them. If it was not poetry or short stories, it was something else. Writing was a creative outlet for her. Now as a senior citizen she writes an inspirational love story based upon her own life. She retired after teaching 25 years. Her entrance into teaching was never planned, but someone led her into this field. She grew up in war time in Venezuela and returned to the States as a second grader. Her parents moved often. Texas felt like home but a final move was to Louisiana where she graduated from high school and college. She began teaching English in the junior high and retired as a mathematics instructor and consultant from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She taught in American schools in Singapore, Korea, and Egypt. She and her former husband raised their three girls overseas and returned to Monroe, La, their home base. After returning to Monroe two years passed quickly. At the end of that time Caryn wanted to know where the family was moving to next. Mom said “Monroe.”

Book preview

Chapter 1

M other asked me one early Sunday morning to help her go through her papers. It was time to throw away all unnecessary clutter. How ironic that Sue Powell Sharp who was born on a Sunday morning wanted to organize her 70 years of memorabilia on another Sunday. The saying goes Sunday’s child is full of grace and grace certainly described my mother. She exhibited an inner beauty that was apparent to anyone who knew her. She reached out to help those who often had given up and encouraged them to keep going on. She always said that there was light at the end of the tunnel. She was unassuming, never expecting any praise for a job well done.

Oddly enough, all three of us girls were born on a Thursday. I was the lucky one who celebrated her first birthday on Friday the 13th. I am glad that I am not superstitious. In accordance with Mom’s wishes, I made the trip to her home to help her to dispose of many unnecessary possessions. Reluctantly I assumed my role.

When Mom first married she worked at a large newspaper office. Being in charge of the newspaper morgue, she had a lot of contact with the public who often called with questions about stories that had run in the paper. Not only did she have to research stories for the reporters, but also for the inquiring public. Many times students called seeking an answer to an assignment. Several times students commented that she should have been a teacher as she was so patient and knowledgeable. Little did she know that her next job would be as a teacher.

My father’s job moved us to a smaller town where the only job opening for Mom was as a substitute teacher. Mother lacked just a few hours from earning her BA degree. The school where she worked liked her so much that they hired her permanently. The administration even paid her tuition to a nearby university for her to finish her BA. Later she took graduate courses if they were taught locally. For seven years she taught for that school system. She lacked a few hours from earning her Master’s Degree. Three years later she earned a MEd with emphasis on Gifted.

Due to the poor pay, my father decided to go overseas with an oil company. The family followed in three months when housing had been arranged. Mother packed two suitcases and a carry on for each of us. We three children ranged in age from 3 to 13. She was not panic stricken as she had grown up overseas. I really have to admire her tenacity as she prepared all of us to go. My grandmother helped Mom decide what might be needed and helped locate the largest allowable luggage. So there we were standing at the local airport with a total of eight suitcases with four carry on bags. We flew to Miami, then London to Malta. My mother had some pluck to get us safely to Malta without losing one of us. I do not know if I could do that now. She continued to teach wherever she was permitted. In Singapore she taught Language Arts in grades 7 and 8. In Korea she was hired as a permanent sub in biology and mathematics, and in Egypt she taught English as a Second Language.

When we returned to the States permanently, she found a mathematics teaching position at the local university. She worked there for 15 years before retiring to get married to Everett Sharp. She began teaching remedial mathematics, but for her last seven years she specialized in teacher education mathematics. Her classes were always full, often closing before registration was over. Several surrounding parishes wrote grants that paid for her services and visits. The weekly school visits kept her on the road. In the end she was a busy lady.

One spring morning as I began going through my mother’s belongings, I found a stack of letters neatly tucked away in a blue velvet box. I sat down in her favorite rocking chair and began reading the letters. As I read the folded treasures, tears formed in my eyes. I began to see another side of my mother. I can’t believe that Mom wrote these letters! Who was she writing to? My mother wrote these letters! Caryn puzzled. Often I had seen her writing but never realized what a gifted writer she was. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. In the end I was so moved by her words that I decided to publish them.

Before long I learned that the letters were written to my step-father Everett. Mother had married Ev when she was 60 and he was 74. He lived in North Carolina and she lived in Louisiana. The letters tell the story of their separation and their love. I always knew they were very close and rarely separated, but I did not know the depth of their love until I found that innocent blue velvet box containing her letters. Mother must have cherished these letters and perhaps read them over and over so that she would always be near my step-father. After reading all of them, I understood why she did not want just anyone to get them.

I, too, have letters stashed away that were from two very special boyfriends. When I moved off, I left behind some of my stuff from high school and in my mother’s care. I did not want my snoopy sisters to find them. I imagine that’s how Mom felt about her letters.

The contents of many of the letters described their spiritual and physical relationship. Up until my discovery, I was naïve enough to think that passionate love was for the younger generation. Love had to be different for the older generation! After all they were old and I was certain there was nothing sexual between them. Well, I just knew that sex stuff only happened in the younger years. Otherwise, my sisters and I would not exist. Somehow I found it difficult picturing them or any elderly couple in bed together having a sexual encounter. No way!

Little was Sue to realize how important the ocean and river would become in her future life. Sailing was quite different from her Texas and Louisiana boating and fishing excursions. Wind powered the sails, while horsepower and gasoline guided fishing boats and ski boats. Life on the water changed drastically in the move to North Carolina. In the spring of the year everything was in bloom. Monroe had all the azaleas and flowering trees in brilliant colors. North Carolina had some unfamiliar greenery and flowers. How was Sue to know that the greatest gift was love?

The Neuse River and Atlantic gave me tranquility.

The wind set me on a different course

And you gave me unconditional love.                                 vss

Chapter 2

T hrough my mother’s writings she told the story of the great love she and Ev shared. Their letters had been cherished and hidden away until recently. All the letters, cards, and emails that Mother sent Ev relate the story of a great love affair. It is through the writings and eyes of my mother that this story of devotion begins.

Life finally had slowed down for Sue. Final exams had been given and graded. Now it was decision time when she had to compute and record final grades. With all the students gone, the campus was quiet. You could almost hear the whir of calculators as professors worked to meet the deadlines. Even those well educated professors eagerly anticipated a respite from books and students.

The popular mathematics instructor Sue Powell could be found in her backyard sitting in the gazebo. All major decisions were made and she had not a care in the world. Half asleep, she was thinking about her daughter Caryn and her upcoming wedding. With some relief she relaxed as that was still weeks away. She had purchased airline tickets for herself, her daughter Lynn and her husband Danny. North Carolina was a new state to visit for all of them.

Sue had shopped all over Monroe before finally finding the perfect mother of the bride dress. Locating the right shoes was usually an exhausting experience because she had long narrow feet. Shoe shopping often required several days. Sue sighed with relief when she lucked out and found the perfect shoes at the first shoe store. Now she was all set for the wedding. She just had to sit back, relax, and wait for May 23 to arrive.

Sue leisurely sat in her swing and watched the birds flit back and forth. A loud mockingbird shouted to all who could hear, Stay away. This is my turf. Sue could only laugh. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a ruby throated hummingbird drinking from the feeder. A honeybee had just drunk its fill, scaring away another hummingbird. Without warning something went zooming by, dive bombing the startled hummingbird. It did not take much to make it leave. The local guardian of the feeder zoomed by again scattering any unwelcome guests. Meanwhile across the way a growing crowd could be found at the abelia bushes. Honeybees, wasps, and butterflies busily sampled the sweet nectar. If one looked closely, ants could be seen sneaking their way to the nectar filled flowers.

Sue laughed when she saw two young squirrels trying to find their way up to the bird seed. The young squirrels stood tall wondering how they were going to get to the birdfeeder. Sue could just see their minds working as they dreamed about mounds of birdseed. Nothing was going to deter them … well, maybe the local cat. After several attempts the squirrels managed to reach the bird seed. Three chickadees unhappily flew away. One squirrel hung upside down while the other sat sidewise on the perch. Several birds flew by, but quickly departed when the invaders were spotted. A red winged blackbird succeeded in dislodging one of them.

One of Sue’s favorite past times was watching the animals. Ah, Mother Nature offers so much relaxation and amusement, she thought. If all of life could be this enjoyable, I’d never leave this gazebo. It is such a relief from the more mundane matters. Just then tears filled her eyes. The territorial hummingbird zoomed by in an attempt to ward off all intruders. Just like a man, Sue laughed, wiping the tears away.

The telephone rang. "I wonder who that can be!