Evergreen Leaves: Short Stories

By Vee Williams Garcia

In Evergreen Leaves, the characters are worldly-wise and affluent. They are involved in the arts, journalism, the performing arts, music and philanthropic support of the arts. Although sophisticated, some of them are unwittingly deceived in “A Quiet Evening” and “The Leather Envelope,” both of which are set in Washington, DC; and in “That Friday,” which is set on Marco Island in southern Florida.

In “Visiting Lena,” the main characters experience generational conflict. And in “The Nighttime Limousine Tour,” characters fall victim to crime. Both stories are set in Paris, France.

Other stories in Evergreen Leaves are set in the Washington, DC - Maryland area and are titled: “In October,” a story that involves mismatched lovers; “Maureen’s Gift” which follows the journey of one gift; “The Promise” in which a character makes a unique vow; and “A Christmas Surprise,” in which a couple and their friends experience Yuletide together in France.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781663227928

Vee Williams Garcia

Native Washingtonian Vee Williams Garcia majored in English and Literature at UDC, and USF in Tampa, where she was married to the late musician Robert M. Garcia and resided for many years. Garcia read from her poetry collections and novels in various states and in Paris, France.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Vee Williams Garcia.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

844-349-9409

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6632-2791-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-2851-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-2792-8 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 08/27/2021

CONTENTS

Foreword

A Quiet Evening

The Leather Envelope

Visiting Lena

In October

The Promise

A Christmas Surprise

That Friday

Maureen’s Gift

The Nighttime Limousine Tour

Acknowledgments

About the Author

To the Memory of my parents:

Novella W. Martin and Thomas G. Williams

FOREWORD

The stories in Evergreen Leaves have a different tone than most of the ones in Indigo Tales, my previous collection. The main characters in Indigo Tales are mostly blue-collar workers and employees in service industries, who, while on vacation or a weekend getaway, stumble into surprising situations or meet strangers with secrets.

On the contrary, characters in Evergreen Leaves are affluent and they are involved in the arts, journalism, the performing arts, music, and philanthropic support of the arts. And because they are human—just as the characters in Indigo Tales are— they fall into deceptive situations.

In Evergreen Leaves, characters who are unwittingly deceived appear in the stories: A Quiet Evening and The Leather Envelope, both of which are set in Washington, DC. That Friday, which has a similar theme is set on Marco Island in southern Florida.

There are other themes in Evergreen Leaves as well. In the story Visiting Lena, the main characters experience generational conflict. In The Nighttime Limousine Tour, characters fall victim to crime.

Other stories in Evergreen Leaves are set in the DC - Maryland area and are titled: In October, which involves mismatched lovers; Maureen’s Gift which follows the journey of one gift; The Promise in which a character makes a unique vow; and one set in Paris and its suburbs titled A Christmas Surprise, in which a couple and their friends experience Yuletide in France.

Vee Williams Garcia

26013.png

A QUIET EVENING

Washington, DC

Spring 1983

Two pine trees and a maple graced the grassy yard of a house on a street of detached homes in the Gold Coast area of Northwest DC. A narrow but brief walkway from the sidewalk to the house required one to climb only three steps to the porch and the front door.

Inside the house, Camille Baines Gilbert sat at her kitchen table sipping a cup of tea and drafting letters to a few arts organizations and philanthropists. It was a routine start to her weekday mornings. The telephone rang. Because it was attached to a wall near her, Camille simply laid her pen on the table, lifted the phone’s receiver from its hook and answered it. Allô, she said with an affected French accent.

Oh. We’re not African-American today? Louis Miller said in his gravelly voice.

Camille laughed. I always answer the phone this way. You know that, Louis.

Yeah, sure. Yada-yada, yada. He paused, then said Actually, your accent sounded a little more French than it normally does when you answer the phone.

Oh, okay, she said, approving his response.

So, what would you like to do this evening? Louis said. I’ll be free.

You will?

Yeah. I told Vicki I’d be going to unlock Robeson Playhouse, so the actors can get in there and rehearse for their new play. I told her I’d be there for a while, talking with the crew and producers. Then I’d be going to my office building for a meeting with real estate brokers.

Good, Camille