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Love waits for fifty years

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Contributed by: Deborah Tejada on 2/6/2007

The weather is warming, the snow is melting for the first time in weeks, and I'm feeling good. I decided to enter your contest not with my own love story (I do have one of course), but with the extraordinary love story of my in-laws.

The University of Southern California (USC) is where X (Ximeno) Tejada met Anne Jones in 1940. X was an engineering major. He was born in LaPaz, Bolivia in the spring of 1918. In 1929 X's father sent his children with their grandmother to the United States for educational reasons, and to keep them safe from the political unrest in South America. Anne Jones, along with her brother, had grown up on a farm in Louisiana with their mother, a struggling widow. Anne was an English major at USC.

X and Anne shared many interests, and spent a lot of time together in college. They talked about marrying after graduation. They both graduated USC in 1941. Anne went north to San Francisco for a while to live with an aunt and uncle and work as a school teacher, and X became an engineer in Los Angeles.

Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941, deeply affecting both of them. Anne joined the US Navy, and was in the first group of WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). X tried to enlist in the army, but was turned down because he was not yet an American citizen. Oddly enough, he was later drafted into the US Army anyway, became a US citizen, and was later transferred to Boston. X and Anne slowly lost touch with each other.

X, as an personnel officer in Boston, met a lovely young woman named Loretta Heelan, who was secretary to the camp Commander. X and Loretta eventually married and settled in Southern California. They had three daughters and a son (my husband).

Anne also married, and had two children, a son and daughter.

Many more years passed. Anne's marriage ended. Anne and X would occasionally hear news of each other's lives through their college connections, friends joined by USC sorority and fraternity. Later in life, X's wife, Loretta, became seriously ill. They moved to Florida. After many years of fighting cancer, Loretta died.

Anne heard the news of Loretta's passing and sent X a long letter of condolence and compassion. The letter sparked a series of events. Letters and phone calls turned into X making a quick visit to Northern California to meet with his old friend again. One visit turned into a few more visits. A few more visits turned into romance. Romance turned into X moving back to California.

On April 29, 1989, X and Anne were finally married in a small private ceremony. All the children, and grandchildren, attended. Two people who had planned to marry almost 50 years earlier were finally joined in matrimony.

X and Anne now live in Southern California. They are both in their 80s. They are affectionately known as "Annex." They spend their days taking care of each other, through sickness and in health, knowing that they have lived full, successful and productive lives. They visit with friends and family, watch a myriad of televised sports, occasionally lawnbowl. They have served their families and their country well, and are models to all of us of hard working, dedicated Americans.

So that's my story -- one that I think of often. I'll finish this story with a quote from Anne that pretty much says it all:

"I love you. Thank you, X, I am so lucky to have your love. The best part is that I know it and enjoy telling you and everyone else how much I love you. Anne"

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Showing 1-3 of 3 comments

Submitted By: Wanda Cline

posted on 2/13/2007 @ 10:47:05 AM

Rated Story

What a wonderful love story Debbie and you told it beautifully. Wanda

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Submitted By: Susan Rule

posted on 2/11/2007 @ 12:12:21 PM

(Not Rated)

Awww, that was SO sweet! Not everyone ends up with the love of their life - sure glad they did and that you shared it with us! - Susan

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Submitted By: Barbara Neff

posted on 2/6/2007 @ 2:05:42 PM

Rated Story

I love this love story...the Annex Story. Thank you for sharing it. Please keep writing!

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Showing 1-3 of 3 comments

CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Deborah Tejada

Highlands Ranch , CO

Deborah Tejada has posted 2 stories and 1 comment since joining on 6/22/2006. Deborah Tejada 's average story rating is 5.

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