ACTA NON VERBA

Laying up on a Par Five

FIVE

The press conference was anti climatic as far as Jim and Bill were concerned. The last question though was a ponente one. A reporter asked why Jim thought the little girl was able to make the leap to their waiting arms. Jim replied, “You know I am not really positive on that one. But one thing is for sure, her faith in Jesus Christ gave her the power to step to the edge and make a.” He paused for a moment then said. “Make that faithful leap. A leap I think many people may have not been able to do. As far as I am concerned, she is the hero here. She is the one who put her trust in God to save her. And he came through. Bill and I are thankful just to be there for her.” With that both men turned and walked from the podium towards the parking lot. As they walked out to their cars, Bill had asked Jim if he wanted to play some golf. The rain had stopped and the sun was shining. Jim thought it was a great idea and the two of them headed out to the golf course for some relaxation on their day off. Believing anytime he was on a golf course was better than almost any other time in his life, Jim agreed to play.

His dad had taken him out when he was a young boy and he remembered so many good times he had spent with his pops chasing that little white ball around. Golf was a great teaching tool he remembered his dad saying. Golfers called penalties on themselves, and shook their opponent’s hands whether they had won or lost. His dad believed that golf, because of its rules taught you the difference between right and wrong. It also passed on the characteristics of truthfulness and integrity, something he prided himself in. Jim knew very well growing up as most boys did, he too had stretched the truth a time or two. And because of it many a day he heard how his dad hated it when he was lied to. His dad never minced words. If you screwed up, he told you and if you did great, he was there to let you know that also. Jim didn’t pay a lot of attention to some of these lectures growing up, but something must have stuck because these were the very characteristics that he guided his life by as an adult.

As the two of them hit the first tee, Bill said. “What we playing for, and how many strokes do I get?” He knew Jim was a much better golfer then he was, but a little wager never hurt anyone and added to the competition.

Jim thought for a moment and then said, “I am not sure, you need to teach me this game.” He smiled and laughed then continued on, “Well, being as it is a gorgeous day out here, but a little windy. And I know you can’t play in the wind. OK you can’t play with or without the wind. I’ll give you four a side.”

“Oh, in a giving mood today, are you? Sounds good, one mulligan a side.” Bill offered up.

Jim knew he didn’t like the mulligan rule and wouldn’t use it so he replied, “Yah you go ahead I won’t need any. Let’s call it your little edge.” That little cheesy grin grew on his face and he said, “You buy, ahhh, I mean loser buys. Soda and a dog are the stakes.”

“Fine with me. Your mine today I can feel it.” Bill robustly stated.

Laughing while talking Jim said, “You take the box, probably the only time you get it today.”

Bill jumped up on the tee box. Pushed his tee in the ground and took a couple of slow solid practice swings. Jim could see Bill muttering to himself as he stood over the ball, “Slow, smooth, and steady, slow, smooth, and steady.” And then as if he had forgotten what he had just told himself he wildly swung the club back and lightning fast tried to belt the ball down the fairway as far as he could. Three hops a skip and twenty yards of roll later he had hit it almost eighty yards down the fairway.

Jim immediately began laughing and shot a wise crack at Bill, “Nice lay-up. At least it was straight down the middle.” As he walked to the box he said to Bill, “Slow smooth and steady huh?”

“Sure, sure, first hole jitters is all. I’ll get it going soon.” Bill proclaimed. Then he shot at Jim, “Don’t worry I know you have a few in you too.” But as he said it, he thought, yah only on his worse day.

With that Jim stepped up to the ball took a look down the fairway and stroked a beautiful shot right down the middle. “Oh, there’s a bad one just left of center, hope the rest of the day doesn’t go this bad.” He snickered a little as they got in the cart and headed out down the fairway.

After several holes Jim had gained a substantial lead and Bill tried to get Jim’s mind off of his golf. “When is that wedding coming up Jimbo? You won’t be out here much after that. The old ball and chain will keep you caged up.”

Jim swerved the cart over to his ball and came to a stop just to the right of it. As he got out of the cart he said, “Yah, right, you know when it is, and I am excited to get married.” Jim then looked down the fairway grabbed a club from his bag and assaulted his ball. “Been looking for my perfect mate for years. She is all I want and all I need.” Then he looked down at his ball and got ready to swing.

Bill watched and waited a second and just before Jim got ready to swing Bill added, “Probably doesn’t hurt she is the Chiefs daughter.” Then he laughed out loud for a few seconds.

Jim stepped away from the ball and he laughed also. Then he got back over the ball and took a swing. This time the ball shot way out to the right nothing like his normal shot and Jim grabbed his hand in pain grimacing for a second or two. Bill was still looking at the ball heading no were where he expected it to go. He said, “Whoa, where’d that come from? Don’t think I ever remember you hitting one like that.” He darted back with a quick, “Guess I should talk about your soon to be wife more often.”

Trying to smile at what just happened Jim told Bill, “Well even Tiger hits them a rye once in a while.” As the pain continued to flash through Jim’s hand for a good ten seconds, Jim thought, man what was that? He shook his hand a little and told himself that was a little funny. As the pain slowly subsided, he felt a bit more comfortable about it and passed it off as just pinching a nerve or something like that. He jumped in the cart and off they went again.

Up on the green the two joked a bit more about Jim’s wild shot and got ready to putt. Bill stooped over his ball, glanced at the whole and said, “I see an opportunity to gain a shot or two right here when I make this.” He looked at the hole one more time and slapped the ball towards the cup. “Get there, get there, he shouted at the ball loudly.” But to no avail it came up about a foot short. “Man, that was terrible, just terrible.” Bill sighed.

Ceasing the chance Jim said, “What’s the problem your skirt got in the way of that one Judy?” of course Jim knew that Bill would have jumped on the chance to needle him too if he had done the same thing. Jim then stepped to his putt and took a practice swing. As he stroked the putt towards the hole, he again felt intense pain shot through his hand and as he looked down at his hand, he saw the fingers cramp up into a claw. This time the pain was so intense that he let out a bit of a yell, “Owe, man that hurts.”

His playing partner glanced away from the ball and was ready to comment on the fact that he had missed when he saw Jim’s hand then said, “You all right? Man, you better get that looked at. Probably a pinched nerve or something like that.” He walked towards Jim and then grabbed the club out of his hand. “I have an aunt who that happens too from time to time. She has a pinched nerve in her neck and it affects her arm when she turns to her right. I think they have some medicine to help with it.”

Jim again tried to shake it off and it slowly went away as they walked off the green. He thought, hope that doesn’t happen very often. Then he said, “I used to laugh at you old guys when you were getting older. Guess it is my turn.” As they walked over to the cart, this time Bill took the controls. He hit the accelerator and they sped off to the next hole.

Jim could tell something was wrong. Pain really was nothing new to him. He had played football in pain. He had suffered through pain while in boot camp and nothing had ever slowed him from completing his tasks. Overcoming problems was a part of life to him. In this case though it scared him a bit because it had been steadily getting worse in the last few months. It reminded him of times he had heard of how people would be struck down in the prime of their life by something they never knew they had. The more he thought of it the more he began to brush it off. Thinking just as he had in the past that he just needed to stretch a bit better and work out a little more. So, he had convinced himself that it was nothing and continued on with their game. By the end of the day, he had forgotten about the whole ordeal and the two of them headed to the snack bar for that soda and dog that Bill of course owed to Jim.

Way more to come...................