The Shot

I had hit my tee shot two hundred and eighty five yards with a slight fade of maybe ten yards.  It was just enough to hug the right edge of the fairway.  It barely cleared the large oak tree that was guarding the manicured grass about two hundred and fifty yards away.  The scuffed up Titleist  hit the fairway, and with some slight top spin, rolled about twelve yards right past Kyle's ball.  His practice had been paying off.  He had learned to play his natural fade shot to his advantage.  I had to work at mine since I typically hit a slight to heavy draw.  I looked back at him as he made his way back to the cart.  He congratulated my shot as he placed his tee into the back of his hat.

"You would have gotten a bit more out of that shot if your ball wasn't so scuffed up."  His jab was welcomed and I countered with, "Well, seeing we are on the last hole and I have been using the same ball since the first tee box, a few scuffs are to be expected.  Besides you have a few new balls taking a bath in the water on seven."  I smirked and he shook his head.  A good game of golf is not a good game without a little jawing back and forth. It was our ritual.

Kyle walked over to his ball.  He was lucky to have it laying in the shade.  Shade was a precious commodity on a Houston golf course. Not only does it help the grass maintain some of its fluffy appeal and provide a better lie, it also helps cool the golfer down a bit.  Walking eighteen holes in the Texas humidity and heat in the middle of July took guts.  We didn't have guts nor did we have brains, at least according to our wives who could not find understanding as to why we brave this weather to play this game.

He stood over his ball.  I could see the sweat dripping from his forehead as he began his waggle back and forth.  He had more of a waggle than Kevin Na.  Suddenly he stopped, began his back swing and swung through the ball for a picture perfect follow through.  He knew, as did I, that he hit it pure, right on the sweet spot.  We watched as it bounced about five feet short of the Bermuda green, bounce and roll about fifteen feet short of the pin. He was left with a desirable up hill putt that would move left to right about eight inches.

It was my turn. I had it in my sights.  It could not escape me. It could not run nor hide behind a tree or duck for cover.  I was the hunter and it was the hunted. It's sometimes hard to pull the trigger.  I found myself hesitant although knowing that I had taken this shot hundreds of times before.  I could hit the target in my sleep.  I was money from  a hundred and thirty five yards away.  The wind...I had to account for the wind.  It could take my projectile and nudge it left to right ever so slightly. Even the slightest breeze could blow enough to effect it's trajectory.  I needed God to hold his breath right now, as was I.  I also needed one hundred other things to fall in place as well.  The ball needed to land on the green short of the stick and move to the right. I set up aiming a bit to the right, playing my draw shot.  Then I heard, "Do you breath in or out as you come through your swing?"

The youngster wasn't going to let me have a shot without trying one more mind trick but I had ice in my veins.  Even the blazing Texas sun couldn't melt it.  I smiled, blew the drop of sweat from the tip of my nose and began my back swing.  I knew as soon as contact was made that it was going to be a good shot.  The sound of the soft core ball hitting the head of my eight iron and the feel of the divot being removed from its natural habitat was the final chapter in this game.

We both watched as the ball took its predicted flight path.  We both loved the anticipation of this game.  Watching a well hit ball is like watching ballerina or a graceful bird soaring through the air. With the ball still in  flight and taking the perfect angle, we both thought this one may go in.  It hit ten feet short and left of the flag, leaving a much desired ball mark.  Repairing a ball mark is a badge of honor in this game.  It is a reward for a well hit shot into the green.

This four hundred and twenty yard par four was a tough hole, in fact, it was the number three handicap on the course.  I was always lucky to par this hole in the past. I would score the occasional double boogie if I  hit the bucket shaped bunker on the left side of the green or ended up in the small tributary of West Lake Houston than ran along the right side.  Today was not that day.

We stared as the ball made it's way closer to the pin and eventually fell to the bottom of the cup.  I swear I could hear that familiar noise of the ball hitting the bottom of the cup from a hundred and thirty five yards away.  We both jumped up and high-fived each other.  The birds flew from the trees as our shouting disturbed their efforts to hide from the sun.  It's funny how competition moves to the side when one of the players hits a great shot.  Still to this day, we refer to that shot as, The Shot.

Noodles and Needs

LIVE. LAUGH. LOVE.  It was monogrammed on the wall in the front foyer of the Jones' Tuscan style home. These words were surrounded by several black and white photos displaying the various cities the couple had visited throughout the years. Pictures from the whites sands of St. Lucia and beaches of Morocco to the Swiss Alps and all the way to the mountain fortress Machu Picchu in Peru.  What seemed like hundreds of pictures lined the hallway. The home was absolutely stunning with custom Spanish tiles, a large fountain spewing bubbly crystal clear water, and more extravagant and ornate wood work than a Victorian mansion. The three story entryway was grand and the twelve foot glass and iron doors enabled visitors to peer through the house, through the back wall of windows, and directly in to the plush backyard that housed a magnificent swimming pool.

David went to college with Lester Jones. They were college roommates and good friends. They each studied physics and graduated with honors. David went on to graduate school and Lester ventured out on his own.  He always had the entrepreneurial spirit. Lester eventually started a computer programing company that assisted NASA with launch information, blast data, and many other things not understood by the common folks. He had recently sold the company and was certainly blessed to be able to retire early.  He was only 45. Lester married a beautiful Puerto Rican named Janina when he graduated. He meet her at a physics conference in Philly and they were married a few months later.

David learned all this when he bumped into Lester at the grocery store a few weeks ago. They had no idea they even lived in the same state much less the same town. It was like a reunion that day in the store. They swapped a few stories and had a few laughs.  They talked for ten minutes discussing how they could live just 15 miles from each other and not know.

"Dave, buddy. You need to come by. In fact, my wife is throwing a surprise birthday party for me in a couple weeks.  Come by.  Let's catch up."

"Doesn't sound like much of a surprise huh?"

"My wife isn't very good at it.  So how long have you been married now?"

"About twenty years. You remember Anna from Dr. Krafter's class our senior year?"

"Yeah, I sure do. Oh my God. You two? You married her?  She was a fox."

"No. The girl that sat next to her, Christi," laughed David.  "And who calls a girl a fox anymore?"

"I guess I'm stuck in my teenage mind but what a beautiful place that mind is," joked Lester. "But seriously I want you and Christi to come by a week from this Saturday. Janina just had a new pool put in so she thought no better way to celebrate my birthday than to have a pool party. It's not a big party or a big deal either. Come by around 3:00 or so, please don't bring a gift. It's not really that kind of party besides I feel weird when people show up with presents and things.  Bring a bottle of wine if you want to."

David and Christi pulled up to the guard shack at the front of the Jones' subdivision.

"We are here to see the Jones."

"No problem sir," replied to guard. "You can find their house two streets down on the left. Pull up to the valet and they will park for you."

"Oh OK.  Thanks."

"Swanky friends you have David," she said jokingly.

"Yeah.  This place is pretty nice. A valet for a party?"

They pulled around to the valet and stepped out of their Honda Civic. The valet proceeded to park it amongst a few Mercedes, Lexus, and some type of foreign sports cars and convertible.

He took a deep breath. "OK.  Let's hit it," he said.

They began the walk up to the majestic entrance to the home and was greeted at the door by Janina. The lovely Janina flashed her million dollar smile and she tightened the bikini wrap tied around her waste.  She was stunning.

"Oh my goodness! Hi there!" Janina said in a thick Puerto Rican accent. "Lester has told me all about you!  Come in please."

We stepped in the foyer and immediately heard Lester scream, "Cannonball" and launch himself into the pool.

"Oh that Lester.  Please let me take the wine.  I'll sit it over with the rest of the bottles.  You can set you gift over with the rest."  She gave each a hug.

David did bring a small gift.  General rule of thumb says he has to show up with a gift to a birthday party, regardless of if the host says not to.  He looked over toward the fireplace where the was a stack of large presents, with exquisite wrapping paper, bows, and streamers.  David clinched his gift as he walked over to drop zone. He was obviously a little apprehensive to place his small gift that was shroud in crinkly old paper and an old Christmas bow amongst the perfectly wrapped quests' gifts.  When he returned to his wife's side.

David inconspicuously whispered in Christy's ear. "I think some people bought him a gas grill? Look at the size of some of those presents. He may even have a flat screen TV over there!"

So the evening went on and Lester was introducing David and his wife to all the guests.  Some guests were dressed to the nines and some were wearing their bathing suits and enjoying the swim up pool bar seats under the waterfall. It was a beautiful afternoon to have a pool party. 

David has been teaching physics at the local high school since a he graduated.  Not the best paying job in the world but it's a living he loved sharing his knowledge.  You could tell by the way some of his conversation went with the other guests.  He would get over their head while explaining anything related to his profession.

So the fire pit was lit and Lester was sitting up by the presents.  His wife tapped her glass and called attention in the room.  She thanked everyone for coming and stated Lester was going to open his presents.  Lester being a modest fellow first declined but Janina has a way of talking anyone into anything.

"What kind of party is this? Who opens gifts in front of all their guests?  That's for seven year olds not grown adults," he again whispered to Christi.

So Lester began opening his gifts.  A gas grill, Tiffany crystal, fancy artwork, and cases of fancy wine like Silver Oak and  Antinori Solaia.  He then grabbed David's gift.

"This one is from David and his wonderful wife Christi. I haven't seen David in 20 years and we happened to run into each other a few weeks ago.  What a pleasure it is to have them here this evening."

"Just for the record, I did not have any doing in picking the gift," joked Christi.

Lester pealed the paper off it and just starred at it for a few seconds. He then looked up directly at David and again starred for a few seconds before he spoke.

"Really?  This is what you got me? I can't believe this."

Everyone turned around to look at David. He just stood there feeling out of place, almost out of his league with this group of people.

"Are you kidding me," Lester said. "This is awesome!"

He pulled out a pack of Ramen Noodles and proudly held them up so everyone could see. 

"Oh man, we ate these things every day of our life for four years in college.  You even got the beef flavor kind! Guys, this man and I shared some of the best times of our life together.  Many of the memories we have forgotten but as soon as I saw these Ramen Noodles I recalled many things I haven't thought of in decades. We would have some of our best discussions over various physics theories and other nerdy topics that aren't of interest to much of you here tonight."  He began to tear up a little bit and walked over and hugged David then gently kissed Christi on her check.

"He whispered, "You have a wonderful man here with a wonderful heart."

Long after all the guests left and the hustle and bustle of the party left the house, David and Lester were found in the kitchen making beef Ramen Noodles and drinking the eight dollar bottle of wine he and Christi brought. Something about this day and this party brought things into perspective for everyone.

"Dave, out of all the gifts I got tonight, which by the way, I didn't know Janina told the other guests to bring one, these Ramen Noodles and cheap wine are the ones that I will cherish forever.  He raised his glass.  "Here's to lifelong friendships that are full of many years of void and many years of memories.  I hope to enjoy many more memories with you guys. Salud." 

They all tapped their plastic cups in agreement.