it was a Monday morning—not the most popular time for a golf game.
Godwin said, “Who besides you thinks I’ll do better if I try again?”
“You will do better if you take your time,” counseled Rafael. “Now, set up your new ball on the tee. Look down the fairway to the place you want it to go. Then look at the ball and let your mind settle. Only then strike it.”
Godwin wanted to grumble some more at that exceedingly basic advice, but he didn’t. As advanced piano players practiced scales, so golfers needed reminders of the fundamentals.
He pulled another ball from his pocket and balanced it on the little wooden tee. He put his driver next to the ball, then looked down the fairway, picking a spot he knew he could reach.
He drew back the club, keeping his left arm straight, deliberately cleared his mind of extraneous thoughts, then focused on the ball. He took a deep breath, cocked his wrists, and brought the club swiftly down, hearing it smack against the ball with a crisp, metallic
clink
. He followed through on his swing and watched as the ball flew in a beautiful arc farther and farther down the very center of the fairway to land right on target, bounce, and roll another ten yards.
“Sweeeeet,” he sighed. Maybe he wouldn’t throw his driver away just yet.
But that was his best drive of the game.
On the seventh hole, they caught up to the quartet ahead of them and had to wait while they holed out. Godwin turned to Rafael. “Is something on your mind?” he asked. “You’ve been kind of quiet this game.”
“You know me too well,
gorrion
.” After a pause, he said, “I do not know how to begin this conversation,” and Godwin felt his heart give an alarmed lurch.
“Have I done something wrong?”
Rafael smiled. “No, no, not at all. I’ve just been thinking about you, and me, and us. You really like your work, don’t you?”
Godwin, leaning on his club, frowned at him. “You know I do, and why not? I like my boss, the shop is humming along—and I’m a big part of that. What’s not to like?”
“Do you think I’d be good at retail?”
Godwin considered him for a few moments. Was Rafael angling for a job at Crewel World? He’d taken up counted cross-stitch lately and seemed to enjoy it, but Godwin thought it was just a move on his part to share more in Godwin’s life. Just like Godwin had taken up Rafael’s passion, golf.
“You’d be all right, I guess. Maybe pretty good, in fact. Do you want to come to work at Crewel World?”
“No, no. But would you support me in a decision I’m thinking of making?”
“You know I would always support you,” said Godwin, a little puzzled—then he grew alarmed again. Rafael had spent a lot of time lately communing with his computer. “You aren’t thinking we should relocate, are you?”
“No, I don’t believe we will need to move.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear that. But then what is this decision?”
“I would like to open a store of my own.”
Godwin almost laughed, but managed to choke it back. Rafael had never been so much as a sales clerk. “What kind of a store?”
“Collectible coins, of course.” Rafael had not so long ago begun to collect coins. He tended to throw himself into new interests with a passion, and so quickly built a large and eclectic collection, ranging from ancient Roman and Greek coins to modern gold coins. He was especially proud of his medieval Spanish, French, and English hammered silver coins.
“You mean you want to sell your coin collection? You haven’t had it very long.”
“No, just some of the coins.”
“You could do that without opening a store.”
“I know. I have done a great deal of buying, selling, and trading from the start, you know. But I’m doing so much more of it lately that I want to make it official. I want to open a proper place away from home, where people can come in to see what I have, and bring me pieces to see in person. Make it into a real business, to buy
Godwin said, “Who besides you thinks I’ll do better if I try again?”
“You will do better if you take your time,” counseled Rafael. “Now, set up your new ball on the tee. Look down the fairway to the place you want it to go. Then look at the ball and let your mind settle. Only then strike it.”
Godwin wanted to grumble some more at that exceedingly basic advice, but he didn’t. As advanced piano players practiced scales, so golfers needed reminders of the fundamentals.
He pulled another ball from his pocket and balanced it on the little wooden tee. He put his driver next to the ball, then looked down the fairway, picking a spot he knew he could reach.
He drew back the club, keeping his left arm straight, deliberately cleared his mind of extraneous thoughts, then focused on the ball. He took a deep breath, cocked his wrists, and brought the club swiftly down, hearing it smack against the ball with a crisp, metallic
clink
. He followed through on his swing and watched as the ball flew in a beautiful arc farther and farther down the very center of the fairway to land right on target, bounce, and roll another ten yards.
“Sweeeeet,” he sighed. Maybe he wouldn’t throw his driver away just yet.
But that was his best drive of the game.
On the seventh hole, they caught up to the quartet ahead of them and had to wait while they holed out. Godwin turned to Rafael. “Is something on your mind?” he asked. “You’ve been kind of quiet this game.”
“You know me too well,
gorrion
.” After a pause, he said, “I do not know how to begin this conversation,” and Godwin felt his heart give an alarmed lurch.
“Have I done something wrong?”
Rafael smiled. “No, no, not at all. I’ve just been thinking about you, and me, and us. You really like your work, don’t you?”
Godwin, leaning on his club, frowned at him. “You know I do, and why not? I like my boss, the shop is humming along—and I’m a big part of that. What’s not to like?”
“Do you think I’d be good at retail?”
Godwin considered him for a few moments. Was Rafael angling for a job at Crewel World? He’d taken up counted cross-stitch lately and seemed to enjoy it, but Godwin thought it was just a move on his part to share more in Godwin’s life. Just like Godwin had taken up Rafael’s passion, golf.
“You’d be all right, I guess. Maybe pretty good, in fact. Do you want to come to work at Crewel World?”
“No, no. But would you support me in a decision I’m thinking of making?”
“You know I would always support you,” said Godwin, a little puzzled—then he grew alarmed again. Rafael had spent a lot of time lately communing with his computer. “You aren’t thinking we should relocate, are you?”
“No, I don’t believe we will need to move.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear that. But then what is this decision?”
“I would like to open a store of my own.”
Godwin almost laughed, but managed to choke it back. Rafael had never been so much as a sales clerk. “What kind of a store?”
“Collectible coins, of course.” Rafael had not so long ago begun to collect coins. He tended to throw himself into new interests with a passion, and so quickly built a large and eclectic collection, ranging from ancient Roman and Greek coins to modern gold coins. He was especially proud of his medieval Spanish, French, and English hammered silver coins.
“You mean you want to sell your coin collection? You haven’t had it very long.”
“No, just some of the coins.”
“You could do that without opening a store.”
“I know. I have done a great deal of buying, selling, and trading from the start, you know. But I’m doing so much more of it lately that I want to make it official. I want to open a proper place away from home, where people can come in to see what I have, and bring me pieces to see in person. Make it into a real business, to buy
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