As I Was Golfing

By Valerie Hockert, PhD

Richard is going through mid-life crisis, having an affair, and plans to leave his wife and children suddenly has a revelation while on the golf course, as he watches other golf buddies, and then listens to them complain about their lives at the 19th hole.

He decides that he is better off with his wife, and makes a pact with himself to get his body in shape, as his wife had been nagging him about. Perhaps they could work out together. And perhaps he would take the vacation that his wife wanted them to go on together—to rekindle their love.

Richard had suddenly realized that his girlfriend didn’t nag him about getting in shape, because she was just after his money, and financial security.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Justice Gray
• Release date: May 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370723430

Valerie Hockert, PhD

Valerie Hockert, was born in the Midwest where she has lived all her adult life. She has had much life experience through her various entrepreneurial life. She has a Master's Degree in Liberal Studies, and a PhD in Literary Studies. Dr. Hockert has been teaching at a college level for many years. She was the first publisher of the Writers' Journal and Today's Family, two national publications. She is also a certified personal trainer, great chef, and the Publisher of an e-magazine: www.realitytodayforum.com.

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As I Was Golfing

By Justice Gray

Published by Justice Gray at Smashwords

Copyright: © 2017 by Reality Today Forum

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This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Trust

Chapter Two: Kim

Chapter Three: Jeanna

Chapter Four: Jenny

Chapter Five: Junior

Chapter Six: Realization

Chapter Seven: Kim & Kyle

Chapter Eight: Bliss

Epilogue: The Trip

Chapter One

Trust

Richard Capeton placed his golf bag on the grassy patch. He opened up a small leather pack that he held in his other hand and took out a bottle of fresh orange juice from it. He took a sip and cool sweetness poured into his body, giving him a blissful feeling. The juice was just as he liked it, naturally sweet with added black salt and the pulp removed. His wife knew how he liked it. Thinking of her took all the feeling of bliss from him, and instead of the divine orange flavor, a bitter taste lingered in his mouth.

He placed the bottle back and shaded his eyes to look around. There was greenery everywhere on the city’s largest luxury golf course. The sun was quite bright today and the sky was a clear blue. The golf course was mostly empty except for a few maintenance people or a lone retired guy playing on their own. It was noon on a weekday, and a thin crowd was expected. That was the very reason Richard and his gang had selected the weekday outing every month. Their gang selected one day every week each month and took leave from their respective offices on that day. If it was difficult for any one of them to take a day off, then they shifted the routine to the weekend, but usually the weekends were busier. With just one exception, they all were family men, and weekends were packed with family activities like picnics, graduations, anniversaries, and family get-togethers. Despite their busy and hectic schedules, the gang of five had maintained their friendships that began long ago, and now as they progressed in their fifties, their friendships were stronger than ever.

Richard was usually late in arriving anywhere, but today in guilty anticipation of not being late, he ended up being earlier than the rest of them. He was having a good day until the orange juice made by Jeanna today had made him queasy. Richard remembered how she got up earlier than everyone every day and bought fresh oranges from the supermarket nearby. Richard was having colds and flu all the time, until he started drinking fresh orange juice every day. Jeanna liked to drink it too, but she went through all the hassle mainly because of Richard. Usually the juice bottle was accompanied by a goodbye kiss, however, it had been her routine even when they were in the bitterest of fights or even sleeping in different rooms. The bottle would be left on the kitchen table, as Richard always left the house through the kitchen door. He sometimes thought to leave it there, but never did.

Hi Mr. Capeton, good day today. It was Tommy, the young caddie who was working part time at the golf course through the school’s spring break. He usually worked on weekends, so today it was a surprise for Richard to see him there.

Hey Tommy, aren’t you supposed to be in school today? Richard asked him.

No sir, its spring break. Aren’t your kids off? Tommy asked just for the sake of conversation, but once again, Richard was thrown in a muse by this question. His kids’ activities were difficult for him to understand, and his communication with them was getting more and more minimal. He could hardly get anything out of them.

Oh yeah, I just forgot. I am so used to seeing you on our weekend visits only, Richard said to him. So how’s your school going? I can’t imagine how you manage both school and work at the same time.

School is going great. I just balance both because I enjoy both, Tommy said to him smiling. Hey if you need a caddie let me know.

I’m sure, we will need one. But you have to wait. I am a little early today. Come back in like twenty minutes, Richard told him after a quick look at his watch.

As Tommy walked away to do something else, Richard looked at him with a feeling of longing. How responsible and hard working the boy was, and he was a teenager just like his own kids. He could never expect such mature behavior from them. He had tried never to spoil or over-indulge both his kids, so how did they turn out the way they were? With no sense of responsibility and no discipline. What on earth did he do wrong, he wondered. He dearly wished his son was like Tommy, and he envied Tommy’s dad.

Just then Leon showed up. With aviators perched on his head and the quarter sleeves of baby blue and black striped polo rolled up, no one would imagine that Leon was fifty-two. He did not look older than thirty-five. He worked out religiously and could pass as a model. If he was not passionate about the police service, his chiseled features and muscular body could have easily helped him get a career in modeling. Besides, he was the only one of the group who was single, and his escapades with a new woman every other month was the major gossip among their gang. He was the authority about the latest trends in relationships, and the guys joked a lot about envying his single status.

Leon was Richard’s closest friend in the group. Richard also envied Leon’s single carefree life and hooking up with young and beautiful chicks all the time, but he knew deep down Leon was very sad. He still missed his wife whom had died in a car crash thirteen years earlier. However, now Richard was not very comfortable with Leon. This was because Leon knew him too well, and Richard was afraid he would discover his little secret; big secret in fact. The biggest in his mundane bookish life.

Oh, look who showed up early today. What’s up, man? All well there mate?

Yeah, although I don’t think I can pull off this kind of lingo like you do. Suits only the young crowd. But hey, you do pretty well with it. Anyway, how are things with Diane?

Diane? Dunno man, she’s history. The new woman is Gretchen or maybe Rita. Let’s see who gets to be the lucky one, he smiled impishly.

How good looking he looks, and how fit. I can never wear shorts so comfortably with my fat thighs and sagging