We were playing golf on one of those perfect, May Saturdays. If it wasn’t perfect, my name isn’t James Collier. I was on the eighth green of a par five hole in three strokes. If I could two putt, an easy two putt, I’d be in the hole at par. Bill was in the sand trap while Scott was going to chip next. Frank asked me to hold the flag while he used a nine iron from the fringe. His shot lifted just enough to clear and was rolling straight at the hole as I watched. Then I heard Frank’s club fall. When I looked up he was gone. As I had guessed, the ball rolled, curved slightly to the right, and dropped in the hole. Bill said, “Where the hell did Frank go?”
Then it hit me. Marilyn had been dragging me to church for 20 years (for the sake of the kids she always said). This was it, the so-called rapture when the church people went up to heaven. I felt this overwhelming urge to get home and let the flag fall to the ground. I took off in the cart without Scott who just stared as his bagged clubs and I disappeared down the path. Then he chipped with the one that was left.
It was hard getting to the house because there were car crashes all over the place. Some bodies, some flames, some people wandering around in shock littered the normal order of things with chaos. The front door of the house was wide open. I remembered what Marilyn‘s preacher said would come next.
Now I’m not one to moan over a loss. Straight ahead will be a three and a half year time of peace and prosperity, if the preacher was right. Not so good afterward but I would face that problem when I got there. No need to worry now. Just enjoy life. Play golf Sunday mornings. With Frank gone, I suppose we will have to find a fourth guy. I have over a thousand days to figure this out according to that preacher. A thousand happy days. Plenty of time.
(Obit. James Collier, a prominent local dentist, died quietly in his home on June 6th. He was preceded in death by his wife Marilyn, and their two children. His parents Robert and Amanda Collier of San Francisco have asked that donations be made to the American Heart Association in lieu of flowers as no services will be held.)
Read 1st Thessalonians, chapter 4, verses 16 through 18.
A Guy Named Bob 