The Legend of Elmo Kramer

Chapter 9

2011-03-24T15:05:00.001-05:00

Fire and Rain

I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again ....James Taylor

The rain came down in sheets. It had rained most of the month of June. Elmo tinkered in his shop. There was nothing else to do. The stress was there. It had been there since the day he had discovered his money was buried beneath the huge rock. At first it was all consuming. He couldn’t think of anything else. His stomach was in knots for weeks. Then he suddenly became used to it in a way. It was always there, though, just beneath the surface. Instead of getting used to it he had become numb to it. Occasionally it would sweep back over him like a wave coming in from the ocean. He stared out the window at the rain and waited. He knew there would be an ending to this story and his life had become a waiting game. He didn’t know when it would end or how it would end. He just knew that the money had a life of its own. Someday everything would come crashing down in a huge crescendo. It would be like a tidal wave coming in from the ocean and everyone who knew about the money would play a part and his would be the biggest. He waited for this to happen for a very long time.

The years went slowly by and Elmo played golf. Some days he would sit on the rock and think. Some days he would hide and watch the rock. He was curious about all the people who played golf at the Boaz Golf Club. No one seemed to show any interest in the rock and as the years went slowly by a lot of vegetation grew up around it and it was completely covered. This pleased Elmo immensely and as time went by he slowly relaxed.

Johnny Fairway looked up to the sky. He was actually scared, because lightning was hitting all around them. He followed Elmo up the small hill to #18 green. He wasn’t going to leave his friend alone. Not now, not today, Elmo was going to putt for a 59. He would never forget this day.

Sara Beth slowed down by the golf course off Hwy 205 known as the Boaz Golf Club. She knew where ‘the Money’ was buried. She saw her father’s truck parked on the side of the road and thought, he must be stupid to be playing in this storm. As she got closer to the entrance of the club she noticed Johnny Fairway’s truck in the parking lot. Thank God, she thought, at least Johnny was with him. Then she saw a truck turn into the parking lot and her heart almost stopped. It was a rather large panel truck and painted on the side was “D. Shanks Trucking”. She began to shake uncontrollably. O my God!! Delbert Shanks had finally found Elmo!

Landon Looper (alias Jack Palmer) had driven all over Etowah and Marshall Counties in search of Sara Beth Kramer. He had not been very lucky. He decided to try all the golf courses in the area and see if anyone had heard of Elmo or Sara Beth. The Boaz Golf Club was the last one on his list. He doubted anyone was playing today since it was pouring rain. In the distance he saw the front nine come into view. As he got closer to the entrance he noticed the truck in front of him was slowing down and was going to turn into the parking lot. He put his blinker on and slowed down also. As he neared the entrance he noticed a car coming from the south and he waited until it passed him before turning in. But the car slowed down to almost a crawl and the driver had a hand over her mouth like she had just seen a ghost. He couldn’t make out her features very well because of the driving rain and he raised both hands in kind of a questioning look. What are you going to do? Pull in or go on. Once this thought went through his mind he saw the lady jerk her car to the right and barely make it into the entrance. It was almost like something suddenly happened that made her pull in.

Johnny waited as Elmo got ready to putt. He heard some traffic coming into the parking lot and one car was speeding toward the eighteenth green. It was Sara Beth and she slammed on her brakes. Johnny didn’t move because Elmo had stroked his putt for a 59. The ball was heading downhill to the pin when Sara Beth screamed, Help! Help! Johnny threw the flag down and ran toward the parked car. He looked behind the car and he saw a large panel truck driving slowly into the parking lot. There was another car behind the truck. Johnny had taken just two steps and a bolt of lightning hit right behind him on the green. It literally knocked him down. He got up a little groggy. Then he ran to Sara Beth.

Sara Beth pulled into the parking lot and immediately raced past the truck. She headed straight to the end of the parking lot where the eighteenth green was located. She jumped out of the car and yelled to the top of her lungs. Then a bolt of lightning struck somewhere close to the eighteenth green. It cracked loudly and was so close by she could smell the electricity. She immediately went to the ground and got up shaking all over. She was getting soaked by the rain. An arm grabbed her and pulled her onto her feet. She looked into Johnny’s eyes and said “where is my Dad?” Johnny got her back into the car. He still held her arm and was trying to calm her down. She continued to ask him about Elmo and Johnny told her to calm down. Elmo’s fine he said, “He’s on the green and should be walking up any second”. She jerked her head around and searched for the truck. It was in the parking lot slowly making its way toward the clubhouse. Sara Beth grabbed Johnny’s arm and said “go get my Dad, we have to get out of here, NOW”.

Johnny didn’t question her. He jumped out and ran back to the eighteenth green. Elmo was nowhere in sight. His pull cart was by the green and his cap was lying on the green. It was smoking. The flag was still lying on the ground and Johnny could still smell the after effects of the lightning. He picked up the flag and carried it toward the hole while he scanned the area. Elmo was nowhere in sight. He jammed the flag into the hole and it wouldn’t go in. He looked inside the hole and there was a golf ball in the cup. Apparently Elmo had made his putt for a 59. But where was Elmo? He grabbed Elmo’s cap and his pull cart. He jogged toward Sara Beth’s car. She was looking directly behind her at the truck. He glanced toward the truck while throwing Elmo’s equipment into the back seat. Sara Beth stared at the cap. It looked char-broiled.

Landon Looper (alias Jack Palmer) pulled in behind the truck. It was moving very slow. He saw some writing on the side but he hadn’t gotten into position to read what it was. The car with the lady driving had driven furiously into the parking lot and was parked at the very end. There was quite a bit of commotion down there it seemed because a gigantic bolt of lightning had just hit close by. Landon remained behind the truck because he was looking out to the golf course. Golf courses always intrigued him and he couldn’t ride by one without slowing down to check it out. This course seemed small and pretty well maintained. The greens were tiny and there were no bunkers. It looked like thousands of small town municipal courses all across America. Up ahead the truck had come to a stop. The driver was waving him around. He pulled up alongside and passed the truck slowly. What he saw painted on the side of the truck took his breath away, “D. Shanks Trucking”

/b>

Elmo buries the money

2010-11-10T14:23:00.003-06:00

Chapter 8

Elmo Kramer had done some stupid things in his life. But, haven’t we all? Today, May 1, 1995 he was about to do the stupidest thing yet. He was determined to take the remaining part of the money they had stolen from Delbert Shanks and bury it. He had picked out a spot at the Boaz Golf Club. It wasn’t part of the course and he wasn’t sure if it was on their property. It was very secluded and hard to get to. He left his home around 5:00 am. It took him almost three hours to complete the job.

When he returned home he felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. That night he slept better than he had in years. The next morning he woke and tried to get out of bed. He couldn’t walk. He had injured his back doing all that digging. For the next two weeks he lay in bed thinking he was going to get better. Annie pleaded with him to see a doctor. Elmo was too stubborn. Finally he gave in and went to see a chiropractor. After the first session he felt no relief. This was going to take a while. He visited the chiropractor three times a week for the next three months. He missed golf terribly. After three months of therapy he slowly began to feel good again. After four months he began swinging a golf club. One morning during the first week of October, 1995 he returned to the Boaz Golf Club. He hadn’t been back since he had buried the money.

As he parked on the highway he felt a panic swelling up inside his chest. They were working on another nine holes to make the course eighteen holes. He immediately looked toward the area where five months earlier he had buried the money. There was a huge pond being built there and heavy equipment was moving earth. He felt sick and almost threw up. Nevertheless, he grabbed his clubs and walked hurriedly to the tee box on number one. He teed off and walked toward the huge oak on the right side of number one. Before he got to the oak though, he turned right and went toward the newly dug pond and his money. He knew exactly where the money was buried and his landmarks were not disturbed. He was counting the steps with his head down when he looked up and saw immediately that his money was underneath a gigantic rock. There were several smaller boulders next to it. Beyond this was the pond. Elmo didn’t get too close because there were too many people already hard at work. He walked straight to his truck and drove home. He left his tee shot on number one lying in the middle of the fairway.

That night he lay in bed staring at the ceiling with his eyes wide open. Annie was sound asleep and had no idea about the day’s events. Elmo hadn’t told her about the money and didn’t intend to. He decided he would need to tell Sara Beth. The next day he drove to Sara’s antique shop and told her what he had done with the money. Sara Beth was furious and asked Elmo to leave. When he left she closed the shop and went upstairs to her office locked the door and cried for an hour. She didn’t understand her father and probably never would. She still loved him, but he could upset her more than anyone on this earth. She wished he hadn’t told her about burying the money. She didn’t want to know he had buried the money and suddenly it is underneath a gigantic boulder. What could she do about that? Rent a bulldozer and move the rock and dig up the money. No, she knew that money would be there for a long time. Besides, she told herself, I don’t need the money.

She did come to one decision though. She was going to tell Johnny Fairway about the money. Not how Elmo got it, just that it was buried somewhere on the golf course, the newest part of the golf course. This decision made her feel better, sharing the secret with Johnny. He had become one of her closest friends. She knew Johnny would like to be more than friends but he never pushed it and he listened. A good friend is someone who listens. They hear what you’re saying. They may not agree with you all the time but, they are there when you need someone to listen. Sara Beth closed her eyes and dreamed of bulldozers, rocks and Landon Looper.

The Birth of Jack Palmer

2010-07-27T14:04:00.006-05:00

Chapter 7

Landon Looper walked into the bar with his sunglasses on. He had been on the run for 3 days now. His parents were gone. They were dead.

They had been in Mt. Shasta, California for over a year and Larry Looper had finally told Landon and his mother everything that had happened in Arizona concerning Elmo, Winston and the money. Landon didn't like leaving his parents alone after that. But some of his friends would occasionally persuade him to join them for a trip.

He would never forget coming around the curve on his way home and seeing the cabin burning to the ground. He had been away from home that weekend. He had gone to the beach with some friends. They had been having such a great time they decided to stay another day. As he was driving home he had been thinking about why his dad had brought them to California. On his way up the mountain he had passed two cars traveling at a high rate of speed. He didn’t recognize anyone in the vehicles and they didn’t pay any attention to him. Then he made the curve and the cabin came into sight. It was literally burned to the ground and debris was scattered everywhere. He immediately thought a huge explosion had occurred. Then he realized. Delbert Shanks had found Larry Looper.

He didn’t remember stopping the truck or even getting out of the truck. He did remember seeing the two bodies lying side by side at the edge of the fence at the rear of the cabin. He knew they were dead and he put his arms around each of them. He cried uncontrollably. He didn’t know how long he lay beside them. There were no other cabins for miles. When he got up it was dark. His eyes were dry. He cut a path through the woods knowing exactly where he was going. His father had shown him this spot a couple of months ago. It had been just after he had told them the story of Arizona. The spot was a good half mile from the cabin and Landon never hesitated in his trek toward it. Once there he retrieved a suitcase full of cash. It was buried beneath a pile of rocks and wrapped in plastic. He left the plastic lying on the ground and ran back to his truck. He got nothing from the cabin, because there was nothing to get. Everything that was theirs was gone. Everything he had ever known, trusted or loved was lying on the ground at the edge of the fence at the rear of the cabin. All he had left were memories. They were memories of his parents, memories of his possessions and always the memory of Sara Beth. Now he had nothing.

The money meant nothing to him except as a means of survival. And he would survive. He drove 250 miles that night. He slept in his truck that night and when woke up he began driving again. He didn’t know where he was going. He was just going. He drove all that day and slept that night in his truck once again. The next morning he arrived in Amarillo, Texas. He stopped and ate breakfast, got some gas, bought a map and got a hotel room. That evening he found himself sitting in a bar in Amarillo with his sunglasses on.

Landon stayed in Amarillo for two days. Most of the time he stayed in that bar sitting by himself. He was suffering. His world had been turned upside down. But Landon was a strong person. In his heart he knew he would survive. His life would go on. But he knew he couldn’t go back to California. He also knew that he would need to change his name and start a new life. He couldn’t be Landon Looper anymore. Those two days in Amarillo gave him a chance to plan. On the morning of the 3rd day Landon left Amarillo. He had a plan and that plan included trying to find Sara Beth.

Landon drove south and east. He stopped in Dallas and stayed the night. He woke up the next day and got on I-20. He drove through Texas and Louisiana. He stopped in Jackson, Mississippi. He stayed there and studied his map. He was tired of driving and decided to stay there a few days. Landon’s plan was to find a town where he could have quite a bit of anonymity. That meant a larger town and he decided it was going to be Birmingham, Alabama. He didn’t know why he chose Birmingham. He had studied the map for days and there were so many possibilities. Maybe it was the fact Birmingham was still farther east and a long way from Arizona and an extremely long way from California. Maybe because he had overheard Elmo mention Alabama several times at the golf course in Arizona. Elmo hadn’t specifically named a town, but Landon had a gut feeling that Alabama was where he was going to find Sara Beth.

He arrived in Birmingham with no clue about the city. He got a motel room and drove around the city for days. He finally decided the southern part of the city would be his home. He found an apartment in a heavily populated part of town and began to furnish it with all the necessary items. He changed his name and bought another truck. Changing his name had been the hardest part because he knew he would need a social security card. He began reading the obituaries in the newspaper and finally found someone close to his age that had died.

The next morning he went to the social security office and applied for a new card. He explained to the lady that there had been a fire and all his identification was destroyed including his birth certificate and drivers license. They gave him a hard time but he finally convinced the woman to issue a new card even though he had no identification. His next move was to obtain a valid driver’s license. This was much easier since he now had a social security card. So, in late September of 1992 Landon Looper became known as Jackson Hogan Palmer. He decided to go by Jack Palmer. He loved the name because it definitely had a golf sound to it. He went the next day and put his application in at Oak Mountain State Park golf course.

Jack Palmer had a new life. He waited patiently to hear from the golf course. He bought a new computer and discovered the internet. He was still afraid to make a lot of friends. His past would always haunt him, but he suddenly started to feel a slight shudder of hope about the future. As always Sara Beth lingered in his mind. His plan to find her was beginning to take focus.

Two weeks later Jack Palmer began working at Oak Mountain Golf Course. He worked for the course superintendent. All the guys at work gave him a hard time about his name. He should have expected that. His good nature and easy going attitude made him very popular with all the employees.

Jack Palmer spent the nineties living in Birmingham and working at the golf course at Oak Mountain State Park. He dated several women through the years. He never fell in love, though a couple of the women he dated seemed to be in love with him. He was still afraid to get real close to anyone. In 1994 he purchased a home closer to Oak Mountain. He started very slowly depositing the money in banks. By 1996 he had deposited most of the money his father and Elmo had gotten from Delbert Shanks. He had $1.2 million dollars spread out between 22 banks in Jefferson County, Alabama. His co-workers at the golf course had no idea that ol’ Jack Palmer was a millionaire.

Johnny Fairway meets Sara Beth

2010-02-28T17:18:00.004-06:00

Chapter 6

The following Tuesday morning Johnny met Elmo at the golf course in Boaz. Elmo helped Johnny with his golf game and they discussed the opportunity for Sara Beth and the antique shop. Elmo didn’t tell Johnny that he hadn’t talked with Sara Beth. She still refused to acknowledge him. She stayed locked up in her room whenever he was at home. Johnny was amazed at all Elmo was able to teach him about the game of golf. Most of what Elmo taught him that day was mental. Things like, how to approach the first tee shot of the day, how to react when you hit a bad shot and ways to approach a trouble shot. At the end of the day Johnny felt like he understood more about the game than before and was excited about some of the shots he’d hit toward the end of the round. Elmo had scored a 65 and Johnny had shot a 78. They agreed to play again the following week and talked some more about the purchase of the antique shop for Sara Beth. Elmo wanted Johnny to represent him in the purchase so he could remain in the background.

That night Elmo decided it was time to confront Sara Beth about the shop and see if she was interested. He had talked at length with Annie about the situation and they were now both in agreement it could be an opportunity for Sara Beth. Annie was worried Sara Beth was too young for such responsibility. They decided Annie would live with her for a few months until she developed a routine and felt comfortable living alone. Elmo and Annie sat down with Sara Beth that night and laid out their plan. Sara Beth asked a lot of questions and made it a point to direct the questions to Annie. She tried her best to ignore Elmo. In the end she agreed to the plan and actually in her mind she felt a great relief about leaving home. She still thought a lot about Landon Looper. Time wasn’t healing her wounds like her mother had told her it would.

The next Tuesday Elmo met Johnny Fairway at the golf course and explained to him the plan for Sara Beth taking the house and the antique shop. Johnny agreed to broker both deals and use Sara Beth’s name in all the transactions. They played another round of golf together. This time Elmo showed him some new techniques about his grip, backswing and downswing. Johnny had a hard time incorporating these into his game and knew he would have to practice these new techniques for a while before he became comfortable with them. He would spend many hours in his father’s pasture practicing everything Elmo had told him. Three weeks later he came to Elmo’s house for the first time. He had followed Elmo home from his father’s house and he brought with him all the papers. Elmo had given him $10,000 cash at the golf course as money to be used as a deposit on the house and shop. Johnny didn’t question the use of cash because by now he had figured out the Kramer’s were running away from something that happened in Arizona. Elmo had not been forthcoming about the situation and Johnny knew Elmo well enough to know he wasn’t going to find out until Elmo wanted to tell him. The deal for both the shop and the house was going to cost Elmo $350,000. Johnny was prepared for the large cash transaction. One of his close friends was a banker. He had outlined for Johnny all the steps they needed to take with this transaction to avoid any unnecessary attention from certain authorities.

Johnny Fairway pulled into the front of Elmo’s house around 5:00 pm that day. Elmo was waiting on the porch with his wife, Annie. Johnny’s first impression of Annie was she was a happy person. There was no doubt in her younger days she had been a beautiful woman. The years had treated her kindly. She welcomed Johnny with a wonderful smile. She took him by the hand and led him inside the house. Elmo has told me many nice things about you she said. Johnny felt right at home with Annie. She was so much different than Elmo. Elmo was basically quiet, reclusive and a very private person. Whereas Annie was open, vibrant and friendly. They sat in the kitchen and Annie served some coffee and butter cookies. They talked for a while about the shop and the house. Elmo had been to the shop the previous week with Johnny. Sara Beth had not gone with them. Johnny was anxious to meet Sara Beth. He had brought with him all the papers she would need to sign to gain ownership of the properties.

When Sara Beth walked into the room Johnny Fairway stood up and extended his hand to greet her. Sara Beth took his hand and Johnny Fairway was never the same again. He was immediately struck by her eyes and how they looked directly into his heart. He felt exposed and naked. He was certain she could see every thought he had ever had and ever would have. He wanted to run away and yet at the same time he wanted to never stop looking into her eyes. There was a pause before he collected himself and sat back down. Sara Beth took a seat next to him and quickly started asking questions about the house. Johnny did his best to concentrate on the task at hand. He answered her questions as best he could. She then began asking questions about the antique shop. Johnny then had Sara Beth sign the appropriate papers and handed her keys to both the house and the shop. He said he could take her to both locations on the following day. She got up and told Johnny she and Annie would be ready at 8:00 the next morning. Everyone shook hands and thanked Johnny for all he had done. Elmo walked Johnny to his truck and on the way he unlocked his truck and pulled a small suitcase out. He gave it to Johnny and turned around and walked back into the house. Johnny got into his truck and cranked it. His heart was racing and his hands were shaking. He took two deep breaths and backed out of the driveway. He drove straight to his banker friend’s house and delivered the papers and the money. He was relieved to be rid of the suitcase full of money.

When Johnny Fairway arrived home that night he got a Natty Light out of the fridge and sat down at the kitchen table. His hands were still shaking. Five beers and three hours later he was still sitting at the kitchen table. He had never believed in love at first sight….until now.

After Johnny Fairway had left the house Sara Beth went immediately to her room. She felt good about moving out of the house. She had no problem with Annie coming to stay with her while she got settled. She knew her mother would be a great help. She missed Landon even though it had now been close to six months since she had last seen him. She liked Johnny Fairway and thought he was a nice man. He looked to her as a man in his mid to late thirties. She felt an excitement about the coming changes but still she had that tug at her heart that wouldn’t go way. Her last thoughts as she went to sleep that night were of Landon Looper. It had been that way for a long time.

The next morning Johnny Fairway got up at 5:30. He spent nearly an hour getting ready to go and get Sara Beth and Annie. It normally would take him 20 minutes to get ready. When he finally pulled into the driveway he was a bundle of nerves. He hadn’t felt this many butterflies since high school. Annie and Sara Beth were on the porch and they had already loaded Sara Beth’s car. Elmo had bought her a Cutlass several weeks ago. It wasn’t a new car, but was barely two years old. Johnny got out of his truck and asked if Elmo was there. Annie told him Elmo was gone to the golf course. So Johnny told the ladies to follow him. They went to Sara Beth’s new home first. There they unloaded several suitcases and boxes out of the car. Annie told Johnny they would have to make a couple more trips to get everything. Johnny volunteered the use of his truck but Annie told him he had done enough already. Sara Beth walked around the house and seemed pleased so far. Then they made the trip to the antique store. They thanked Johnny several times and he got the impression they were ready for him to leave. He got in his truck and drove home. He was suddenly very depressed because he realized Sara Beth had shown little or no interest at all in him. Sure, she had been nice. Nice wasn’t what Johnny was looking for. He went to his father’s house and hit golf balls until his hands were too sore to hold a club.

Sara Beth was pleased with her new home, new car and her new job. Things couldn’t have been better. The problem was still her anxiety about Delbert Shanks and her longing for Landon Looper. She wanted to forgive her father but she still felt he was responsible for all of the heartache. Annie stayed for a few weeks and then would come and stay the weekends. They had a great time at the antique shop and spent many Sunday mornings at the flea market looking for items to bring back to the shop. They would always see Johnny Fairway there and he would always be on the lookout for collectibles they could use. So this was Sara Beth’s new life. It would remain this way until the mid 90’s. That was when she bought herself a nice computer and discovered the Internet.

Johnny Fairway looked forward to Sunday mornings. He had always liked Sundays but now Sunday had a special meaning for him. He would get to see Sara Beth. He still got butterflies whenever he saw her. He knew she didn’t feel the same as he did. He thought that it was the age difference more than anything. He was 15 years older than Sara Beth. He knew she only thought of him as a friend. He tried to be the best friend she ever had. He continuously found things she could use at her shop. He was always at the flea market on Sunday mornings hoping she and Annie would show up. As the months went by they became pretty good friends he thought. He continued to play golf with Elmo whenever he could. He was now one of the top golfers at Boaz Golf Club. Elmo had really helped him become the golfer he was now. He would occasionally go on dates with women his own age. He had good times with them but, he never connected with anyone that made him get the butterflies he was looking for. He spent his decade of the 90’s playing golf with Elmo and becoming a fixture at Mountaintop Flea Market. He continued to carry a torch for Sara Beth and instead of flaming out it only got stronger.

Sweet Home Alabama

2009-12-08T15:46:00.002-06:00

Chapter 5

Elmo was trying his best to stay awake. They had been driving for 8 hours. He knew they needed to stop and get some sleep. He wanted to put some distance between his family and Arizona. They were somewhere between San Antonio and Houston when Elmo decided to stop. They could sleep for several hours and then try to drive all the way to Alabama.

Larry Looper and his family pulled into Mt. Shasta, California the next day around 4:00 pm. He had called an old friend the day before. Would he know if there was a cabin available to rent or for sale? Larry told him he was leaving Arizona for good. He had met him several years ago while on the road. They had seen each other several times over the years and become close. No one, not even his wife knew of this man. That was why Larry called him. They were moving into a cabin, a very nice cabin, in Northern California. Larry hoped they would be safe. He had to figure out something to tell his family. Right now, they thought this was a vacation.

Winston Wedge opened his pawn shop the next day as normal. He sat behind the counter looking at the door all day. His nerves were about to get the best of him. That evening when he closed he drove toward the desert. His intention when he left was to hide his share of the money. He was never seen again.

Lonnie Lonigan was a dead man. That was what he was thinking as he waited for Delbert Shanks to come in the next morning. The previous evening had been hell. The driver from Vegas had shown up on time. The trailer had been opened and they had discovered the hampers were empty. The driver said he didn’t know anything and Lonnie had grilled him for two hours. They had then driven to Peggy’s Diner. They questioned everyone. They had to be careful, though. They didn’t want anyone else to start asking questions. They caught a break when one of the cooks told them he had gone out for a smoke and noticed a van that said Winston’s Pawn Shop on it. They left the diner and went to the warehouse. Lonnie decided not to tell Delbert until the next morning. Now he was waiting in his office. Delbert showed up about 8:30 am. He listened as Lonnie told him about last night. Delbert started to explode. He told Lonnie that last week when he used that substitute driver he knew it was a mistake. Then he told Lonnie to put a tail on Winston Wedge. Don’t let him out of your sight and find that substitute driver, Larry Looper, right now! Delbert then went into his office and made the phone call he knew he had to make. He dialed a number in Las Vegas. His hands were shaking when he got off the phone. How was he going to come up with the money to replace what had been stolen? He had to get the money back. He had a lead on two possible suspects, Winston Wedge and Larry Looper. If they had his money he knew he could get it back. Delbert went looking for Lonnie. Lonnie told him that Larry Looper wasn’t at home and, as a matter of fact, no one was at home. They would keep looking and he had someone keeping an eye on the house. Delbert left the warehouse. He wanted to get some air. He got into his car and drove. He didn’t care where he was going, he just needed to think. After a while he thought of Elmo Kramer. He headed to the golf course at a great rate of speed. He discovered two things when he got there. Elmo Kramer was gone. He had left without notice. The whole family had left town and no one knew where they had gone. One of the caddies, Landon Looper, was gone too. Delbert stormed out of the pro shop and got into his car. Now all the pieces were falling into place. People were going to get hurt. They were going to get hurt, badly. He would find them if it was the last thing he ever did.

Annie Kramer opened her eyes and looked around. They were still driving toward Alabama. Elmo was concentrating on the road and Sara Beth was asleep in the back seat. Annie closed her eyes and began to think. She thought about everything she would have to do once she arrived in Alabama. We’re moving to Alabama, where Elmo was born. Another place, among many, I have gone with Elmo. How long will we stay here she wondered? They were going to live at the old home place where Elmo was born. No one had lived there in the last 5 years. There will be so much to do and so many things to fix. She knew Elmo would repair everything and make it a good place to live. She also knew Sara Beth would not be happy here. She could feel the pain Sara Beth felt about her separation from Landon. Elmo had explained why they were leaving but Annie knew he hadn’t told her the whole story. Annie didn’t care. She only wanted these two people to be happy. Some things you are better off not knowing. Annie had that capability. Not many people did. Most people had to know everything. They would do anything to find out. Annie realized her life was so much easier not having to know every detail about everything. Annie was a selfless person. She had let herself fall completely and madly in love with Elmo some 28 years ago. She had been a happy person ever since. She didn’t judge him and she didn’t try to possess him. She knew that if love finds you worthy, it will direct your course. For now she was worried about Sara Beth. How would she ever find Landon? What would she do in Alabama? Would she still play golf? There are so many questions and so few answers. This is called worrying she realized and reached over to squeeze Elmo’s hand. He squeezed back and she knew everything would be alright.

Elmo squeezed Annie’s hand and sighed to his self. I have to do something with this money he thought. I’ve got so much to do when we make it back to Alabama. He was a little excited about going home. He hadn’t been home in 5 years. Even then he had only stayed for one day. He looked in the rear view mirror at Sara Beth. She was staring right back at him. She wasn’t smiling. He knew he would have to tell her the whole story. Someday they would try to find Landon.

Two weeks later Elmo Kramer lay in his bed wide awake at 4 o’clock in the morning. He had something very important to do that day. The days since he had gotten his family home from Arizona had been filled with preparing the old home place as a decent place to live. He had worked every day from daylight to dusk. Things were in good shape and Annie had made everything seem so easy. Sara Beth seemed OK; however there was an underlying edge to everything she said. He felt like they were at home. He had decided this was the last time they were going to move. There were a few things he had done to hide his identity. He knew Delbert Shanks would somehow find out he was involved in the robbery. So, at the post office and driver’s license office he had spelled his last name with a ‘C’. He had gotten upset with Sara Beth when she had refused the change on her driver’s license. She felt like Landon might be searching for her and she didn’t want to hide. Elmo knew he had to tell Sara Beth about the money today. At 6 o’clock he woke Sara Beth and asked her to ride with him to a local golf course he knew. They could walk a few holes and check it out. Sara Beth reluctantly got ready and loaded her clubs into Elmo’s truck. Annie watched as they drove away hoping they could start to become as close as they used to be.

Sara Beth and Elmo stood on the first tee of the golf course. They were at the Boaz Country Club. It was a 9 hole course about 12 miles from their home. It would later be sold and turned into an 18 hole course and renamed the Boaz Golf Club. They played the first two holes in silence. When they got to the third hole Elmo saw a rain shed off to the left sitting among some oak trees. He asked Sara Beth if they could rest a minute. Sara Beth thought this was very unusual. She had never seen her Dad tired on the golf course. She had seen him walk 36 hole many times and give a few lessons. It was here, inside the rain shed that Elmo told Sara Beth about the money. He told her everything and explained how he, Larry Looper and Winston Wedge had split the money up. He watched her face and saw her lips start to tremble. Tears formed in her eyes and she began to sob. She was suddenly and acutely aware of the danger Landon Looper was in. Elmo reached for her hand but she pulled back. She grabbed her golf bag and headed back to the club house. Elmo followed and found her sitting in the truck. On the way home Sara Beth told Elmo she wanted to move out and be on her own. She told Elmo if anything ever happened to Landon she would never forgive him. Elmo remained silent. Finally as they were pulling into the driveway he told Sara Beth he would think it over and let her know. When they walked in Annie could sense things weren’t right. Sara Beth went straight to her room and Elmo just stood at the back door and looked at the barn.

For the next several weeks Elmo went to the golf course every morning. He did a lot of thinking. He was overcome with an awful dejection. He questioned every move he had made since the golf match between Sara Beth and Delbert Shanks. He was frightened about the money. However, deep inside he felt they had done the right thing. He knew the rest of his life would have to be lived in obscurity. He felt extremely guilty about how his actions were going to affect Sara Beth. This was what he spent most of his time thinking about. How was he going to make it right for her? He hadn’t really touched the money. He had gotten a thousand dollars out to make it through until now. Sara Beth and Annie had spent several weekends at a flea market nearby. Annie had sold several of her items she made at home. Sara Beth had also bought a few collectibles that Elmo knew were worth a lot more than she paid for them. They both had a talent for arts and crafts. Sara Beth hadn’t touched her golf clubs. He knew this was her way of rejecting him. They hadn’t made any friends and had very little association with other people. What hurt Elmo the most was Sara Beth’s future. He felt like he had ruined it for her. He was determined to try and make it right.

The next day Elmo decided to visit one of his childhood friends. He had grown up close by Elmo and his family and they had hunted and fished together as boys. Elmo hadn’t seen him in almost 43 years. He had done some research and knew the man was still alive. His name was Floyd Fairway. Elmo found Floyd’s address and set out to find him. Floyd lived on Suckegg Road. It was approximately 8 miles from Elmo’s home. When he pulled into the driveway Elmo spotted Floyd right away. He was sitting on the front porch hunched over a bucket. Elmo walked up on the porch and saw that Floyd was whittling on a small piece of wood. The bucket was catching the shavings. Floyd looked up and said “Elmo Kramer as I live and breathe.” “What brings you back to Alabama after all these years?” Elmo sat down next to Floyd and asked him what he was making out of that piece of wood. “I’m carving a cross”, said Floyd. “My son takes all my carvings up to the flea market and sells ‘em for me.” Elmo noticed several finished carvings in a basket next to Floyd. He picked one up and examined it. They were picture perfect. He remembered Floyd, as a boy, had always carried a knife. He had been good with it then and was great with it now. He told Floyd he had come back to Alabama to retire. “Retire from what”, asked Floyd. “Well, I’ve been teaching golf pretty much my whole life.” “I’m through teaching and I’ve always missed the old home place”, said Elmo. “I don’t know much about golf”, said Floyd, “but my boy does.” “You know I always wondered what happened to you.” “You left here all the sudden after that incident on the lake.” “Nobody knew where you went or why you left.” “I remember seeing your Mama over at the store and she just teared up when I asked about you.” Elmo looked at Floyd and said “I was young and confused. I didn’t know what to do. I left and never looked back. I don’t regret leaving now, but there were times when I wish I had stayed.” Floyd got up and asked Elmo if he wanted to take a walk. Elmo followed him off the porch and they walked toward some trees that stood in front of a big pasture. They got closer and Elmo saw a gate into the pasture. On the other side was a bench and another bucket. Floyd opened the gate and moved toward the bench. As Elmo got closer he noticed the bucket was full of golf balls. This surprised him, but he didn’t mention it. Floyd sat down on the bench and motioned for Elmo to do the same. Floyd pointed at the bucket of balls and said “this is where my boy hits golf balls. He’s got some targets out there and he will hit those balls till dark some nights. I used to worry about him, but then I figured it took his mind off all the problems he has.” “Alright Elmo, tell me what brings you by to see me after all these years? Are you married? Got any kids?” Elmo gazed across the pasture and noticed about 100 yards out a make shift target and another about 150 yards out. He wasn’t comfortable answering questions about himself and his family. He realized this might be a mistake but Floyd Fairway was someone he felt he could trust. He wouldn’t tell him everything. Just a vague outline of what had made him come home to Alabama. Elmo told Floyd he had gotten into trouble with some bad people in Arizona. He was going to keep a low profile. He told him he was spelling his name a little different. He told him about Annie and Sara Beth. Then he told Floyd that Sara Beth wanted to move out. He asked Floyd if he knew of any place that would be safe for Sara Beth. Did he know of any good place for her to go to work? Floyd asked Elmo several questions about Sara Beth. What was she good at besides golf? Why did she want to move out? Elmo answered as vague as he could without raising suspicions. Sara Beth is almost 20 years old. She’s good at everything. She has a keen eye for a bargain. She isn’t afraid of hard work. She can be very stubborn and independent. Floyd studied Elmo for a minute and then said, “Let me talk with my son. He might be able to help find a suitable situation for her.” “Ok”, said Elmo, “I’ll come back in a day or two. Please don’t mention to anyone about my coming by. Your son, is he someone I can trust?” Floyd stroked his chin and said, “I reckon he is, Elmo. He’s had some personal problems at home but now he lives with me. He’ll be home in a little while.” “How long is that?” asked Elmo. “Oh, about an hour. You want to wait and meet him?” Elmo got up and stuck his hand out to Floyd and said “I need to go. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

Two days later Elmo made his way back to Floyd Fairway’s home. When he pulled into the driveway he noticed a red Silverado. It hadn’t been there on his last visit. He assumed this was Floyd’s son. When he got out of the truck he looked toward the pasture gate where he and Floyd had their last conversation. Floyd was sitting on the bench whittling away on some small piece of wood. A younger man was taking some practice swings with a golf club. Elmo walked toward the pair of men and when he got a few feet away from the gate they both turned and gestured him to come on in. Floyd got up and shook Elmo’s hand. Then he said, “Elmo, I’d like you to meet my son, Johnny.” The younger man walked over and stuck his hand out. He said, “Mr. Kramer, I’m Johnny Fairway. My father has told me some good things about you. He said you were a golf teacher.” Elmo looked at Johnny Fairway and said, “Well Johnny it’s nice to meet you. Yes, I have given a few lessons in my day. I’m pretty much retired now, though. I guess you play a lot of golf judging from the use of this field for practice. That teeing area looks like it’s seen a lot action.” Johnny Fairway looked at this old man and thought to himself that Elmo sure didn’t look like a golfer much less a teacher of the game. “Yes sir, I do play as much as I can. Hitting these balls out here is a good way for me to let off a little steam.” Elmo nodded and said, “I’ve always enjoyed hitting balls. It can put you in a good place. You kind of lose yourself for a while. All the great ball strikers have spent many an hour trying to groove their swing.” Johnny leaned forward on his club and asked Elmo if he would like to hit a few balls. Elmo grinned and said no. “I wouldn’t mind watching you for a little while.” Johnny said ok and threw some balls down. “I’m hitting a seven iron at that second target out there. It’s close to 150 yards.” Johnny Fairway hit several shots and some of the balls came very close to the target. Johnny felt real good about his swing and was proud of most of these shots. Elmo was watching and told Johnny several times that he had hit a good shot. Floyd just kept on whittling away on his carving. Once, Johnny actually hit the round piece of plywood and the target wobbled slightly. There was another target about 185 yards out. Johnny changed clubs and threw some more balls down. He was hitting a three iron now. Elmo could tell Johnny had trouble with his three iron. Johnny became frustrated after hitting several balls. Elmo grinned slightly but didn’t say anything. He just watched. Johnny finally started to hit a few solid shots. He was sweating now. Elmo had noticed a couple of things about Johnny’s approach to the golf swing. After a few more swings Johnny sat down and took a breath. Floyd looked up and said, “Don’t you ever get tired of hitting those balls.” “No Dad, I don’t. It’s like a drug sometimes. I just need to keep hitting them until I hit that one shot that makes it all worthwhile. Then when I hit it I think, why can’t I do it every time? Also, when I’m hitting balls I don’t think about anything else and sometimes that’s really all I need. What about you, Mr. Kramer. What is it about golf that you like?”

Elmo stood up and took one of Johnny’s clubs. He held it in his hands and swung it back and forth slowly. He kept going back and forth, only going as high as his right shoulder. Then finally he took a full swing. He had selected the seven iron Johnny Fairway had laid down after he switched targets. Elmo walked over to the practice tee and pulled some balls out of the bucket. He did a small waggle and struck a ball that shot off the practice tee like a rifle shot. Floyd jerked his head up and Johnny jumped up. They stared at the ball as it rose slightly into the air and then came down like a dead bird. It hit the target dead center. Elmo then took another ball and hit it off the turf. It sailed so high in the air that Floyd and Johnny lost sight of it. It too came down dead center of the target. Floyd and Johnny were speechless. Then Elmo said “Let me have your four iron.” Johnny handed him his four iron and watched as Elmo waggled it back and forth. He was stupefied. Here was this old guy hitting shots like a professional. His swing was so fluid. It seemed like it required no effort at all. Johnny thought to himself, Elmo Kramer had the best swing he had ever seen. Elmo’s first shot with the four iron landed about two feet to the right of the target. He made a small grunting sound and hit another shot. This ball hit the target so solidly that the target fell. Elmo seemed embarrassed about this and apologized. Johnny said, “Are you kidding me? That was a great shot. I can fix that in a minute. You really can play golf, can’t you?” Elmo kind of shrugged his shoulders and said, “Johnny it’s what I do best, but, to answer your question about golf. The reason we all play or practice is answered with one word, CONTROL. We want to control everything. It’s human nature, to be able to control the outcome of a situation, to control everything around us. Think about it any way you want. Being in control is what everyone is searching for. In golf being able to control the ball under adverse conditions gives a great amount of satisfaction. Don’t let anyone kid you; we love golf because it is the ultimate game of control. We want to control the ball, control our opponents, and even feel like we can control the elements or at least how the elements control us. Why do people play golf when it’s 35 degrees outside? They don’t want the weather to control them.”

Floyd and Johnny looked at each other for just a second. Then Johnny said, “Mr. Kramer could you help me with my swing? I would gladly pay you.” Elmo sat back down and said, “I tell you what Johnny, if you can help me with Sara Beth I’ll be glad to help you with your game. What about that?” Johnny agreed and then told Elmo what he had in mind for Sara Beth. Floyd had talked with Johnny about Sara Beth the evening of Elmo’s first visit. Johnny Fairway was something of an entrepreneur. He owned several restaurants and spent a lot of time at Mountain Top Flea Market. He told Elmo about an older couple that for years had operated an antique and collectible store near Rainbow City, Alabama. They wanted to retire and had their business up for sale. He also knew of a nice little home for sale not too far away from the golf course in Boaz. Elmo asked several questions about the antique store. He asked Johnny if he had ever seen Annie and Sara Beth at the flea market. Johnny had never met Annie or Sara Beth so he didn’t know if he had or hadn’t. Elmo and Johnny talked at length for at least another hour. When Elmo stood up to leave he shook Johnny’s hand and told him he would think it over some more and talk with Sara Beth. Johnny asked Elmo about the golf lessons. Elmo said maybe we can play on Monday or Tuesday of next week. I’ll call you on Floyd’s phone. And with that Elmo got in his truck and drove home. He finally felt like he was doing something positive for Sara Beth. He was looking forward to telling her all he had talked with Johnny about. It was great to be back in Alabama again.

Chapter 4 - There is no Arizona

2009-08-24T09:14:00.004-05:00

...

Two nights later Elmo, Larry and Winston met at Winston’s pawn shop after it closed. They were in the back room and Larry was telling them what he had learned about the Las Vegas run. “I have some buddies that unload trucks at the warehouse and they told me the truck runs twice a week, on Monday and Friday. Lonnie always supervises the unloading and no one sees what they are unloading. The load on Monday is usually six pallets and is covered with a tarp. The one on Thursday is usually three pallets and Lonnigan is all nervous every time both trailers are unloaded. They take it to a mini-warehouse just off the main office”. Winston asked Larry if he could trust these guys. Larry said “Of course I trust them; they both owe me for covering for them when they leave work early”. “So do you have the key”? Winston reached in his pocket and pulled out a key. “That night when you called me from the diner and I met you there to get an impression of the key I thought it looked kind of strange. I think it is going to be just like it, though”. Larry then laid out the plan. They would go to the diner 20 miles north of town where the Vegas driver always ate supper and sit in the parking lot until he arrived. Once he was inside they would open the back of the truck and use army duffel bags Winston had and fill them with the money. They would do it the next night which was Monday. Elmo looked at each of them and said “We don’t know for sure that the load is money, do we”? Larry said “Well it ain’t chicken feed, is it”? ”Ok, now let’s hope he parks the truck with the tail of the trailer away from the highway and let’s hope the key fits. Otherwise, the deal is off”. Elmo got up and lit a cigarette. He walked to the window and looked out. It was a hot August night and the moon was so full it cast a glow over the landscape behind the pawn shop. If this worked he knew he was leaving Arizona for good. He knew what they were going to do was against everything he stood for. But, sometimes doing the wrong thing was right. How can that be, though? This is going to come back and haunt me. Then he thought about Delbert Shanks and Sara Beth and how Delbert had acted in the pro shop just two days ago. Well, he thought, when you come to a fork in the road, take it.

Landon Looper and Sara Beth Kramer were madly in love with each other. At least that’s what Landon thought. He had no doubt how he felt. Sometimes he knew Sara Beth felt the same. Then there were times when they were together and Sara Beth would be a million miles away. She made him feel like he had never felt before. Sometimes they would just sit and look into each other’s eyes. He would get lost in her eyes. When he held her hand it was like they were just one person and everything about both of them was connected. Not so much in a sexual way but in a spiritual way. Yes, he was in love. Now it looked like they were going to be separated. His Dad had told him and his Mom they were leaving early Tuesday morning for northern California. His Dad had made them swear not to tell anyone and had even taken their dog, Bunker, to his uncle’s house last night. This morning his Dad had left home early and gone to the bank. He didn’t know why, but he had a funny feeling about this trip. Something wasn’t right.

Landon got in his truck and drove straight to Sara Beth’s house. When Sara Beth got in the truck he could tell she had been crying. They drove for a few minutes and he finally pulled off and looked at her and said, “We are going on a trip tomorrow, me and my folks”. She looked at Landon and began to cry. Sara Beth grabbed his hand and looked at it. She pulled it to her lips and kissed it. Then she looked up at him and their eyes met. With tears running down her cheeks she gazed into his eyes. She said, “I love you, Landon Looper”. Landon’s heart flew into his throat. His eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t say anything. All he could do was look at this girl, this woman whom he loved so dearly. Sara Beth leaned into his arms and they held each other for a long time. Then Sara Beth said, “We are leaving, too. I don’t think we are coming back. They won’t tell me where we are going. They say it’s for my own safety. They are afraid of Delbert Shanks and what he might do. When I get to where I’m going I will try to get in touch with you. Don’t ever doubt my love. We will find each other no matter how long it takes”. Landon took her hand and pressed it to his lips and said “As God is my witness I will find you”. They drove to the golf course, got out and walked hand in hand, without talking, the entire golf course. When Landon let her out that evening he watched as she walked to the front door. His heart started to ache. It would ache for a long time.

Winston Wedge had a van. It was painted black and in red letters it said WINSTON’S PAWN SHOP - GREEN SIDE UP $$$$. He had six duffel bags in the rear. Elmo and Larry were in the back. They had been sitting in the parking lot across the street from Peggy’s Diner for almost an hour when the truck pulled in. Winston watched as the driver parked the truck so that the trailer was even with the rear of the diner. As soon as he walked in the front door Winston was cranking the van and easing across the street. He pulled around behind the diner from the other side and parked on the far side of the truck. Then he said “Go”! Larry jumped out and immediately tried the key. It fit. He pulled down on the lock and it opened. Winston was watching in his rearview mirror. The van was still running. Larry eased the door up and Elmo slipped out of the rear of the van with the duffel bags. They climbed into the trailer. Neither said a word as they pulled the tarp back on the first pallet. There was a laundry hamper strapped down on the pallet. It had another tarp wrapped tightly across the top. Elmo slipped a knife out of his pocket and slit the tarp. Larry peeled it back and looked inside. On the top was a piece of paper that looked like some sort of packing list. Underneath was something wrapped in shrink wrap. Larry glanced at the packing list. He couldn’t see it real good because the inside of the trailer was so dark. Elmo grunted and began to slide his knife across the shrink wrap. “Be careful”, Larry whispered. Larry slipped the packing list into his jeans. Elmo pulled the shrink wrap back and pulled a bundle of $100 dollar bills up. “Get a bag”, he said. They emptied the first hamper and filled up one duffel bag. They hurriedly emptied all six hampers and filled up six duffel bags. Larry jumped down and Elmo handed him each duffel bag as he loaded them into the van. The whole process took about 20 minutes and Larry locked the trailer door back. They settled into the van and said “Let’s go”! Winston eased onto the highway and headed back to town. So far, so good.

When they reached the rear of the pawn shop he parked the van. They got out and walked in. Larry pulled the packing list for each hamper out of his pocket. Then he looked at each one. He took a deep breath and looked at Winston and Elmo. Then he said, “Boys we just hit Mr. Delbert Shanks for six million dollars”. Winston started to shake. Elmo stared at the floor for a second and then said, “We gotta go”. Winston sat down on the floor. Larry looked at Winston and asked him if he was going to be OK. Winston didn’t answer him. The air inside the back office was thick with sweat and tension. All three men went silent. Elmo broke the silence first. He said, “Guys I’m leaving. Ya’ll can sit here all night if you want. Don’t know if I’ll ever see you again. I can’t tell you where I’m going for obvious reasons. I think we should all leave town”.

Winston gathered himself from the floor. “I can’t leave”, he said. “My life is here and my business is here”. They looked at each other for a moment and Larry said, “No one will suspect you Winston. They will go after me and Elmo. Especially me, when they figure it out. He’s going to know Elmo had something to do with it, too when he doesn’t show at the golf course. But he can’t go to the police. You just act natural for a while until this blows over”. Winston threw his hands in the air. “Act natural! Are you kidding me! How can I act natural with two million dollars in cash sitting back here? How am I supposed to hide this money? They’ll rip this place to shreds if they even find someone who saw my van close to the diner tonight”. Larry grabbed Winston by both arms and said, “Hide it somewhere good, Winston. Take it out of town. Haven’t you even thought about what you would do if this worked? If you stay, you have to be the strongest of all of us. Now, Elmo and I are leaving. I’ll try to get in touch with you in a couple of months”. With that Elmo and Larry loaded four duffel bags into the pickup Larry was driving and left Winston to worry about how to hide his share.

Larry pulled into Elmo’s driveway and helped get the duffel bags out of the truck. They shook hands and Elmo said, “Take care of yourself my friend and good luck”. Elmo walked toward the house. Then he hesitated. He turned back toward Larry’s truck. “Hey Larry, wait a second”. He trotted back to the truck. “Give me two of those packing slips. I might need those someday”. Larry reached into his pocket and gave Elmo two of the packing slips from the shipment and said “I was thinking the same thing”. That was the last time they would ever see each other.

As soon as Elmo walked in the door he told Annie to help him load the truck. Annie was ready. She didn’t know what had happened. She just knew they were leaving. Elmo had told her they were going to have a meeting with Delbert Shanks. She thought it was about the house and the mortgage. They had packed everything they were taking earlier in the day. The furniture was staying, but all of Elmo’s collectibles were packed in the truck. This wasn’t the first time Elmo had told her to pack and be ready to go. Annie thought to herself, please God, let this be the last time.

She and Sara Beth would follow Elmo in her car. They finished loading and drove off into the night. Across town at Larry Looper’s house the same ritual was taking place. Three people loading all their personal belongings into two vehicles. Two families headed in opposite directions for the same reason. Two families leaving behind the town they had lived in and worked in. They were going to start new lives. They were bound together by two common threads. One was a secret that they could never reveal because their lives depended on it. The other was two kids, two young adults that were in love but were being torn apart because of Delbert Shanks. They both had one thought in mind on this August night in 1987 as the miles grew between them. How will I ever find you? Where do I begin?

2009-07-23T11:28:00.009-05:00

Chapter 3

Delbert Shanks was very upset. He felt like hurting someone and he knew who he wanted to hurt. That little sawed off golf teacher, Elmo Kramer. Nothing or no one was going to stop him from having Sara Beth. He knew Elmo was not rich. As a matter of fact, Elmo barely got by on what he made at the course. He got home and immediately fixed himself a drink. As he sipped on his drink he decided what he would do.

When Elmo got home Annie had supper ready. He decided not to tell her what had transpired at the golf course that afternoon. Instead, after supper he asked Annie if she wanted to go for a walk. He told her he had been thinking of moving back to Alabama. We always said that’s where we would retire to. Besides I am tired of teaching golf to egomaniacal millionaires. Annie looked at Elmo and said “you know I will go wherever you take me”. Elmo looked at this woman whom he loved more than anything. Then he told her that one of the members wanted Sara Beth to go to work for them. Annie asked “doing what”? I’m not sure said Elmo but, I don’t like it. What does Sara Beth think? Elmo replied “I haven’t told her”. Shouldn’t you ask her? Elmo considered this as they walked hand in hand back to the house. When they returned Sara Beth was sitting on the porch swing with Landon Looper. Landon caddied at the club and he and Sara Beth were close to the same age. They had been spending lots of time together. Elmo liked Landon Looper. He was a good kid and a helluva golfer. Annie told Elmo she was going to bed and Elmo sat down on the steps to talk with Sara Beth and Landon. Elmo looked at Sara Beth and said “Delbert wants you to come to work for him”. Sara Beth shook her head and said “no way”. Well, said Elmo, we have to figure out a way to let him know the answer is no. Landon Looper looked at Elmo and said “Delbert Shanks is the most arrogant person in Arizona and Sara Beth needs to stay as far away from him as humanly possible. My friend, Bobby Wedge says he knows Delbert has had people knocked off”. “My Dad drives a truck for him and he won’t even discuss the man. Every time I bring him up he tells me to talk about something else. I can tell he doesn’t like him either”. Elmo replied, “We haven’t done anything to Delbert. However, a man like that tries to get what he wants”. That’s why I’ll never work for him said Sara Beth. Elmo said “I’m going to bed and sleep on it. Ya’ll don’t stay up too late”.

Larry Looper was Landon’s father. He drove a truck for D Shanks Trucking Company. This week he had his regular haul from California to Arizona. He worked hard for his family and made a decent living. He suspected there were things going on within the company that wasn’t quite right, but he kept his mouth shut. He needed this job. He was on his way back to Arizona when he received a call from dispatch. He was being diverted to Nevada. They were sending him to the big town of Las Vegas, in fact. This wasn’t normal and Larry had a funny feeling about it. He was to go by a warehouse there and pick up a shipment. The regular driver had unexpectedly not shown up for work and it was an important time sensitive shipment. He was to proceed without delay. As he was driving he began to think of things in his life as always. He was proud of his son, Landon. Sure Landon wasn’t perfect, but he was honest and dependable. He knew Landon was in love with Sara Beth Kramer and he liked the girl. She was different than most girls her age. Larry thought it had a lot to do with Sara Beth’s father, Elmo. He was curious. He was a very quiet man and not very social. He had a steely look in his eyes and you felt he was looking right into your soul when he talked with you. Larry had met him two times over the last few months. The first time was when Larry had gone to the club to pick up Landon because his truck was in the shop. Landon was in the pro shop hanging out and there was Elmo. He was a small man, but he had a presence about him. Landon introduced them and they made small talk while Landon and Sara Beth were in conversation over near the indoor putting green where Sara Beth was practicing. What he remembered most was shaking Elmo’s hand. The power in his grip was magnificent. He had never felt anything like it. It was almost magical.

The next time he saw Elmo was about three weeks later early on a Monday morning. His best friend owned a pawn shop. They had grown up together. They played sports together, double dated and just generally hung out. Their sons were the same age and were best friends, too. His name was Winston Wedge. His son’s name was Bobby Wedge. That morning Larry was fixing to go on his weekly run to California. He was stopping by to ask Winston about a piece of furniture he had found on his last trip. They were discussing this when Elmo Kramer walked in the front door. It seems that Elmo had pawned some golf clubs and had his pawn ticket out to redeem them. Winston looked at Larry and said “it’s him”. Larry gave Winston a look of puzzlement. Winston told Elmo good morning and took his pawn ticket. Then he said I’ll get them out of the back. Elmo nodded at Larry while Winston retrieved the clubs. Larry asked how the family was doing and Elmo looked a little uneasy. Then he said “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell Landon you saw me here”. Larry nodded and said “no problem”. When Winston returned he had an old golf bag filled with clubs. Elmo paid him $200 and walked quickly out of the shop. Winston then turned to Larry and said “there goes the strangest man I ever met”. Larry said “Landon is dating his daughter”. “You’re kidding”, replied Winston. Winston then told Larry the story of Elmo bringing in the bag and clubs to pawn.

“It was about 3 weeks ago and I was fixing to close and go home. Then this Elmo character walks in and said I need to pawn something. I said what is it and he replied some golf clubs. I told him they probably wouldn’t bring much and he said if you knew who they belonged to then you might change your mind. I said let me look at them. He walked out and came back in with an old bag and some clubs. They looked real ordinary to me; however I could tell they were in mint condition. Now, you know I get guys in here all the time that are giving up the game and want to get rid of their clubs. So I get the clubs out and start studying them. They are pretty old and there was one odd thing. They all had the letters ‘EAP’ stamped on them. When I asked Elmo what the ‘EAP’ stood for he said Elvis. For a moment I just looked at him. Then he asked what the pawn would be. I said $200 and he almost exploded. He said those clubs are worth thousands. I said why would they be worth thousands? He said they were Elvis Presley’s clubs. I said you mean the Elvis Aaron Presley? He said yeah. I almost laughed but I could tell he was serious. Then he said just give me the money, I’m late. When he left I studied the clubs and wondered if he was telling me the truth. Then I wondered, how can I find out? I guess now, I’ll never know. Anyway, that is the strangest man I ever met”.

Larry couldn’t help but wonder about Elmo and the clubs. He didn’t know a lot about golf. Larry remembered when he and Winston were growing up only the rich kids played golf. Now it seemed everyone played. He was getting close to Vegas and knew he needed to hurry because he wasn’t sure about the address and he knew he needed to be out of town before 5:00 pm. When he found the address he was a little surprised it was right next to a casino. It was some sort of warehouse and actually had a long covered access no wider than his truck that connected it to the casino. There was a loading dock and he backed up to it. Immediately two men dressed in dark suits came out to greet him. These guys look tough, he thought to himself. He stepped down from the truck and said I am from D Shanks trucking. I’m here for a pick up. Both men stepped toward him and said let’s go inside. They took Larry into an office of sorts next to the loading dock. They told Larry to wait in the reception area while they stepped into a smaller office. They made two phone calls and came back out. He noticed activity in the warehouse. Men were pushing buggies like laundry buggies from the casino into the warehouse. The buggies were covered and he couldn’t tell what they contained. The two men told Larry to open the back of the truck and he did. Then they asked Larry to step back into the office. Larry didn’t like this because he always was involved in the loading of his truck. Sometimes he would help if need be. Since the men looked insistent he followed them into the office. They told him to sit down and he did. They went back into the office and made another phone call. When they returned one of them had a lock in his hand. It was the kind of lock that goes on the back of trucks with the long neck. He said we’re putting this on your truck and Lonnie will open it when you get back to Arizona. Larry said well I have a lock already. They said look, you need to understand something. We’re putting this on and that is the end of it. Larry said OK, just let me have a key. The man with the lock gave Larry a look that stopped him cold. He said no one unlocks this lock except Lonnie, understand? Larry said I need the key in case I get pulled over. The men didn’t say a word they just turned around and went back into the office and made another phone call. When they came out they told Larry he had a phone call. Larry followed them back into the office and picked up the phone. Lonnie Lonigan was on the other end. He was the Warehouse Manager at D Shanks Trucking Company. He told Larry that he better not get pulled over and to drive straight back. He said they would give him a key, but under no circumstance was he to unlock the truck. Larry collected the key and got into his truck. As he was driving off he looked into his rear view mirror. Both men were standing on the dock; arms folded staring after the truck. Larry felt a cold chill run over his body and a knot settled into his stomach. It stayed there the entire trip home which took a little over 4 hours. Larry had no idea what he was hauling and was pretty sure he didn’t want to know. He just wanted to go home. He did make one phone call when he stopped for supper.

Larry did make it back to the warehouse that evening about 8:30 pm. Lonnie Lonigan was waiting for him. Lonigan told Larry to give him the key and go home. Larry did as he was told. He would be off for the next four days. He couldn’t get away fast enough. He told himself that for the next four days he would be looking for another job.

Delbert Shanks was talking with Lonnie Lonigan the next morning. How did the shipment from Vegas work out yesterday asked Delbert? Lonnie explained to Delbert that the regular driver had disappeared and they had the California driver go by and pick up the shipment. This upset Delbert. That was stupid he said. Lonnie tried to say they had no other choice. Delbert asked who the driver was. Delbert knew Larry Looper from high school. He knew Larry worked for him. He hadn’t spoken to him though and didn’t want to. He then asked Lonnie if the driver knew what he was hauling. Absolutely not, said Lonigan. He never asked either. Ok, said Delbert but I want an audit sheet up here right away on the last 5 shipments from Vegas. We need to see if our little ‘no show’ driver disappeared for a reason. Also, bring me $150,000 in cash from the safe. Now, hurry we’ve got a lot to do today.

Elmo got to work early the next morning. Landon Looper was already there. Elmo took note of this and was pleased. He smiled at the young man and said good morning. Landon told Elmo he wanted to talk with him about Delbert Shanks. Elmo listened as Landon told him about what he had heard his parents discussing last night when his father got home. Landon’s father was telling his mother about his side trip to Las Vegas and that he was going to find another job. He asked Elmo if he thought his father was in trouble. I don’t know Elmo said but he needs to be careful. I’ve got a funny feeling about Mr. Shanks and his business. Landon left Elmo in the pro shop and went down to the caddy shack for his first loop of the day. About an hour later Delbert Shanks walked in the pro shop carrying a briefcase. Delbert laid it on the counter and said this to Elmo. Here’s your money, teacher. Elmo said no way am I taking your money Mr. Shanks. Delbert looked at Elmo and said “Elmo I have $150,000 in this briefcase. It will take you 6 years to earn it. This is tax free money and no one is going to know about it”. Elmo could feel his heart start to race. His blood was flowing right to his head. His hands began to shake. Delbert just stood there and grinned. Elmo came around the counter and stood in front of Delbert. He took a breath and said “Mr. Shanks you need to take your money and get out of this pro shop”. Delbert kept grinning and said “Elmo I have purchased the mortgage on your house and I am going to destroy everything you have built here in our fair city if you don’t go along with this. I can have your job and then I will foreclose on your house when you miss the first payment”. Elmo said “get out, get out now before I throw you out”. Delbert grabbed the briefcase and as he turned to walk away he said, “I guess we are going to do this the hard way”. Then he left. Elmo went into the bathroom and threw up. He was still in the bathroom when Landon Looper walked in three hours later. Elmo told him what had taken place. He didn’t want to, but Landon had seen from the course Mr. Shanks leave the pro shop. Landon asked Elmo if he was going to be OK. Elmo said yes and Landon left. He drove straight home.

Landon found his Dad in the garage tinkering with an old 57 Chevy. He told him what had taken place that morning at the golf course with Elmo and Mr. Shanks. Larry Looper looked at his son and said “I think I need to pay Elmo a visit”.

Larry Looper waited until 7:00 pm that night and pulled into Elmo’s driveway. He found Elmo on the porch with Annie and Sara Beth. He could tell they had been discussing something important. Sara Beth had been crying and Annie was holding her hand. He asked Elmo if there was somewhere they could talk. So they went into the backyard and sat down at a little picnic table. Annie brought them a couple of beers and went back around front. Larry told Elmo about his trip from Las Vegas the previous day. He suspected Delbert was laundering money from the casino. He told Elmo he had known Delbert since high school and had never trusted him even though he had done quite well in the trucking business. Elmo asked Larry what he thought they should do. Larry said Delbert had some very powerful friends, politically connected and also some very shady characters that were employed at D Shanks Trucking Company. He said Delbert has the ability to destroy both of us. However, I think we can hurt him in a bad way. We will have to leave here and never look back if we try this. Elmo looked at Larry and said I am leaving anyway. They discussed their plan over several more beers and decided they would have to act quickly. Delbert would never expect something like this to happen to him. As he was leaving that night Larry asked Elmo about the clubs he pawned at Winston’s Pawn Shop. Elmo said they belonged to Elvis Presley. I gave him golf lessons while he was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas in 1958. He left to go to Germany and told me to keep them. He said if I come back I will get some more. I never wanted to pawn them but I was desperate for money at that time. You see it was our anniversary, Annie and me. I wanted to get her something special but I had no extra money. Anyway, she found out and took the present back and made me go back for the clubs. She had found the pawn ticket in my trouser pocket. Larry said, that’s some woman you have there. Elmo looked at Larry and said you have no idea.

When Larry left he got into his truck and made straight for the nearest pay phone. He had to call his best friend Winston. It wasn’t going to be a conversation about Elvis.

Chapter 2 - The Money

2009-04-01T15:53:00.005-05:00

About the time Elmo was walking up the 18th fairway to look at his putt to shoot a 59, Sara Beth was making her way home from work. She owned a small antique shop some 20 miles from her home in a small town called Rainbow City. She didn’t work every day and a lot of people wondered how she got by. There were lots of rumors about Sara Beth. There always had been. Usually, Sara Beth would drive by the golf course to see if her Dad’s truck was there. She never stopped. She just wanted to see if he was there. It was raining like pouring piss out of a bucket today, though. She couldn’t imagine anyone would be there today.

When she turned onto Hwy 205 she thought about her Dad. She hadn’t spoken to him in a long time. She couldn’t bring herself to forgive him for what he had done so many years ago. She knew all the fault didn’t lie with him. She had to take some of the blame. Sara Beth loved golf and she knew how good she was. Only she and Elmo knew why she didn’t play anymore. She missed playing golf and most of all she missed playing with Elmo. He knew a lot about how to play golf that’s for sure. He taught her that golf was not just a game but it was a lot like life. You have to persevere through ups and downs. You must learn to play within your limitations. Golf had a way of making things even out. If you missed a couple of easy putts in the beginning of your round you often end up making a very long putt or chipping in a shot from around the green.

No one could conquer the game of golf. Some had come very close. Jones, Hogan, Palmer, Nicklaus and Tiger were the greatest of all golfers. Sara Beth knew her father could have and should have been among them. Life is all about choices and Elmo had made some wrong choices long before Sara Beth was born. Sara Beth thought of these things as she drove. She also thought of ‘The Money’. She always thought about ‘the Money’. No one knew the truth about the money except her and Elmo. She had told Johnny Fairway a story about the money in case something happened to her or Elmo. She never told her mother because she had promised Elmo and she knew it had to remain a secret for all of them to be safe.

‘The Money’ was the reason they had moved back to Alabama. It was the reason that sometimes her Dad would spell his last name with a ‘C’ instead of a ‘K’. Sara Beth knew this would haunt them for the rest of their life. She sometimes felt like a prisoner because of ‘The Money’. Elmo had convinced her that it was best for Annie not to know about it. He loved her so much. Sara Beth longed for the kind of love her parents shared. She had felt that kind of love once but didn’t think it would ever happen again. She knew that both she and Elmo would always be looking over their shoulder. Even now, 21 years later she never felt safe.

As she clutched the necklace Elmo had given her for her sixteenth birthday she thought back to that day when it all began. It had all been a game. A match for her to show off her skills with the new clubs he had given her. At least that was what Sara Beth thought. Elmo had been working the pro shop at a golf course in Arizona. He was giving lessons and was well known for turning a hacker into a ‘player’.

One of the members he was teaching had been watching her. She had tried to convince herself he was just admiring her swing. But as a woman, she knew better. His name was Delbert Shanks. Delbert was in the trucking business. His trucks ran all over the country. They all carried the name D. Shanks on the side of the truck. He was the richest member at the club. The club was the most private and the members were the most elite people in the community. Elmo, Annie and Sara Beth had lived there for 5 years. Elmo was very well respected because of his legendary teaching skills. He only let her play late in the day when the course was practically deserted. Word had spread though, about her game and Elmo began letting her spend a lot of time in the shop and on the course. Elmo had been working with Delbert for some time. Delbert was always asking about Sara Beth.

This particular day he asked Elmo if they could play a round with Sara Beth. Elmo was reluctant to grant this request because he was very protective of Sara Beth. He knew, however, that making the members happy was a major part of his job. Delbert’s game had improved dramatically over the last several weeks. Elmo had finally proven to him that not thinking about what he was doing, when he was doing it, would help him. That was Elmo’s way with hackers. They always needed someone to tell them to get the hell out of the way and let your body do what it knows how to do. Delbert was getting close to shooting par golf. Elmo asked Sara Beth if she would play with Delbert. She said ‘only if you play with us’. Elmo looked at her and sensed something was wrong. He couldn’t guess what it was. He said OK and they met Delbert at the 1st tee.

Delbert liked to gamble and always had a bet when he played. When he saw Sara Beth was going to tee off at the men’s tee he saw an opportunity. He knew he had no chance with Elmo because Elmo held the course record of 62. He said I would like to make a bet between me and Sara Beth. Elmo looked at him and said my daughter doesn’t play for money. Delbert grinned and said I will play my ball against hers and you can back her. Elmo’s face reddened and he felt a rush of anger. What kind of bet are you talking about Mr. Shanks? Delbert said I will put up $1000 to your $100. It will be match play. Winner takes all. Elmo shook his head and said I don’t have that kind of money to throw away. Delbert laughed out loud and said she must not be that good. Elmo became pissed. He doesn’t think real well when he becomes pissed. He said OK, you’re on.

Sara Beth birdied the first 2 holes. She was two up. Delbert was becoming a little frustrated. He had taken a par on both holes and felt like he was playing well. How can this girl be doing so well? Her approach shots were practically knocking the pins down. ‘What have you shown her that you haven’t shown me’ he said? Elmo’s reply went something like this. ‘Golf is played for 18 holes, not 2’. Delbert said I want to double the bet. Elmo said why would anyone want to double the bet when they are already 2 down after 2 holes? Delbert said everyone does that. Elmo said ‘well, why don’t we triple the bet’. Delbert says OK. After they play 5 holes Delbert is 3 holes down and still thinks he can beat Sara Beth. He is out driving her by 30 or 40 yards. He thinks she is playing way over her head. He tells Elmo he wants to double the bet again. Elmo says whatever cranks your tractor Mr. Shanks.

Elmo knows that Sara Beth is now playing for $6000 and he has to put up $300. He laughs to himself because he can see what is happening. Delbert is beating himself and is well on his way to trying to control his game rather than letting the game control him. Take what the course gives you. How many times have I told him that each shot dictates what the next shot should be? After 8 holes the match has not changed and Delbert is still 3 down. He has played the last three holes at 1 under. When they come to #9 Delbert looks at Elmo and says, ‘I want to triple the bet again’. Elmo shakes his head and says, no. Delbert cannot believe Elmo won’t take the bet and insist that he let him triple the bet. Elmo decides it is in his best interest to concede to Mr. Shanks. They are now playing for $18,000 and stand to lose $900. Elmo is worried that there will be too much pressure on Sara Beth. He is also worried about how he is going to come up with the money if Sara Beth loses. However, Sara Beth knows she can beat Mr. Shanks. She wins #9 with a par and they take a break on the turn.

Elmo is waiting for Sara Beth at #10 tee box when Delbert walks up. He tells Elmo that he has a proposition for him. He will give Elmo $100, 000 if Sara Beth beats him, but only if she will come to work for him. Elmo says ‘doing what’? Delbert replies ‘whatever I want her to do’. Elmo shakes his head no and says ‘Mr. Shanks I don’t want any trouble from you. My daughter and I are going home now. All bets are off’. Delbert Shanks looks at Elmo square in the eye and says ‘I want your daughter to work for me and by God she will’. Elmo looks at Delbert and says “I don’t feel like your intentions are honorable”. What Delbert said next would haunt Elmo for a long time. Delbert Shanks had watched Sara Beth for a long time. He had become consumed and obsessed with her. This man who had conquered the business world could not control how he felt about this young girl. He said “you have pushed this girl out here for the world to look at”. “You are the one who talks constantly about how great she is”. “You parade her around like a new car, saying look what I’ve got!” Elmo felt his blood rushing through him like never before. He knew in his heart of hearts that some of what Delbert Shanks had said was true. He loved Sara Beth. The problem was he loved the fact that she was a great golfer, too. His pride sometimes clouded his judgment. Had he really shown her off like a new toy? How did I get into this predicament with Delbert? More importantly, how am I going to get out of this? Elmo took a deep breath and said “Mr. Shanks I think we need some time to consider what you are offering. I’ll be here tomorrow and you can drop by and we can discuss this”.

Elmo walked toward the clubhouse and intercepted Sara Beth. “We are through for today”. Sara Beth knew something had happened. She followed Elmo back to the pro shop and left her clubs in the back room. As they were driving home he told her almost everything that happened with Delbert Shanks. Sara Beth told Elmo not to worry “I can take care of myself”. Elmo just shook his head. Neither one of them were prepared for what was going to happen next.

2009-03-09T09:09:00.008-05:00

The Legend of Elmo Kramer

by Johnny Fairway

Chapter 1 Elmo's 59

This is the legend of Elmo Kramer. There are many stories to tell about Elmo even though he was very private and reclusive. He has experienced more in his life than ten other men put together. This story begins at the end. Elmo spent the last years of his life in the community where it all began, Needmore, Alabama. The last fifteen years of his life were spent playing the game that had consumed him most of his adult life, golf. Elmo was once a teacher of the game but now he only played. He had given up teaching some 20 years ago. Elmo’s last day on this earth was May 2, 2008. The day began much the same as many others for Elmo. He awoke at 4:30 am and immediately fixed his morning coffee. He walked outside to the small shop he had built for himself so he could drink his coffee and get prepared for the day. The shop contained memorabilia from his many experiences and this is where he spent most of his time while at home. His wife, Annie, would usually wake at 6:00 am and would not disturb him unless it was urgent and necessary. I would sometimes meet Elmo around 5:00 am at his shop to drink coffee. I could spend hours just looking at all the items he had collected over the years. I could only imagine what some would sell for on e-bay. My name is Johnny Fairway and I was proud to call Elmo Kramer my friend. I don’t know of any other friends he had. I never saw anyone else there and I never heard him mention another friend. This particular morning I walked in to find Elmo preparing to go play golf. He told me he was in a hurry and I could stay if I wanted to. Annie might fix you some breakfast if you want. I told Elmo I might stay awhile if it was okay.

What follows is what Elmo told me when he returned from the course that day and what I already knew about his habits at the golf course. Elmo played his golf at the Boaz Golf Club. However, Elmo did not call it that. Elmo had names for everything and most of the time they were different from everyone else. He started very early because he wasn’t a member and he very rarely would pay a green fee. Elmo always walked when he played golf. He felt that was how the game was meant to be played. His clubs were old and mostly hand me downs that he had collected or his wife had picked up at the flea market. Some of his clubs were quite valuable but Elmo neither knew nor cared. He had a terrible habit of breaking clubs and actually was known to have a very quick temper. In his defense though, his temper was always directed at himself and not others as far as I knew. Not many people ever saw Elmo playing golf. He was very careful not to get caught skipping out on the green fee. Sometimes he didn’t finish his round if the course filled up or he would finish it very late in the day when everyone had gone home. Today he felt very confident he could get his round in. When he arrived at the course the dawn was just beginning. The dew was heavy on the ground and Elmo’s pull cart tracks showed every move he made. This was a mystery no one had been able to solve. Many mornings the groundskeeper had reported that someone was out there playing before he mowed the greens. Elmo always eluded the groundskeeper. He had many hiding places on the course and knew it better than anyone. He had places he would go that he could sit and watch the golfers for hours without their knowledge. He knew their names and their nicknames because he would sometimes be so close to the course without being seen and he would hear all the conversation that took place. He even had special names for the regulars and enjoyed watching them play this crazy game. He could tell you who was hot and who was improving or who should throw their clubs into Myers Lake and go home.

As Elmo prepared to tee off the sun was just beginning to give the day a grayish light. He picked a persimmon driver from his tattered bag and selected a spot on the ground that looked suitable. He never used a tee and could hit his driver off the deck from almost any lie. Elmo stood 5’3” tall, but his arms were unusually long. They fell just below his knees giving him the look of a small orangutan. His hands and fingers were extremely long. Elmo was bigger than his body gave him credit for. His swing was built totally on rhythm and feel. He addressed the ball and hit a line drive that started out to the right and drew gently back into the middle of the fairway. Yes, this was going to be a swell day. He quickly took off down the fairway on the 1st hole and though his legs were short he could move almost effortlessly at a speed that did not seem possible. On the first hole he would head for the big oak on the right side of the first hole about 225 yards from the tee. That is actually what he called the 1st hole, the” Big Oak”. He would place his pull cart behind the big oak and take a sand wedge and putter over to his ball. As he approached the ball he quickly felt the yardage and took dead aim. His ball floated in the air and lightly fell to rest next to the pin. Birdie on #1, off to a great start.

As Elmo retrieves his pull cart and walks to #2 he notices that the sun is trying it’s best to illuminate the day. It is going to be a cloudy day he thought. He popped up his drive on #2 and trudged over to the pine trees on the right where it had come to rest. This is trouble. He gets out an old 2 iron and proceeds to line up his shot. His ball is about 215 yards from the green and resting on some pine straw. He takes a long backswing and catches the ball cleanly. The shot takes off like a rocket and starts fading back toward the green. There is a small hill on the left just before the green and his ball catches the slope and rolls toward the pin. He is so far back that he can’t actually see where the ball comes to rest. That was a tremendous shot he thinks and automatically marks the spot with a small rock. He has done this many times when he thinks he has hit a career shot. He will come back to the spot later and relive the shot if it turns out to be a truly great shot. As he approaches the green he experiences a quickening of his pulse and anxiety sets in. He cannot see his ball. He thinks to himself there is no way I overshot this green. He leaves his pull cart at #3 tee box and takes his trusty sand wedge and putter, resigned to the fact that he has indeed gone over. Just like any golfer, though, he walks by the hole and lo and behold there is his ball resting in the cup. Heck fire! A deuce on a par 4! He can hardly contain himself. But, he knows he must hurry to the next tee because it won’t be long before the groundskeeper starts mowing the greens. He is glad he marked the spot where he hit that last shot. He will revisit that shot later. A deuce on #2!

When he tees off on #3 he is still so excited that he balloons another tee shot off to the right. Dejected, he starts off again toward his ball. When he arrives at his ball he realizes there is not an opening for him to go for the green. #3 is a par five so he can try to put himself in position to be on or close to the green with his 3rd shot. There are two ditches that intersect the fairway on this hole and Elmo elects to put his ball over the first one and short of the next one. Both ditches are full of rocks. He doesn’t have a good lie over here and his punch 7 iron hits a rock in the first ditch and comes right back at him. He looks at his ball and thinks, I have just hit a 2 yard shot. Now he starts thinking that a bogey might not be a bad score here. He attempts to hit the same punch 7 iron and this time he does clear the 1st ditch. Now he is laying 3 with 135 yards to the green. He has forgotten about the incredible eagle he just made on #2. All he cares about is getting this ball on the green so has a chance to par the hole. He chokes up a little on an 8 iron and puts the ball on the green some 25 feet from the cup. As he pulls his Otey Chrisman putter from his bag he starts looking around for any early morning risers. He is very exposed on this part of the course and feels he must hurry. I can’t afford to spend a lot of time on this putt he thinks to himself. It is, after all, a simple putt with very little break. All he needs to do is hit it. Elmo always said that 99% of putts that come up short do not go in. Elmo hit this putt with just enough speed for it to fall in the left side of the hole. A great par and I’m still 3 under.

He hurries up to the tee on #4 and hits a 3 iron just off the edge of the green about 30 feet from the hole. He always loved this hole until the chain saws cut two of the pine trees that were on the right side of the fairway. He feels it really took something away from the course and started calling this hole “Chain Saw”. As he is walking to the green he tells himself that he has never been 3 under after 3 holes on this course. Ten Pines is being kind today he thinks. Another thought comes to mind. I am going to call #2 “the Deuce”. Elmo makes another par on #4 and pars the “Long Shot” #5.

As he stands on #6 tee box he sees the groundskeeper pulling into the course. He smiles to himself because this only increases the challenge of the day. Play good golf and not get caught. He quietly hits his tee shot and slips down the fairway. Elmo calls #6 ‘the Honey Hole’. Down the right side of the fairway is the honey hole. It gives you a good look at the green or provides a good angle for a layup. Elmo has hit a pretty decent tee shot. When he arrives at his ball he quickly decides on a 4 iron and knocks it down the middle of the fairway leaving him some 100 yards to the green. He chokes up on his pitching wedge and lays one on the green about 10 feet from the cup.

Elmo makes this putt and is now 4 under par going into #7. He knows he must hit his shot and hurry across Hwy 205 that runs parallel to this hole because the groundskeeper is now mowing #1 and would be able to see him on the fairway. He can go across the highway and make his way to the ball by walking in the ditch on the other side. He also can look for balls that other golfers have hit across the road. He has found many balls this way. Elmo finds two balls in the ditch and crosses the highway back onto the course. He has hit a good drive and has 125 yards for his next shot. He selects a 9 iron and delivers a shot that finishes 8 feet from the cup. Elmo does not hesitate in putting this ball because he is in a hurry to find cover. He makes the putt and trots over to #8 tee box.

He calls this hole ‘Blind Date’ because you never know what you’re going to get on the tee shot. It doglegs to the right and you have out of bounds to the right. When you try to cut the dogleg you can’t tell where your ball will end up, in bounds or out of bounds. He is now 5 under par and hits his best tee shot of the day on this hole. He has left himself about 90 yards to the green. He has to really be careful now because there are several cars at the clubhouse and he can see them from #8 fairway. He waits for a few minutes and decides it’s OK to hit his next shot. Elmo takes a 52 degree wedge for this shot. He hasn’t had this club very long and is not real confident with it. Annie, his wife, had found this club at the flea market at Mountaintop and purchased it for $5. She knew some of the vendors there and they always knew she was interested in golf equipment. Annie had made several friends there and was a lot more outgoing than Elmo. Elmo’s wedge shot flew over the green and came to rest some 15 yards behind the green. This was very frustrating because in order to hit this shot he would have to expose himself not only to the clubhouse but to the road leading onto the course. Elmo sat down behind a pine tree next to the green and waited. He waited for about 15 minutes and decided that he would finish this hole and leave for a while. He chipped with his trusty sand wedge and left himself a putt of 4 feet for par.

Elmo made that putt and crossed the highway. He got into his truck that was parked on the other side of the highway across from #11 fairway. Anyone who saw his truck parked here would assume he was looking for balls that were hit across the highway. Elmo was in a great mood as he drove home and hoped that he could return that evening and finish his round. 5 under after 8 holes! This could be the best round of my life he thought.

I was still at his shop when he arrived home. He began telling about his morning at Ten Pines. He enjoyed talking that day and might answer all my questions. This was unusual because I had grown used to asking him questions that he never answered. He would just grunt and shrug his shoulders if I asked something he wasn’t interested in answering. But today was different and I knew it would be several hours before he would go back to the golf course. He seemed very excited and I soon knew why. 5 under after 8 holes would excite any golfer. And if Elmo was anything he was a golfer. He told me about his eagle or deuce as he liked to call it on #2. He actually seemed more proud of his par on #3 than anything else.

Then I asked him how Sara Beth was doing. Sara Beth is Elmo and Annie’s only child. She had been a child prodigy at golf. Elmo tried to keep this a secret. Annie did not approve of Sara Beth being such an athlete. I always thought there was something more to this story of Sara Beth and golf. Elmo wouldn’t talk about this at all but I knew Sara Beth gave up playing when she was 17. I always asked about Sara Beth because she was such an intriguing person. She was a character in many ways. She had an independent streak in her that was much like Elmo and also was like Annie because she was such a people magnet. She was a tall girl with long black hair and had a dark complexion. Many people said she should have become a model but she was too much of a tomboy. She and Elmo shared a secret about one thing, though. Apparently Elmo had won a significant amount of money a few years ago under mysterious circumstances and Sara Beth was involved in some way. He had buried most or all of it in a secret place on the golf course. Elmo doesn’t know that I know this. Annie did not know this and I don’t know why Sara Beth told me. The only thing I can figure is Elmo made her swear not to tell Annie. And Sara Beth would never break an oath. So to get around this she told me because she knew I would tell Annie if anything ever happened to her or Elmo. Elmo hasn’t spoken to Sara Beth in 20 years. I asked if she was OK because I knew Annie talks with her all the time. Elmo said let me tell you about this new 52 degree wedge Annie bought me. I am having trouble hitting it. I topped one this morning on #8 and it went 15 yards over the green. I could tell he didn’t want to discuss Sara Beth. I said Elmo you really need to patch things up with Sara Beth. He said she doesn’t talk with me anymore. When she gets ready to talk she knows I’ll be right here waiting. You know she spends all her time over at that flea market. She has a boyfriend over there. I said Elmo she is 38 years old. She has a right to have a boyfriend. Elmo frowned and looked at the ceiling. Then he said ‘Annie told me her boyfriend is married’. I didn’t realize he knew this, so I changed the subject.

I asked him if he was ever going to tell me the stories about all the memorabilia he had in the shop. He said you ask too many questions. I said will you let me go back to the golf course with you this evening. Elmo agreed to let me go with him and he said I could bring a few ’Natty Lights’. Be prepared for some rain he said as I got up to go home and get ready.

As I was driving home I thought about the times I had played golf with Elmo and the times that I just went and watched. He had tried to make me into a ‘player’ and my game had improved tremendously just by watching him and listening to his philosophy of the game. He loved to talk about golf and had, in fact, been around some very famous golfers in his early years. I once asked him why he continued to play this game at his age. He said golf is a game that cannot be won, only played. So I keep playing and I look forward to the moments that golf gives something back to me. I couldn’t help thinking that golf had given Elmo something back today with the eagle he had on #2.

I met Elmo at the golf course that evening. He parked across the street from #11 fairway. I parked at the clubhouse. I arrived a little early and went in and paid Elmo’s green fee. I always did this for Elmo. As a member I felt like I should since I knew he was sneaking on. I never told him because he would get very upset. I wondered why Elmo always tried to be so secretive and reclusive. It was like he was hiding from something. I often thought about what Sara Beth had told me about Elmo and his money. It seemed so ridiculous to me. I couldn’t believe it might be true. I wanted to ask him but I cared so much for Sara Beth’s approval that I wouldn’t. Elmo was nervous when I went out to the ‘ten pines’ to meet him. This is where we always met and that’s what he always called the course. There are ‘ten pines’ that sit between #10 fairway and #18 green. He said 'I have to play #9 and get on the back nine'. I said well if we go up there as a twosome and act like we belong, there should be no problem. He said OK, where are your clubs? I said in my trunk. I parked in the parking lot at the very end close to the tee box on #9. He said Ok, let’s go.

I hit first on #9 and my ball hit Amberson Hill then flew across the green down into the catfish pond. It’s not really a catfish pond but that’s what everyone has called it the 28 years I have played here. Amberson Hill usually gives you a good kick onto the green. They call it Amberson Hill because an Amberson has always played here and they have been known to win several dollars on this hole. Elmo selected an 8 iron for this shot and hit Amberson Hill, also. His shot wasn’t as high up the hill as mine and almost went in the hole. I took a bogey and Elmo made birdie.

We walked to #10 tee box to start the back nine. I did not say anything to Elmo about his score. That would have broken the unspoken rule that everyone knows. Don’t speak to someone when he is in the zone about what he is doing. You can make small talk about anything else. Don’t mess with the Karma, the Mo-Jo, the Zone or whatever you want to call that place that we go when we forget about what we are doing and let our bodies take over. The mind gets out of the way. Elmo told me once to quit thinking and ‘just do it’. That later became a famous saying for a famous company. I can’t begin to write down all the advice or Elmoism’s that I have heard from him. A lot of these have worked their way into our everyday lives and some have been developed into our society. It tells me that Elmo has been to a lot of places and met lots of people. When we teed off on #10 I noticed a few dark clouds coming in from the north. I commented to Elmo that we could use some rain. He said yes but I hope it comes tonight. We both hit great tee shots and both of us put our next shot on the green. I putted first and made a birdie from about 30 feet. Elmo gave me a ‘nuggie’ and almost broke my hand. I thought why can’t you just tap it instead of trying to put your hand through mine. Elmo left his putt about a foot short and tapped in for par.

On #11 I had the honor and hit first. My drive went up the left side with a hook and finished in a stand of pine trees. I had been there before. Elmo hit a towering drive down the right side that finished just over a mound shaped like a pitcher’s mound. We walked up separate sides of the fairway and I started thinking that I would like a ‘Natty Light’ which is my favorite beer. I knew Elmo would not drink one until we were through. He loved to go back to the spots where had hit some kind of miracle shot and sit there and drink a few ‘Natty Lights’ and relive the moment. He had in fact hit some miraculous shots over the years from some of the most unlikely spots. I knew a few of his so called hiding spots and I was always amazed at how he discovered some of the places. If you think about it though, we have all been in some crazy places while playing golf. We just never looked around to see where we were. All we care about is getting out. Sometimes where you are is not so bad and sometimes where you are headed is worse than where you were. You have to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going because you might not get there. Elmo told me that. I can only hit a little punch shot back into the fairway. Elmo takes out an old persimmon 3 wood. I have asked Elmo many times why he won’t hit the new metal woods or the new type irons on the market. He said why would I want to fix something that ain’t broke. I dropped the subject because he certainly could beat me and my $1200 clubs. There are two bunkers that guard the green on #11. Elmo’s shot took off low and started to rise. Watching him hit that shot was a thing of beauty. The ball almost disappeared in the now gloomy sky. Elmo himself was transfixed by the shot. He stood motionless for about 10 seconds as the ball finally started down from its apex splitting the two bunkers. I couldn’t tell where it finally came to rest. I know that I had just seen a majestic shot. Watching him grab the handle of his pull cart I wondered how does an 80 something year old man hit that kind of shot? In all the years I had known him I had never seen him work out. I had seen him drink lots of coffee and smoke cigarettes and drink ‘Natty Lights’. How does he keep in such great shape? I thought I would ask him when we reached the green. If I ever get there. My 3rd shot finished just short of the green and I noticed Elmo walking to the back of the green. His shot had finished just over a mound that covered the entire width of the back side of the green. I chipped first and went by the hole some 10 feet. I spotted my ball out of his line and watched as he took a 9 iron and chipped it up to 2 feet. My putt for par was short and Elmo calmly knocked in a birdie to go 7 under par.

As we walked to #12 I asked Elmo how do you stay in such shape that you can hit a shot like you just hit on #11? His answer surprised me because it came so quick and he seemed so sure of his answer. He said you must drink lots of water and have lots of sex. He said you must never quit having sex. I was taken aback because I had known this man for the last 15 years and he never mentioned anything about sex and he never looked twice at another woman besides Annie. When Elmo selected his club on the par 3 #12 I noticed how the club fit his hands. It was the way a surgeon would hold a scalpel. It was the way a woman holds a baby. It was like this was what this man was born to do. That is why he is such a mystery. Where had he been when he was 20? 30? even 40? When I met Elmo he was about 66 years old. I had talked with him and with Annie many times but their past history always got bypassed. I watched Elmo as he looked at the green. I knew this was his favorite hole on the course. I always thought it was because it was the farthest hole on the course from the clubhouse. It was very isolated and also very well kept. He had constructed a bench down by the green and used to sit there for many hours. He practiced on this hole for many hours. There are also many of Elmo’s broken clubs stuck into the ground on this hole in several different places. Some of the members called this hole ‘club 12’ possibly because of this. Elmo called it ‘Rocky Branch’ because of the small branch that ran in front of the green and had some big rocks in it. Obviously this hole had given Elmo the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Elmo struck his shot that day on #12 and we both watched it climb into the sky and fade gently back to the flag. When it landed I knew it was going to be very close. The ball hit short of the pin and bounced once. It then rolled smoothly up the slope and right into the cup for a hole in one. For a few seconds neither one of us said anything. Then I yelled ‘it’s in the hole’! Elmo looked at me and said yes it’s in the hole. I watched as he calmly placed his club back into his bag. I ran over and patted him on the back. He said it’s your shot. Elmo didn’t like any attention but I could see the gleam in his eye and the little grin on his face. He had aced the hole he had spent so much time on. I hit my shot just short and to the right of the green. When we arrived at the green Elmo got his ball out of the hole and placed it in his bag. I chipped up and two putted for a bogey.

Elmo walked to #13 and I followed. I was trying to figure his score in my head. I told Elmo that we didn’t have but about an hour of light left. I said I would walk along and watch him finish his round. Elmo is now 9 under and I start wondering how this is going to play out. Elmo calls #13 ‘Choo-Choo’ because the train tracks run parallel to the right of the fairway. He hits a good drive down the right side and is just out of the fairway. He hits his shot just short of the green and chips close to make a par.

As we make our way to #14 tee box I began to feel a sprinkle. I looked at Elmo and I could tell he was feeling nothing. He hit a beautiful drive and headed down the fairway. I almost had to trot to keep up with him. #14 is a short par 4 and Elmo was only about 75 yards out. He quickly selected a sand wedge from his bag/pull cart. He hit another great wedge shot and only had 3 feet left for birdie. He made that putt and we were on #15 tee box before I knew it.

Elmo is standing there at 10 under par. This par 3 measures about 165 yards from the back tees and Elmo pulls a 6 iron. He looked like a man on a mission. I kept quiet because of the ‘zone’ and all that. He was a little quick on his backswing this time. When he came back through on his downswing I could tell he was trying to compensate for the backswing. He blocked his shot out to the right. This is never good because #15 is guarded on the right side by thick brush and woods. His ball kicked off the right side of the green down into the brush. The sprinkle has turned into rain by now and some ominous clouds have rolled in. I kept my mouth shut. I noticed that with the rain and the approaching dusk that the course was empty except for us. Elmo found his ball in the thick rough next to a tree. I didn’t see how he could even hit his ball. He stood there for a minute and then picked a 6 iron out of his bag/pull cart. He straddled the ball and picked the club straight up and chopped down on it like he was using an axe. It shot between his legs and bounded onto the green. I would like to say it went in the hole but it didn’t. He was putting for a par. This was not an easy putt. It was 20 feet from the hole and looked like it wanted to break at the hole hard left. Elmo was stroking his putt before I could get the flag out. It never wavered from its line and went right into the hole. He made for #16 tee box.

He was hitting his shot as I walked up. Elmo always called this hole ‘Myers Lake’. He loved Andy Griffith on TV almost as much as he loved golf. His favorite characters were Barney and Gomer. His favorite episode was the one where Gomer made a citizen’s arrest on Barney. There is a pond on the left side of #16 that will come into play if you pull your tee shot left. Hence the name, ‘Myers Lake’. Elmo’s tee shot takes off like a rocket and then rises up into the sky. It comes to rest on the left side of the fairway. He has about 95 yards left and he takes out his new 52 degree wedge. He says I am going to try ‘her’ again. Then he stops and looks at me and says it never fails, if there is a storm rolling in you will be having the game of your life. I just grin and keep my mouth shut. You know the ’zone’ and all that. So Elmo hits his shot and I knew when he hit it that it was going to be a good one. When we arrive at the green he has some 10 feet for birdie. I am truly soaked by now but I am mesmerized by what I am witnessing. This man could go 11 under with 2 holes left to play. I can hear thunder in the distance. Elmo gives me a strange look and bends over to putt. I look at the putt and I immediately think it’s going to be short. It takes forever to get close to the hole. Water is spinning off the back of the ball and it finally gets to the left edge of the hole and falls over into the cup for a birdie. 11 under par with 2 holes left to play!! I cannot explain what I felt. A quick kind of tension comes over me like I am fixing to see something happen, both good and bad, bad if it doesn’t happen, but good if it does. It’s like watching a car go down a hill with many curves at a high rate of speed. You want them to make it, but you can’t see how they will. We are going to #17.

Elmo calls this hole ‘Love Hurts’. Why? I have no idea. I guess because he can. When Elmo tees off on #17 the rain has started to get heavy, I pull a slicker from my bag and put it on. Elmo is in another world and I have trouble keeping up with him. He has hit a decent tee shot but it hasn’t gone very far. He has over 170 yards left to the green. He pulls out a 4 iron because of the distance and the weather. He makes a good pass at the ball and it shoots off the fairway toward the green. I can’t tell where it ends up because of the rain and I am thinking we need to get off the course. In my mind though, I know nothing will keep him from finishing. He is at the green when I get there lining up his putt. He is 30 feet from the cup and gets over his ball quickly. He strokes the putt and I watch as it goes toward the hole. He has already pulled the flag and it is in my line of sight. It keeps me from seeing the ball go into the hole. But, go into the hole it does and Elmo gives a little leap of joy. He is one hole away from shooting a 59. A 59 is the golfer’s ultimate dream. Only a handful of golfers have achieved this score in the many hundreds of years it has been played. I haven’t seen much emotion from him at all. Now I can see he is thinking about what is happening. He looks back at me and says I’m glad you are here. There is another loud clap of thunder. I think I can see from my left a shot of lightning. Elmo makes the long walk from #17 to #18 tee box.

#18 is a par 5 that plays pretty long from the back tees. He calls this hole ‘Going Home’. He stands on the tee box and I look at this old man and wonder if anything like this has ever happened before. He is playing from the back tees. Playing it down as he always does. Standing here on #18 and knowing if he makes a birdie it will be a 59. He takes a long look at the sky and then hits his tee shot. It takes off down the left side and stays there. He quickly takes off down the fairway. When Elmo gets to his ball it thunders again. This time I do see the lightning flash over the top of the clubhouse. It’s getting dark and hard to see. I finally say ‘Elmo, what do you think we ought to do’. He said I don’t care what you do. I’m playing this hole and then I’m going home. I said OK, I’ll stay and watch. We found Elmo’s ball just left of the cart path. He takes his 4 iron and punches a shot toward the ditch that intersects the fairway about 95 yards from the green. Elmo almost runs toward the ball. It is raining in sheets now and water is standing in the fairway. I know I should feel miserable. I feel like I am having an outer body experience. It’s like a dream that you don’t want to wake up from. Elmo is 125 yards out with the rain and wind coming from the north right into his face. I’m wondering what club he will need to hit. How do you figure this shot out? Elmo takes a 5 iron and I’m thinking that’s too much. He plays it back in his stance and punches it to the left of the green. The ball never gets more than 15 feet off the ground. When it hits the ground it kicks to the right and goes through a puddle of water gathered close to the green. The ball is ‘hot’ and I believe it will go way over the green. However, when it goes through the puddle it takes a lot of speed off the ball. It keeps going toward the pin and continues past it. It finally stops about 15 feet above the hole. He looks at me and says let’s go make that putt. Elmo has a 15 foot putt to record a 59.