Sept. 9

The Thursday night Dream of the Scudfather

Thump, thump.....................thump, thump.................

Thump, thump............

His heartbeat grew ever louder in his head as stared down at his ball. 6 feet stood between him and hole, between him and rabbit.

Sweat rolled down his bough, and off the bill of his St. Louis Cardinal cap as the pressure mounted.

As he gazed at the putt, taking in the contours of the green, past memories flashed into his head. Memories of the Great Raw Chicken incident of Sea Island, of the Angel of Death by his hospital bedside whispering to him "Who's up, and who has the rabbit?"

With one short swing of the putter he could put an end to those reoccurring nightmares, an end to the reign of the Barbados Bunny.

He addressed the putt and drew in a calming breath, and knew this time it was growing to be different, this time he would be victorious. 8 long holes in the Florida sun came down to this putt, this swing.

Dan tightened his grip on the putter, drew it back, and struck the ball.

Slowly the ball rolled to the hole, and all sound seemed to die out until only the beating of his heart could be heard. As the ball approached the hole flashes of victorious parades in his honor danced in his head. No longer would he be a contributor to the Pfingstag retirement fund. No..... Not this day. The Swiss Rabbit would be paying him, today.

The ball slowed and doubt began to creep into Dan's mind. "It's going to stop. Don't stop, keep going, keep going!" screamed a voice inside Dan's head.

On the edge of the hole is where the ball came to a stop.

Dan raised his graze to his playing competitor, and saw the words coming out of his mouth. "No, Desire!"

"No desire! , No desire!, No desire!" the words echoing is head, over and over again. Each time the statement became louder and louder in his head, until awoke in a pool of his own sweat, screaming.

Yes it was Friday morning and another chance had come to end the nightmare.