Chapter 55: Amazing Sisters

The Pro Shop was open and people were stirring all over the course as the grounds crew prepared for the upcoming tournament. Dad and I grabbed a bench in the ready area and sipped our coffee. The ready area was the area just outside the pro shop where the members checked in to play golf and get their carts. Because of the tournament this week there was only one other foursome getting ready to head out.

Suddenly a black SUV pulled up directly in front of us. Three Marine MP’s jumped out and quickly leveled their automatic weapons at me. “Alexander Masters, you are under arrest! Please come with me now,” one of them said.

My dad stood up and their weapons moved briefly to him. “We’re not armed. Can you tell us why you’re arresting my son?”

“He’s a terrorist. He destroyed US Government prop...” he was saying when he was interrupted by a female voice that I swear must have sounded like his mother’s.

“Stop that, young man!” Cynthiana called out as she approached us. With her was Kimberly, her cameraman, two Bahamian Constables, and two men in suits followed by a herd of reporters and cameras.

“Here. You’ve been served,” said the first man in a suit.

“With witnesses, I might add,” Cynthiana added, looking over her shoulder.

“What’s this?” the Marine asked. Then he told the other two MP’s to lower their weapons.

“Tell them to safe them and then return them to the vehicle. You’re all under arrest for trying to arrest a visitor to Bahama without first clearing it with us,” the second man in a suit told them.

It became complicated from there, and there was some shouting and posturing but the end result was that the Marines drove off leaving only their names, ranks, and serial numbers. The two Bahamian officials along with their constables parted soon thereafter. Kimberly directed the press to the dining room where they had arranged some early morning refreshments for the fourth estate.

That left Cynthiana standing alone with us. Dad quickly got to his feet to offer her a seat next to me on the bench.

“You did well, Alex,” she said to me.

“But I didn’t do anything!” I protested.

“Exactly. We knew this would happen and were just waiting for them to make the first move,” she explained. “You were perfect. You just sat there and didn’t talk or kill anyone.”

We talked for just a few more minutes until Sam Peterson walked up. It was 7:29. We all exchanged hello’s and then Dad and I started to the cart that had our clubs on it while Sam headed to his. It was then that I noticed the second set of clubs on his cart. A decidedly female looking set in a pink and white bag. Cynthiana just looked at me and grinned as she sat down in Sam’s cart.

On the first hole, Sam handed us yardage books for the Paradise Island Golf Course and explained the symbols. Most were easy to understand and logical. Then he pulled out a map and spread it in the seat to orient us to where we were and where we were going.

“To help speed up play, Alex will always go first from the black tees, Darrel and I will go next from the Blue tees, and then Cynthiana will go off the red tees. This first hole is a 385 Yard, Par 4, dogleg left. The pins are all near the center of the greens for today and tomorrow. Remember, your shots will all tend towards the ocean, on the fairways and especially the greens.

I wasn’t focusing and I knew it. This morning still had me rattled. My first shot went so far right, it probably ended up in the ocean. But I settled down and hit a provisional ball. I concentrated on fading it to the left and gave it the biggest swing I had.

“I think you’ll like it,” Sam told us as we moved up to the blue tees for them to hit. I’ll say this for Sam. He doesn’t waste any time on the golf course.

Sam was right. I loved it. He said it was only 65 yards to the green, plus five steps to the pin. Using my new wedge, I put it just past the pin with less than 10 feet for a bogie, which I made.

By the time we finished the ninth, I was shooting 34, including the errant tee shot on one. Cynthiana dropped out at that point, claiming she had work to do. She had shot a respectable forty-six. Kimberly showed up to take her place but had my dad move to Sam’s cart so she could ride with me.

“Scoot over, stud. I’m driving,” she said as she handed me a bottle of Gatorade. We talked as we drove to the tenth tee box.

“I’m sorry I missed last night,” she told me.

“Don’t be. There were enough women there that can tell you all about it. Just remember, no personal relationships in the media this week,” I said.

When we got there, I saw it was a Par 3, 212 yards long across a big lagoon that was part of the hotel’s famous aquarium attraction. Just the tee box, the lagoon and then the front edge of the tenth green. With tall Pampas grass to the left of the green and bunkers on both sides and just beyond the green on the right, this is one hole you just didn’t want to miss in any direction.