The Phenomenal Event
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 7
Grif walked around the Bel-Air neighborhood early Thursday morning and thought about his headache last night. He wondered what changes would occur and viewed the homes around Jerry and Mom’s house. He could see inside, and there were women in the kitchen cooking. In some houses, everyone was still asleep, so he focused on his route and returned. Grif listened to two Navajo language program CDs and sensed that Jerry was up and cooking breakfast.
So, he shut off the laptop and went to the kitchen. They said good morning, and when breakfast was ready, they sat and ate. Grif asked about Mom, and Jerry said she was sleeping in. He asked if he could watch the football games on TV. Jerry said, “Sure, it’s in the den, and we don’t watch TV, so enjoy yourself.” He told Grif the caterers will be here around one with Thanksgiving dinner.
After breakfast, Grif checked the game starting time, went to his room, and finished the Navajo Language program. Then he watched the first football game. The Caterers arrived, and they ate Thanksgiving dinner. The food was good, and there was enough for us to have seconds or thirds. After eating pumpkin pie for dessert, Grif thanked them for the meal and returned to watching football.
Around dinner time, he called Dad and asked how his Thanksgiving was. Dad said he ordered a preplanned meal at the market. Grif said, “Well, we had ours catered, and there were plenty of leftovers.” It was so exciting that I had to nap, and they laughed. Grif told him the dinner looked like a painting and asked them to stop at Burger King after dinner. He laughed and said It sounds like you’re having an exciting visit. They laughed,
Grif heard Mom say it was dinner time and said he’d call tomorrow night, and they said goodbye. They ate leftovers for dinner, and he watched half of the evening game. He was tired, so he went to bed and fell asleep. Grif felt the tingling sensation and then fell into a deep sleep.
Jerry and Grif arrived at Bel-Air Country Club at 8 a.m. Friday for the tournament. They registered and then ate breakfast. They were starting by the parents’ last name, so Harper, Jerry’s last name, had us teeing off at 10 a.m. After breakfast, they warmed up on the practice range, then went to the starting line and waited for their turn. When their group was called, Jerry teed off first, and he followed. They waited for the other father and son to tee off.
When they got to the first green, Grif knew one of the benefits of the headache. He could read the green, and he knew where to putt. It was almost as if there was a line to the hole. By the 9th hole, they had a two-shot lead, but other players were behind them. Their combined score was four under par when they finished at 18. They watched as a team in the last group tied them on 16, then boogied the 17th hole. They had a chance to beat them, but the father hit the sand trap on the fairway to the 18th hole.
They won by one stroke, and Jerry danced around like he had won the lottery. Pictures were taken for the first, second, and third-place teams. Then, the trophy was given to each team, and they had their picture taken with it. Jerry added Grif to their membership so that he could golf there anytime. They both got a gift bag, and Jerry bought Grif a golf travel bag so he could take his clubs home and practice there. He said there is an amateur tournament in the spring that he should plan on attending.
On the way home, Jerry told Grif that winning the tournament was big. Their picture would be in the club’s monthly newsletter, the local paper, and possibly the LA Times. Then, their picture would be in the trophy case at the entrance to the clubhouse. When they arrived home, Jerry told Mom they had won the tournament, and she said that was nice. Jerry said they were going to the Bel-Air Country Club for dinner, and Mom said You know, I don’t like that place. He said you don’t have to go, and Grif and I will go without you.
They cleaned up, and surprisingly, Mom joined them, going to the Bel-Air Country Club. When they entered the dining room, they received a round of applause. Mom was shocked at the attention Jerry and Grif received. Exiting the dining room after dinner, she saw their picture and trophy in the display case and complained she wasn’t in the photo. Jerry told her she was invited but chose not to attend. He told her she missed a great opportunity to market her business because the players’ families supported them.
Early Saturday morning, Jerry took Grif to LAX. He thanked Grif for playing the tournament, and Grif thanked Jerry for the golf clubs, lessons, and for inviting him to Thanksgiving. He helped Grif get his luggage and clubs to the check-in counter and shook his hand goodbye. He made it through security without much delay and arrived for his flight as they were boarding. He texted Dad the flight information when he sat in his seat, then put the phone in airplane mode.
They landed at DFW close to 1 p.m., and Dad met Grif at baggage claim. Dad gave Grif a man hug, welcoming him home, and they collected his luggage. On the way home, Grif told Dad about winning the golf tournament and the dinner at the Bel-Air Country Club that evening. Then he told Dad about Mom’s response to the attention they received and their photo in the trophy case. Dad said, “Oh my god, that woman is so self-centered,” and they laughed.
Dad stopped at the Whataburger drive-thru on the way home, and they ate a late lunch when they arrived. During lunch, Grif told Dad about watching football alone on Thanksgiving and that they don’t watch TV. Then Joanne called and asked about his Thanksgiving and why she received calls about a golf tournament. Grif laughed and said he and Jerry won the father-son golf tournament at the Bel-Air Country Club on Friday. It wasn’t a big deal, and Joanne said he was wrong.
She said it’s been reported on the entertainment and sports channels and was in the LA Times this morning. Joanne reminded Grif of the training on Monday, said the producer of the movie you interviewed for on Tuesday is sending a contract offer, and said goodbye. Grif said he wished to have more time off before training, and Dad said, “Isn’t it fun to be in the movies?” They laughed.
After lunch, Grif unpacked, took his dirty clothes to the laundry, started a load, then watched college football. Dad went to work in his home office, and Grif spent the afternoon watching football and doing laundry. When it was dinner time, Dad ordered pizza and went to pick it up.
They ate dinner while watching college football, and Grif asked Dad why he didn’t have a date with Mommy. He laughed and said Amber was spending Thanksgiving with relatives. Grif said he sensed a meeting with the in-laws soon, possibly at Christmas, and they laughed. After the game ended, they said goodnight and went to bed. Grif was tired from the trip and fell asleep immediately. The tingling sensation started, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Early Sunday morning, instead of a walk, Grif put on his sweats, went to the garage, and practiced martial arts on the heavy bag. He missed his workouts, and it felt good to hit something again. When he finished, he was drenched in sweat, stripped at the laundry, showered, and turned on the computer. Grif did the homework for his online college courses. When he finished, he sensed Dad in the kitchen, so he shut off the computer, dressed, and went downstairs.
While they ate breakfast, Grif told Dad about their dinner at Jerry and Mom’s friends’ house. Ten couples were present, and they asked where I lived. He told them he lived on a cattle ranch with his Dad, rode a horse to school, and worked the cattle when he got home. When the dinner bell rang, he cleaned up in the pond behind the ranch house. Then, Mom spoiled it by interrupting him before he told them about the outhouse and indoor plumbing. Dad laughed and asked if they believed it, and Grif said yes, and they laughed some more.
After breakfast, they went to the market for food for the week. Arriving home, they put the groceries away and watched the pregame shows. Then Dad made lunch and watched the first game. Grif paid attention to the defensive play against the offense. At the break between games, Grif asked Dad if they had to watch talent/dating shows, dramas, and love stories when he married Ashley. If so, he’ll get a TV for his room and let you suffer alone. Dad laughed and said No, Ashley likes football and the movies we like.
Grif said, “Sure, I’ll measure my room for a TV just in case,” and they laughed again. Dad cooked dinner, and they ate while watching Sunday night football. They turned off the game at halftime due to leaving early in the morning for Grif’s flight. They said goodnight and went to bed. Grif packed for his trip and added 10k in cash from his stash. Then he fell asleep, the tingling sensation started, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Dad dropped Grif off at DFW at 4:45 a.m. on Monday. He wished Grif good luck with his training and left laughing. He checked his bags at the ticket counter, went through security, and arrived thirty minutes early at the gate. The flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico, took about an hour, and he met Blue Sky, his trainer, at baggage claim. They drove to Tuba City and stopped at a leather store. Winding Creek, an older woman, asked Blue Sky why he brought her such a wonderful gift.
They laughed, and Blue Sky introduced Grif and said he needed two sets of skins, moccasins, regular, thigh-high, and loincloths. Winding Creek giggled and pulled Grif into a back room. She measured him from his head to his feet. Then, she gave him a pair of moccasins to wear, and they returned to the sales area. Winding Creek said everything would be ready by noon on Wednesday.
Blue Sky and Grif left and went to a campsite with cabins. Blue Sky showed Grif his cabin and told him to get settled and then come to the main cabin wearing his moccasins. When Grif arrived, Blue Sky gave him a brief history of the Navajo tribe. Then they went to the range, and Blue Sky trained him to shoot a bow and arrow. Grif’s first six shots missed the target, but eventually, he got close to the center. Blue Sky said they would practice every day, and by the end of training, he would hit the center every time.
During dinner, Blue Sky discussed the training schedule with Grif. It starts at 5 a.m. and ends around 6 or 7 p.m. Training will take a week or two, depending on how quickly he learns. Blue Sky said in Navajo that the dam Hollywood producers expect miracles, and Grif agreed in his language. That shocked Blue Sky, and he asked when he learned Navajo, and Grif said last week, using a language program he purchased online. Blue Sky said Great, we’ll talk in Navajo while training. They finished dinner and said goodnight. It was late, so he didn’t call home and fell asleep. The tingling sensation started, and then he fell into a deep sleep.
At 5 a.m., Grif was waiting out of Blue Sky’s cabin, shocking him. He said most actors can’t wake up this early, and it takes them an hour to get ready. Blue Sky showed Grif how to walk silently in the woods, stand, and sit while resting or cooking. After breakfast, Grif practiced shooting the bow and arrow, then learned to ride a horse with only a saddle pad.
After lunch, Blue Sky taught Grif how to make camp and cook like the braves did. Then he learned how to throw knives and sharpen them using stones. The same stones were used to sharpen the arrowheads, too. They practiced the silent walk back to the cabins, stopping and listening to the forest sounds. Blue Sky told Grif what each sound was and told him to pay attention to the sounds, which would save his life.
Blue Sky demonstrated the sounds and calls the Navajo braves made during dinner. He had Grif replicate them and said they would practice them after getting his skins tomorrow. They finished dinner and said goodnight. Grif returned to his cabin and called home. Dad answered, and Grif said he learned to scalp a white man, causing him to laugh. Then Grif told him what he’d learned so far, but didn’t tell him about the Indian skins or loincloths. They said goodnight, and Grif fell asleep. Then, he got a severe headache, which almost woke him up, but a tingling sensation started, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Grif met Blue Sky outside his cabin at 5 a.m. and practiced walking silently through the woods. Then, Blue Sky taught Grif to use the bow and arrow while moving in the woods. He pointed out targets, and Grif shot at them. The first targets were pointed out slowly, then Blue Sky picked up the pace, and soon, Grif shot arrows as fast as he could. On the way back to the cabin, they collected the arrows and sharpened the tips during breakfast.
After breakfast, Blue Sky taught Grif how to fight with a knife. Blue Sky was surprised how quickly he picked it up, and Grif said it was because of his martial arts training. After the training, they went to Winding Creek’s leather store. He tried on a pair of skins, and Winding Creek had Grif shower with them on. When they were soaked, she had him walk around in the sun until the skins were dry. She giggled and said they fit perfectly. Winding Creek told Grif to leave the other pair alone unless he needed them.