Chapter 7: The Wake Forest Adventure Begins

Dave and his parents were awake and on the road by five o'clock in the morning. They each took turns driving and, except for quick re-fueling, they only stopped twice: once for dinner in Portland, Maine and once for supper in Hartford, Connecticut. They drove past New York and Washington during the night and continued until they found a motel in Virginia and stopped for the night.

They slept until ten o'clock; then they got up, showered, ate, and got back on the road well before noon. Dave felt the hot summer air hit him as soon as he walked out of the motel and he was happy they had air-conditioning in the van. They were only three hours from Winston-Salem, so they knew they would arrive mid-afternoon. Dave had printed off directions for the university using Map Quest and they easily found Dave's new home for the winter. Dave had a campus map from his Wake Forest University (WFU) registration kit and he directed his father to the parking lot in front of the Palmer Residence. Dave knew his room number was thirty-one from his residence notification. He had also checked the WFU website and knew the room was in the back corner of the residence, right beside an exit door.

As they pulled onto WFU, Dave remembered the campus from his visit the previous winter but he had not specifically seen Palmer Residence. As they pulled into the parking lot, Dave immediately noticed the trees behind the Palmer Residence and Piccolo Residence; he thought the area looked very secluded from the rest of the campus. The parking lot was busy with students and parents carrying personal items from vehicles into both Residences; the two units were beside each other. Dave said, "I'll go check-in."

He climbed out of the van and walked towards the front door of Palmer Residence. He nodded hello to several students as they carried belongings into the building. When he reached the front door, he held the door open for a student carrying two suitcases then followed him inside. Dave looked around the main lounge. To his left he saw a television with several couches and chairs. The student he followed inside walked through the middle of the lounge then through a door on the right that Dave assumed was the men's side of the building. He saw an office on the right side of the lounge and beside the office was a table with a brown haired woman wearing glasses sitting behind it. He walked over to the table and introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Dave MacDonald, room thirty-one." He then handed her his official Letter of Notification.

The woman looked over his sheet of paper before she checked off his name on her list. She pulled out several papers, introduced herself, and explained, "I'm Melanie Harris, the Residence Life Coordinator. Your roommate arrived earlier today. Here is your DeaconOne Card and a guide explaining how to use the card. Your resident assistant is Stuart Willis." She turned and pointed her pencil at a very square-shaped black student. "That is Stuart there. You can introduce yourself when you get settled in. You should also book an appointment with Stuart - all new students are required to meet with him to review the residence rules. Welcome to Wake Forest, Dave."

Dave thanked her then looked at his DeaconOne Card. The head-and-shoulders picture he had mailed with his registration was on the card. He decided to check out his room so he walked through the door in the right corner behind the welcome table then walked down the left hall to where he remembered his room should be. He passed the bathroom in the center of the wing. The floor plan on the internet had shown rooms all around the perimeter of the wing with the large common bathroom in the middle. He opened his door with his DeaconOne Card and looked into the small room. The first thing he saw as he opened the door was a dresser against the right wall. He pushed the door open farther and saw two closets with a sink on the far side, then the window on the far wall with the fridge below it. As he scanned the room he saw an empty desk beside the window and the bunk-bed in the corner. The mattress on the top bunk was laying flat with several bags on top of it. The mattress on the bottom bunk was on its side leaning against the wall. Dave looked behind the door and he saw another desk and dresser covered with his roommate's belongings.

Dave liked the idea of the bottom bunk and the desk right beside it seemed to suit so he nodded, "Home sweet home" then turned and walked out.

His parents were still sitting in the van with the air-conditioning running when Dave returned. He suggested, "After we take everything into my room, I'll give you a tour of the campus. At least what I remember of it anyway." They both nodded agreement and got out of the van. Dave picked up his television and started into the residence with it while his parents each took two bags and followed him. As Dave walked through the parking lot he noticed a woman helping her daughter with her bags. The mother was a very attractive woman with beautiful café-au-lait complexion, lustrous black hair, and exotic dark eyes - but Dave immediately focused his attention on the daughter. She was fairly tall with a slim but attractive build. Her skin was lighter than her mother's but it was still quite dark. Her straight, jet black fell halfway down her back and, as she turned with her bags, he was momentarily hypnotized by her sensuous dark eyes. She caught him staring, so he nodded to her politely as he walked past and into the residence. He guided his parents to his room and placed his television on his desk before he flipped down the mattress on his bed. He placed the bags his parents were carrying on the bed before they went outside for a second load.

When they reached the van, Dave pulled out his clubs along with his backpack while his father took the last bag and his desk lamp. As Dave turned to go back into the residence, he saw the girl he had seen earlier but this time she was with her father. They were pulling more bags from a mini van. The girl turned toward Dave and he looked at her questioningly - she looked different. He smiled at her again and strode into the residence. As he walked through the main hall, he saw the girl walking toward him from the girls' side of the residence. Her mother was directly behind her and they both noticed Dave staring with his mouth open. He wondered how she got inside so quickly. Suddenly it dawned on him - they were twins. The girl he had just seen in the parking lot was wearing different clothes and that was what was different but he couldn't identify. The beautiful girl and her mother smiled at him. They must have recognized the look of realization on his face. He smiled back wanly, suddenly feeling nervous.

His father was following him, chuckling. "I see you have twins in your residence. Did you realize the girl out front wasn't the same one you nodded to before you went inside?"

Dave replied over his shoulder, "No, I thought it was the same girl both times but I did notice something different. Now I know it was different clothes. They are both gorgeous."

His father replied, "Yes they are. And they get it honestly."

Dave had just reached his room and he turned to his father and teased, "You were checking out their mother. Weren't you?" After his father simply smiled as a reply, Dave added, "You would think that the twins you are already having fun with would be enough." Roger looked at Dave in surprise. He had been very discreet with his sister-in-law and hadn't thought anyone knew. Dave laughed, "I know, you didn't think I knew - but there is no mistaking the way mom's sister looks at you. You are one lucky man."

Roger just shook his head at his son before Dave replied, "Okay, okay I never saw a thing."

Dave then placed his clubs in his closet. He put the remaining bags on the bed and placed the lamp on the desk. His father looked at the pile on the bed but Dave explained, "I'll put everything away later. I want to make sure my roommate wants the top bunk and that desk and dresser, before I unpack everything."

Dave followed his father out of the room, closed the door and they walked out of the residence. The twins' van was completely unpacked and they were nowhere to be seen. Dave got in his family's van with his parents and guided them on a brief tour of the campus. He looked at his campus map and explained the various buildings. The last stop on the tour was the golf facility. Dave directed his father to the parking lot beside the Haddock Golf Center. Dave pointed at the woods to the left of the driving range and explained, "My room is just on the other side of those trees; I will have a very short walk here to practice."

His father laughed, "And I know how much you love to practice."

Dave simply smiled and nodded. Dave expected the door to the Haddock Center to be locked but as he pulled the door, it opened and he simply led his parents inside. They had just walked in when a familiar voice said, "Hello, Dave. How was the trip?"

Dave looked to the left and saw the assistant coach, Chris Toombs smiling at him. Dave had met Coach Toombs the previous year when he had visited. He immediately introduced his parents to Coach Toombs before Coach Toombs congratulated, "I heard you won the Canadian Amateur, congratulations. You should have a great year with us this year; we're young but we have lots of talent."

Dave nodded before he replied, "Thanks, Coach Toombs. I'm really looking forward to the year. Can I hit balls later this evening and tomorrow morning?"

Coach Toombs laughed, "You have lots of time to practice."

Dave smiled but looked at young man seriously, "I know but, I have a routine where I hit balls almost everyday and I'd like to continue that, if possible."

Coach Toombs chuckled again, "Okay, Dave, here's how it works. Your personal DeaconOne card is specially programmed to let you open the front door of the golf center. You can come and go as you please but this facility is not meant for anything except golf - am I clear on that?"

Dave nodded, "I understand. I promise I won't abuse the privilege."

Coach Toombs led Dave to the locker room and showed him his locker and where he could store and clean his clubs. He also showed him where the practice balls were stored. Dave thanked Coach Toombs before he and his parents left.

Dave's mother suggested, "Why don't we go out to supper then you can come back and get settled in." Dave and his dad both nodded agreement. Supper was very filling and they were soon heading back to Palmer Residence. They stopped at a grocery store where Dave picked up some milk, cereal and a few other groceries for his early morning breakfast. Soon they were back in the parking lot at the Palmer Residence. Dave knew his parents were going to start their return trip to QAI immediately so he hugged them as he wished them a good trip. His mother told him to call anytime. He could see tears in her eyes; he hugged her again, told her he loved her, and he would definitely call often.

He hugged his father and said goodbye. He watched as they got back in the van and drove away. The evening was very hot. Dave turned and looked at the Palmer Residence. He thought about his new life that was just beginning and he was very excited. He decided he would go hit balls as he strode into the residence with a nervous confidence.

He opened the door to his room and jumped when he heard, "Hello?"

Dave looked around the door and sitting in the chair at the desk was his slimly built black haired roommate. He was reading a textbook. Dave smiled at him and said, "You must be Colby Henderson. I'm Dave MacDonald; it's nice to meet you."

Colby put out his hand and replied in a strong southern accent, "Yes, I'm Colby Henderson. It's nice to meet you, as well. I wasn't sure what bed you would want but I don't mind taking the top bunk and this desk and dresser, if that's okay with you?"

Dave replied, "No problem, you can have the top bunk. How was your trip here?"

Colby answered, "I only live an hour away in Durham so it wasn't a long trip. How about you, you drove down from Canada, didn't you?"

Dave explained, "The trip was great. The double lane highways make for fantastic traveling. What's your major?"

Colby replied, "I'm taking sciences - I'm hoping to get into the medical program here. How about you?"

Dave smiled, "I'm going to major in business with a minor in computer science. I'm also playing on the golf team."

Colby smiled, "Really? On the golf team? I've played a little golf but I never really got into it. I played a lot of baseball and some football."

Dave put the milk in the fridge and the groceries in his closet before he looked at his watch. It was seven o'clock and he knew it got dark before nine so he politely said, "I'm actually going to head over to the practice range and hit balls for an hour. I'll put my stuff away when I get back."

Colby nodded, turned and started reading his book again as he said, "Okay, I'll see you later, Dave."

Dave walked to the closet and pulled out his clubs. He set them down and found his golf shoes. When he was ready to leave he said, "See you later, Colby." Dave closed the door to his room then opened the back door of the residence. He could see a path in the woods that appeared to lead in the direction of the practice range so he walked out the door. He turned and checked to see if his card would open the door and he was pleased when it did.

Dave followed the path into the woods and at times he felt like Hansel and Gretel - he wondered if he should have left a trail of bread crumbs. He eventually came out of the woods at the far end of the driving range. He remembered a few of the forks in the woods where he went left and he now knew he should have gone right. He thought he could find his way better next time.

He walked the length of the practice range to the golf center. It was locked so he opened the door leaving his clubs just outside. He carried his shoes inside and pulled them on in the locker room before he found two buckets of balls. He went back out to the practice range and loosened up. He hit balls for over an hour. It felt good to swing his clubs after a few days off. He took his clubs inside and cleaned them before he stored them where Coach Toombs had told him. He then went to his locker and put his shoes away.

He found a path into the woods close to the golf center and he walked in, hoping he would find the correct path. He thought he might recognize some of the paths he had taken earlier but all he saw was trees, bushes, and squirrels. He eventually exited the woods behind the Piccolo Residence. He shook his head and wondered if he would ever find the correct path. He walked to the back of Palmer and went in the door beside his room. He opened the door; Colby was lying on his bed reading.

Dave started opening his bags. He put his clothes in his dresser and some of his washing supplies on the counter to the left side the sink. Colby had neatly put his supplies on the other side of the sink. Dave put his school supplies in his desk before he opened the bag with his sheets and blankets. He put one set of sheets on the shelf in his closet and used the other set to make his bed. He then put his pillows and blankets neatly on the bed as well. His alarm clock went on the end of his desk right beside his bed. Dave had everything put away when he asked, "Do you mind if I turn on the television?"

Colby told him no problem, so Dave set the television on top of his dresser and hooked up the cable. He then turned it on and found a movie on HBO. He lay in bed and watched the movie for a while.

After the movie was over, he checked his schedule for orientation the next morning before he asked Colby what orientation group he was in. They were in the same group with a nine-thirty meeting time. Dave explained that he practiced golf every morning and he would be quiet when he left before seven o'clock.

Dave stripped down to his boxers and crawled under the blankets - luckily the air-conditioning kept the room cool. Dave felt strange sleeping in the small room but he slept fairly well. He woke at six o'clock but rolled over and went back to sleep. He woke again just before seven and got up quietly and brushed his teeth. He got dressed before he walked into the bathroom in the center of the men's wing of the residence. He went out the back door and walked into the woods. The morning sun was cracking brightly through the trees as he worked his way through the woods. He took a couple more right turns this time and when he finally emerged from the trees, he was on the football practice field. He turned and walked back into the woods and this time he came out beside the golf center.

He unlocked the door and went into the locker room. He hit balls for over an hour before he decided he should pick up the balls he had hit that morning and the night before. He didn't know whether the center had a machine for picking up the balls but he didn't want to abuse the privilege Coach Toombs had bestowed upon him. He took his pitching wedge and walked onto the range. He hit all the balls to one to the target greens. He was surprised how much practice he got just hitting the balls to one place so he could easily pick them all up. Hitting partial wedge shots from various distances would definitely help his short game. He filled the two buckets twice before he was finished. He was just walking back with the second set of filled buckets when Coach Toombs pulled into the parking lot.

Coach Toombs explained, "We do have a golf car with a unit for picking balls up automatically. I'll show where it is so you can pick them up easier next time. We like to have them all picked up at night if possible. The grounds-crew usually cut the grass early in the day so having the balls picked up is important." Dave nodded understandingly. After Coach Toombs showed him how to hook up the golf car, Dave cleaned and stored his clubs before he headed back to his residence. He actually found the correct path the first time and emerged from the woods directly behind Palmer.

Dave went in his room and got out his bathrobe and shower supplies. Colby was gone so Dave walked to the main bathroom and found an open shower. When he returned to his room, Colby was sitting at his desk reading. Colby explained that he went to eat and he gave Dave directions to the nearest dining hall. Dave got dressed; then went to eat.

The dining hall was half full and Dave looked at the other students as he stood in line for breakfast. He immediately noticed that there were a large variety of girls. He noticed several that looked very pretty but he didn't see the twins. He ate a very large breakfast before he returned to Palmer. As he walked in he saw his RA and introduced himself. He then asked about an appointment and they arranged a time for later that afternoon.

The orientation meeting went well and Dave met several other students in the residence. He also met another freshman from the golf team. His name was Will Strang and he was from Ohio. Will was quite tall but not quite as tall as Dave's six foot five inches. Dave estimated him to be about six two or three. He was also thinner than Dave. He and Dave talked about golf and arranged to go hit balls together that evening. Will was surprised when Dave said he liked to practice between three and six hours a day. Will said he normally only practiced about two hours per day. He preferred playing but recognized the need for practice.

Dave sat with Colby during dinner and they talked more about the academics at Wake Forest. They were told in the morning session that they would get their laptops that afternoon. Dave knew that Colby was definitely an academic but that didn't bother Dave in the least. He had always had a variety of friends and he was actually happy that Colby would probably spend more time studying than partying.

The afternoon session went well and Dave got his laptop. He was given his password to WIN, the Wake Information Network. Dave and Colby both set their laptops up when they returned to their room but Dave didn't have much time to check his out as he had the meeting with Stuart. He went to the residence office at four o'clock and knocked on the door. Stuart said he would be ready for Dave in a moment then went back into the office.

Five minutes later Will walked out of the office and said, "Go right in, Dave."

Dave's meeting with Stuart went well. Stuart reviewed the rules. He explained that the DeaconOne card would open the front door and the doors on the men's side of the building but would not open the back doors on the women's side. Dave left the meeting enlightened and confident he could go to Stuart for anything related to the residence.

Dave went back to his room and was surfing the internet when he heard a knock on the door. He looked over at Colby who stood and answered the door. Will asked Dave if he was ready to eat. Dave said he was and invited Colby but he said he was meeting someone later for dinner. Dave nodded and followed Will out the door. Will explained that he was at the Golf Center earlier and he was shown his locker and where to store his clubs.

The dining hall was not very busy. Dave realized it was just five o'clock and the dining hall had just opened. He found the food good with lots of variety. He had always heard complaints about dining hall food but he found it to be very good. He and Will talked about golf and Will said he had seen Dave the previous year in both Hartford and North Carolina. He explained that he had finished in the top ten but had never really pressured either Dave or O'Mahoney for the lead. Dave said he didn't remember him and Will laughed, "That's because you only remember the golfers above you on the leader board - not the ones below you." Dave had never really thought about that but he realized that Will was probably correct.

Dave and Will went to the practice range and hit balls for an hour and a half. They both went into the Center and Dave asked, "Do you want to clean the clubs or pick up the balls."

Will thought for a quick second and replied, "Clean the clubs."

Dave nodded and left his clubs with Will before he hooked up the ball retrieving unit to the center golf car and headed out onto the range. He was weaving around on the range when he noticed a girl walk out of the woods at the far end of the practice area. He immediately knew it was one of the twins. He waved to her and she nodded before she went back into the woods where she had exited. Dave laughed to himself as he guessed that she was exploring the woods like he had.

When Dave had all the balls picked up he went back to the center. Will was finished with the clubs and was sitting in a chair watching Dave. Dave unhooked the golf car and put the practice balls away before he went into the locker room and changed his shoes. He then walked outside with Will. Will started to walk towards the road but Dave told him he knew a shortcut. Will followed Dave through the woods and was very surprised when they emerged behind their residence.

Will asked, "Did you get a map of these woods?"

Dave chuckled. "No, I just found my way by trial and error."

They went into the residence and went to their separate rooms. Colby was still working on his computer and Dave logged on and sent some e-mails. Two hours passed quickly as he sent messages to John, Rebecca, Jennifer, Katherine, and Sarah.

He crawled into bed and turned on the television for half an hour before he went to sleep. Colby was again reading on his bed.

Dave slept better the second night and again woke early and walked to the golf center. He decided to spend his practice time on his short game and sand trap play. After practicing for ninety minutes, he had just finished picking up his balls when Coach Dawes arrived at the center. Coach Dawes walked up to Dave and shook his hand. He congratulated Dave for winning the Canadian Amateur. They talked briefly about the program and Coach Dawes said there was a team meeting on Monday at nine o'clock. He further explained that he had given Coach Toombs a program for the weekend for Dave and the other two freshmen. It included a round of golf at their home course Tanglewood Park on Sunday. Dave thanked him and said he would tell Will to check with Coach Toombs

Dave looked for Coach Toombs but he had not arrived yet, so Dave left for the dining hall. After breakfast he met with his academic advisor, Shelly Long. She had been named in the Letter of Notification he had received in July; she was a staff member and faculty person in the math department. Dave had pre-registered for the courses he wanted to take and only had to confirm them the next week. Shelly was a very nice, attractive woman and they talked about his golf requirements. She was surprised he had registered for some challenging courses and she told him he would have to work hard at his studies to balance his tough courses with his golf commitments. Dave assured her that he was not just at Wake Forest for the golf - a good education was his most important goal.

Dave told Will about going to see Coach Toombs and Will introduced Dave to the other freshman on the golf team. Darcy Gregory was from Virginia and he was shorter than both Dave and Will. All three went to find Coach Toombs and see what their weekend program included.

They found Coach Toombs in the golf center and he gave them their weekend schedule. On Saturday, they were to practice from nine to eleven, working mainly on their short irons. From eleven to one they were scheduled to meet the fitness and strength advisor, Mike Tonelli, at the Miller Fitness Center. After lunch they were to return to the golf center for two more hours of long irons and fairway woods practice from two to four then wrap it all up with an hour of putting practice.

On Sunday they were to practice chipping and sand trap shots from nine to eleven. They were given an hour to eat before Coach Toombs would drive them to Tanglewood to play a round of golf with one of the juniors on the team, Alec Trainer who lived in nearby High Point. Alec was going to drive them back to campus after the round. Coach Toombs also explained the rest of the team would arrive Sunday.

Dave, Will, and Darcy went to dinner before they separated to finish their orientation. Dave's orientation group was given a full tour of the campus. By suppertime Dave was very tired of orientation. Colby said he was going home for the weekend and packed a small bag then left before supper. Dave decided to try a different dining hall - he had noticed that the map had shown several dining halls and he was curious if there was a difference. He invited Darcy and Will, but Will had plans so, only Darcy went with him. They ate a solid meal before returning to the dorm. Dave decided that the different dining hall was only a different location - the menu seemed basically the same. Darcy went to Dave's room and they watched television for a while. Eventually Darcy left and Dave worked on his laptop for a while. He sent some more e-mails then went to bed.

He woke at his usual six-thirty. He got some milk from the fridge and added it to a bowl of cereal. He quietly cleaned his dishes before he left for the practice range. He had already been practicing for two hours when Will and Darcy arrived. Coach Toombs arrived and he guided them through some practice drills. Dave noticed that Will was losing interest as eleven o'clock drew near. Darcy, however, was a very hard worker and he concentrated hard until Coach Toombs told them it was time to walk over to the Miller Center and meet Mike, the fitness and strength trainer.

Coach Toombs escorted them to the fitness center and introduced them to Mike. Mike started by getting some measurements of the three freshmen. Darcy went first. He was five-ten and weighted one hundred and seventy pounds. Mike took several other measurements before he moved to Will. Will was six-two and one hundred and eighty pounds. Finally Mike checked Dave. Dave was six-five and weighted two hundred and nineteen pounds.

Mike then said goodbye to Coach Toombs and led the three freshmen into the weight room. He had each of them do some various exercises to determine flexibility and strength. When he tested Dave, he was surprised by Dave's strength and asked, "Your file showed you played hockey last year but you must have done a lot of weight training as well. How long have you been working the weights?"

Dave explained, "I actually started weight training almost two years ago as therapy for an injury. My trainer got me hooked and I've been doing at least some weight training ever since."

Mike was looking through his file and he asked, "Was that the injury in Vancouver?"

Dave replied, "Yes."

Mike said, "You have obviously recovered completely. Your trainer did a great a job. Okay, I need twenty minutes to develop a program for each of you. You can just relax or you can start a little easy training if you like. I will be back soon." Mike left the room.

As soon as he left Will said, "I have no idea where to start so I'll just wait for Mike."

Darcy nodded agreement but Dave said, "I'm going to start my normal session until Mike gets back." Dave walked around the training room to see what equipment was available before he went to a mat in the corner and started with stretching exercises. He spent fifteen minutes stretching before he moved to some equipment designed for working out his legs. He had just completed his third set on his quadriceps when Mike entered the room.