Golf In A Parallel Universe (44 page)

Finally it was time for George and Tim to go. I thanked them and told them I was sorry I had to put them through this. They just joked with me that I better listen to them next time when they tell me it is time to get off the course when a storm is approaching. I told them that I will for sure. “Here’s your keys, and your clubs are in the trunk," Tim told me as he handed me my keys. We said our goodbyes, and they were getting ready to leave.

At that time another car drove up. Out stepped an elderly couple with a concerned look on their face and they walking over to us. It was my parents. At that instance my mind flashed back. I was remembering that strange dream that I had when I was unconscious. I dreamed that I was at another time and place. The dream was so real to me. I was a professional golfer. And my parents were killed in a car accident when they were driving to seem me play in one of my first tournaments. I remember that this happened ten years ago in that dream.

When my parents walked up to me, I had felt like they have been dead for years, but here they are. And I was so happy to see them. I lost it again, and I hugged them and cried harder than ever. It was so incredible that I had that feeling that I had lost them, and now they are here with me.

After a couple of minutes of this, my buddy Tim yelled out. “My gosh, this is becoming a soap opera," he said laughing. “You just got a little bump on the head” he said still laughing. George, who is a doctor friend of ours took my wife and parents to the side my explained to them that I did have a concussion and was struck by lightning. So I may be having all kinds of emotions and saying strange things. After that George and Tim left, and we went inside. It was nice to be back home again, I felt like I have been gone a long time.

The next couple of days, I just rested. I slept well at night. It felt so good to be home and be with my family. Something that I felt that I have really missed for some reason. I feel like I have been away for a long time. Within a couple of days, my head was clear, but my body was very sore. Even though my head was clear, I could still remember that feeling that I had been somewhere else for a period of time. It was not so much like a dream. But more like a feeling. I could remember bits of pieces of being a professional golfer. It was not real clear, but it seemed to be real to me. However, I just wrote it off as the trauma of the concussion and the lightning strike. It makes perfect sense. The brain is an amazing thing. And when it gets scrambled like what happened to me, I guess you can have all kinds of strange sensations.

Wednesday afternoon, I was home by myself. The wife and the kids went shopping. It is August and school will be starting in a few weeks and they went shopping for school supplies. I was feeling better. I remember that my golf clubs were in the trunk of my car. I decided to get them out and clean them.

I opened the trunk to take them out. The golf clubs were covered with small twigs and leaves from the tree that fell on me Sunday. I took my Golf clubs out of the trunk and brushed off all twigs, leaves and dirt. I carried them around to back yard and put them on the patio. It was time to give them a good cleaning. I am a little disappointed because I am on vacation this week and I had planned to play some more golf this week. But no golf for me for a while. I get a small plastic bucket of water and some steel wool and towels and I clean my clubs. I get them cleaned and wiped them and lean them up against the back of the house in the sun to let them dry.

“Wow, they look like new now. I wish I could go play," I tell myself. I decided that I might as well clean out my golf bag as well. I unzip the pockets and start taking things out. It has been a while since I have cleaned this bag. I took out balls, tees, markers, old scorecards and pencils and whatever else I have accumulated over time. I open up the side pocket and take out old jackets, hats and gloves that I use when I play in the winter. “What a mess this bag is” I tell myself as I am pulling things out.

As I was pulling things out, I noticed a newspaper that was folded and wrapped around something. I unfolded the newspaper and there was something that I have never seen before. I pull out this flat wooden stick about 15 inches long. I pull it out and it has a string wrapped around it.

“What the heck?," I ask myself as I unwind it. And at the end of the string is a shiny steel ball. “What the hell?." I hold out the stick and watch the steel ball rock gently back and forth. For a few seconds I am really confused. But as I rock the steel ball back and forth, it is like a switch was just turned on in my brain. I know exactly what this thing is. I remember everything! All those feeling that I have had since I was hit by lightning Sunday is no longer a blur. I know now what this thing is. It is all crystal clear now. I think about what all I did for several months as a professional golfer. I know that this stick and ball was a training aid that I used when I was a professional.

But then I start thinking that this is crazy for me to think this way. I rationalized that all these feeling were the result of my concussion and lighting strike. But here is this gadget. I have never seen this thing before. And there is no reason it should be in my bag. But I clearly remember that this was given to me by my swing coach in my dream. It was a training tool for me to work on my swing tempo. I pace around trying to figure this out. There has to be a logical reason for this.

Then I remember in that dream when I was in that other time or place as a professional golfer. I had a mentor. His name was Jerry Churchill . He was a retired professional golfer. He was a legend in the golf world. He was a short older man 78 years old. He was slim and very fit, he took good care of himself. He seemed to be crazy at times. I remember very clearly, that we had a serious discussion. He told me a crazy story. He told me that there is a Parallel Universe. He explained to me that there are actually two of ourselves. One in one universe and one of us which is a carbon copy of ourselves in a parallel Universe. He told me that I had come over from the my home Universe as a normal person, to this Universe. And I assumed the body and soul of of my other self which was professional golfer. He told me that I would be going back to my home universe. And I would take something physical back with me. And when I find it, I will realize the story he told me is true. He told me that if I do not destroy that object, then I will be thrust back into the parallel Universe and will never be able to go back home. And that I will regret that for ever. “He told me to keep it Parallel Jim, Keep it Parallel.

I sit down in a chair and think about this. “This cannot be true," I tell myself. There has to be a logical explanation. I start to rationalize that my brain is fried because of the concussion and the lighting strike. I come to the conclusion that logically I must know what this device is. I just do not remember right now because of my concussion. I probably have had it in my bag for a long time. So I feel better. I will just be happy when I can get back to normal. This concussion is no fun.

I start to clean up. I pick up the newspaper that this gadget was wrapped in. I think it is odd because it does not seem very old. I unfold it and and start to read it. My hands started shaking as I am reading this paper. There is a picture of me jumping to victory on a golf green. And the caption says “JIM GALLOWAY WINS THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE GRAND SLAM.” Dated Sunday, August 10th 2014.

I start the read the article, and it also talks about a person named Dafford Hilton tried to shoot Jim Galloway on the 18th green with a sniper rifle but he was stopped in a struggle with Legend professional Golfer named Jerry Churchill and the FBI. As I read this, it all comes back to me. I remember the terror that I went through with Dafford Hilton. There is no longer any doubt. I remember everything. Then I realize something that floors me. The statement that Jerry Churchill always told me in that dream or other universe “Keep it Parallel Jim, Keep it Parallel” . That is the same thing that Gerald has been telling me the last few months. “Could it be? Could it be?” I ask myself.

I grab the stick and ball pendulum device along with the newspaper and I drive to the golf course. I park my car. I want to find Gerald now. I head to the pro shop but then I notice that he is out by the practice green by himself. He sees me the same time I see him. I walk towards this short fat old man. "There no way he could be the person in the other universe” I tell myself. Jerry Churchill was a perfect picture of health. He did not drink or anything. The only similarities of him and Gerald is they are both short. I walk up to Gerald.

“I figured you would be coming around in a day or two. By the way, Jim. Welcome home," he said smiling. At that instant, I knew it was him. “So, what did you bring back?," he asked. I knew what he was talking about and I handed him the pendulum device. He looked at it, and he held it out. “Oh, yeah. Gus," he said as a tear started to go down one side of his face. “He’s a good man," he said in a reflective tone. Then I handed him the newspaper. He took a look at the newspaper for a few seconds. “Nice, but this is going to make it difficult for you," he replied. “Why," I replied. "Because it looks like you had a great time over there and you will want to go back. That’s typical” he said.

I know for sure that all of this is real. I did not know what to say. “Let’s take a walk” he said. As we walked he explained everything. And I remember it was the same exact thing that Jerry Churchill had told me. He told me that there is a Parallel Universe. And there is a carbon copy of ourselves in the other universe. And sometimes people get thrust into that other universe. Eventually they come back to their home universe as I just did. And they will bring something back with them that is from that other universe. And when they discover that object whatever it may be, just like my pendulum device and newspaper, they will completely remember everything and know that a parallel universe exist.

“You have to destroy that pendulum device and newspaper” he told me in a very serious tone. “I think I have heard this before," I replied. “Yes you have. The first time you probably did not listen, but this time you better or you will be stuck like me," he told me as he held his head down sadly. “You see," he said as he pointed at t?/,.go back, you will destroy yourself in both universes. You will be living or stuck in two universes and it will tear you apart. You will not have peace in either place. Your soul will not be in your home Universe, which is here. You will be stuck over there and you will miss your family and the life you have here. You will destroy the glamorous life of a professional golfer over there. Both lives in both universes will be destroyed. That's what happened to me. I am stuck in two universes and it is tearing me apart. I am a drunk here and miserable in the other universe," he said as tears were starting to run down his cheek.

“So Jim," he said. “When I have been telling you to “Keep it Parallel Jim, Keep it Parallel." I was not talking about golf. I was telling you to keep the two universes parallel to each other. Do not cross back over, or your life will be destroyed.

“What do I do," I asked. “I want to be here with my family. It was great to be a professional golfer, but there were a lot of bad things over there, I replied in a worried tone. “The temptation is great, to go back," he replied. "But if you want to stay here in your home universe, then you will have to destroy what you brought back. If you do not destroy these items, then at some point in time you will be thrust back into the other universe. Burn these two items and you will be released. After that you will be free and at peace. And the Carbon copy of yourself in the other universe will be free and go along with his life in peace.

You will only have a vague recollection of your experiences in the other universe. But you will know that the experience did happen to you. And you will be fully aware that there is a Parallel Universe. You may have the opportunity some day to help someone just like I am trying to help you. Because you will have the sixth sense to recognize a person if they are coming over from the Parallel Universe. So now is decision time. And I can tell you it will be a difficult decision for you to make." He reached out and shook my hand. “I wish you well my friend."

I turned and walked away and got in my car. Now I know and there is no doubt that this is all real. I leave the golf course and drive down a country road along a river. I tell myself it is time to destroy these two items. I know I have some matches in the back trunk that we used for campfires when we went camping this summer. My plan is to burn these two items and release myself from this burden. I stop at this area where I have been many times. There is a concrete footbridge that goes over a river. There is no one around. I get the matches out of the trunk along with an old wooden crate that used to store things in. I fill the wooden crate with dry grass which is by the river. I take the newspaper and the pendulum device and put them in the wooden crate. I walk onto the middle of the bridge over raging river below.

I think this is going to be easy. I crumble up the newspaper and I wrap it around the pendulum device along with some dry grass. I get it all set and I am ready to light this so this will be all over. But then I think of what I went through. As a golfer, there is nothing better in the world than to hit a good solid golf shot. And as normal amateur golfer, you could never imagine hitting the ball like a professional golfer. The feel of hitting a 300 yard drive. The feel of hitting a crisp solid iron shot exactly where you want it to go. To live the life where all you had to do is play golf every day and make tons of money.

“I want to go back!” I tell myself. Maybe it will be fine. Maybe he is wrong. Maybe, I can lives in both Universes in peace. But then I realize that I have a good life here. It is not a glamorous life. But a simple happy life. I think about my wife and kids and how I could never leave them. I have to stay here.

Finally I am at peace with my decision. I light the fire and it burns. I am looking down stream and the wind is at my back. The wind blows the smoke down stream. It burns down ashes and I see the metal ball melting. I take a deep breath and close my eyes for a few seconds and that God for my life that I have here with my family.