| General Fiction posted November 7, 2023 | Chapters: |
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The end of the story
A chapter in the book Saving Mr. Calvin
Saving Mr. Calvin - Chapter 51
by Jim Wile
| Background A story about the origin and the future of the game of golf |
Recap of the past few chapters: Allie calls Kevin the same night as their initial meeting where Kevin made his pitch for financing the simulator. She asks to see him again later that night. Kevin is surprised, and wonders about the nature of the meeting. Allie reveals that she met Art Calvin that afternoon when she went for a run after work. He was sitting on a bench along the trail and claimed that his dog escaped him and asked Allie if she would look for him on her run. She agrees and hears a bark. When she leaves the trail and steps through some trees to find the dog, she becomes 13-year-old Arie Papin witnessing a boy being chased by two other boys in 13th century Holland.
Kevin is astounded by this and finds out that she had been there during the same nine years that he had been there in Kilian’s mind. She also reveals that she had similarly been in the minds of Aggie Lang and Abby Payne at the same times Kevin had been in Kirk Pate and Kenny Payne’s minds during their eras. Kevin explains to Allie what this is all about—that they had all been sent on a mission by the ghost of golf, Art Calvin, to resurrect the game of golf. Allie agrees to fund the prototype because her experience convinces her she wants to be a part of this. The two end up kissing passionately.
The next day over breakfast, Kevin tells Paul and Ernie about the meeting with Allie the previous night and how they’ve been approved to get the financing to build the prototype simulator. Kevin also reveals how Allie had been on the same time travels they had been on during the same periods but in the minds of Arie, Aggie, and Abby.
They rent an office and begin work on building the simulator. During the next two years, Kevin marries Allie, and they build the prototype simulator. To demonstrate how it works, Kevin plays 9 holes with Allie in the same scene that comprised the Prologue. Allie particularly loves the surprise Ernie programmed into it with the wild trips in the golf cart.
Chapter 51
“So, what did you think?” I asked Allie when we finished the back 9.
“I thought it was fantastic! That was so much fun, and everything looked so damn real except maybe for the bunker shots. I think those could still use some tweaking. I tell you what, though, I can’t wait to try Abby’s swing suit. I hit a few good ones today, but a lot of stinkers too. Hopefully, it can fix my slice. I’m going to call her later and see how things are going.”
“You and she have become really good friends, haven’t you?”
“God, I love her. I feel like I know her so well. How could I not when I was in her brain for a couple of years? You get to know somebody pretty darn well that way. You know, she didn’t become a true believer in time travel until I called her and talked to her a couple years ago and convinced her that I had been in her mind for two years when she invented the suit. She could no longer deny the reality of it after that. I think it was a relief to Kenny and the rest when she finally acknowledged it. I think she may still have gone along with everything anyway, but it’s nice not having her think we’re all nuts.”
“Well, I agree. I’m very fond of Kenny too. He’s been extremely helpful to me in developing some of the mechanical systems. The two of them are quite a pair. I know Ernie has also been consulting with E.J. on a bunch of stuff. We’ve got to invite them all out here soon to try out the simulator. You want to maybe mention that to Abby when you call her later? I sure hope their suits are going to be ready soon for production, because we’re getting pretty close now.”
“Yes, I’ll update them on where we are and ask her how close they are too. And I’ll invite them to come. We’ll compare calendars and see what we can plan.”
“Thanks, sweetie. I’m glad you had fun today. So, Miss Venture Capitalist, are you willing to invest in the production phase now, based on your thorough scrutiny of your investment so far?”
“I don’t know. I think I’m going to have to sleep with the client before I consider investing more money with him.”
“He doesn’t get the money unless he sleeps with you? What kind of outfit do you run anyway? Do all of your clients have to sleep with you before you give them any money?”
“Only the good-looking ones.”
“I think this could be arranged. Shall we go back to our condo?”
“What are we waiting for?”
I invited Paul and Ernie over to a meeting later that night at Allie’s and my condo. As we sat down together in the living room, Paul asked me, “So how did it go today with our venture capitalist?”
“Well, guys, I gotta tell ya: It was hard, and I wasn’t sure she’d be able to take it all in, but she managed to, and she said she loved it.”
Paul said, “Wait, are we talking about her round of golf today?”
“Of course. What else?” I said with a grin.
Allie cracked up and gave me a punch in the arm. “Let me speak for myself here, stud. Yes, I was very impressed with the total experience of the golf, and I did indeed love it. The realism was incredible except for maybe bunker shots. But I think my favorite part was when we ignored the signs going up the hill on the 10th hole. Ernie, you’re amazing. People are going to love that. It might be best if we just let that feature spread by word-of-mouth. It will add just that ‘cool’ factor to the whole experience. If we don’t advertise it, people in the know will be able to trick their friends who don’t know about it the way Kevin tricked me today, which is always fun. How did you happen to think that up?”
“I wanted to promote more cart usage for the extra revenue it will earn us. I wanted to give folks a real good reason for taking a cart.”
“Well, that was brilliant,” continued Allie. “You know, the thing I also like about this simulator is the fact that it's so flexible in how it can be used. It can be used by serious golfers who want an authentic golfing experience or those who don’t have much time and want to play fast by using the ‘instant next shot’ feature. It can be used by the kind of folks who like to play at Topgolf now in a party-like atmosphere by using the practice range, then maybe playing a few holes. Let’s make a note to add music play list options to the setup options. And, once we get the swing suits, they can be used by those wanting to really improve their skills. I think it’s a pretty universal trait that the better you are at a game, the more fun it is to play, and that will translate into many trips back. I think this has the potential to become very popular, and I, for one, am pleased to be a part of it. I say this as your financier and business advisor, but as a customer, I’ll just say, damn, it was fun!”
“So, that means we get the financing to move into the production stage?” I asked, mainly for the benefit of Paul and Ernie to hear it.
“Nah, forget it. It sucked.”
We all laughed.
“Yes, you get the money. We can begin planning how to ramp up and create these things en masse. The good thing is that, because each simulator is a separate, sound-proof module, an AC Golf franchise can have as many or as few modules as market research deems feasible for the location and population, or the franchisee has the money to buy or lease. Paul and I have been talking about his proposed reservation system and app, and I think he’s definitely on the right track with that—that all the AC Golf franchises nearby can coordinate and be available for reservations. I’ll put a lot more thought into it. For now, though, I think we should start out with a single location, and I’ll think about how many modules to have there. We’ll see how popular it is and go from there. Any more thoughts about anything?”
Ernie said, “Yeah, you guys got any snacks? I’m hungry.”
Later that night, as we lay in bed before sleep, I said to Allie, “I used to wonder why I kept meeting and eventually marrying virtually the same girl in each of my time travels. I know why now. I think Art Calvin planned things very well that way. Each time I met you, I gained a greater appreciation for the game because you were so much a part of my experience with it. How did he know we would have such an attraction for each other? Did Kilian, Kirk, Kenny, and I all look the same to you, but at different ages, the way you resemble your counterparts to such a high degree to me? Because, to my eyes, we didn’t necessarily look the same.”
“Yes, you all did. But like you, I didn’t see that much of a resemblance to myself when I looked in a mirror as Arie, Aggie, and Abby.”
“Maybe that was just part of the magic of it. I once entertained the thought that this was reincarnation at work—that Kilian, Kirk, and Kenny were actually former lives of me—but when I thought about Kenny some more and the fact that he is still alive and that he has become a friend, reincarnation doesn’t work anymore as an explanation. I don’t really understand how it all worked. Do you?”
She thought for a moment. “No more than you. Perhaps some things are just inexplicable. Maybe Art Calvin isn’t just the ghost of a golf course architect. Maybe he’s something more than that. I don’t know if we’ll ever know.”
“Well, I know this: I loved Arie, Aggie, and Abby passionately in each of my encounters, just as I love you now, my dearest Allie. None of this would have been possible without all of you.”
“And I love you too, my dearest Kevin. I’m glad we found each other through the ages.”
We kissed goodnight then and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Epilogue
Santa Barbara, California
2038
The first AC Golf opened two years later in Santa Barbara. It was an instant success. It began with 10 simulators, with plans to continue adding additional ones. The capacity of the building Allie had chosen for the location could house about 30 of them.
Abby’s swing suits were a big hit and an important feature of the simulation experience. Kenny’s manufacturing facility in Altoona, Pennsylvania, had ramped up again and was cranking them out regularly now. We were their first and biggest single customer as we continued to add more modules to our first establishment and later when we began to sell AC Golf franchises.
Time will tell if Paul, Ernie, Allie, and I have saved the game of golf from extinction, but I feel like we’ve done what we could to see that people will forever be able to enjoy the game that has become such an integral part of my life now and which brought me together with my beloved wife.
I think Mr. Calvin would be pleased.
The End
Book of the Month contest entry
Faithful readers, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this journey with me and providing me with your reviews. They were immensely helpful in keeping it real (as real as a time-travel fantasy story can be) and on track.
Being a pantser, it ended up being a fair amount different from my initial concept of it when I began writing. Often, these turns in the story came about from reading your reviews, which gave me good ideas on how to continue it. For that, I am forever grateful.
I'm not sure yet when I will begin another novel, but in the meantime, I will be posting some more poetry, essays, and stories, one or two of which may be based on some of the characters in this novel. I've already got one in mind about why Arie's family had to move from their farm in the north to their present location in Holland.
I have an idea for the next novel, which won't be a golf novel, but it needs a lot more thought and research before I begin writing it.
So, dear friends, this has been an amazingly rewarding experience for me to share this novel with you. If I never get it professionally published, which I'm attempting to do now, the experience of presenting it to you, as well as a few friends and family, has been rewarding enough. - Jim
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Being a pantser, it ended up being a fair amount different from my initial concept of it when I began writing. Often, these turns in the story came about from reading your reviews, which gave me good ideas on how to continue it. For that, I am forever grateful.
I'm not sure yet when I will begin another novel, but in the meantime, I will be posting some more poetry, essays, and stories, one or two of which may be based on some of the characters in this novel. I've already got one in mind about why Arie's family had to move from their farm in the north to their present location in Holland.
I have an idea for the next novel, which won't be a golf novel, but it needs a lot more thought and research before I begin writing it.
So, dear friends, this has been an amazingly rewarding experience for me to share this novel with you. If I never get it professionally published, which I'm attempting to do now, the experience of presenting it to you, as well as a few friends and family, has been rewarding enough. - Jim
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