In the Woods Suffering with a total Stranger

One of my best golf memories has to do with hitting a ball into the woods. I was playing the third hole at Riverton with a guy I had just met. Both of us hit our balls into the woods.

We went in deep and while looking for the ball, one of us kicked into a hornets nest or some damn thing because a few minutes later, we were both stung multiple times in the face and hands. So, here we are...two strangers yelling and swelling. I got stung on the lip and he got stung on the eyelid. My lip immediately started swelling and his eye started to close.

He asked me if I was allergic to bee stings. I said I didn't know and asked him the same question about himself which he didn't know.

We're each hit at least a half dozen times.

If we are allergic, we're in trouble.

We both know this.

He looks at me.

I look at him. He throws a ball onto the fairway.

I follow suit. "Well, if we are allergic, we're gonna find out about it soon. In the meantime we're both hitting three, right?"

I nodded affirmatively.

The game went on, goddamn it.

We survived to tell about it. Well, I don't know if he told anybody about it but look what I'm doin'.

Never saw the guy again.

Golf