Gladys looked at herself in the mirror one last time not actually knowing what a golf cart driver should look like but she was as close as she was going to get. She straightened her pink Izod polo shirt, smoothed her golf skirt and tied her sweater around her neck as she headed out the door.
Her mentor and employer had requested that she, Gladys P. McGuillicutty, escort the celebrity guest through the celebrity golf tournament. He had entrusted her with the auspicious duty of escorted one of her all time favorite and most revered movie stars around the golf course.
She pointed her little sports car towards the country club so nervous she shifted into second gear twice. She slowed at the entrance and read the banner “Celebrity Golf Tournament” along with a list of minor celebrities and then in large letters the name of THE celebrity. Her heart pounded just thinking she was actually going to meet one of her idols.
She drove up the tree lined lane breathing in the smells of early spring and admiring the finely manicured lawn. She arrived at the stately columned building and checked her make-up in the mirror. Smiling she handed her keys to the valet and grabbed her tote-bag full of goodies. “Where are the golf tournament people meeting” she asked as she skipped up the steps to the main building.
The valet stopped just as he was about to squeeze himself into the small cockpit of the car. “Are you a golfer or a helper?”
“Oh, I’m supposed to escort the main celebrity around the golf course” she said with importance.
The young man smiled a knowing smile “oh….well, in that case you need to go around to the back and they will have a VIP cart for you.”
Gladys took a deep breath said her thank you’s and ran back down the steps to the back of the main building. She heard some mumblings and as she got closer saw a group of young people in khaki pants and green jackets. Gladys looked down at her white golf skirt and fidgeted a little.
“Hi, I’m here to, um…” she stopped when she realized all the green coats turned to stare. She started again “I’m here to um, drive for um…”
“Oh, you must be Gladys, yes I have your name right here. You are to take the Rolls cart. You do know how to drive a cart don’t you?”
She cleared her throat “of course. I mean I guess so, it’s just like a car right?”
A few chuckles ran through the crowd and the man with the clip board walked toward Gladys “I’ll show you where the Rolls is parked.” He put his hand on her shoulder and maneuvered her toward a small building with garage doors. As he rolled up the door he quietly said “you put your foot on the accelerator to go and take it off to stop. It’s electric so just go slow and you will be fine.” The sun caught the front of a small vehicle designed to look like a Silver Cloud Rolls Royce.
Her breath caught in her throat as he walked up to the vehicle. She would be spending all day with one of her favorite celebrities in this carriage. It would be just the two of them alone together. She placed the bag in cart and looked at the man with the clipboard. “Where do I go now?”
The man looked at his paperwork and then back at Gladys “they didn’t tell you that you were supposed to dress in Khaki did they? I guess it’s ok just make sure you wear your name tag” as he handed her a sticker with Gladass printed on it.
She didn’t care, she was just so excited. She climbed into the driver’s seat and tried to familiarize herself with the cart. She stomped her foot down on the pedal as the little vehicle lurched forward with force knocking Mr. Clipboard off to the side. Instinctively she took her foot off the pedal and the cart came to a halt.
“Well it looks like you have the gist of it. So now go round front and pick up your guest. You will then need to proceed to the first tee.” He limped off cursing and mumbling.
She gently pushed down on the accelerator and maneuvered the red Rolls around the main building and up to the front door where the covey of dignitaries were gathered. She tried to slowly roll up to the group but jerkily stopped and started until she inched her way forward.
Then she saw him standing in the center of the crowd. He was unmistakable. His profile was like none other. Her heart skipped a beat. There he stood wearing plaid knickers, a bright yellow sweater and a cap with a tassel on top. He turned and their eyes met. He smiled his classic smile and started down the steps toward the cart. She jumped from the cart and ran around to grab his bag only it was bigger and heavier than she. He stopped and said “Oh no I’ll carry this…” then he leaned toward her, so close she could smell his shampoo “Glad-ass?”
That was how Gladys met the one and only Bob Hope.
Her mentor and employer had requested that she, Gladys P. McGuillicutty, escort the celebrity guest through the celebrity golf tournament. He had entrusted her with the auspicious duty of escorted one of her all time favorite and most revered movie stars around the golf course.
She pointed her little sports car towards the country club so nervous she shifted into second gear twice. She slowed at the entrance and read the banner “Celebrity Golf Tournament” along with a list of minor celebrities and then in large letters the name of THE celebrity. Her heart pounded just thinking she was actually going to meet one of her idols.
She drove up the tree lined lane breathing in the smells of early spring and admiring the finely manicured lawn. She arrived at the stately columned building and checked her make-up in the mirror. Smiling she handed her keys to the valet and grabbed her tote-bag full of goodies. “Where are the golf tournament people meeting” she asked as she skipped up the steps to the main building.
The valet stopped just as he was about to squeeze himself into the small cockpit of the car. “Are you a golfer or a helper?”
“Oh, I’m supposed to escort the main celebrity around the golf course” she said with importance.
The young man smiled a knowing smile “oh….well, in that case you need to go around to the back and they will have a VIP cart for you.”
Gladys took a deep breath said her thank you’s and ran back down the steps to the back of the main building. She heard some mumblings and as she got closer saw a group of young people in khaki pants and green jackets. Gladys looked down at her white golf skirt and fidgeted a little.
“Hi, I’m here to, um…” she stopped when she realized all the green coats turned to stare. She started again “I’m here to um, drive for um…”
“Oh, you must be Gladys, yes I have your name right here. You are to take the Rolls cart. You do know how to drive a cart don’t you?”
She cleared her throat “of course. I mean I guess so, it’s just like a car right?”
A few chuckles ran through the crowd and the man with the clip board walked toward Gladys “I’ll show you where the Rolls is parked.” He put his hand on her shoulder and maneuvered her toward a small building with garage doors. As he rolled up the door he quietly said “you put your foot on the accelerator to go and take it off to stop. It’s electric so just go slow and you will be fine.” The sun caught the front of a small vehicle designed to look like a Silver Cloud Rolls Royce.
Her breath caught in her throat as he walked up to the vehicle. She would be spending all day with one of her favorite celebrities in this carriage. It would be just the two of them alone together. She placed the bag in cart and looked at the man with the clipboard. “Where do I go now?”
The man looked at his paperwork and then back at Gladys “they didn’t tell you that you were supposed to dress in Khaki did they? I guess it’s ok just make sure you wear your name tag” as he handed her a sticker with Gladass printed on it.
She didn’t care, she was just so excited. She climbed into the driver’s seat and tried to familiarize herself with the cart. She stomped her foot down on the pedal as the little vehicle lurched forward with force knocking Mr. Clipboard off to the side. Instinctively she took her foot off the pedal and the cart came to a halt.
“Well it looks like you have the gist of it. So now go round front and pick up your guest. You will then need to proceed to the first tee.” He limped off cursing and mumbling.
She gently pushed down on the accelerator and maneuvered the red Rolls around the main building and up to the front door where the covey of dignitaries were gathered. She tried to slowly roll up to the group but jerkily stopped and started until she inched her way forward.
Then she saw him standing in the center of the crowd. He was unmistakable. His profile was like none other. Her heart skipped a beat. There he stood wearing plaid knickers, a bright yellow sweater and a cap with a tassel on top. He turned and their eyes met. He smiled his classic smile and started down the steps toward the cart. She jumped from the cart and ran around to grab his bag only it was bigger and heavier than she. He stopped and said “Oh no I’ll carry this…” then he leaned toward her, so close she could smell his shampoo “Glad-ass?”
That was how Gladys met the one and only Bob Hope.
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2 comments:
Oh, I bet you had a wonderful day. Hope you share the rest of the story with us. Glad to see you're back.
glad you're back!
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