Jacob and His Grandfather | Bruce White ’24

A boy named Jacob was trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Jacob and his grandfather, Jesse, were at a golf course in Atlanta having a good ole time. “What do you want to be when you grow up, son?” “I really would like to take golf more seriously.” “Alright. I’ll hire a professional to train you and make you become one of the greatest this world has ever seen,” Jesse said as he smiled at his grandson. The next morning Jesse woke Jacob up to get ready for training. “Wake up, son, I’ve made you breakfast. Eat quickly, we have to leave soon.” Jacob rose from his bed and ate his breakfast of eggs, sausage, pancakes, bacon, and a cup of orange juice. Jacob thanked his grandfather and they set out to the golf facility. When they walked into the lobby of the facility, they were met by the trainer. “Welcome! My name’s Mike, and I’ll be your trainer. Why don’t you come in so I can show you around?” They walked into a gigantic turf with many golf obstacles arranged methodically. “We will begin our training sessions together here. When you progress in skill, we’ll go outside and get to work on our practice golf course.” After his first day of practice, Jacob asked his grandfather if he could create an athletic diet. His grandfather was supportive, pleased by his grandson’s initiative. Jacob searched on his phone for what athletes typically eat. He found many vegetable-heavy diets and was disappointed there weren’t any that included chips or soda. At the store, Jacob picked out a few vegetable plates and a couple cases of water. He decided part of his plan to be a better athlete was to cut out soda. His grandfather had one condition to his funding of Jacob’s dream. “I’ll buy everything you asked for but with one condition: you have to promise me that you will never give up on anything. No matter how hard it gets, I want you to keep pushing.” “I promise, Grandpa. I will push through all of my pain, no matter how hard it gets.” On their way out of the grocery store, Jacob heard a crash. He looked back and saw that his grandfather had fallen, the groceries scattered across the parking lot. As Jacob rushed to help his grandfather, his grandfather pushed him away. “I’m alright, son. I’m alright.” One Month Later “Jacob, I’m going on a trip. You’ve got to spend a few days at your pal Jimmy’s house. I need you to pack all of your clothes and get ready to go.”

After he dropped his grandson off, Jesse went to the hospital and checked in. He said it was an emergency and they put him in a wheelchair, rushing him to the back. After a night in the hospital and many tests, the doctor gave Jesse his diagnosis. “Sir, I’m so sorry to be the one to tell you, but you have stage-4 pancreatic cancer. I won’t lie to you, sir: you may only have a few weeks left.” Jesse picked up the phone next to his bed, and the first person he thought to call was his grandson. Jacob didn’t pick up the phone after a few calls, so Jesse left a message. “Jacob, I have to tell you something. I didn’t go on a trip. I went to the hospital because I wasn’t feeling very well. The doctors tell me it’s pretty bad—it’s cancer. You have to stay with your friend until I find someone else for you to stay with. I love you.” Jacob was devastated. He never thought that his grandfather would be leaving so soon. He cried for the rest of the night. He started to remember what his grandfather always told him: “Never give up on your dreams and where you came from.” The next morning, Jacob got a call from the hospital. His grandfather’s condition had taken a turn for the worse overnight, and he had passed away. Jacob began to cry but remembered his grandfather would want him to be strong. He wouldn’t want Jacob to give up on his dreams. Jacob called his trainer and told him that he wanted to have an extra session that coming weekend. Fueled with a new motivation, Jacob practiced all of his techniques and tried out different strategies. A Few Years Later A big golf tournament was coming up, one that could change the course of Jacob’s career. College scouts would be there, and he knew he had to give it his all. Jacob told his trainer that he needed to be prepared for the tourney and for him to give Jacob the best workouts he could find. Jacob put in the extra work every day to perfect his craft and make sure he was prepared for the tournament coming up. The day of the tournament was finally here. Jacob whispered words of confidence to himself before kneeling in prayer: “Dear Lord, please help me play well today. I want to make my grandpa proud and prove to him that I was worth his time. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.” To begin his day on the course, Jacob came up to the tee box with boosted confidence. He crushed the ball, and everyone stared with awe, watching the ball glide across the sky as it careened toward the ground. The ball began rolling slowly to the hole and everyone began yelling and screaming louder and louder. As it dropped into the hole, Jacob jumped up in excitement and the crowd went wild. Jacob looked up into the sky and touched his heart. Tears ran down Jacob’s face with relief and excitement. “I did it, Grandpa,” he whispered.

asheville sky, digital photography michael jaber ’22 35