DECISION time

She needed to come to the right conclusion, but would Dora regret her final choice?

- Linda Lewis

The sign stopped Dora in her tracks.

Just seeing the word ‘golf’ brought back memories of the countless hours she’d spent with her ex-husband, trudging up and down endless greens. Nothing short of floods curbed Harry’s enthusiasm.

A man’s voice interrupted her musings. ‘I’d be happy to play a round with you.’

‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘I was miles away.’

He smiled. ‘You’ve been staring at the sign for ages.’

Dora noticed his pleasant smile, quite unlike some she’d seen recently. She pictured the one her eldest son used when he nagged her to move in with them.

‘You’re 65, Mum. We don’t like to think of you living alone,’ he’d said.

If he’d asked her once, he’d asked a hundred times.

In the end, she’d promised to mull it over while she was away. But, after three days in Dawlish, she was no closer to a decision. Maybe doing something different would help.

‘I’d love to,’ she told the man, ‘but I have to warn you, I’m not very good.’

He strode away, and she thought that was that, so when he came straight back with clubs and golf balls, she was pleasantly surprised.

‘I’m booked in for a conference, but it doesn’t start until later. This looks like a good way to pass the time.’ He held out a club, like an offering.