Valentine’s Day

Ben and Valerie Hogan had just finished the West Coast Tour in 1949. Before Ben left California, he called his brother Royal and asked him for a favor. 1400 Forest Lane was Valerie’s dream house. The house was in the nicest part of Fort Worth, Texas and as youngsters they would often walk by the house and she would dream of owning the spacious backyard with the built in barbeque pit and the beautiful coffee nook in the front of the house that jutted into the neighborhood. When Ben found out the house was for sale, he called Royal and asked him to buy it for him sight on scene. Royal being an astute businessman, purchased the house fully furnished. All the Hogan’s needed to do was get to the front door and enjoy their first home.

On Valentine’s Day eve, the Hogan’s spent the night in Flagstaff, Arizona. Ben had put the photo of the house in a Valentine’s card for Valerie for once they left Flagstaff in the morning, they would be headed straight to their new home. Valerie was still sleeping and Ben couldn’t wait any longer for her, so he started chipping golf balls around the motel room. BING one hit a lamp and broke it.

Valerie jumped out of bed and started yelling at Ben, “Haven’t you had enough?! You just played six tournaments in a row!”

Ben replied, “No don’t worry, I’m not going to chip anymore. But, I have a Valentine’s gift for you.”

Valerie had thought that a spaceship abducted Ben overnight and replaced him because Ben had never given her a Valentine’s card in entirety of their relationship. She opened the envelop very carefully in case it was some sort of a ruse and a snake would jump out of it. She pulled the card out of the envelop, and as she opened it the picture of the house fell to the ground unbeknownst to the Hogan’s.

Ben was so excited, “What do you think? Do you love it?”

“It’s just a card, Ben.”

“No. No, the house!” Ben looked to the ground and saw the picture. He picked it up and gave it to Valerie saying, “You never ask for anything. I dragged you all over the country despite your carsickness and roadside meals, but you allowed me to attain my dream in life and I couldn’t have had a better partner, a better sidekick, a better friend, than you. I know it’s not enough, but I feel in a small way, maybe I helped fulfill your dream.”

It might have been the only Valentine’s gift that Ben ever gave her, but it was a gift she enjoyed the rest of her life.