My Dad was a Pool Shark?

My dad loved to play pool. I knew he was good, but really I didn't know how good. I remember once that he went into the local pool hall, and it happened to be the one we weren't supposed to be in. The place was full of mostly kids and my dad walked in and asked what my brother and I were doing there. Of course, we didn't have an answer and were proceeding to put our cue sticks away when he challenged anyone in the pool hall to beat him at a game of pool. He went on to say that if anyone in the pool hall could beat him, then he would let us hang out there. Otherwise, we would have to leave and never come back. My brother and I thought that there must be somebody who could beat him, for there were plenty of pool sharks there at the time.

People literally lined up to play my dad. He proceeded to beat each player one by one until there was no one else to challenge him. My brother and I knew our time was up, so we put up our stuff and left. It took us about a month to get up the courage to defy my dad's order and return to that pool hall again.

It was a few months ago that my brother told me another story about my dad's antics in the pool hall. This time it took place at a bar where only the adults in town played. It just so happens, that there was a new guy in town who was beating everybody at pool. It seemed no one could beat him. My dad was not at the pool hall at the time and in fact was at home taking a nap. Someone called the house and said it was urgent that he talk to my dad. At home we had strict orders not to ever wake up my dad unless it was an emergency. Apparently this was one occasion when it was. A man was calling from the pool hall and went on to tell my dad about the adept pool player.

My dad got up and headed to the bar. Apparently, what happened was that my dad made mincemeat out of the guy, came home, and turned on the TV to watch his favorite show at the time. Word had it that the guy never returned to our hometown anymore.