Chapter 4: Wendolyn Learns

Since David explained himself, I'll take my turn.

My name is Wendolyn Wanzor Austin-Porter. I'm thirty-two, a tad over five feet tall ... regardless what my drivers license says. I'm ... very ... BIG ... on top. My family ancestry is physically traceable (Hieroglyphics in the tombs.) to The Wanzor, Seer of Egypt, Sage, and foreteller of Fortune. NOT Fortune Teller. My ancestors have never been caught out wrong. At least once a generation we accumulate great wealth. We possess a Time Piece of great power. That's the important stuff.

Momma tried to give me the watch when I was twelve. This is a very normal thing ... the oldest female inherits the watch from her mother when she turns 12. This is so there is an older wiser head well versed in Women's Secrets to guide the new user.

It's not like with males ... in the first place a male is never supposed to have the Watch but accidents do happen. David ... the Patriarch ... had possession of this watch for several years. Fortunately, he had mom to keep him steady. When he was informed it wasn't HIS watch, he immediately gave it up. Mother has had it ever since.

I turned 12.

We were in the Den ... the Den is a private room ... if the door is closed you don't even knock. There's been a couple of times when someone forgot to leave the door open when they left the Den. The guilty party was usually flushed out of hiding within a couple of days, but the door HAS been closed for as much as a week.

The watch was sitting on the desk, ticking away. I gave it a look and remembered, 'Shit, I'm twelve.'

'Yes, you are, ' Wendy thought at me. That's another thing ... Watch holders hear the thoughts of others. 'The entire family is having your party tonight ... be surprised.'

GULP

Mom was seated in the hefty chair on the offensive side of the desk. I was on the hard backed wood chair in the 'Guilty' side. I'm sure you all know what the guilty side is ... everybody has been on that side of life. I got the 'MOM' look ... I don't know how ... but I'll bet I learn to look over my glasses and down my nose when I have kids. Having kids is a given ... the Watch demands it.

"Surprised ... yes, Ma'am."

Mom tapped the watch ... she asked me, flat out, "Are you responsible enough to use it?"

When you're in the Guilty chair, don't even try to lie.

"Probably not," I said. "I know what it does ... I'm afraid I'll use it for revenge."

"Revenge?" Mom asked.

"Yeah ... people, other kids in school, pick on me ... us ... because of your lifestyle." I said.

"Our lifestyle?"

"Daddy and three wives, now four ... eight kids and you're All pregnant ... again." I explained.

"I see."

That's what I like about Mom, she does see.

"I could really do some damage with the watch." I said. "You should probably keep it."

"I'll ask again. Next year?"

"We'll see." I was hesitant, I knew what I would do and who I would do it to ... I didn't know how accurate the watch was. "Life has been dealing me lemons lately."

She raised her eyebrows. Even I know that's the signal for 'spill it, babe'.

"I ache, my bones hurt ... I know I should be growing," I looked down at my flat tee shirt, "The cousins..."

"Nature will do as nature will do ... some of us were late ... some of us were early." She looked down at her chest... "And some of us wished they'd have stopped sooner."

I didn't understand that at all ... mom had been blessed with beauty, dancers legs, brains and boobs ... I have to admit she was short ... I was catching up in the height department ... but the boobs? Nope. Not even a pimple.

Mom had never worried about gravity ... she still looked a fresh eighteen ... boobs to match.

"Started your period yet?"

"Mom!"

"You will ... and soon."

"Mom!"

"Got your supplies?"

"MOM!!"

I don't know how I could blush harder ... the cousins had waved the red flag of womanhood weeks ago ... and made sure I knew it.

"You know, I couldn't ask for a better daughter," she chuckled.

"Thanks, mom."

"Now that you're twelve, what do you want to do this summer?"

"What can I do?"

"I don't know ... you haven't asked."

In for a penny in for a pound, "Do we have a sailboat?"

"In Key West." She explained, "It's old ... probably not safe."

"Drat!"

"You want to go boating?"

"I want to learn to sail. Boating is too noisy." I hate motorboats. Those little ones ... so high pitched they hurt my teeth. "Besides, I'd like to be alone for awhile. The boys are a pain."

"Oh, I don't know. Give them a little time."

"That's what I want to do ... give them a little time. If I'm not here I won't kill one of them."

Mom laughed, "Promise not to tell?"

I nodded.

She presented me with her little finger. I hooked it with mine.

Pinky Swear is more than on the bible.

"I feel exactly the same. There are days I want to tear someones arm off and use it to beat the other ones to death."

"Mom? Is growing up always a pain in the ass?"

"Wendy! ... such language ... it's better than a pain in the pussy!"

"Mother! There are impressionable children present!"

Mom looked around..."Where?" She pondered a moment. "I have an idea, let me clear it Daddy first."

Two weeks later, Mom and I were flying the Ilyushin, headed for Chicago, I was getting a 'lesson' from the Air National Guard. Left seat is an enormous responsibility. Mom was right seat. She was using her accumulated vacation to spend the summer with me ... I had her for the WHOLE summer!

The return crew were hunky, beautiful Marine pilots, far, far, far more experienced than I.

It was a major success for me. I had flown with a Marine or Navy instructor from dark thirty to dark thirty for the last 14 days. The Marines were taking a nap ... I would love one too.

Daddy and the mom's had learned to fly B-25's in 6 days. None of them had ever flown twin engine before. Heck, moms Kim and Rache had never flown so much as a paper airplane. SIX days! I cannot imagine.

A few weeks later, they were flying cover for the CIA fiasco called 'Bay of Pigs.' That mess was responsible for our air fleet. Jack awarded the family 24 aircraft, completely restored by Davis Monthan Storage Facility in Arizona. There was more to it than that but ... someday mom might tell me.

OH SHIT ... MOM IS MAKING ME LAND ... AT O'HARE!! You should have heard the tower. This is mom:

"Ah, O'Hare International. This is IL-14 requesting landing instructions. Put me in the queue, boys."

"Ah, Il-14 ... O'Hare tower. Hi Wendy. What the hell is an Il-14? I thought you fly United." Mom is a United Command pilot.