Chapter 53

Tyche had Eva in tow...

“I never had to talk so long to get someone to go on vacation,” she said. She gave the lady a tug. “Let’s go tan with the girls.”

“But ... Tyche ... I’m so old ... those girls are all teenagers. I’ll just spoil their day.”

“Eva ... five of those girls are The Powers That Be ... and I know you look younger than they do,” Tyche said. “Auntie Surprise ... you coming?”

“I’m going to wait on the boys. You go ahead.”

Four or five minutes after Tyche and Eva went out on deck the portal flickered and JW and the lieutenant came staggering out of the head.

“JW ... when can we go again? Oh ... hello ... umh ... Surprise ... yeah ... Surprise ... JW’s little sister.” He turned from acknowledging my existence and back to his original question. “When can we go again?”

Well ... that was the end of THAT idea, girl.

Ah ... I guess the search goes on. I said, “:Get out of the way, guys, I need to pee.”

They steamed past me like ... I don’t know what ... it was me that was steamed ... but it was only a wasted quarter hour. Buck up, woman.

I really did have to pee ... after I’d run cold water over my wrists for 10 seconds. While I was sitting the mood came on me and I left a deposit. The 30 foot cutter fired up and the boat motored halfway out the channel and shut down. Pretty soon, I heard the boat lift tuck the thirty away. Wipe ... and flush another dream away.

I popped up on deck, stepped down to the dock and walked home.

“Hi Cyn, pack your shit ... I’m going home.”

“What?”

“Pentwater ... I’m going to my dock in Pentwater. I think I’ll walk to the Antler and have a couple burgers and then walk out to the end of the pier and watch the sunset.”

“Now? I just got the kids to sleep.”

“Now, Cyn. I’m going to water up and flush my blackwater and fuel. You got half an hour.”

“Well ... if you’re sure. Watch the kids while I round up some help.”

I never got a chance to say ‘No’. She was up and headed home. And sure enough ... come a whole parade of tan teens and Tyche. Nobody looked at me ... they just packed and carried...

“I’d stay ... but I’ve got Eva...” and my little sister was gone ... even if she was my niece.

I motored over to the Marina, tied off and went to the office. Pretty soon a man came out and we pumped out, watered up and I motored out. I’ll get fuel in the ‘water.

A quartering breeze. I sailed all the way home. I dearly hate to say goodbye.

This time ... my fault?

Dunknow.

My life, such as it is.