Chapter 68

Tyche flew ... and she was impressive.

The Air National Guard guy ... asked her what the opening maneuver was.

“Pugachev’s Cobra.” she said.

“I thought so ... but that’s impossible in a propellor driven aircraft.”

“Yeah ... so they tell me.”

“What else do you know?”

“The five basics and some others.”

“Would you mind if I video this? I want proof.” He said, “You are going to embarrass a lot of Guard pilots.”

“You going to use your phone?”

“Good heavens, no! I’m the Audio Visual instructor. Mostly I do the games ... so our guys can see what they did wrong. Just hold on while I get my equipment.”

He wandered off muttering... “I wish I could get a couple of my students so I could have different angles.”

Tyche heard him, “I need to land and recharge ... call your guys,” She hollered.

He picked up his pace.

By now it was pitch dark snd heading for 7pm.

Tyche landed, plugged in and headed for the john. Echoes of relief shattered the normal late night silence.

I was seated in a chair next to Jenny. Every once-in-awhile our corner of the gym echoed with repeated “NO’s” and “no shit,” Jenny said, “You know ... she’s going to be a modern fairy tale.”

“I can hear it now ... instead of ‘once upon a time’ they’ll start out with, ‘Tyche said.’...” I said.

“Why does she call you ‘Mom?”

“She calls her real mom by her first name ... Zoe.” I said. “Her father abandoned them ... mother and daughter ... on the way to Japan ... in his defense he didn’t know ... and she never said. Tyche was two when Zoe confessed ... They were living with me from then on.

“As long as Zoe’s dad said she didn’t know who the father was, they lived with her father. When she confessed, Pops couldn’t get rid of them fast enough. And I ... as the only local victim ... I ended up with them.”

“There’s another reason she calls me mom ... but, I’m not ... oh what the hell. Take my hand.”

It took a few minutes for Jenny to get her breath back.

“I knew about Junior ... she’s in all the history books ... but ... she’s not the only one?”

“Nope ... people in the know say there’s about 3 thousand watches. Most of the holders live quiet lives ... I didn’t get a choice...”

Tyche sidled over... “and I get it when I’m twelve.”

“Which twelve? This one or New Zealand?”

So I explained about building boats in New Zealand ... for five years... “And that’s another reason she calls me mom.”