Thanks to Kenji Sato for his great editing of my story.
It all started, I guess, as it does for all men, when we become aware and remember seeing and hearing things. We notice things like what people wear, what they do, what they say, and how they say it. Well, I noticed women and their legs. In particular, what they had on their legs. Yes, that's right---pantyhose. I fell in love with pantyhose and women who wear them.
My mother is the one that I would see the most in them, and damn, was she sexy in them; though, at a young age, I didn't know what sexy was. But, as I got older, I learned what sexy was.
Mom is built like a brick shit house. If you know the game show 'The Price Is Right', Mom is a pretty close ringer for Rachel Reynolds, only with auburn hair and her body shape reminds me of the gymnast Shawn Johnson, and if you've seen Shawn's legs, you know what I mean when I say 'oh fuck'. Then you put those legs in hose, there's nothing left to say. Legs like that could crush a skull, if the woman attached to them had a mind to. Mom stands at 5' 7-1/2", with a bust size of 40C. Mom has always been fit, even after she had my little sister. She didn't really gain a bunch of extra weight, so she bounced back really quickly and was back at her ideal weight in, like, a month and a half. People couldn't believe she had just had a baby in that time frame.
We learned life is short about fifteen months after my sister was born. My father was a man that loved to sail. He had a sailboat, and on good weekend days, loved to be on the water. He had some friends that would go out with him; we went sometimes as well, but didn't go as much as Dad liked. We told him we didn't want it to get old for us, and that we wanted to enjoy it when we would go with him.
On his last trip, it was a great day to sail. No storms were expected, so he set out to pick up his buddies, and they would be out for the day. Dad would be back from most trips by 5:30 in the evening, and the family would hang out the rest of the evening, playing games and such. We knew he had dropped his friends off the boat, and was headed back to dock the boat.
There was a marine patrol boat out close to where Dad was, and was witness to what happened to him. He was coming in, and a bolt of lightning struck the mast and traveled down, killing him instantly. Like I said, there were no storms near him at all, but some miles away, there was one and lightning from it traveled and found Dad's mast to hit. The marine patrol towed the boat in, and things went from there as we got the word.
Mom decided she would go to work after Dad's passing, though there was no need to. The insurance Dad had taken out was more than what we needed to cover expenses and pay off bills and other things. We still had more to live on than we needed, for Mom to go get a job. She said, though, that the money from the insurance was living-on money, and what she made working would be 'play' money, for trips and other fun stuff. I wasn't too happy she was going to do it, though. I liked her being home with us in the summer, and being there when I got home when in school. I felt safe knowing she was there, I guess, cause Dad was gone, it was my way of feeling like things would be okay as long as Mom was home for us.
It was getting close to the end of summer, so Mom waited 'til I went back to school and set up a sitter for Natalia, my sister. I was glad, thinking back, that Nat was just a baby then, because she didn't have a normal to know of like I did. So shortly after starting school, guess I should tell you her name, Emma Jean, got a job.
Mom and Dad got married when she was 20 and he was 23. I was a honeymoon baby, and was just a few months from starting kindergarten when Natalia came along. Dad passed just 3 months after Nat's first birthday. That made Dad 28 when he died, Mom had just had her 25th birthday, I was 5 1/2, and Nat 15 months. I was going into the first grade when Mom started her job.
Life got easier to live as we went along, but we still missed Dad. It was hard for the first couple of years, when we went on summer vacations 'cause he wasn't there with us to enjoy where we had gone, and be a part of the fun activities we took part in.
As I got older, my interests turned to flying. We had gone to Florida one summer, and there was to be an air show close to where we would be staying. I begged Mom to go, and she asked why I wanted to go so badly.
"Mom, it's something we've never done, and I think it could be something fun to do and see."
"Okay, Bub." She always called me that. "We can go. They say the Navy flight team, The Blue Angels will be there, so it may be fun to see them."
Mom took us, and if they didn't have much fun, I had a blast. I knew then, I wanted to be a US Navy pilot. When we got back home, I started researching what I needed to do to become a naval aviator. I saw stuff for the Naval Academy and figured if I wanted to be a pilot, I should try to get into the academy and go from there.
In doing my research, it was going to be a 'hard row to hoe.' I would have to carry an above-average GPA, be in contact with my Senators, and get letters of recommendations for them, and pass physicals to even be considered to become a Navy Midshipman. Luckily, I was just 12, so I had time and my work cut out for me. I also talked to Mom and told her what I had in mind for my life. I then inquired if we had money for me to be able to take flying lessons. If we did, I thought it would be a help in getting to my goals.
"Well, Bub, it looks like you have given this some considerable thought."
"Yes, Mom; I have. Ever since that air show, that's all I've wanted to do. I know it's going to be hard work to get there, but I want to try and put in that work to get what I want."
"I'm okay with you wanting to make your dreams come true. If you're willing to put in the time and work hard for it, I wish you all the best, baby. Does this mean you're starting to grow into a man?"
"I don't know about that, but I know this is what I want to do, and if it would make you and Dad proud of me, it would be all the much better."
"Bub, boy, I am always proud of you, and your sister, and I know your dad is as well. All we ever talked about for you two was your health and happiness, and to support you in all your hopes and dreams. If this is the path you want to be on, when you make it, my heart will be bursting with pride."
"How about the flying lessons? Is it something we can swing?"
"Yes, Bub, we can get you flying."
"Oh yes, thank you, Mom. You don't know how happy I am right now." I jumped up from the couch, grabbed a hold of her, and gave a big ol' kiss on the cheek, and a hug that nearly pushed the stuffing out of her.
"I love you, Mom. Thank you soooo much.
"I love you too, Bub, Just show me that love and gratitude by doing the best you can and become my little Midshipman."
Like I knew it would be, it was super tough, but I had made it. I went to The US Naval Academy, flew fighter jets off aircraft carriers, and my ultimate dream, became a US
Navy Blue Angel. As I was to rotate back to the fleet, though, I was due for an eye exam. No problem, I thought, my eyes had always been good, I had this.
Nope, I didn't.
When you need to have eyesight good enough to see a needle point in the eye of a needle at great distance, and you can't any more, your job as a fighter pilot is over. As it was, I had 14 months left on my current stint, and was looking forward to resigning. With the bad news of the eye test, I decided it was the right time to get out. I didn't want to be a desk jockey for the balance of my career, but I was proud of all of my accomplishments.
I called Mom and gave her the bad, well, good and bad news
