Fly Away - a fighter pilot story

Chapter 9 - Smile

"Really?"

"Yep. She was worried about what happened on Saturday."

"Did you tell her?"

"Why would I? She might be my mother, but it is your story, and I will certainly not tell anyone what you have confided in me."

"Thank you."

"Not for that. I think it goes without saying, that it was the right thing to do."

"Your parents – especially your mum – really raised you well."

"To be honest it was more my dad than my mum. Even though he wasn't home much, he always made sure to spend time with me when he was. From an early age he taught me to respect women and how to treat them. He kept repeating that if he ever heard that I abused a woman, he would come from wherever he is and teach me a lesson and that I would only be able to eat through a feeding tube afterwards."

"That's brutal."

"I guess so, but he wanted to emphasize his point and I clearly would never abuse a woman."

"Did you know that I am friends with a bunch of green berets who I met in Japan? One of them taught me some combat moves when he saw me in a gym working out. And let's just say I spent more time on a training mat than actually standing on it."

"No, I didn't. Did you just tell me that, so I know, that you can defend yourself?"

"Don't be stupid. I just wanted to make nice conversation."

"Okay. Tell me about them. Maybe I know someone."

"Most of them are already retired, but all of them are funny as hell and told me tons of weird and fucked up stories, but at the same time they are so humble, laid-back and kind. I know for sure, that I do not want to challenge one of these bad boys to something.", I say, and he laughs.

"Yeah, you rather not. The men and women serving in the Special Forces are tough as nails and you really don't want to mess with them."

"I remember a night when we were at an officer's club on Kadena AB, and a cocky and bulky captain of the Army bet that not even a guy from the Special Forces could take him down. Before he could even count to three his back was on the floor, and he looked like he was ready to pass out. He got taken down by a colonel who turned out to be a former squad leader of a SOF. I guess that captain got proven wrong."

"That must have crushed his ego. I must admit, I am slightly jealous about the fact, that you got assigned to Japan."

"I wish that I would have been stationed there. But I was there on deployment for a little bit over three months due to threats in that region around two years ago."

"Really? At that time, I was on the USS Nimitz, and we were near the Philippine Sea. Sounds like they wanted to be ready if something were to happen."

"I guess it does."

"Do you know what I find funny?", Dave asks me as we reach the neighborhood that Wifi lives in.

"No, I don't but you will probably tell me."

"I don't know if you have noticed, but when we are on base in a formal setting, you call me Lieutenant Commander Johnson. When we are off base, you call me Dave. However, when we were in the plane or in an informal setting, you call me Jabba.", he says and grins at me.

"Now that you mention it...." I start to think about it and it's true. Even in my mind, I call him by his rank out of respect.

"As I said, I find it funny. Don't worry about it. You can call me Jabba or even Dave, whenever you want on base."