I'm Not Amy

A big thank you to my wife for all her help with editing. Grammar and spelling has never been my strong suit. Without her help this story would not be as good as it is now.

*****

NOVEMBER 2017 - OCEANA NAVAL AIR STATION

I had just returned yesterday from a work up cruise prior to my next six month deployment, when my cell phone chirped. It was a text from my older sister, Sally, just saying 'call me'.

Pouring myself a healthy three fingers of my favorite bourbon, I sat in the living room of my rental apartment in Virginia Beach and keyed in her number. The phone rang several times and just when I was about ready to terminate the call she picked up.

"Rick, thanks for calling me back so soon. I wasn't sure if you had gotten home yet but I decided to take a chance and text you. What date is your next deployment scheduled for? Please tell me it's after Christmas this time."

"I'll be leaving sometime in late February or early March," I replied somewhat hesitantly. "Why?"

"Wonderful, I have a huge favor to ask of you. Please, Rick, can you come home this year for the Christmas Holidays?"

"I know last year you were overseas on deployment, but please, please say you'll be able to come home this year."

Sally is my older sister. Married to Bill Cummings. He is a really great guy and I admire him for putting up with her.

Ahh, just kidding. Sally is, and has always been, a great sister. She is three years older then me at twenty-nine. She married Bill while they were still in college and they have two wonderful little boys. Scotty, the older is seven and Tommy is five.

I, also, have a younger sister, Kim, who is twenty-two and finishing up her last year and a half at the same university Sally and I had attended.

My name is Frederick Wagner. My family and friends call me Rick. I'm a lieutenant in the United States Navy stationed at NAS Oceana. I'm a naval aviator flying the F/A-18C Hornet, a multi-role fighter capable of speeds up to mach 1.8 (1,190 mph) at 40,000 feet.

My parents still live in the same house where the three of us kids grew up in North Central Florida. Pop is retired now and so is mom, both from jobs with the local school district.

Well, back to the phone conservation.

"Rick," Sally continued. "Bill is being transferred to Seattle in late January and Kim just informed all of us that she has been offered a scholarship to finish her last year and a half at Cambridge in Great Britain. She'll be leaving January 15th. This might be the last chance for the entire family to celebrate Christmas together for quite some time."

"I know how difficult it is for you to come home after what happened Thanksgiving a year ago. But please set aside those feelings and try to make it home this year." Sally pleaded with me.

Sighing deeply I told her I would make it home and would text her the information as soon as I was able to make flight arrangements.

After ending the call I booted up my laptop to see what flights were available. I had thirty days of leave coming to me before my next deployment so getting the time off was no problem. Making my reservations on-line, I then texted Sally with the information and asked if someone could pick me up from the airport or should I rent a car.

Sally answered saying she and Bill would be there and not to worry about renting a car. Six days later I found myself on a flight from Norfolk, Virginia to Atlanta, Georgia and then on to Jacksonville, Florida.

On the flight from Norfolk to Atlanta I sat back in my seat and reflected on the last time I'd been home just over a year ago.

******************

A YEAR AGO - NOVEMBER 2016

I'd managed to unexpectedly snag a four day leave on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Not only that, I was lucky enough to secure the last available seat for a flight home. It was expensive, but well worth the cost or so I thought at the time.

There are no non-stop flights between Norfolk and Jacksonville, everything went through either Atlanta or Charlotte depending on the airline. Since I was flying Delta I would going through Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

I called my mom and dad, told them I was coming home and explained that since it was the only available flight it wouldn't get me into Jacksonville until after eleven. Dad said it wouldn't be a problem and they would be there to pick me up.

Then I called Amy, Amy Baker, my long time girl friend. I've known her ever since she moved in across the street with her mom, dad and younger sister, Susan, when we were both in grade school. She and I were more than just friends. I had her Christmas present all wrapped up in my carry-on. It was an eighteen carat gold necklace. Underneath the wrapping paper was I card saying that I thought this would nicely complement the engagement ring I had given her the last time I was home in September.

She didn't pick up her cell phone so I left a voicemail message telling her I would be home late that night and would see her first thing Thanksgiving Day morning. I then called her home number and had to leave the same message when no one answered that phone either.

Arriving in Atlanta, I had a little less than an hour layover before my connecting flight to Jacksonville would leave. Fortunately that gate was in the same concourse as my arriving flight. I called dad, told him what flight I was on for the second leg and would arrive in Jacksonville at eleven thirty-five that evening.

Not to worry he said. He and mom would be there to pick me up. They would be waiting just outside the TSA Security Checkpoint in the main lobby.

The flight from Atlanta to Jacksonville was uneventful and we actually landed a few minutes early. Grabbing my carry-on from the overhead bin, I left the jet and followed the other passengers to the main lobby.

Mom and dad were there to greet me and, since I had no checked luggage, we made our way to the parking garage. The drive home took a little over an hour and we arrived sometime after one in the morning.

I looked across the street at the Baker's house and saw the porch light on. This was unusual unless one of the girls was not home yet.

Dad saw me looking and said, "George told me a couple of days ago that he and Doris were off to North Carolina to spend Thanksgiving with her parents and Susan was going with them. Amy didn't go. I saw her car parked in the driveway yesterday morning."

Thanksgiving morning I was awakened by the sounds of my two nephews yelling for me to get up. The little guys were relentless, leaving me no choice but to drag myself out of bed.

When I got downstairs I was informed that I 'JUST' had to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with them. After greeting my two sisters and Bill, I was led to the sofa where I was 'FORCED' to sit with my nephews, one on either side of me.

After the parade was over I went into the kitchen and asked if I could be of any help. My mom and sisters told me in no uncertain terms that the biggest help I could be was to keep out of their hair and keep the boys entertained until dinner.

Grabbing a football from the closet, the five of us guys went out on the front lawn. Looking across the street I saw that the porch light was still burning. Excusing myself from tossing the football around I dialed Amy's cell phone. Once more it went directly to voicemail.

"Amy, it's me. It's Thursday morning and I'm home. I only have today and tomorrow before I have to go back to Virginia. Call me as soon as you can. I miss you and love you."

The rest of the day was spent eating dinner and watching the NFL games on TV. Thursday evening went by with still no call from Amy.

Friday morning dad and I were drafted to accompany Kim and mom to take them to the Black Friday sales. I kept checking my cell phone every thirty minutes or so for any word from Amy.

Finally we arrived back at the house, around four in the afternoon, with all the stuff that mom and Kim just had to have. Mom kept telling dad about all the money she saved him by going shopping the day after Thanksgiving.

Dad just rolled his eyes and grumbled something to the effect she'd have saved him even more if she hadn't gone shopping at all. That was met by a playful punch to his arm from her, followed by a hug and a kiss.

As we unloaded the car I saw that the porch light was still burning at the Baker house. I made one more phone call to Amy.

"Sorry to have missed seeing you sweetheart. I'm leaving for Jax airport at ten tonight. Have to be back on the base early Saturday afternoon. I'm scheduled to leave on deployment on December fifteenth and the next couple of weeks will be hectic getting ready to leave."

"I guess this means we won't see each other until late May or early June. I'll try and call as often as I can. Love you."

Then I sent her a text with the same message.

I was more than just a little pissed that she didn't return any of my calls or text messages. Perhaps if I had been able to give her a little more advanced notice of my trip home for the holiday things would have been different. But the leave request had been unexpectedly granted and ... well it was, what is was.

Sally, Bill and the kids came over for leftovers and to say good-bye to me Friday evening. They left for their home in time to get the boys in bed at a reasonable hour.

At a quarter to ten I took my carry-on out to put it in the car for the trip to the airport. I glanced across the street and the porch light was off and Amy's car was in the driveway. Grabbing the present, from my bag, I walked across the street. There was a light shinning in the living room and the one lit upstairs was from what I knew was Amy's bedroom.

Some guy I'd never seen answered the door when I knocked. All he had on was a blanket wrapped around himself. I pushed past him and stepped inside.

Just then Amy came down the stairs frantically tying her robe and asked, "Dave, who was that at the door?"

Seeing me she rushed over and tried to hug me saying, "Rick, what are you doing home? How long can you stay?"

Fending off her embrace I answered her. "About fifteen minutes. I came home late Wednesday night for Thanksgiving. Didn't you listen to your voicemails or read any of the text messages I sent?"

Looking at 'Dave' and then back at her I said. "I guess you were otherwise occupied."

Tossing the wrapped package onto the coffee table I said to her, "here's your Christmas present. Do whatever you want with it and the engagement ring. Keep them, give them away, throw them out or sell them. I don't give a damn."

With that I walked out the door slamming it behind me. I made it half way down the front walkway when the door opened and Amy shouted to me.

"Wait, please, wait! I can explain. It's not what you think it is, Rick!"

I turned and fired back.

"NO!! It's exactly what it looks like. Good-bye, Amy. I'm going to miss you. But don't call, don't email and don't write me."

Dad had backed his car from the garage and was waiting for me, with mom and Kim in the backseat, in the street. They saw and heard the entire exchange. As we drove away dad asked. "Want to talk about it?"

Taking a deep breath before I answered him. "Not really, pop, not now."

On the drive to the airport I was able to tell the three of them what I could about my upcoming deployment. I told dad I left a note on the kitchen table explaining how they could reach me while I was away. As I got out of the car, at the drop-off for departing passengers, I asked all of them not to share any of that information with Amy.

Mom and Kim both hugged me good-bye before getting back inside the car. Then it was dad's turn. He hugged me and whispered into my ear.

"May you always have calm seas and a following wind. Be careful out there, son."

Hugging him even closer I replied.

"I will, pop, I will. I'll call before l leave. Good-bye dad."

******************

DECEMBER 2017 - BACK TO THE PRESENT

My flight to Atlanta arrived on time and I had just a short thirty-five minute layover before my connecting flight to Jacksonville left. I called Sally, gave her the flight number and told her I would be arriving sometime between six and six-thirty that evening.

I made the gate with some minutes to spare and boarded shortly thereafter. Settling into my seat, my mind drifted back back to the deployment a year ago.

******************

DECEMBER 2016 - THE DEPLOYMENT ONE YEAR AGO

After arriving back in Norfolk just after three in the morning, I went home and crashed until around noon. When I woke up I saw my cell phone was loaded with voicemails and texts from Amy. I deleted them without listening or reading them then I blocked her number. That didn't stop the letters. They went into a large envelope, unopened, with a short note that simply said "STOP IT" then I mailed it to her.

Saturday afternoon I collected and took everything I would need for a six months deployment, mostly flight suits and a couple of uniforms in case we made any port calls, over to the ship. I was sharing a cabin with three other officers. One guy actually brought a forty-two inch flat screen TV. I contributed my DVD player and a collection of movies for us to watch during our down time from flight operations.

The carrier was scheduled to sail Saturday evening. After depositing my gear aboard the ship I went to the BOQ and checked in along with the other members of my squadron.

In all the commotion preparing to leave I had little time to think about what had happened to me over the Thanksgiving weekend.

My squadron, one of nine, flew out to join up with the aircraft carrier 'Abraham Lincoln' (CVN 72) early the morning of December fifteenth.

Flying a fighter jet requires your total and complete attention and that I was able to do. Lining up my approach to the carrier deck I landed, catching the third arresting wire, a perfect landing.

After the last of the guys had landed we assembled in our squadron's ready room for a briefing. There was a lot of speculation on our mission focus given the results of the recent Presidential Election.

The new president would be sworn into office on January 20th. One of the issues he campaigned on was to correct the mistakes of the previous administration in American Foreign Policy.

From his speeches he appeared poised to follow the ideas of President Theodore Roosevelt who said, over a hundred years ago, that in matters of foreign policy he was prepared to "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick". It resonated with the voters and he was swept into office with a huge majority of the popular vote. How all this would affect our six month long mission remained to be seen.

It took almost six days days for our task force, which include four frigates and two Aegis class cruisers, to cross the Atlantic and enter the Mediterranean Sea. Then an additional four days to arrive at the Suez Canal. Christmas and New Year's Day was spent at sea. The cooks did an admirable job preparing Christmas dinner feeding the 3200 seamen and 2400 air crew aboard.

Transiting the Suez Canal was a dicey operation for the carrier. The narrow confines of the canal left us vulnerable to terrorist attacks. The entire crew breathed a sigh of relief when we entered the Red Sea and then moved on into the Arabian Sea.

Except for the long hours spent in the canal, I flew patrol flights during the entire voyage with my squadron. For the next month and a half things were relatively quiet.

Then in late February 2017 our task force received orders to enter the Persian Gulf. The Iranians were threatening to shut down all access to the gulf from the Strait of Hormuz northward. No military vessels would be allowed to sail in these waters. Diplomatic talks got no where so the president decided it was time to wield the 'Big Stick'.

I had just launched from the carrier along with my wingman, Thomas 'Hangman' Bennett, some five miles from the entrance to the strait when we received word that radar detected two surface targets headed toward the carrier at a high rate of speed.

I dropped down to fifteen hundred feet above the surface to investigate. I had a pretty good idea what was about to happen as I had been briefed on simulated attacks on a mock up carrier conducted by the Iranians almost two years ago in February 2015.

"Eagle 3 to CDC (Combat Direction Center), I have acquired targets. There appears to be two 'go-fast' boats traveling in tandem. I'm going in for a closer look."

"Understood, Eagle 3," replied lieutenant-commander Madison in the CDC of the carrier.

I dropped down another thousand feet and flew directly over the speeding targets for a look-see.

"Eagle 3 to CDC. Confirm, two targets. One appears to have no crew aboard. The second target seems to be controlling the first target remotely."

"Shit!! Taking small arm fire from second target. Permission to engage," I yelled.

"Permission to engage granted." Madison ordered. "We don't need another 'Cole' incident," he added.

Just before he ended his transmission I heard him mumble "take the fucking bastards out."

I climbed back up to fifteen hundred feet and set up a run at the two speeding targets. Arming two Hellfire II laser guided air to surface missiles I 'locked on' to the targets and heard the confirming tone on my headset.

After firing both missiles I banked slightly in order to get a good view of what was to happen. Both 'go-fast' boats erupted in a massive fireball. It appeared that they had both been loaded with high explosives.

"Eagle 3 to CDC. Both targets are no longer a threat."

Over the next few weeks Iranian fighter jets were constantly trying to break through our combat patrols to get to the carrier. Our F-18s managed to keep them well away. Then one afternoon four Iranian fighters broke through our patrol screens.

Their asses were quickly 'splashed' before they could get closer than twenty miles to the 'Lincoln'. All four of the pilots ejected from their aircraft and were quickly rescued by one of the Seahawk heloes from the carrier. Needless to say their capture made the nightly news back home for all to see as well as the rest of the world.

Shortly thereafter diplomatic talks were resumed at the request of the Iranian government. It appeared that the 'Big Stick' approach got results. The remainder of the deployment cruise was without any further major incidents.

When we returned back to Norfolk in the middle of May the carrier was met by a huge crowd of family and friends including my mom and dad. I got to spend some quality time with them before returning to duty at Oceana.

******************

DECEMBER 2017 - BACK TO THE PRESENT

The announcement from the flight attendant informing the passengers that the captain had turned on the fasten seat belts sign and we would be on the ground and at the gate in Jacksonville in about twenty minutes returned my thoughts to the present.

Making my way to the reception lobby I saw that Sally and Bill were there to welcome me home. After picking up my checked bag from baggage claim we made our way to Bill's car in the short-term parking garage for the drive home.

It was quite a welcome. My mom and dad, two nephews, and Kim were all over me as soon as I stepped from the car. After handshakes, hugs and more than a few kisses we made our way inside. Just before entering through the front door I turned and looked at the Baker house. There was a figure watching from the front window and then the drape was quickly closed.

Inside the house a man I didn't know was standing next to Kim holding her hand. She quickly introduced him to me as her boyfriend, Rob, from college. Come to find out he lived a few miles away with his parents and older sister.

Christmas was a great time for me, especially with my two little nephews. I think I enjoyed playing with their toys as much as they did. I did catch a glimpse of Amy from time to time but we never spoke.