Chapter 21. Grounding.

It's started not long after 87 dropped me back at the house. My phone ringing and bleeping messages from my field hockey mates. It was like for the not quite 24 hours we were together then universe fell apart. All because I missed that wretched beep test.

'Are you okay, Chicken? You look worn out. Hairy, in the back. IN THE BACK NOW.' Mama is pointing to the very back of the Volvo station wagon. Hairy jumps all the seats. 'I still don't understand why the flying trip here?'

'I need a few things. Mostly, I need some girl time Mama.' I'm looking away from her out the window so I won't start crying.

'Have those boys been droll again?' I shake my head no. 'What's going on then?'

' Wanda, Gandolf's replacement hates me. She always on my case about every little thing. I missed the beep test okay but then every time I try to do something she's blowing her whistle at me. Today, I sat out most of the practice because she didn't like that I left early from practice on Wednesday to go to my writing class. It's like we are supposed to fail. She keeps telling the girls that playing is all about "commitment". But then doesn't share when we are supposed to be available to commit to a time and place. ARGH. She keeps changing the rules. I did try and talk to her today about upcoming events and she just looked at me and said that if I was committed to playing I'd make myself available. Me committed? I have given this sport my whole life for the past 6 years. How much more committed can I be!' It all the girl drama just tumbles out of my mouth.

'Slow down girl. Your getting yourself all worked up. What is the bottom line? What are you angry about?' Mama is driving us toward the farm.

'Bottom line. I want to play but I need a schedule that I can work the rest of my life around. I need to know the expectations. I'm angry that those expectations keep changing.' See I knew Mama would be able to get to a solution.

'So talk to her about specifics. Times and places. I sure she's just trying to find her way.' Mama is being reasonable.

'I tried that this morning and she blew me off.' I am exasperated.

'What if you never get a schedule then what? Bindy is a methodical man. Not everyone is like that. This Wanda evidently has a different style. Tylyn, you are going to have to give her the benefit of the doubt.' Mama doesn't understand.

'Wanda told Sam, Lego, Gimli, ? that they were off the team because they haven't made any of the practices. How are they to do that? None of them are even in the province let alone the country. We have always had practice times when we all could make. Known times so that the girls who are way on scholarships could be available. This just isn't fair.' I am so frustrated.

'It certainly doesn't sound fair. Have you tried talking to her one on one a way from the pitch?'

"I don't think it will do any good. Okay I'll try. Mama she's just being difficult.' I know I'm sounding pouty but it isn't fair. Mama's giving me that "be reasonable" look.

"So what else are we going to do while your home? Gerry will be waiting to watch the Pens game tonight I know but what else is on your list?'

'Well, I have a bit of sewing I'd like your help with. Mama, remember I mentioned I met a boy when I went to Madrona this summer?' I watch her face for a reaction. Hhm, none.

'Hmm. Patrick?' She remembers. 'What about Patrick?'

'He came to see my game last weekend.' I can't help but smiling.

'See Chicken I told you it wasn't all over.' Mama's smiling. Hairy has jumped the on to the back seat. Sneaky thing.

'You were right. Anyway, he's invited me to visit him over Thanksgiving back east.' I wait for her reaction.

'Oh I see.' She sees what? What is there to see? ' Did he spend much time in Vancouver?' She looks at me and raises an eyebrow.

'Maybe 24 hours. We spent it together.' I am not going to elaborate. I give her a firm look.

'And you want to go back east to visit with him?'

'Yes. Mama I do. I am going. I said I would go. I have a ticket and everything.' I am firm.

'And everything?' She repeats. 'You are growing up, Chicken. I have a few concerns about you going…' This is where I cut her off.

'I'm going, Mama by myself. I'll be 21 in November. I've have traveled the world. I am doing this by myself without any brothers or cousins coming with me.' Firm. I stand firm.

'Okay, but I'll still worry about you.' She reaches out a hand and strokes my face.

'I promise to keep in touch. I text and call everyday. It's only for the weekend.' I hold her hand so she knows that I am not deserting her. 'He's very nice Mama. I feel at comfortable with him'

'What are you going to tell the family? Do the boys know about Patrick?' And here in lies my problem.

'No. Not yet. Mama I don't know where this is going. Patrick lives so far away. I don't think it's going to last. He's from a completely different league. I don't want to start something with them. ' I'm at a loss for words. I really don't have any experience in any of this. 'I just want a chance.'

'Okay then, we'll put on our thinking caps and come up with something to tell them.' Mama might be talking Hairy has her nose over the seat and is licking me. We girls stick together.

Yes. YES!

….

'Oh yeah, that's the way to deke the D out Sid! Yeah, you're standing in mud now boys' Gerry is talking to the computer screen like 87 can actually hear him. Then 87 looks right at the camera as he skates by it and waves. A finger waggling wave. 'You see that Tylyn. You see that? Sid waved at me.'

'Gerry, he waved at the camera.' One of us has to be the sane reasonable one. 'Sit back a bit. Between periods I'll hook it up so it will play through the tv okay.'

'The boys are sure flying tonight. Too bad Staal is now playing for 'Canes. He's looking good. Too bad he's going to lose tonight. Look at Flower just push the puck away like it is a beach ball. Yeah, take it end to end boys.' Gerry is blocking the screen again.

I am sitting on the couch beside him but I can't even see the laptop let alone the screen. Hairy is laying between us confused by the noise Gerry's making. She looks at me as if to say 'What's up with him?' I rub her ears. I'm sure that I will find out how this play works out soon enough. Hairy wiggles closer to me. I hug her. Maybe I should bring her back with me to the City. She's such a snuggler.

'Crap. Kennedy didn't pass the puck and got stripped at the other blue line. But here comes Geno's line.' Gerry is sitting back now. 'It'll be 3:0 soon just watch. Ward doesn't stand a chance. Get to the outside Neal draw the attention away from Geno.'

I smile. It's hard to not get excited when he's so into the game. I really want to tell him about me going to Pittsburgh. It's our Mecca. It's our Nirvana. It's the center of our universe. But I know that Gerry just can't keep secrets. That's why I'm mum on the subject of 87. Gerry would be over the moon if I even said I'd met him let alone spend any amount of time with 87. Maybe one day but not now. I know that wave was to see if I'm watching to see if I'll comment. The weird watchers, I'm not exactly sure who these people are, will be on it.

'Tylyn, you're not paying attention.' Gerry snaps his fingers in my face. I have my own weird watchers.

"I am but you are in the way. Move back. Then I can see too.' I want to see the game but I have the feeling I know what the outcome will be. Pens more than 'Canes.

'When do you leave tomorrow? Will you come and see the shed I'm building?'

'I think after lunch. I am on dinner duty tomorrow at in Vancouver so I have to be back to get it ready. Sure, I'll want to see your shed. How about you show me after the game. What are you going to put in the shed?' I am pretty sure I know. More hockey stuff.

'They're back.' It's hard to talk to him when the game is on. Maybe later. Hairy looks up at me. At least us girls stick together.

…..

'Tygirl, bring through a jar of pickles when you come.'

'Mustard or sweet?' I yell back. I'm bringing the last of the dinner plates down to the family room to watch the Canucks vs oh who cares. The Pens won, the pens won. No answer. Hmmm, as it was Dad who called I grab a mustard pickles. I wonder if 87 likes pickles. It hasn't come up yet.

'Oh good, you brought the mustard ones. Sit down Hairy you don't like pickles.' Dad is juggling opening the jar and balancing his plate on his knee. Hairy knows that this is a technical move and is prepared to 'rescue' anything that hits the floor.

'Tylyn has been invited to visit some friends back east for Thanksgiving' I choke. I thought we were going to put our thinking caps on. ' Asher has to work over Thanksgiving this year and Caleb we know has a tourney. Gosh only knows what Jory's schedule will be. So I've been thinking that maybe we should have a big family do to celebrate Tylyn's birthday on the November long weekend. If we plan now maybe the boys can get the whole weekend off and come home.' Mama's a planner.

'You're not going to make a big deal about this are you?' I ask.

'Our girl only turns 21 once. What do you say Gerry? Should we have a big dance and dinner?' That's low 'cause she knows Gerry loves any excuse to dance and eat.

'Can we have a hockey game too against the cousins or maybe the Coopers and the Findlay's ?' Gerry's getting excited. He loves playing. GREAT, just great.

'Yeah, what do you say Tygirl? You up for a swanky partay?' Dad doesn't see the wool being pulled over his eyes.

'Well, as long as it's nothing big and swarmy.' Mama gives me a look that I read as "you want to go away you deal with the consequences."

'I just thinking maybe a family dinner on the Friday. Just us and Mom then on Saturday a do with the family and friends.' It's sounding swarmy already. Mama is devious. I bet she's been thinking about this for a while now and was waiting for a chance to spring it on us all.

'We could play hockey on the Saturday, couldn't we? The boys would like that. Pieter, you'd play too?' Gerry the keener.

'Don't know I might have a tourney that weekend in Victoria with the U14 team. I check. I'll check.' Dad's about to get flack from both Mama and Gerry. I bet Mama has checked.

There is a lull in the conversation because we are eating. I know my mind is spinning. Gerry is busy chewing and thinking. I can tell by the look on his face. Mama is quietly plotting and Dad well he's more interested in dinner and HNIC. It's the part of the broadcast where they check scores around the league and replay post game interviews prior to the next game starting.

'The Pens trounced the 'Canes tonight as Jordan Staal returned to Pittsburgh in his first game as a Carolina player. Here's are the hightlights.' The announcer chatters on.

It was a good game. Not so much for Staal but definitely for the boys in black. With each goal that is shown on the tv, Gerry and I whoop. Hairy is barking up a storm.

They even show 87's finger wave at the camera.

'That boy is just playing with those 'Canes. He has talent and that backhander was pure beauty.' Dad is impressed.

'Sid the kid is the best ever.' Gerry's a fan. Maybe I should have got 87 to sign some thing for him. 'Quiet here comes his post game interview.'

'Ooh, let's all be quiet so the savior can speak.' Dad loves to tease Gerry. He gets shushed for his efforts.

'Yeah it was a good game. We'll take the win. It gives the new players a chance to show their skills to the coaching staff. Yeah, it's tough seeing Staalsy in the red jersey but we wish him well. Having Biz back in the line up will be fun. Oh, we'll be deep with character between him and Cook. I'm sure the practical jokes have already started. I haven't heard what they did to Staalsy yet. Did I wave to the camera? Yeah okay after that backhander. I took the opportunity to thank my fans. I have at least one, I think. I can always count on Mom to cheer for us. Haha, yeah I hope she cheers for us.' He is in his under armour shirt, with sweat dripping off his face that wipes away with a towel, with a black ball cap pulled down low over his brow but he takes time to look directly into the camera and wink.

'He blinked at us. He blinked.' Yep he did Gerry 87 winked at us.

'Sidney seems like such a genuinely nice person. A boy a mother could be proud of.' Mama doesn't know the half of it.

'He's a good player. I suspect he's been groomed by PR people to present a good image. I am not saying he isn't nice. I am just saying that I suspect he's had help with interviews. What to say and how to couch his words.' Dad's probably right. 'Let's face it, you can't have the Face of the League sounding like a buffoon.'

….

Chkaddd: Maybe the towel could be used to help remove the junk making your eye blink?

Hckybt: No junk in eye. Junk is in trunk. Just winking at the pretty fans.

…

Mama and I are in the laundry room between periods and I have the chemise on that needs a bit of repair. When I showed it to her I thought she was going to be all old fashioned about it being kinda of sexy. But she hasn't said anything. I think she must know that we've been intimate.

'See it's too big through the bust down to the waist and if we could hem it up to about here that would be great.' I am lifting the hem to my hip line. At the moment even with the tuck we have pinned to the straps the hem hangs middle thigh. I want it to be short sexy.

'I agree some volume needs to come out up here. Hold still while I pin. Patrick bought this for you? It's brighter than I would have thought that you'd like but the fabric is beautiful. Expensive. It feels soft like silk. It is silk.' Mama is talking with pins in her mouth.

'Yeah it's bright but a pretty rosy pink. I like the ruffles. He's not much for colour.' I think about the bubble gum pink phone. 'But he's generous and tries hard to please.'

'You've thought about protection, Tylyn? Not just for pregnancy but STI's as well?' Mama is a nurse. Did I mention that?

'Yes' I try not to groan. Mama has been on a mission of if you want the "love wear a glove" with my brothers for years. Now I guess it's my turn.' We've used condoms. I got a 'script for birth control from a walk in clinic.' I think I'm going to die of embarrassment.

'You must ask the question, is there any thing I need to know about?' She's serious.

'I'll ask the question when we don't use a condom. Okay?'

'You want to take this with you back to the city tomorrow?' Mama gets the plan. 'Well with a few quick seams we can fix this bust area. The hem we can cut off but you'll probably lose the ruffle but if you allow for a bit longer length then you might get away with it.'

'I like the ruffle so maybe only a little shorter. If we cut it off I can hem it by hand if we run out of time.' I hear my phone bleep. I check the message. Wicked Wanda. Argh.

'What time is it now Mama? 830pm?'

'Or there abouts. Why?' She still pinning.

'Wanda has called for another practice for tomorrow at 11am at UBC. I'll never make that unless I catch an 8am ferry. Oh spit.' That actually means I'll have to leave here by just 645am to allow for driving time to get to the ferry terminal.

'That does seem a bit short notice. She didn't mention anything this morning?'

'No, we are just supposed to drop our lives and run to her beck and call. I could see if this was a critical year like this time last year. But this year is a nothing year. No Olympics, no World Championship, no Commonwealth games, no Pan Am games, no nothing. Just maybe some friendly next spring.' Is my exasperation showing yet!

'Well, hold still we don't have much time, Chicken, if you are taking the 8am ferry back?'