Chapter Two: Flying Duchess’ Rebirth:

At the age of ten, Joe felt lost without her grandmother. She rarely ever smiled. Most of the kids at her school called her Gloomy. The teachers didn’t seem to know how to help her. Joe’s relatives already wrote her off as a lost cause.

“She can’t really be helped,” one of her aunts explained to her teacher. However, the people in Joe’s grandmother’s circle refused to give up on her. For two years, they planned out ways to makes that little girl smile again.

“There must be something we can do,” Abelle said. For six days, Matthieu dug in his brain for an answer. He came up with an idea when he took a walk around that old airpark. Fond memories of when the Flying Duchess first took her granddaughter here. Joe had the prettiest smile I had ever since when she came here, he thought. To his surprise, an idea formed from that memory. Wait, what if… Matthieu ran to that one plane both grandmother and granddaughter fell in love with.

Black Betty stood in the back of the yard, sticking out like a sore thumb. The few people who came to the air park never really appreciated this big air monster. Black Betty’s damage to its visitors that it had seen better days. Matthieu tilted his head as he looked at the big black beauty.

“Hello there, old girl,” he told her. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” The only thing that looked fresh was the white tiger painted on the side. A little smile appeared on the old man’s face.

“You would like to see the skies again, wouldn’t you?” he asked. “You will get that wish. You see, I need you to help me make a sad little girl smile again.” Matthieu pulled out his cell phone and dialed up an old friend.

“Ello,” he said. “I’m going to need your help with a new project of mine.”

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-Present Time-

On the last day of school, Matthieu pulled up to the local grade school. He waited outside of the closed steel gates. She’s going to love this, he thought. This project took everyone in his deceased friend’s circle. To his amazement, he found that a little girl’s smile was motive enough to get people on board. Their responses greeted him warmly. What would’ve taken many years only took about two of them. Today, Matthieu couldn’t wait to see the look on Joe’s face. He even counted down to the minutes when school was out.

The plan sprang into action when the bell rang. Teachers led the students out the door in single file. Matthieu counted the little heads before he spotted young Joe dragging behind with her head down. The old man waved his hands.

“Joe!” he shouted. “Joe! Over here!” The little girl slowly lifted her head. She spotted Matthieu flagging her down. The little girl walked with her teacher to the school gates. The old man tipped his hat.

“Good day, Miss,” he greeted her. The teacher gave him a strange look.

“May I ask who you are?” she asked.

“Ah, I am a friend of her grandmother,” Matthieu answered. The young woman narrowed her eyes at him as if he spoke another language.

“Which one are you again?” she asked.

“He’s my uncle,” the little girl mumbled under her breath.

“Hm?” the teacher asked.

“I’m her uncle,” Matthieu replied. Joe pulled her shoulder away from her teacher’s grasp.

“Joe!” she exclaimed.

“Let her be,” Matthieu told her. “She’s not really a people-person.”

“Yeah, I have noticed.” The teacher made a face as the little girl looked down at her feet. Matthieu reached out and patted her on the head.

“Come on,” he whispered. “I have little summer surprise for you.” Joe didn’t stir as she walked her along to his car.

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Joe pressed her forehead against the glass. “Where are we going?” Matthieu smiled behind the wheel.

“Your favorite place, of course,” he said. The little girl turned to him with big eyes.

“Where?” she asked.

“Don’t you remember?”

Joe shook her head with a puzzled look on her face. “No…” Matthieu chuckled, shaking his head.

“You’ll remember when we get there,” he said. The car rounded the corner when the light changed green. An hour later, they pulled up to the gates of the air park. Joe’s eyes widened as her jaw dropped.

“Are we really…?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said. “Your surprise is waiting right in the park. Joe struggled for something to say as she turned her head. Her jaw moved, but no words came out. Matthieu patted her on the head.

“You’ll have to get out of the car to see it,” he told her. He got out of the car and had to pull her out. The little girl struggled to say something as he dragged her through the gates. Memories of her first time at the air park flooded Joe’s mind when she saw those old planes again. Her heart did little flips at their great wings. I feel like this is home, she thought. The little girl placed her hands on her chest. Matthieu cleared his throat.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Would you like to see the surprise?” he asked.

“Yes!” the little girl exclaimed.

“Follow me.” The old man led her down the path to the grandmother’s circle gift. As they walked, the little girl tried to guess where this was heading.

“Is it another plane?” she asked.

“But of course,” Matthieu replied. “In fact…” He knelt down to her level. “How would you like to become the new Flying Duchess?” Joe’s jaw dropped.

“What… do you mean?” she asked.

“Come with me,” the old man told her. Joe tried to guess what he meant by becoming the new Flying Duchess when they stopped at the giant black plane. She put her hands over her mouth as she gasped. Matthieu gave her a proud smile.

“Say hello to your baby, Black Betty,” he said.