A LITTLE PIECE OF LUCK
BY
MAURA I. KELLY
(SAN DIEGO, APRIL 1987)

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"Mel, have you seen my good luck piece?"

The sound of her husband's voice reverberated throughout the house. Melanie Slozar Carmichael looked up from preparing breakfast at the stove and glanced at her daughter. "He's never going to make that plane if he doesn't hurry."

Skip's head popped around the door of the kitchen and he repeated his question. "Have you seen it?"

"No, Skip, I haven't."

"What about you, Honey?" Skip asked Michelle, who was busy setting the table.

"I don't even know what it is, Dad. I didn't know you had a good luck charm."

"Not charm... good luck piece. Did have one. Can't find it now... and I'm certainly not going skiing without it." Skip pulled his head back around the door and ducked out of sight.

"You don't have much time. If you don't hurry, you'll miss your flight," Mel yelled after him.

"I know, but I've got to find it." Skip's voice faded as he climbed the stairs.

"Come on, Michelle, let's eat. If we wait for your father, everything'll get cold."

Mother and daughter sat down and started to eat to the sounds of Skip searching.

"Mom, what is this thing? I thought he didn't believed in that sort of stuff."

"Well, actually he never did until after our moon landing. We were preparing to leave when his foot kicked something up out of the dust. It turned out to be a small piece of metal. Actually, it's a rather curious piece."

"Why's it so special to Dad?"

"He believes it helped us get home. It was the last thing he picked up before we lifted off and the fact we almost didn't make it back... well, he became attached to it after that."

The banging of drawers and the slamming of doors continued as Skip continued looking for his missing property.

"Do you believe it's lucky?" Michelle asked.

"I don't know... but your dad does, so I guess that's all that matters." Mel got up from the table and walked out to the foot of the stairs and called up to her husband. "Sweetheart, there isn't much time left. Have you found it yet?"

"No. And I won't leave without it," Skip answered definitely as he came downstairs.

She turned and watched him as he passed to start in living room. "Could you have left it at the yard last night when we dropped Petey off with Harry?"

"Nope," he said and kept looking.

Michelle came out of the kitchen chewing on a piece of toast. "Did he find it yet?"

"No, he hasn't." Mel glanced at her watch again. "Skip, you better forget it. We've only got about an hour."

"You know I can't go without it," Skip repeated stubbornly. "And I certainly can't fly without it."

"You're only riding this time. You're not doing the flying. I think you can probably get along without it."

"Dad, you're only going skiing with your cousins. What could possibly happen?" Michelle argued logically.

"Michelle's right. We've got to get going. You certainly don't want to let the others down over a piece of metal."

"I know but..." Skip looked pleadingly at his wife and then resignedly continued. "Okaaaay, we'll go. You're right, I'm being silly. It's only a ski trip. What could go wrong?"

"Where are your bags?" Mel started a checklist.

"Already by the door."

"Car keys?"

"Hangin' on the pegboard in the kitchen."

"I'll get 'em," Michelle volunteered as she headed back into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry you can't find it, Honey, but you're just out of time." Mel wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I'm going to miss you, Skipper."

"Mmmm," Skip answered as he prolonged the contact, then singlemindedly added, "but I really need it." Skip pulled out of his wife's embrace.

"Hey, look what I found hanging with your car keys." Michelle came running up to the couple excitedly. "Is this what you've been looking for? Is this your lucky charm?" Michelle thrust her hand out and showed her parents the piece of metal with a chain attached.

"Of course," Skip said, hitting his forehead. "I put it with my keys last night, so I'd be sure to find it today."

Michelle held it up by the chain and looked it over curiously. "It doesn't look like much, Dad," she said skeptically.

The object was a square piece of metal surrounded by jagged smoothed off edges. The middle looked almost like a filament with tiny lines running through it.

"Hmm, almost looks like part of a satellite dish."

"Yeah, that's what we thought too." Skip took the object reverently from his daughter.

"It's very old, Michelle. I did some carbon dating and other tests on it," Mel informed her. "The metal doesn't seem to be any known substance found on Earth, or even in our galaxy."

"We believe it may have come from a planet or moon that exploded." Skip held the object up in his hand. "This piece probably came from another galaxy."

"What are those scratches on the one side?"

Skip handed the piece back to Michelle. "We assumed they were some sort of calligraphy or letters. What do they look like to you, Honey?"

Michelle studied the object carefully. "Looks like, maybe 'H' 'L' or 'H' and 'L'. It might have belonged to someone. Wow! No wonder you kept it, Dad. Imagine an object belonging to someone a long time ago and in another galaxy far away. Neat!"

"Yeah, neat indeed." Mel laughed, ruffling her daughter's hair. "Come on, if we don't get going, your dad'll miss his plane."

Skip glanced at his watch. "Oh, my gosh. I'm going to miss my flight. Come on, Guys. What are we waiting for. Let's go." Skip picked up his bags and headed out the door.

Mel winked at Michelle and laughingly followed them out.