“Yeah, or if it was too heavy, it could wash all your seeds away, and then you’d have to start all over again.”
Joyce looked at Linda and asked, “What do you think?”
“I think we shouldn’t risk it. There are plenty of other chores we can do inside today. Let’s save the planting for tomorrow and finish up the canning instead.”
Scott looked at Linda and said, “Hey, it just occurred to me, since when are you off on Mondays?”
“Since I took a week’s vacation to get the garden planted.”
“Well, that didn’t work out too well for you, now did it?”
“Hey, what’s with the big cage? Is that a ‘time-out’ jail for the boys?”
“Nope. These are rabbit cages. Two of them. They’re going out there under the shed I built next to the chicken coup.”
“I was wondering what you were going to put under there.”
“Well now you know. Y’all wanna help?”
“Sure. Why not? But why two cages? And why rabbits? I thought you told the boys we weren’t bringing any pets into the compound.”
“One cage is for three boy rabbits. The other cage is for three girl rabbits.”
“Oh, now that’s just cruel, Scott. So they can look at each other but can’t have any romance?”
“Oh, once the blackout happens, they’ll get plenty of romance. That’s when we let them out into the yard and they can do what rabbits do best. And they’re not pets, by the way. They’re going to be a big part of our diet”
“We’re going to eat the cute little bunnies?”
“Yep. We’ll keep them separated until we need them to multiply. Then once they start mingling, these six can produce two to three hundred offspring a year. They’ll be about the size of a chicken, just as easy to prepare, and will have even more protein.”
“Just as long as you kill them and skin them, Scott. I don’t think I could bring myself to do it.”
“Wow, so we’ll have rabbits, pigs, chickens and cows. We need to put a sign out front that says ‘Scott’s Zoo.’ Maybe we can charge admission.”
“Don’t forget the horses.”
Joyce looked at Linda.
“Speaking of horses… Linda, you mentioned that you never learned to ride. Is that something you want to learn today? We can start your first lesson this morning since we can’t plant the garden.”
“No, thank you. I’ve lived this long without knowing how to ride a smelly old horse. No sense learning how now.”
Scott said, “Speaking of horses, Joyce, I noticed yesterday that Trigger’s still got two flakes of hay in his stall. Any idea why he’s not eating?”
“No, I don’t have a clue. I noticed the same thing. I know if he doesn’t eat, it’ll only take a couple of days for him to start getting weak. Should we get the vet out here to take a look at him?”
“Not yet. I’ve got a friend I made at the feed store awhile back who lives right up the road. I’ll give him a call and see if he can drop by after he gets off work. He seems to know a lot about livestock and I want the two of you to meet him anyway.”
They had just finished assembling the rabbit cages beneath the shed when the clouds opened up and it started raining. The three ran for cover in the house.
“Looks like you made a good call on not planting today.”
“Of course. We’re women, Good calls are the only ones we make. So we’ll be canning today. Would you like to help?”
“No, thanks, I’ll pass. As soon as the rain stops I’m going to start bringing in plywood to reinforce the outer walls. I’ve got my own mission to accomplish.”
-22-
A little after five p.m., Tom Haskins pulled into the yard in an old red Ram pickup.
“Well, howdy there, neighbor. How y’all doing?”
“Doing very well, Tom. I appreciate you stopping by. Want to come inside for some iced tea, and to meet everybody else?”
“Sure thing. Iced tea sounds real good.”
Scott and Tom walked into the kitchen where the girls were canning peaches. They had a peach cobbler baking in the oven, and its sweet aroma wafted throughout the house.
“Sure smells sweeter than my place, I’ll tell you what.”
“Tom, this is my girlfriend Joyce, and my ex wife and one of my oldest friends Linda.”
“Hey, watch the way you say ‘oldest.’”
Both women shook Tom’s outstretched hand. Linda held onto it just a tad bit longer than was necessary. It didn’t escape the notice of Tom, or of Joyce, who raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“Tom, do you like your tea sweet or unsweet?”
“Sweet, please. Texas style.”
Linda dropped two teaspoons of sugar into his glass and stirred it.
Tom looked at Scott and said, “So, tell me about your pony that’s ailin’.”
“His name’s Trigger. Usually eats like a horse, if you’ll pardon the bad pun. The last two or three days, though, he’s just been picking at his feed. And not eating much of his hay at all.”
“Is he drinking plenty of water, and is his belly extended?”
“I hadn’t noticed either. Is that important?”
“Yep. Those are the first two things to watch for when a pony stops eating. He’s probably just stove up is all. It happens sometimes, and we can fix it if that’s all it is. Is he the one you’re using to teach your boys to ride?”
“No, the boys are learning on Sally. She’s a bit more gentle.”
“And how are they coming?”
“So far, real well.”
Linda spoke up.
“Someday I hope to learn to ride too. I’ve always wanted to learn, but nobody’s ever really offered to teach me.”
Joyce almost choked on her iced tea, but didn’t say anything. Instead she stole a glance at Scott, who winked at her.
Tom, who was as much a Texas gentleman as he was a friendly neighbor, looked at Linda and said, “Well shoot, lovely lady. I’ll teach you how to ride myself if you want to come by and visit this weekend. I live at the end of the road. Scott knows where it is. I’ve got an old mare named Goldilocks who’s just as gentle as they come. She’ll take you on a slow gallop so smooth you can take your iced tea along and won’t spill a drop.”
“Well, thank you, Tom. That sounds like fun. Are you sure you won’t mind?”
“No, not at all. As long as you don’t mind my place too much. It’s just me and my dog Red now, and it’s… well, it’s a might dusty and disorganized. Hasn’t had a woman’s touch in awhile, you see.”
“Oh, that won’t bother me a bit. I’ll make plans to come and see you on Saturday, then. And you be sure and come back in here after you look at that old horse so I can serve you up some peach cobbler.”
The men finished their iced tea and headed out to the stable to look at Trigger. As soon as they stepped out the door, Joyce looked at Linda with her mouth wide open.
Linda said, “What? You’ve got a man of your own. Maybe I want one too. And did you see the size of his hands?”
They both burst out laughing.
“Oh, trust me, girlfriend. I noticed. He’s got big feet too, if that counts for anything.”
“Well, I’ll let you know after the weekend is up.”
“You’re a shameful hussy, you know that?”
“Yep. I know. You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
An hour later the men walked back into the house and washed up in the back lavatory. Trigger’s innards had been flushed out with a water hose, and while they were at it the pair took a look at all the other livestock. Everything looked healthy, and Tom commented that Scott got a great deal on his cattle.
“Prime beef. Them cattle will make some good eatin’ when you’re ready for ‘em. Have you done any butchering before?”
“No, sir. Never have, and it’s not something I’m looking forward to.”
“Hell, it’s a piece of cake. Whenever you’ve got one that’s ready to butcher, just
let me know. I’ll show you how to kill it without spoiling the meat. Then I’ll show you how to butcher it. Once you do it once or twice, you’ll be surprised how easy it is. Same for the pigs.”
Scott noticed Linda staring at Tom’s hands as he spoke. Joyce, in turn, was staring intently at Linda and giggling.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, as Linda and Joyce both burst out laughing.
“Oh, nothing. Just an inside joke. Nothing to concern yourself about. Are you boys ready for some cobbler?”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
“Sure, why not?”
Tom cranked up his truck half an hour later and pulled out of the drive. The rest of the group walked him out into the yard, and the girls waved goodbye to him.
Scott said, “Well, I guess I’d better get to the house myself and pick up the boys. Have y’all got plans for supper, or do you want to go out?”
Joyce and Linda looked at each other. They had been so sidetracked with the canning and with the size of Tom’s hands that neither of them had even thought about starting dinner.
Joyce said, “Hold on. Let me make sure everything’s turned off and get our bags.”
They crawled into Scott’s truck and picked up the boys from the house. Then they went to Mamacita’s Restaurant on I-10 in San Antonio and feasted on some magnificent Mexican food.
Over dinner, Scott casually asked the girls what they thought of their new neighbor.
Joyce said, “Ask Linda. I think she’s smitten with him.”
Linda didn’t deny the charge.
“I like him. I like him a lot.”
-23-
Jordan walked into the back bedroom to find his father sitting at a desk in front of a ham radio.
“Ten-four, good buddy. You got a copy on that, Pig Pen? You got that convoy in motion, stayin’ ahead of that old Smokey the Bear?”
Scott took the headphones off his ears and laid them on the desk in front of him. He turned around and looked his oldest son in the eye.
“Have you been smoking crack?”
Jordan laughed.
“Isn’t that the way you old timers talked back in the CB radio days? You know, back when those things were popular and all?”
Now it was Scott’s turn to laugh.
“Oh, the ignorance of youth. Sit down, my boy, and let me educate you.”
Jordan sat down.
“First of all, this is not a CB radio. It’s a ham radio.”
“Okay. So what’s the difference?”
“CB radios are mobile. Portable. Made for vehicles to communicate with each other and with their base stations. Like walkie talkies on steroids. They have a range of just a few miles. This, on the other hand, can reach around the world. I was just carrying on a conversation with a man in Sydney, Australia.”
“Wow, no shit?”
Scott raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry, Dad. No kidding?”
“No kidding, son. The radio waves bounce off satellites just like overseas phone calls. So you can talk to anyone, anywhere.”
“Cool. So why do we have one?”
“Once the power goes out and we move up here, we won’t venture out. There won’t be any more TV or radio to tell us what’s going on out there. The only way we’ll be able to communicate is by ham radio. And that’s also the only way we’ll know what’s going on in the world.”
“And that’s important why, again?”
“Because I’m hoping that after a few years the world can find ways to recover. I personally think it’ll take generations. But since it’ll really be the only thing the world is working on, maybe they can put their heads together and find ways of restoring the electrical grids and replacing all the shorted out electronics.”
“So we’ll know if it’s ever safe to come out and rejoin the rest of the world?”
“Exactly.”
“Okay, Dad. I know I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but…”
Scott smiled and asked, “Ya think?”
Jordan playfully punched his father on the arm and continued.
“If everything else in the world that runs on electricity gets ruined by the EMPs, then isn’t it true that this thing won’t work either?”
“Actually, Jordan, that’s a very good question. It shows you’re using your head. That’s good. And you’re right. This would be ruined like everything else. If it was unprotected. But it’ll be in the Faraday box like all the other things we need to protect. So will the transceiver at the top of the antenna tower. I just pulled this out to test it, and to spread the word to a few other ham operators around the country.”
“What did you tell them?”
“I told them that I had an excellent and very qualified scientific source who believes that the world will be bombarded by EMPs in the very near future. I told them that when it happens, the only way to spread news around the country and world is by using ham radios that were protected from the EMPs. And I encouraged them to protect their equipment so that it wouldn’t be ruined.”
“How many of them thought you were crazy?”
“A few did. But I was surprised at how many didn’t.”
“Really?”
“Yep. You have to remember that ham radio users are kind of a rebellious bunch. A good portion of them do not trust governments, and think that society will eventually fall into chaos. Some of them are what are called preppers. People who believe the world, or society, is going to collapse in various ways, and are preparing for when that happens.”
“Like us.”
“Yes. Just like us. And also not like us. You see, most of them have never heard of EMPs. They think the breakdown of society is coming because terrorists get their hands on Russia’s nuclear bombs and start using them on us. Or because the economy collapses into chaos. Or because global warming causes a series of really bad natural disasters. Or any one of a number of other things.
“And it doesn’t really matter what their beliefs are, as long as they are taking measures to survive. All I want to do is talk them into taking measures to preserve their radios and a power source so we can communicate and share information after the shit hits the fan.”
“How come you can say shit and I can’t?”
“Because I’m an adult. You’re still a snotty nosed kid.”
“Dad, can I ask you something that’s completely unrelated to ham radios and the end of the world and stuff?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Mom is getting pretty serious about this Tom guy. They’ve gone out like six or eight times this month. Do you think she’s getting serious enough to marry him or something?”
“Would it bother you if she did?”
“I don’t know. I mean, he seems like a nice guy and all. And they really seem to like each other. It’s just that, I don’t know. I’m tired of seeing her getting beaten up and stuff. And she has terrible taste when it comes to picking out men.”
Scott feigned anger.
“Hey, boy! She chose me, you know.”
“You know what I mean, Dad. Men since you. Nearly every one of the men she’s dated has taken advantage of her or beaten her or stolen from her. And sometimes all three.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it, son, for several reasons. First of all, I met Tom before she did. And I’m an excellent judge of character. Tom struck me as a good and honorable man. He’s a protector, not an abuser. I felt that from the beginning and I still believe it. And I wouldn’t have introduced him to your mother if I hadn’t believed that.
“Second, she’s a good woman and she’s got a good head on her shoulders. When she went looking for men before, it was because she was lonely. But since she’s been up here I’ve noticed a change in her. With all of us sharing the same house, she’s not lonely anymore. And I don’t want to use the word desperate, but I’ll say this. I don’t see her in such a hurry to need a man anymore. I think it finally dawned on her that she can do just fine without a man.
“And I
think it changed her whole perspective on things. Yes, she went after Tom. But I think she knows now that she doesn’t have to settle for just any man who comes along just because she’s lonely. I think she realizes now that if Tom is flawed, that she can just tell him to get lost. That she’s okay without him. And that puts her in a way more powerful position than she ever was in before.”
“I suppose. I just hope you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right.”
Jordan laughed.
“But how do you know?”
“Because I’m a father. And fathers are always right.”
-24-
By the end of the summer, everything was coming along quite nicely. The compound was about ninety percent complete, everyone was getting along famously, and all things were running smoothly.
There were only two projects still to be done. And one was nearing its final stages.
Jordan had been digging out the deep end of the pond for five months, eight hours each Saturday and eight hours each Sunday. When school let out for the summer, he worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday too.
Scott wasn’t a total slave driver, though. He paid his son well, and with that pay, Jordan was able to entertain his new girlfriend Sara in grand style.
The work on the pond was monotonous, and Jordan had become bored with it months before.
There was nothing hard about it either. He drove to the pond site in the Bobcat and dropped the bucket so that it scraped along the ground as he drove forward.
Once the bucket was filled, he drove to the perimeter of the property and dumped his load, alongside the load he’d dumped just twelve minutes before. By doing so, he was killing two birds with one stone. He was greatly increasing the size of the pond and making the new half much deeper to allow the fish to grow in numbers and to grow to larger sizes. And the berm he was building would be grown over with grass and become a permanent feature of the land. During rainstorms it would prevent runoff, keeping all the water that fell on their property from running elsewhere. Instead, it would soak into the ground or run into their fishing pond.
Countdown to Armageddon Page 10