by Mary Griggs
She directed everyone to the next room. There was a bed against one wall and a couch along the window. Opening one of the closet doors, she revealed a television. "I've got a pretty good collection of videos and DVD's but, again, they should only be used on the sunniest of days or at night when we've turned everything else off and can expect a sunny day the next day."
In front of the entrance to the bathroom was a circular staircase that led to the upper floor. It led up to Jay's attic hide-a-way. A large bed dominated the floor space. A number of large windows gave the room plenty of light and all the available wall space was filled with built in bookshelves. She showed them her small half bathroom and Franklin stove. "This room can be shut off from downstairs to help with the heating. You'd be surprised at how much heat the damn thing puts out."
Susan walked over to the bed. There were books and a half filled glass of water on one nightstand but the other one was clear of anything but a candle. Picking it up, she asked, "Jay, where's Harmony?"
For a long moment, it didn't look like she was going to answer. When she did, her voice was hoarse. "She went to find her brother in Los Angeles."
"That's crazy. There's nothing left."
"At first we thought that too. When we went down the mountain to Willow Creek for spring trading there were about twenty refugees from Monrovia. She left that spring to look."
"How long has she been gone?" Carol asked quietly. She had always liked the former teacher and thought that the two women had been really happy together.
"Almost nineteen months."
"You think she's coming back?" Doris voice was derisive. "She's long dead by now."
Jay had Doris on the floor with her hands around the other woman's throat before anyone in the room could react. She shrugged off the attempts by Martha and Piper to pull her away from the person who had given voice to her greatest fear. As Doris clawed at the fingers around her throat, Jay started to cry. With an angry snarl, she shoved the choking woman's head hard against the floor before standing up.
"If you want to stay here you won't ever say anything like that again," Jay hissed. Without looking at anyone else in the room, she stomped back downstairs.
Susan and Eva helped to pick Doris up off the floor and support her while she tried to draw breath. Everyone was shocked by the suddenness of the attack.
"Easy, Mom." Eva led her mother to the bed and helped her to sit.
Cody spoke for all of them "That was pretty scary."
"I don't know Jay at all but I don't believe that's typical behavior." Piper crossed her arms and leaned against one of the windows.
"You're right. I've never known her to fly off the handle like that." Rubbing Doris' back, Susan didn't look at the group as she spoke.
"Can you blame her for being upset?" Carol nearly shouted. "Just think how scared she must be for Harmony. It must be driving her out of her mind."
Martha walked over and took Susan into her arms. "I don't think I would be able to stand it if I didn't know what was happening with you."
"She nearly killed me!" Doris was outraged at the lack of sympathy.
"You shouldn't have said what you did," Cody snarled back, glaring at her.
"Oh, get real. You know I spoke the truth."
"No." Piper was adamant. "We don't know that. All of us have seen miracles of survival. We can't say for sure that Harmony isn't on her way back here right now."
"For damn sure, until we do know, we can keep our mouths shut." There was no room for debate in Susan's voice. "You should apologize."
"I will not."
"Fine. Then you stay as far from her as you can and you keep quiet about things that don't concern you." Susan looked around. "I hope we can get past this because I don't want to leave."
Carol was crying. "I want to make a home here."
"I don't feel safe," said Doris.
"Then maybe you ought to leave," snidely responded Susan.
Cody was still angry. "Nobody is keeping you here."
"Everybody, just chill." Martha's voice was commanding. "I don't think we should let one incident drive a wedge between us all. Let us all take a deep breath and continue the tour without verbally attacking one another. Okay?"
The group nodded and went back downstairs. When they rejoined her, Jay was standing staring into the empty fireplace. At the sound of their feet, she turned and wiped a hand roughly over her face. She tried to shake off her fury but her head continued to pound. "I apologize for losing my temper."
Susan touched her lightly on the arm. "Honey, no-one wants to wish Harmony ill. We didn't know and I'm sure Doris didn't mean anything by it."
The woman in question was dramatically rubbing her throat and coughing. She ignored Susan's significant look.
"My sister is a boor. Don't hold the rest of us guilty for her foot in mouth disease." Martha added.
"I'll try not to let it happen again."
"Try?" asked Doris, hoarsely.
Jay glared over at her. "Maybe there should just be some things that are off limits to discussion."
"We agree," Martha said quickly and then grinned at her sister. "Right?" After she received an answering nod, she asked Jay, "So, where were we?"
"Pardon?"
"What were you going to show us down here?"
Jay cleared her throat. She couldn't meet anyone's eyes as she finished the tour. "Out here, we've got a sleeper sofa and two day beds." She began, waving at the living room. "As you can see, there is plenty to read and a good sized fireplace to keep the chill away." She indicated the walls of books. "Feel free to borrow anything that interests you."
She walked over to the dining area and leaned against the back of one of the eight chairs. "Looks like we've finally got the perfect number for meals. Oh, and there is a bathroom behind the staircase with a shower and tub and over there is the kitchen."
"Well, we should figure out where everyone is going to crash. Downstairs are two singles, up here are the two single day beds, the two sofas, the double bed and the queen." Jay looked at the silent group. "How about you all talk it over and I'll start dinner?" Without waiting for an answer she escaped into the kitchen.
Stirring the coals in the stove, Jay added several pieces of wood before turning to fill a large Dutch oven with water. She also filled the teakettle while she had the water running. Humming softly to her self, she reached to the back of the counter and pulled out a crock of sourdough starter. She took out a portion and deftly added flour, salt and olive oil to the bowl before she scooped out a cup of water from the pot. She went to the sink to wash her hands and began to knead the bread, stopping only when the kettle screamed.
Tapping her index finger to her upper lip, she decided on mint tea and poured the water into a pitcher with the single bag. Jay returned to kneading until the dough was elastic. She then coated it with more olive oil and returned the ball to the bowl. She set it to the side to rise. Muttering darkly over how few tomatoes were left, she choose several and set them near the green beans. Emptying her mind while her hands worked, she snapped the beans.
She glanced up when Susan came into the kitchen. "Do we have a solution?"
Susan nodded. "Yeah. Martha and I will take the queen. Doris will take the double, Carol and Eva will share the basement and Cody will take a day bed and Piper will take the sofa."
"Great." Jay swallowed. "Uh, Susan?"
"Yes?"
"I really am sorry about what happened up there. I don't know what came over me."
"You were scared, honey. It was appalling to hear your fears put into words." Susan came closer and pulled her ex-lover into a hug. "I believe that if it is at all possible that Harmony will come back to you."
"You really think so?"
"I do. I know that she loved you very much and that she knows that you love her."
"I miss her so much." Jay butted her head against Susan's shoulder. Her eyes burned but she didn't cry.
"I bet you do. You've been alone a w
hile."
"I've been fine."
"It must have been terribly lonely."
"Sometimes. I kept busy. There's nearly always something to do."
"Well, hopefully, we'll be able to take some of the burden off your shoulders." Susan kissed her forehead. "I also want you to know that you're not alone anymore."
"It may be hard to adjust."
"Let us help you." She squeezed Jay tightly and released her.
"Thank you."
"Da nada, chica. We should be on our knees thanking you for letting us stay."
"I meant what I said. The offer is as good as the day I made it. This is your home too."
"Don't think we're not grateful."
"I don't. So, why don't you all get settled in your space? There is time while the dough rises for you all to shower. It's a pretty large hot water heater, so if no one is too greedy you should all get at least a warm shower."
"Sounds divine. I'll tell them."
Chapter Five - Here At Thy Table
Sit at the feast, dear Lord, break Thou the bread;
Fill Thou the cup that brings life to the dead;
That we may find in Thee pardon and peace,
And from all bondage win a full release.
Words: May Pierpont Hoyt. Music: William F. Sherwin, 1877
One of the first ones out of the shower, Cody peered into the kitchen. His dark hair hanging damply over his eyes, he grinned at his honorary aunt. "What can I do to help?"
"You look like a drowned rat."
He looked wounded. "I combed my hair."
"But did you think of drying it?"
"The girls wanted the bathroom."
"Last time I checked, towels were portable."
"Whatever. Did you want some help or not?" he asked.
"Sure. You remember the secret room?"
"Through the pantry?"
"Yeah."
"Totally."
"Think you can get into it on your own?"
"Not a problem."
"I've basically turned it into a wine cellar. Can you go down and bring us up a bottle?" She glanced at Piper, who was taking the stones out of a handful of olives and chopping them. "You want to see something really cool?"
"Trust her, it's the bomb." Cody's voice broke on the final word and he blushed.
"With such a buildup, how could I refuse?"
Cody was nearly dancing in place. "Excellent, come into the pantry." He stood at her shoulder while she washed and dried her hands. "Come on."
"Hold your horses. I'm coming."
Practically dragging her into the small room at the end of the kitchen, he asked, "See anything out of the ordinary?"
She looked into the well-appointed pantry. Along each wall, from floor to ceiling, were wire shelves packed with brightly colored mason jars filled with different fruits and vegetables. She hadn't seen anything like it in ages. Her grandmother's larder might have been comparable but that was when she was a child, many years ago. Not seeing anything obviously out of place, she turned her attention to the tile floor and the back wall where a mop, a broom and other cleaning supplies hung. Having studied everything, she shrugged. "No. What's the big deal?"
The young man brushed by her and pulled a thin piece of metal wire out of a jar of junk on one of the upper shelves. Making a production of rolling back both sleeves, he went up to the back wall. Concentrating, he counted down six holes on the pegboard that covered the wall from floor to ceiling. Gently, he guided the wire into the sixth hole and pushed. He both heard and felt the click as the locking mechanism disengaged. Bending over he counted the same number of holes up from the bottom and repeated his motion with the wire. Stepping back, he laid his palms against the wall and, with a little pressure, a portion of the wall opened.
Piper gasped as a doorway appeared. The opening was completely dark. "You're right, that's pretty neat," she said, grinning at him.
"Oh, you haven't seen everything yet." Cody beamed at her. He looked around briefly before calling out to Jay, "Is there a flashlight, candles or something?"
Jay answered from the other room. "Feel around for a shelf about shoulder level on the left side. You'll find a couple of those forever lights."
"Forever lights?"
"They don't take batteries. You shake them to build up a charge."
"Oh." He pulled out the clear plastic light. "Got it." Cody shook one of the flashlights and handed the second to Piper. After thirty seconds of shaking, he turned his on to reveal a flight of stairs leading into the basement. "What kind of wine do you want? Red, white, or sparkling?"
"It's after the apocalypse, boy. There aren't that many options." There was laughter in her voice. "Okay, okay. See if you can find a Shiraz."
"One bottle of red coming right up." He looked at Piper. "You want to see what's downstairs?"
"You bet I do," answered Piper. She followed him down the steep stairs to a fairly large room. She shone her light over the undecorated concrete walls. Directly under the stairs and behind a curtain, she saw a small sink and toilet. Next to the stairs, stacked floor to ceiling, were cases of prepackaged meals from military surplus. She hadn't been much of a fan of MRE's when she was in the Army, but the familiar packages were a comforting sight to see.
Along one wall were two pairs of bunk beds. Three beds high, she could see that at least six people could sleep comfortably in the room. Each bed was made up and had an extra blanket at the foot. The far wall was covered with a tall wine rack that was at least eight feet tall. "This is incredible," she whispered into the silence.
Cody had been watching her explore the space. He said, "I remember when Panic Room came out and thought that Jody Foster had nothing on Jay."
"She had this built with the house?"
"Yeah, Jay's a little paranoid. She built this space back when everyone thought Y2K was something to worry about." He laughed as he shook the dimming flashlight back to full strength. "I think she was secretly a little bummed that nothing came of it." He walked over to the wine rack. "Let me grab a bottle."
Piper took the time while he searched to continue her study of the room. Completely self-contained, with water and food, she thought that someone could live down here for months. It was a lot like their host, well supplied but with hidden depth, she mused to herself. "You ever spent any time down here?"
"When we were kids, Mom used to ship us up here for part of the summer. We used to all come down here and tell ghost stories and eat that army surplus food."
"You mean meals ready to eat."
"Whatever." He made a face. "Cheryl and Carol liked the grape kool-aid packs that came with them but I never really cared for anything but the turkey dinner."
"I was partial to the spaghetti and meatballs."
"We only had to do it for one night per stay, so it wasn't so bad."
"Just think of having to live on them."
"Did you?"
"Sure. When we went out in the field, that was our only food."
"Too bad for you." Cody pulled out a couple of different bottles before selecting one. "Here we go." He raised the bottle and examined by flashlight. "Cool, it's from Australia."
"Incredible." Piper was astounded by the enormous amount of planning that had gone into this sanctuary.
Cody led the way upstairs and carefully secured the door and returned the wire to the jar. He put the bottle on the counter and wiped his hands on his pants. "What now?" he asked Jay.
"How about you start collecting dirty clothes and separating the loads?" She smiled fondly as he bounded off. "Ah, to be young again."
"I don't know. I wouldn't do it if I had to live through high school again."
"Amen, sister." Jay handed the corkscrew and bottle to Piper. "Would you do the honors?"
"Of course."
"So," she began. "You used to work with Martha?"
"Yeah, we went to the Academy together."
"Did you like being a cop?"
"Most of the t
ime. I really enjoyed that it was a job that was both a physical and mental challenge."
"What have you been doing since the fall of the empire?"
Piper laughed. "I was a rent-a-cop."
"From all I've heard, that's a pretty dangerous thing to do."
"You're right on that. Defending the few haves against the starving have-nots wasn't really the way I wanted to go."