by Mary Griggs
Looking over her shoulder, Jay watched Doris poke the mushrooms. "You can skip that course if you don't trust me," she said mildly.
"I'm just asking."
"If you want to check on me, there is a book on mushrooms in the bookcase nearest to the bathroom. I think it's on one of the lower shelves." She shook her head when Doris left the room in search of the item.
Glancing through the French doors, she saw that Piper had the fire going. Putting the fish and mushrooms on a platter, she carried everything outside along with a bottle of olive oil and a brush.
"No secret herbs?"
"Naw. This fish was swimming this morning. There is no need to hide the taste." Jay quickly brushed a coating of oil on the fish and mushrooms and placed everything on the grill.
"How long?"
"Just a couple of minutes," answered Jay as she turned to go back inside and check the potatoes. "Oh, I do have a lemon in the crisper. Cut a couple of thin slices and, when you turn the fillet's over, put the slices on top."
"How many per fillet?"
"I'd put two but use your best judgment."
"Sure thing." Piper moved gracefully past her to the refrigerator and rummaged around. Her hands were swift and sure with the sharp knife as she sectioned the lemon.
The two women worked quiet and companionably while they finished the cooking. They only exchanged a couple of words before the food was on the table.
"Mmmm. This is good." Piper said. Her eyes almost glowed in the candlelight from the tapers in the center of the table.
"Fresh is best."
"You eat this way all the time? I still can't believe it."
Jay sighed before answering Doris. "Not all the time but regularly. Remember, there aren't that many people up here fighting for scarce resources. If you're willing to work, you can eat like this as much as you want."
"I can get used to this," Piper sighed in satisfaction.
"It's too isolated."
"Nonsense. I was sick of living amongst so many. The space up here is great."
Doris scowled at her plate and didn't reply.
"What?" Piper finally asked.
Looking up in confusion, Jay raised her right eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"
"It just looked like Doris had something else to say."
She shook her head. "I was just thinking that's it's all right for you but this isn't good for me or the children."
"What are you talking about?"
"How do you expect them to grow up properly without the guidance of a man?"
"I think they've done pretty well so far."
Doris sniffed. "You would."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Just that it's obvious that you don't have children of your own or you would understand."
"I understand that you're a narrow minded twit."
"Piper," warned Jay. "There's no need for name calling."
"Thank you."
"Wait a minute." Jay set her utensils down with deliberation. "I certainly don't agree with you. Everything I've seen about those kids has been wonderful. Considering all they've gone through, they are the most normal and well-adjusted children I've had the pleasure to know."
"Hear, hear." Piper echoed. "Martha and Susan are great parents and Eva is smart as a whip."
"Why, thank you for noticing." Doris refilled her water glass. "It's all right now but without a proper male influence, those children will be doomed."
"I think that's a little harsh."
"You only think that because you share the proclivities of my sister."
"Possibly. Or I could just have seen that single parent and gay parent children can be well adjusted. Besides, it isn't gay parents that leads to homosexuality."
"Oh, really?"
"Really. My parents were straight. Weren't yours, Jay?"
"As arrows."
Doris shook her head. "In any event, I'm not sure how long Eva and I will stay here."
"It's safe here, Doris. Whether or not you agree with our life choices, you can't seriously think it's better to live in the chaos that was Oakland?"
"No, I don't want to go back there. I think that there are other communities out here that would be better. Right, Jay?"
"There are towns on the coast that are surviving and even thriving. I just don't see why you would put yourself at risk when you don't have to." She ate another bite of fish. "I guess I would feel differently if I were uncomfortable with my surroundings."
Piper snorted but shook her head when the other women looked at her.
"Well, it's not like I need to make a decision immediately."
"No. Why don't you take it easy through the winter and reassess in the spring?"
Doris nodded and the rest of the meal passed in silence.
Chapter Ten - A Handful of Leaves
Oh, look on the fields, that already are white;
The Lord hath commanded to work in the light;
Beware lest, instead of the bright, golden sheaves,
We bring to Him only a handful of leaves.
Words: Fanny Crosby, 1880 Music: John R. Sweney
After dinner, Piper pulled her rifle out of the closet and set about cleaning it. Jay watched her from her place in the front of the fireplace. The movement of cloth over and through the barrel was mesmerizing. "You planning on going out soon?" she asked.
"I figure that now's a good time."
"Might you better wait until one of the others comes back to buddy with you?"
"Frankly, I'm looking forward to a little time on my own."
"Cool. You want to go and find something on your own or do you want me to go with?"
"Why don't you show me the good hunting ground?"
"When do you want to go?"
"Early. Maybe before dawn?"
Jay pushed herself to her feet. "No problem. Let me go and make you a picnic basket. How long will you want to stay out?"
"How far is it?"
"Just a couple of miles."
"Then just for the day." Piper wiped her hands. "I can always go out again the next day and so on until I get something."
"Oh, I don't think you'll have much trouble." Jay walked toward the kitchen. "I'll set you up with two meals."
Doris came in from the hot tub while Jay was slicing some meat and wrapping some bread. "What are you doing? You're not still hungry, are you?"
"No, I'm making up a picnic for Piper and myself for tomorrow."
"Where are you going?"
"Piper is going hunting. I'm just going to show her a good place to make a stand and then I'll wander a bit before coming home."
"You two are going to leave me here alone?"
"We'll both be back for dinner."
"You didn't even ask me if I wanted to go."
Jay looked up at the still damp woman. "Did you want to go hunting?"
"No, but I don't think that you should just walk out without saying anything."
"We haven't gone anywhere yet and I'll be back by dinner. Considering how late you stay abed, I doubt you'll even miss me."
"I can't believe you. I slept in once." Doris stood glaring at Jay with her hands on her hips.
"I don't think that you'll have any problems getting by."
"But you don't know."
"No, I don't. Life, as I'm sure you know, is uncertain."
"I should have been consulted before you two came up with this idea. I would have told you that this is a bad idea."
"What's so bad about it? We need meat and I need air."
"I don't know where to begin. Either of you could have an accident out there and I'll be left here all alone."
Piper came into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. "Chill out, Doris. Jay will be back before you know it."
"I don't even know her."
"Do you want a copy of my resume? I think I've got one around here somewhere."
"Don't mock me. I don't know where you came from or how you've managed to charm your way into ev
eryone else's heart."
"You should know enough to keep your mouth shut while you live in her house."
Shaking her head, Jay finished packing. "Forget it, Piper. I'm not going to argue with her." She pointed a finger at Doris. "You've got a choice. You can either join us at o'dark thirty tomorrow morning or you can deal with being in the house by yourself for a few hours. We're going hunting with or without you."
Doris looked affronted. "I'm not going hunting."
"Fine," answered Jay. "The dogs will be on watch and will go after anyone who hasn't been introduced as a friend. You should be fine."
"You don't have to placate me."
"I wasn't. I was trying to reassure you." She glared at Doris as she flounced out of the room. "I'm going to turn in," Jay said as she glanced at Piper. "Dress warmly. You'll get chilled just standing around."
"I hear you." Piper nodded pleasantly at her. "Good night."
Each of the women headed to their separate bedrooms. With the youngsters still down at the river with Martha and Susan, the house was still and quiet in no time at all.
It was cold and dark when Jay stumbled downstairs the next morning. Piper was already sitting at the table, finishing a mug of tea. "Did you want some tea?" she asked.
Jay shuddered. "No, thanks. My body doesn't know it's awake yet. I'm not going to do anything like eating or drinking that will speed up the process."
"I take it you're not a morning person."
"Oh, I don't have a problem with morning. It's this still dark outside when you get up thing. It's just wrong."
Piper laughed. "How do you handle the darkness of winter?"
"By staying in bed as late as I can and turning in as early as possible." Jay settled and adjusted the pack on her back. "Thank goodness I now have a house full of people that can take over doing the morning tasks."
"What, no milking cows for you?"
"You've got it." Jay buckled a little pack around her waist. "There'll be no dairy farming around me."
"What's that?"
"It's a first aid kit and a holster for my 9mm." Jay illustrated the dual function of the pack. "I never leave home without it."
Piper shrugged into her jacket and pulled on her backpack. Picking up her rifle and bandolier of shells, Piper waved for Jay to precede her out of the door. "After you, Bwana."
"No, no. You're the great hunter."
The two women stood for a moment to let their eyes adjust to the darkness. The dogs circled around them, sniffing. Jay knelt down and roughhoused with them, grabbing their muzzles and pulling their ears. She glanced over at Piper. "You good to go?"
"Yeah. Let's do this thing."
Together, they walked in companionable silence down the trail to the old rest stop building. Instead of going either direction on the road, Jay went directly across the road and down the hillside. Once across the stream, she showed Piper an area where the grass was beaten down and led away from the water.
"See, here is a game trail." Jay pointed at a narrow path between the trees. The path looked almost man made; it was so clean and well kept. She pointed to a crumbling pile of dung. "Somebody has been using it recently."
"How far does it go?"
"It leads almost directly to the river from that mountain over there." The indicated mountain was a little larger than the one on which they now lived. "You can follow the trail nearly all the way across the valley."
They began walking in single file slightly to the side of the path. Not wanting to alert the animals with their scent, they couldn't use the path. They had to walk carefully in the rough bush alongside, trying not to make too much noise.
The pre dawn light was gray and cast odd shadows through the trees. Piper split her attention between the woods they were walking through and the trim outline of the woman before her. She was startled when Jay stopped and, for a brief moment, she thought that the other woman had caught her watching. She was very thankful that the poor light hid her blush.
"Check up there," whispered Jay, unaware of Piper's distraction. She pointed up at a forty foot oak tree. "I put a stand in that tree and in another about three hundred yards further on." She tapped the first of four steps nailed into the trunk. "Will you need help? The seat is very narrow."
"Naw, I'm an ace at climbing trees, especially when someone's gone to the trouble of giving me hand and foot holds." Piper swung her pack off her back and onto one shoulder. She tightened the gun sling before making the short climb to the stand. Squirming on the seat, Piper adjusted her rifle across her knees. As comfortable as she could make herself, she reached down for the pack that Jay passed up to her.
"I'm going to walk the trail and take the long way back to the house." Jay touched Piper's boot. "If you don't see anything before lunch time, you can take a nap until near dusk. They're sure to be thirsty then."
"Yeah. We used to call that the animal tea time."
"Good luck."
"Thanks. I'll see you later tonight."
"If you get something, there's a clearing just to the east with a good tree for hanging. I put some rope in the other pack."
"Good plan. I'll take out the intestinal sack and we can come back and get it in the morning."
With a wry grin, Jay responded. "But not so early."
"No, we can wait for sun up." Piper winked at her.
"Fine. I'll see you later." Jay headed down the path, turning before she went out of sight to wave at the treed woman. She reflected on the conversation she had with Susan about her need for solitude. Taking the walk today was her way of avoiding having to spend any extra time with Doris.
She decided to walk partially around the base of the mountain. With luck, she thought she could go through several areas where she could usually find mushrooms or wild onions. Jay thought that a good fungus hunt was better than time spent with the remaining houseguest any day. Happier for having a plan, she began humming to herself as she left the deer area.
Piper was also pretty content. After only an hour in the stand, she made good on her first sighting, taking down a smallish buck with a shot to the chest. She waited in the tree for fifteen minutes after firing. She knew too many eager hunters who went after an animal that was wounded and not dead and ended up chasing it all day until it finally collapsed. If she hadn't killed with the round, she wanted the blood loss to weaken it before she scared it into running.
About twenty yards from where she last saw the deer, she found a bright splash of blood. She peered into some brambles and saw the wounded animal. She fired a second shot into its skull. Piper grabbed it by the back legs and pulled it from the covering brush and dragged it in the direction of the clearing Jay had spoken of earlier.
Tying the rope around it front legs, she was able to hang it by the front hooves. Piper pulled out her long knife and cut the jugular vein. The heat of the animal's blood can spoil the meat if not removed quickly. She then made a cut from sternum to anus. She gently worked her fingers into the abdomen in order to tease out the intestinal sack. Once it was removed, she buried it and went back to the river to wash up.
Glancing up at the sun, she decided to eat her lunch before returning to the house. Making herself comfortable on the bank, Piper enjoyed the sandwich Jay had made for her. When she finished her meal, she placed everything back into her pack and strode back to the house.
She found Jay and Doris in the living room. They were seated as far apart as possible while still being in the same room. The silence was deafening and both of them looked up, grateful when Piper returned.
"You look like you got lucky."
Piper coughed to hide her sudden blush. "You might say that."
"What did you kill?" asked Doris.
"I got a buck." She shrugged. "It's only about a hundred pounds."
"Where is it?"
"I hung it where you told me to." Piper kicked off her shoes and hung her jacket up in the closet. "You two want to go with me and bring it back?"
"Sure."
<
br /> Doris shook her head, "Right now?"
"Yeah. There's plenty of daylight left and it's an easy hike."
"I don't know."
"I thought you didn't want to be left alone." Jay responded snidely. Her eyes followed Piper as she made herself comfortable. "I found some mushrooms today. I figure to grill them and we can have a mélange with tomatoes and onions."