Tom picked up the pencil Mac had set down between them. “Yes, that is a usable road for part of the year. Right now, the snow has it closed more than likely although I know the small ski area up there plows during heavy snowfall and during normal... normal times. Not now, I’m sure.” Tom kept looking toward Sarah and Merry wondered at his emphasis. He said, “I’ve hunted up there plenty. It’s beautiful wild country. After, May it’s like a city park as long as you don’t get lost. I suppose no one would come find you under these conditions... Yes, it’s very wild.”
Mac and Lenny were nodding. Lenny said, “The month of May sounds about right but how long can we hold on here. Things are definitely getting worse. Also, if we keep adding to our growing community, we’ll need to move elsewhere soon.” He rubbed his chin and looked to the other older men. His clean smile offset the lengthening russet tinged facial hair.
Merry was sure he hadn’t shaved since the day he walked into Mrs. Ortiz’s kitchen. She understood Lenny was speaking about the girl, Annette and her infant, Manuel who they brought in during the wee morning hours.
As of late, none of the women were going out on supply runs under the cover of night. In spite of the danger, Lenny, Junior and Mac continued to do so. That morning when Mac returned, signaling about 4am, he found Annette and child wrapped together in a sleeping bag under the trees.
She had started sobbing when Mac questioned her. It was a relatively warm night and the streets and arroyos were filled with people coming and going for various reasons. He had signaled already but Mac had to cover her mouth and carry both mother and son over the wall with great difficulty. Once inside, he handed them off to Mrs. Ortiz and Patsy who in turn awoke Sarah. Patsy returned to bed around daybreak taking Annette and baby Manny with her. The other two women had stayed up; Mrs. Ortiz preparing breakfast and Sarah doing loads of laundry which were hanging about the house and patio.
Mac nodded and looked about the table making eye contact with everyone. “It’s true we can easily over-extend ourselves in this place but trust me that would take twice who we have in here already... I know from experience. This remains as a country club.”
“Thanks to you,” interrupted Sarah. Mac and Sarah exchanged smiles as he acknowledged her words with a nod.
He said, “From what I have experienced and researched, yes... I have researched these things! There is approximately 30 to 45 days of intense social upheaval before life settles-down to a post event normalcy. We cannot make any moves away from here until after that time but we can plan.”
Junior wore a serious but uncomprehending look about his face. Merry saw that Tom and Lenny looked grim and Sarah appeared frightened, although Merry gave her credit for trying to assume a brave face. When she glanced at Mac, Merry saw his eyes rested on Sarah. There was concern and some other attribute that told Merry that perhaps, Pasty’s idea and their prayer spoken in the laundry room the week prior were having effect.
A tinge of regret crossed Merry’s mind but she refused to be bothered by it. Merry said, “Mac, you don’t think the normalcy will be enough to keep us here until say the military intervenes and sets the city aright again?” His eyes lingered on Sarah for another moment before he answered but as Merry followed his eyes over to Sarah, she saw Sarah looking at her. Merry decided that Sarah was perhaps hoping for the same thing - going back to what had been and yet, Sarah was practical too. Merry smiled encouragingly at her.
“I think Sarah has the correct understanding that we need to plan for the future. After all if we do not plan we will arrive at a destination that may not be what we really wanted after all. Or as you Christians like to fall back on, God has a plan so we need to find out what His goal is and humbly concede to it,” he said. His reasoning rang true in her ears as Merry listened. She looked back to Mac but his eyes had shifted to the map again.
“If Nurse Ratchet hadn’t opened her big mouth, I would have eventually told you of my plans to open up my ranch for a possible evacuation,” Tom said, raising his voice. Mac lifted his eyebrows, glaring at Tom who was seated adjacent to him. Tom stared back but lowered his eyes saying, “I’ve been talking about my beloved ranch almost from the day I entered this hell-hole so she knows all about it. Anyway, let’s set a tentative date and begin our planning.”
Everyone nodded but Merry. There was a slight something moving about her chest that told her she would not be evacuating to northern New Mexico. Merry wanted to live! She had no plans of moving to a commune in the wilds of the Rockies or wherever Tom’s ranch was located. Pushing away from the table, Merry’s chair screeched in protest across the kitchen floor. The group looked her way and she said sheepishly, “Excuse me.”
“Bring the coffee pot back with you,” Mac told her. She was positive he knew she was not planning on returning to the table. Sighing, she took her empty plate to the sink and went to get the pot warming on the stove; the generator on for the morning activities. Adding a heater to both Tom’s and Mac’s cups, Merry returned to the sink and began filling it with warm soapy water.
When she gathered the dishes from the table, Mac ordered her back. “Come sit down. Let someone else do that. We need you here,” he said.
“As you’ve seen people are getting desperate and others are taking advantage of the social breakdown. Here in this place, we are relatively calm. Forethought and planning has greatly helped us. Now keep in mind, if and when we make our move we must use the same simple formula - forethought followed by an executable plan,” Mac was saying as Merry returned to her chair. “Tom, I’m sure you know what kind of supplies your household keeps at your ranch. Assuming there are no fatalities or additions in the next four weeks to our group, which I think almost impossible - you must consider approximately 15 people in addition to those who might have already found refuge there. I am thinking of your manager and his family and perhaps, some of his relatives or your relatives.” Those at the table looked to Tom and his face showed amazement.
Tom sputtered, “Well, I’ll be d... I think you are right! My manager and his family have their own place on the property but my family...? Well, I’ll be!” He looked around and said, “As far as supplies go, we keep quite a lot on hand being so far from everything.”
“Good,” Mac said. “Now you need to get together a list of what you approximate is on hand, as you said... by way of essentials. Do an inventory. Sit down with Lenny and Sarah and figure what we’ll need to gather between now and mid May.” He looked at Sarah. “You need to decide what is medically necessary and then also, what isn’t.”
Mac drank from his cup and then eyed Lenny. “You and Junior will keep a lookout for the supplies that are designated for the trip besides the day-to-day things we will continue to gather for our present needs. In the end, if we have more people and the right vehicles we may be able to transport all of it.” He looked at Junior. “You got that?”
Merry wondered if she would be next to get an assignment being the only one at the table left not addressed by Mac. Instead, he turned back to Tom and asked him about mileage and gasoline needs for the trip.
The others started coming in, Tina and Luz with wet hair. Merry used their arrival as a diversion to get up and go to the kitchen. The skylight squeaked opened and Sylvia’s head popped through, “Eeeh, I thought I smelled breakfast. Someone send me up a plate.”
Tina made up a plate for her but Merry insisted on taking it up because of Tina’s damp head. Once up top, Merry didn’t want to go back down as it was a glorious day. The ski basin area was snow covered and clear and though the air remained very chilly, there was no breeze which promised a warm day maybe even in the high 50’s or 60’s.
“Give me your coat Sylvia. I’ll watch while you go downstairs to eat and have some coffee.” Merry urged her and Sylvia was more than happy to comply.
Merry did a circuit and then stopped on the patio side of the house looking south westerly. A column of dirty smoke arose and Merry was certain it was coming from the county jai
l or the nearby state penitentiary. She stood for just a moment before continuing her march but tears were forming and spilling over as she remembered the many people who either worked there or who were incarcerated at the jail. Praying, Merry wondered about Luz, Kelsey and Lyric - also the other woman that had been lost the night of the escape.
What would have become of them if they were still imprisoned?
When she came around again, she stopped and watched the billowing. Sylvia had probably seen it but did not make the connection. There had been so many fires and smoky columns around the city for the last few weeks that Sylvia almost certainly thought nothing of one more. Slowly Merry again circled the roof. There had been fires in this neighborhood too. Mrs. Ortiz’s shed was burned down but from the Hacienda roof, Merry could see her house and it appeared unharmed. She couldn’t see the halfway house completely but only the roof. Merry thought that place made mostly of cinder block and tile, wouldn’t burn easily.
Across the street the front door and been kicked down. The big garage doors were still intact and when last checked upon, the cars were fine. So far, none of the looters or squatters discovered the kitchen door leading into the garage. Merry had seen that the refrigerator was moved in front of the kitchen door weeks ago. Also, the eating space was rearranged to make the kitchen appear correct without an exit into the garage! It was simple. It was genius.
From the rear of the Hacienda, a barn on the adjoining property that had been lit on fire two nights ago continued to smolder. Lenny and Mac had come back with two chickens and a rooster at the onset of the fire. No one seemed to be at the house but Lenny told Merry that there had been someone there up until recently. The horses were gone, too. Merry wondered if they hadn’t ridden away but it seemed highly unlikely in the riotous and violent atmosphere that presently held sway over the area.
She paused to watch the jailhouse smoke. Continuing, she remembered that Mac said the violence would eventually recede and play itself out to a point. When it did, that was the time to reassess and if need be, make another move.
Sarah must have brought forth the idea of evacuating to Tom Biggs’ ranch this morning. No one mentioned the plan before, only Sarah when she was examining a map on her bed. Evacuating to the ranch sounded so far-fetched and permanent. Merry didn’t like the idea of going north but then she had found she didn’t enjoy staying crowded and enclosed as they presently were, either.
Growing up in southern Africa, Merry understood countries could go through massive upheaval and change but continue forward. The USA was her country but unlike people who actually grew up in the comforts and temporal securities of America, Merry assumed her nation was like any other in the fact that it too could undergo radical change but press on unwavering. And yet, the rich moral heritage of the nation had been passed down to each generation until now. Her parents, Vance and Toni Merriweather had raised her and her siblings focused on timeless securities. God and the liberty of religion in America allowed eternal treasures to be handed off to the previous generation and also to her as the next one. These ageless gems, orbited about the gospel found in scripture. The old Jewish writings and the newer translations from the Greek needed to be coveted and even protected from… from…
Her embryonic deliberations shifted as she rounded the roof again seeing the black explosive billows in the distance. Merry understood that something radically changed in her country. She and Patsy discussed that something a few times in the last weeks. Patsy said it was the beginning of judgment but Merry wasn’t so sure.
“Are the righteous judged with the wicked?” she had asked Patsy. Patsy’s reply made sense. She told Merry that God allows judgment to fall and He also knows how to take care of his own.
“There are times when the righteous are caught in a climate of judgment along with the wicked. Until the trumpet blows we are in a battle, Merry.” Patsy explained.
Several minutes later, Merry had come around again and while pausing above the patio to look at the clouds of smoke, she heard Sylvia open the skylight; returning to her post. Mesmerized by the scene, Merry removed Sylvia’s jacket, tossing it over her shoulder. “Come look,” she called.
Taking the coat from Merry, Mac draped it again over her shoulders and came alongside of her. “What is it?” he asked.
Startled, Merry paused to regain her composure. “It’s either the jail or the pen... or both, the penitentiary and the jail. They are right next to each other. It was less than a month ago that I was out there getting, Luz and the girls.” She shook her head. “I hope everyone else got out okay. The warden and his staff were really nice people too... They did their job well and took a sincere interest in the jailies.”
“Why did you do it, Merry? Why did you risk your life and travel so far? I had no idea until now that I see for myself,” he said with a tinge of anger in his voice. Before she could answer, Mac said condescendingly, “You know your mother asked me to come over and to personally care for you! I am supposed to watch over you like a little sister and you have done all these things to make me want to take the high road and head back without you!” He began to mutter in a foreign dialect.
Here we go again... thought Merry. She determined not to speak. She had prayed about snapping back at him or treating him rudely when he was overly salacious. After praying with Patsy in the laundry room she witnessed a significant change come over him. He seemed preoccupied and so he should be, she reasoned. Even at the table this morning, Merry was comforted by his inattention toward her.
Mac took her elbow and aimed her forward to circle the roof as he strode next to her. His legs were longer and so she walked fast to keep up with him. After several yards Merry decided to speak. She sighed and said, “Actually, Rifta the Bosnian was to come over to help me finish packing my mother’s things and to escort me to D’Almata. I am sincerely sorry that you got caught up in this... this fiasco. I’m sorry my mother put you in charge of me so to speak. I wish she would have remembered that I have traveled the world and I am an adult but then of course...” she was interrupted by an outburst from Mac. In response, two crows in a nearby Piñon tree flew away, startled.
“Rifta! Ha, ha! Now that is a good one. Rifta is an excellent soul, do not get me wrong but he is a Bosnian. Those guys are as tough as nails, I should know,” Mac said. Merry noticed his accent was thickening which meant passion was intermingled with his thoughts and words. His distinct idiosyncrasies were easily identifiable after knowing him a short time. He seemed so complicated but Merry was realizing Malak D’Almata was a simple man - handsome but simple. Tightening the jacket at her neck, she looked away as he spoke.
He continued. “Now, these Bosnians never get sick... Tough as nails but when they do - it’s not a pretty picture. Crushing to watch. He could not come. So your mother, she asks me to come over. Don’t be sorry, please. If I live through these times it will be a historic tale to relate to the grandchilds.” He was smiling but had slowed his pace.
“You are young, Merry. You are your mother’s child. She knows what is best for you... even when you are very old, like 21,” he said and then he laughed again at his apparent joke.
Merry didn’t smile. She said, “I am sorry for you but I am not sorry for us. God allowed my mother to send you so you could save us from all this... this nonsense. For that, I am very thankful and very grateful.” Merry was ready to change the subject.
She asked, “Hey, what happened to Sylvia? I sent her down to eat her breakfast and have some coffee.”
“Hmm? Oh, the watch? She came down and then that little mouse I brought in last night came into the kitchen and all the women gathered around her and her little peanut boy. The infant doesn’t look good, by the way,” Mac told her. “You should stop praying for my... what do you call it? My atonement as I’m sure it is in the cards as they say, and pray for that tiny man-child.” They had come around to the front of the house and without warning, Mac pulled Merry down to sit behind the wall.
“Ooh,
down,” he said as he dropped and took her with him. She let out a yelp but he had crawled away several feet to where the BB gun lay against the parapet next to one of three or four baseball bats that were kept on the roof at all times. He returned crawling to Merry.
“Should we have some fun? Look over there,” he pointed with his chin toward the two-story. Merry shifted to peek over the wall and she could see some movement inside the door. Squatters had spent the night and were moving about. There was no front door. The place was probably very cold.
“What? Of course, not!” Merry remembered his instructions about not using the gun without real provocation. She looked at him and he was grinning. The sun was shining warming the roof. The parapet wall was warm too, against her back. He set the gun down.
“No, I think I’ll wait until they try the garage door,” Mac said.
“Mac, what did you mean by your atonement... your salvation was in the cards? God is quite big enough to heal an infant and save your soul too. He isn’t going to use up all His power to touch a child and then say, ‘I got to take a break... Malak is a hard nut to crack and my energy is spent for this century. Wooo, that healing was a tough one. I got to take a break,’” Merry said seriously but smiling.
He laughed out loud again. His words were serious though. “I’ve heard that expression but for me it’s like that card game you have been playing with Tom and the others, Bridge. The partners give one another clues but the main player actually plays the dummy's hand. I am the dummy. Your God, He knows everything. He even knows my future. He knows that you or some other Christian will explain how wonderful He is and why I must know Him. At least, I would think someone will tell me,” he said looking at her hopefully.
Merry's Marauders (Book #2 ~ Scenic Route to Paradise, refreshed 2016 edition) Page 16