by Lee West
No response came from the empty home. Brett took her hand. “We sort of knew their being here would be a long shot.”
“I know. I guess some part of me held out hope that our little corner of the world would have been left alone.”
Nothing in the house seemed unusual or different from when they left. She decided to check her mom’s in-law suite.
“Will you come with me to check on Mom’s apartment? I’m not sure I want to go alone. Who knows what I’ll find.”
“Of course.”
They left the main house and walked toward the in-law suite. The entrance was just off the garage. Nancy almost couldn’t face opening the door to the apartment. Concerns that either Rudy or her mom would be dead inside paralyzed her.
“Why don’t you let me go in first?” said Brett.
At that moment, she loved him more than she thought possible. She nodded in agreement and let go of his hand. He disappeared inside the small apartment. A moment later, he emerged and said, “No one’s home.”
“I don’t know if I should be relieved or sad.”
“Both, I guess. Come on. Let’s get our guests settled,” said Brett.
The others had waited in the yard, giving them privacy while they checked the house.
“Come on, you guys! I’ll give you a tour,” said Brett.
“Sounds great! Your house is really beautiful. I love the location!” said Meg as she passed Brett.
“We do too. It’s not far away from the university, yet feels like we’re out in the middle of nowhere,” he said.
Nancy stood on the porch and allowed the others to stream past her. She needed a moment to collect herself after finding the home empty.
Before passing, Mike stopped and said to Nancy, “I’m sorry. Even though we knew they probably wouldn’t be here, I know how disappointed you must be.”
“Thanks. I appreciate you saying that. I’m also sorry about your family. But don’t worry, we’ll figure this thing out. They have to be somewhere. Eventually, we’ll be reunited.”
“I know we will,” said Mike with a sad smile.
While Brett gave them a tour, Nancy busied herself by gathering as many candles, flashlights and camp lanterns as she could find. Night came quickly at this time of year and she wanted to be ready for it. She also pulled out the camp stoves from the garage and set them up on the large covered deck. She was determined to make hot food for dinner. Since fleeing the cruise ship, they’d eaten nothing but cold snack items. Tonight would be different. The thought of a hot meal calmed her despite her circumstances.
— 26 —
At Nancy’s insistence, Joe and Meg occupied the in-law suite, far away from the others. Joe figured that Nancy and Brett knew they needed privacy, something that had been in short supply since they left the cruise. Tonight, he would be able to sleep next to Meg in a comfortable bed, as though nothing had changed. It wouldn’t be that easy, of course. First, he had to let go of the creepiness he felt at staying in an elderly woman’s apartment. Something about the décor combined with the stale air left Joe feeling queasy. Still, he had to admit that the apartment was a vast improvement from where they’d slept the previous nights.
Meg tossed her backpack on the floor in the corner of the bedroom and said, “My feet are killing me. I wish I’d thought to bring a pair of flip-flops. These sneakers feel like they weigh thirty pounds, and they’re constricting my already swollen feet.”
“Maybe Nancy has something she can let you borrow?” said Joe. “Or you can walk around in socks for a while. Give your feet a break.”
“I’ll ask. I told them I would rest for, like, thirty minutes and then head over to help with dinner. Why don’t you lie down with me for a few minutes? You look exhausted.”
He admired her beauty as he approached. The long days on the road had had no effect on her naturally good looks.
“If I weren’t so tired, I would have another idea of how to spend our free time,” he said, kissing her.
They kissed and held one another for a few minutes before Meg dozed off. The soft sounds of her breath became deep and rhythmic, giving Joe a sense of calm he hadn’t experienced since the cruise ship started rolling. Just as he started to sink into slumber, a loud knock at the door disturbed him.
“Can I get you to give me a hand with the well pump?” asked Frank.
“Sure thing. I’ll just grab my shoes. Give me one second.”
The two walked toward the side of the yard to the well.
“What do we need to do with the well?” asked Joe.
“The pump isn’t working because it runs on electricity. So we thought I could set up a hand pump. It’ll enable us to draw water manually,” said Frank.
“Is it a deep well? A hand pump won’t work on a deep one because of the distance required to pull the water up and out.”
“Nope. Brett said it’s fairly shallow.”
Brett waited for them at the well. A thick round cement cover secured the top of the hole from the outside. Four metal rings were drilled into the cement for ease of lifting the heavy cover.
“Sorry to wake you guys! We just need a hand getting the cover off. It weighs a ton. Way too much for the two of us,” said Brett.
“No worries at all. I’m happy to help,” said Joe.
Frank had threaded rope through the metal rings. Then he tied sturdy knots in the top of each rope for use as a handle for lifting the cover.
“Alright, let’s give this a go!” said Brett.
Together they heaved the lid up and to the side slightly. From there, Frank was able to shimmy the cover onto the grass, exposing the well’s insides.
“I plan to just leave the electric pump inside and use this hand pump to get water. They can share the same well casing,” he said to Joe.
“How deep is the water table?” asked Joe.
“Last time I measured it, the table sat at thirteen feet from the surface. I was very relieved to figure that out. Years ago we had a bad ice storm that cut our power. Sitting in a home without running water gets old, especially when the house is literally sitting on top of a huge supply. It was after that storm that I purchased this inexpensive hand pump. We just never installed it. Once the lights came back on, the emergency passed and so did my urgency to make any changes to the system.”
“Installing a hand pump is a real easy job. We’ll get it done in no time,” said Frank as he unwrapped the unused pump from its packaging.
“How did you know where the water table is?” asked Joe.
“Simple. I just tied a little stick onto the end of a rope. I dropped the stick into the well, lowering it until the rope went slack and the stick floated. Then I measured the rope. Not very scientific but it gave me a rough idea of the distance to the water table so I could purchase the correct hand pump.”
“I’ll need something to place the pump on. A picnic table or bench, anything that’s firm. We’ll want to cover the well opening with the table. It’s the best I can do without a hole saw to cut through the cement well cover. It’s not a permanent solution, but it’ll work for us to pump in the short term,” said Frank.
“I’ll grab a bench from the garden.”
Frank threaded the drop pipe into the well and then attached the plastic adaptor to it. Next he affixed the new shallow-draw hand pipe to the unit.
“Where do you want it?” asked Brett, holding a wooden garden bench.
“Perfect timing. Just place it over the opening.”
Frank secured the pump to the bench and then said, “Let’s see if it works!”
He pumped and pumped the handle. At first nothing happened. Then he seemed to be working the handle harder with each draw. Finally, water rushed out of the pump’s mouth in a steady stream.
“Whoa! That’s great! I’ll grab some buckets!” said Brett.
“I’ll give you a hand with those!” said Joe excitedly.
Brett shined his flashlight into the gloomy interior of the garage. The la
rge garage had room for at least four vehicles. Instead, Brett and Nancy packed it with more junk than Joe thought anyone could ever own. Several lawn mowers sat in the corner alongside weed whackers, gas cans and three large generators.
“Why not just hook up one of the generators to the well? We could power the house and well with those gigantic generators!”
Brett stopped and looked at him sheepishly. “None of those work. Years back I decided we needed a generator in case we lost power again. I bought one used and then needed the other two for parts. My hope was to repair at least one of them. Then life got in the way of my good intentions, and here they sit, forgotten by everyone except Nancy. You know, I periodically hear how much nicer things would be if we got one of these working,” said Brett with an eye roll.
They assembled an assortment of empty vessels that could be used as water containers, including two large steel tubs. Looking at the tubs, Joe said, “If those are filled, we won’t be able to lift them.”
“I know. I thought we could fill them up and leave them next to the well. The standing water could be used to flush the toilets. That way we don’t have to pump each time we need water for the task.”
“Good thinking. The rest of these we can bring into the house for washing and cooking.”
They loaded the containers into the tubs and walked the pile outside to Frank.
Looking at them, Frank said, “Nice! We’ll be able to bring a lot of water into the house.”
Frank looked fresh from washing while he waited for Joe and Brett to return. Joe could hardly wait for his turn to wash. Days of grime and sweat made him feel sticky all over.
They took turns at the pump, heaving it up and down. As the containers were filled, they then took turns bringing them inside.
“Let’s use this for cooking,” said Brett, holding up a red bucket. “It’s new. Part of a scrub-the-lawn-chair project that I never got around to.”
“Sounds like you have a lot of untouched projects in that garage,” said Joe, laughing.
“Story of my life. I’d like to be a handy sort of repair-it-yourself kind of guy, but things always seem to interfere with my best intentions.”
“I know the feeling. It’s one of the reasons Meg and I are still in an apartment. The thought of having to maintain a house is a little overwhelming.”
When they finished filling and distributing the containers, Joe bent his head under the spout of the pump. The cold water ran over his head in a steady chilling stream. Joe didn’t care that the water was ice cold. The experience was sublime. After the last few pumps, he brought a pail of water to Meg.
She was still sleeping soundly in the same position as when he left. He kissed her gently on the mouth, causing her to stir.
When she rose from sleep, Joe said, “I have a present for you.”
“A steak dinner with all the trimmings?” she said groggily.
“Better. Fresh water for you to use in the bathroom.”
Her eyes shot open. “Really? I can finally wash and flush the toilet?”
“Yes, ma’am! I aim to please.”
She jumped out of bed excitedly, running to the small bathroom and shutting the door. Moments later she emerged with wet hair and a broad smile. “I never thought washing from a bucket of cold water would be so nice.”
She leaned in and kissed him softly. “Thank you. I’m going to help Nancy prepare dinner. I’m not sure what they have, and actually don’t care as long as it’s warm.”
“I’ll come too. Being in grandma’s apartment alone isn’t something I want to experience.”
They held hands as they walked around the side of the house to the back porch. Nancy had set out several camp stoves on tables on the deck. Fresh vegetables from the garden were cut and ready to be cooked. A pot of something sat simmering on one of the burners. It smelled like Spanish rice—one of Joe’s favorites.
— 27 —
Nancy buzzed around the kitchen, getting everything ready for dinner. She decided they should use the plastic outdoor dishes instead of paper plates. Even though she didn’t want to wash the items when finished, she also didn’t want to create unnecessary garbage. If the grid had been permanently disabled, services like waste removal would be last to return to normal.
She stepped out onto the porch carrying the dishes and cutlery. Turning to Meg, she said, “Why don’t you set the table. I think everything is done cooking. We should be ready in a few minutes.”
“Sounds great. It smells amazing, by the way.”
“Thanks, I did the best I could, cooking on these little burners.”
Cooking on camp stoves presented a unique challenge to her culinary skills. Either the stove would run too high, singeing their food, or too low, undercooking everything. Testing the rice and veggies one more time, she took pride in what she had created. Tonight’s dinner had come out perfectly cooked and tasted delicious. Not bad given the conditions.
“Just in time,” she said to Brett as he walked up the steps. “Can you tell everyone we’re ready for dinner?”
“Sure thing. I can hardly wait to eat.”
After the initial excitement of sitting down to a proper hot meal, the group ate mostly in silence. Nancy considered silence at the table a sure sign of a meal well prepared.
A few moments later, Mike was the first one to speak. “What do you guys want to do next?”
“What do you mean?” asked Brett.
“I need to go out looking for my family. I appreciate your hospitality, but I can’t sit here indefinitely.”
“We don’t even know where to look for them. I say we try to get more information before we head anywhere,” said Meg.
“I agree. Besides, we also don’t know what’s around us,” said Nancy.
“You don’t think we’re safe here?” said Mike.
“Well, we saw the caravan racing in this general direction. For all we know, we’re surrounded by troops. If we walked out of here now, we could potentially walk into a problem,” she said.
“I agree. However, we aren’t going to figure out which direction is safe to travel in by just sitting here. Besides, every day that passes is just another day for them to be held. For all I know, they’re being taken even farther away.”
“I agree, but we need a game plan. We can’t just walk out of here hoping for the best,” said Frank.
“Maybe we don’t have to walk out of here at all,” said Brett.
“What do you mean?” asked Nancy.
“We have bikes. We could use those to investigate the area. It would be way faster than walking, but still quiet enough to hear if someone is coming.”
“That’s a great idea. We could also cover more distance,” said Mike.
“Do you still have your mountain bike?” said Nancy, turning to Brett.
“I do. In total we have three bikes. They won’t carry all of us, but we could send out a team to look around.”
“I’ll be part of the first team,” said Mike.
“I’ll go with you,” said Frank.
“Me too. It’ll feel good to look around. Like you said, we could be surrounded and not even know it,” said Joe.
“Yes. That’s why I don’t want to light a fire outside. I’d love to boil water for bathing or just sit around a campfire, but we could give away our position with the smoke. Once we’ve verified that there’s some distance between us and them, we can fire it up,” said Nancy.
“Good thinking. So it’s settled. We’ll head out first thing tomorrow,” said Frank.
“We might need to add air to the bike tires. They’ve been hanging in the garage for a while,” said Brett.
“We went through a biking phase a while back. It didn’t last too long,” said Nancy.
“No worries. I’ll give each bike a quick tuning before we head out. Do you have tools I could use to make any needed adjustments?” said Frank.
“I think he has just about every tool imaginable in that garage. Most of them still
in their original packaging,” said Nancy, eliciting a laugh from the group.
After dinner, Nancy and Brett settled into bed for the night. Nestling in close to Brett, she said, “What do you think about them heading out?”
“Seems fine to me. Why do you ask?”
“Despite lending my support to the idea, I feel a little conflicted about it. On the one hand, I’d like to know what’s happening around us. On the other hand, if they get caught, I’d like to remain safe. Last thing I want to do is unnecessarily risk our homestead. They could inadvertently lead the feds right to us.”
“I hear what you’re saying, but I think the potential for them getting caught is worth the risk. We also need to figure out where everyone went so we can find your mom and Rudy. Besides, if they’re caught, I’m sure the last thing they’d do is send danger our way.”
“You’re right. Of course they wouldn’t. I’m just worrying for nothing.”
She pulled the light blanket up toward her face and closed her eyes. Sleeping in her own bed felt better than she imagined. A few moments later, her body succumbed to the heavy pull of sleep.
— 28 —
Frank woke long before the others. Long before the sun peeked over the trees surrounding the property. The Navy lifestyle had taught him the importance of getting up early. Every morning since leaving the Navy, he continued the productive habit. He decided to inspect the bikes while he waited for the others to rise.
Entering the dark garage, he waited for his eyes to adjust. Finally, once Frank felt comfortable navigating the gloom, he walked through the garage and manually heaved the heavy rolling garage door open. Early morning light filled the space, illuminating the contents of the vast garage. At first he couldn’t see the bikes through the clutter. Then he recalled Brett saying he would have to get the bikes down. Turning his gaze toward the ceiling of the garage, he finally spotted the three bikes hanging from hooks.
Pulling the bikes down and hauling them through the dense clutter proved to be more of a challenge than he originally anticipated. Although he didn’t feel comfortable moving Nancy and Brett’s property without their permission, he thought they probably wouldn’t mind if he nudged things out of the way—just a little. Or a lot. He couldn’t imagine them noticing any change to this mess.