by Nikki Lewen
Anna finds pure enjoyment in the sound and finds her head keeping beat.
Sadie, smiling and lightly dancing, sings along, “Don’ worry…’bout’a thing. Cuz, every little thing…gonna be all right,” she takes Anna’s hand and circles her around, “Woke up this mornin’, smiled at the risin’ sun,” she leads her away and into the bathroom area, “Three little birds…besides my doorstep. Singing sweet songs…” She trails off from singing to show Anna the process for bathing. “Take as long as you want.”
She leaves the girl to her privacy and, right as Sadie begins to think she’s taking too long, Anna reappears. It’s obvious she’s been crying again, but at the moment, the youngster seems okay. Sadie motions for her to sit down, and slowly, she starts to brush the girl’s long beautiful hair. Anna remains quiet the entire time and only the light music drifts between them.
“There, that should do it,” Sadie says, setting down the brush and getting up to bring a box over to Anna. “I pulled out a few things I thought you might like. Some of the clothes might be a little big, but…you’ll grow into ’em. Go through it…try things on…keep whatever you want. I’m gonna rinse off…then, I’ll join you for a late-night snack before bed.”
Anna, trying her best to fight back the emotions battling within, can only nod a reply. When Sadie returns, she brings them each a hot cup of tea and another brownie. Noticing the empty box and the pile of items neatly stacked near the girl, Sadie smiles. The girls probably never owned anything new, and Sadie’s got more supplies than she’ll ever use. It makes her feel good to help Anna, but it’s more than that. For the first time, Sadie begins to realize, she’s a part of something much bigger than herself.
As the two finish their treat, Sadie turns off the music and gets Anna, who’s already nodding off, some bedding. “Are you okay sleepin’ here?”
“Yeah,” Anna says, looking forward to lying down.
The girl stands up, thinking she’ll help Sadie with the blankets, but instead, Sadie hands her the entire pile and opens up the futon.
“It turns into a bed!”
Sadie chuckles at the girl’s surprise. “Kiddo, there’s lot of things I’m gonna show ya. Remember, the world wasn’t always the way you’ve known it. But…for now…let’s get you to bed.” Kissing the top of the girl’s head, she wishes her goodnight.
Early the next day, Sadie’s up and working on a rather long to-do list that needs to be done before they continue their journey. As soon as Anna wakes, the music is back on. It starts with some swing, from the roaring twenties, and progresses through the decades. Sadie finds something representative of each era and gives Anna little tidbits of information along the way.
Most of the work, Sadie does alone, but she assigns small tasks, keeping Anna occupied and her interests piqued. Every time the girl finishes an assignment, she checks back with Sadie to get the next one. They continue this way throughout most of the day, taking small breaks only to change the music or to eat. As the day nears evening, Sadie heads out for a quick patrol and leaves Anna behind.
Musically, they’re wrapping up the fifties with a compilation CD, followed by two more from the sixties. The girl, now fully capable of using the stereo, sits nearby, flipping through a book Sadie left out for her. When the next song starts, Anna freezes. When it plays all the way through, she repeats it, again, and again, and again. She turns up the sound and doesn’t hear Sadie return. Anna, singing along as loud as she can, is surprised when Sadie enters the room.
Frozen mid-lyric, Anna turns the music back down. “Sorry,” she says, embarrassed, thinking Sadie will be upset. Instead, she’s surprised when Sadie turns it up and also starts singing along. The two sound terrible, but they don’t care.
“You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog, barking all the time…No, you never caught a rabbit and you ain’t no friend of mind.”
“How do you know this song?” Sadie asks, when it finishes.
“My mom used to sing it to my dad. Whenever he did something that bothered her…she’d call him a hound dog and…would start singing. I didn’t know it was a real song...” she pauses, deep in thought. “There were others. Maybe you have them, too!” Anna, excited about the possibility, turns to Sadie.
Realizing how important this is for Anna, Sadie grabs a notebook and pen. “Here, think about the songs they sang and write down what you can remember. Then, I’ll see if I have ’em.”
Anna takes the paper and stares at it. “I can’t think ’bout other songs with the music on. Is it okay to…turn it off?”
Sadie does so immediately. “No problem kiddo. I’ve got a few more things to finish up…you work on those songs…we’ll eat some dinner…and, then, see what we can find.”
As Sadie sets the table for dinner, Anna appears with notebook in hand. Sadie reads through the girl’s writing. It’s full of misspellings and the penmanship is terrible. Most of it is in English, but there’s some Spanish, as well as a mix of both languages. Making corrections and labeling what she recognizes, Sadie hands it back to Anna.
“While I finish our food, I’d like you re-write these.” She points out various lyrics, gives the girl more direction, and leaves her to the task.
After they eat, Sadie re-checks the girl’s writing. “This looks much better. Nice job!”
She makes a single correction, telling Anna why. “I know for sure I have some of these songs. The Spanish ones…I’m not too sure. I’m not as familiar with that part of my collection, but…we’ll check.”
She clears the table, this time letting Anna help and when they finish, Sadie reminds her they need to pack, suggesting they do so next to the sound system, so they can also look for Anna’s songs. They gather their backpacks and a pile of supplies they’ve been adding to all day. Dropping everything in front of the music collection, Sadie knows they’re in for some heavy travel.
There’s no way Anna can handle too large of a load, which means, Sadie will have to carry the bulk of it. While Anna organizes her things, Sadie heads off and returns with two different packs. She tosses one over to Anna and as the girl turns it over, Sadie speaks.
“We’ve got a lot to carry and we’re going to need more room. So…it’s yours…take care of it, and it’ll last a long time.”
Anna’s already seen, tasted, learned, and received more new things than ever before in her life. There’s no way she can ever repay the kindness or fully explain how much it means.
“Thank you. I can’t say it enough.” Anna feels her eyes beginning to water and wipes away an escaping tear.
Sadie teaches Anna a few techniques for properly fitting and packing her new bag. For the remaining part of the evening, they listen to songs while finishing their preparations. They manage getting everything to fit, briefly talk about the route they’ll take, and estimate how many days it’ll take to get to Clara’s. Anna’s curious to see the south coast and looks forward to meeting the old woman. Before closing her eyes for the night, Anna thinks about her parents and how much they’d love Sadie. She falls asleep, once again, on a tear-soaked pillow.
TWENTY-NINE
Jose and Caleb set a routine, and so far, it’s working wonderfully for both. The boy travels between the cave and Anna’s homestead, spending three days at the house and a day and a half at the cave. He patrols, manages the homestead, moves supplies, and gains confidence with each trip. He doesn’t mind being alone, and it’s peaceful knowing he’s no longer in the forced company of the Splitter Nation. He’s grateful for the change and for the first time, feels hope.
At the homestead, he brainstorms ways to guard the cove and house, keeping a small notebook with drawings and notations as his ideas mature. He monitors the property, keeps it maintained, and of course, there’s the boat he takes pride in keeping clean, functional, and organized. With the Splitters gone, he runs it more efficiently, and starting at the bridge, Jose systematically goes through every compartment and area, inventorying and relocating items. He keeps a list
of additional supplies and equipment that should be onboard and designs better ways to load and unload the vessel in a more secure and safe fashion.
Staying at Anna’s is a full-time job, keeping him busy from sunrise to sunset. Even after dark, he works by candlelight or reads for a few more hours before bed. Hiking between the two places provides Jose with time away from his continuous chores, allowing some of the best thinking and design breakthroughs to happen. With each trip, he attempts to make it faster, but carrying various loads slows him, as he transports items Sadie requested for the campground cache, as well as for the completion of the lookout, hidden up in the trees.
When overnighting at the Memorial Campground, Jose finds comfort sleeping up in the tree surrounded by the forest’s canopy. Its elevation provides a more secure feeling than the shelter below, and it’s enjoyable making the place more hospitable. Jose takes pride in his role and the assigned responsibilities, committing to finishing each task while striving to do them at the best of his abilities. Sadie’s and Anna’s trust means more than they know, and the seriousness of his responsibilities is a huge step towards his manhood. Even with an overachiever mentality and strict focus, Jose always looks forward to relaxing when visiting Caleb and finds the time spent at the cave just as valuable.
Caleb looks forward to the boy’s arrival, too. The company distracts him from the pain, loneliness, and the fact he’s still rather helpless and stuck. Caleb’s limitations keep them near the cave, but both men look forward to moving about and hunting together as soon as it’s possible. In the meantime, Caleb continues Jose’s shooting lessons.
The boy’s an avid learner, wanting to live up to the personal vow he made to protect Anna and her place. In order to do that, Jose wants to become a skilled marksman and hunter, while striving to one day become completely self-sufficient. As he improves, Caleb believes the youngster is ready for live ammo, but Jose still doesn’t want to waste it on practicing. He does, however, feel confident enough to keep the rifle loaded when out patrolling and hunting, but nothing worth shooting ever appears. So far, the only thing that does provide for them are his snares, which catch mostly small rodents and an occasional squirrel, allowing Jose to bring fresh meat when visiting Caleb.
When Caleb and Jose are together, the boy asks a myriad of never-ending questions. His quest for knowledge is insatiable and nonstop. He doesn’t speak much about himself or his past, but when Caleb makes an inquiry, Jose does answer. His responses are often short with minimal detail and the boy’s talented in steering things back to gaining information from Caleb. When they’re not talking together or working around the cave, Jose buries his nose in a book. The few kept on the cave shelves are a valuable resource, and he plans to read every word. As Jose reads now, Caleb interrupts, asking for help charging the hand crank.
“Thanks kid. That thing hurts like hell when I do it,” Caleb lamely offers.
They heat water and begin preparations for an evening meal. Tomorrow, Jose leaves again, and Caleb always feels like their time together goes too fast. He never looks forward to his days alone and if he was able-bodied, it’d be different, but until then, it’s dreadful. Caleb’s confined by his limitations and it’s driving him crazy.
“So, what’s new with the boat?” Caleb asks, knowing it’s a topic that’ll get Jose excited.
He smiles as the boy goes into detail about his latest rearrangements and the additional supplies he hopes to store. As Jose continues to list items, Caleb interrupts.
“How long of a list ya got?” he asks.
Jose, taking the question to heart, pulls out his notebook, flips to the correct page, and hands it over to Caleb, who whistles softly. He looks from the list to Jose and sees the seriousness in the boy’s eyes.
“It’s extensive,” Caleb comments, handing it back.
“I’m sure there’s a few more things I haven’t thought of, but…I think I got most of it,” Jose replies, scanning the items. His body language shifts and his shoulders slump. “I’m not sure if I’ll ever get my hands on all of it.” He looks unusually defeated and grows quiets.
Caleb, hoping to return the boy’s good cheer, ruffles Jose’s hair and jokes, “Come on, kid…who has their own ship? And…at your age? One of these days, when I’m able…you’re gonna take me out on it.”
Caleb’s comments do the trick, and the boy’s excitement returns. Jose speaks about what it’ll take and how they’ll have to manipulate the tides just to maneuver the boat out to open water. Caleb smiles, knowing it’s what the kid needs. Sitting beside the boy, he can’t fathom growing up the way Jose has. From the little bit Caleb’s gathered, along with what Sadie’s mentioned, he knows Jose’s life hasn’t been pleasant.
Early the following day, Jose leaves for a morning patrol and a quick hunt before beginning the journey back to Anna’s homestead. He keeps trying Sadie’s deer stand, but once again, there’s no luck. Climbing down, he heads to the mushroom patch where he can at least gather some food and refill his water. Since learning about this place, Jose always returns to the cave with one to two gallons, making sure they don’t deplete the water stored there.
Crouching on one knee while filling his second container, he’s alerted by a sudden thrashing noise that causes his heart to jump. It’s coming straight toward him—and fast. Jose gets to a defendable position, tracking the growing commotion and taking aim. A small doe bursts into view, bounding down the hillside, and leaps almost directly over Jose’s head, startling him. It’s running too fast and just as he aims, prepared to shoot, another blur of movement distracts him.
Flinching, he fires, causing a mountain lion to bolt off in the opposite direction, scaring them both. Jose’s adrenaline is pumping, and he can’t believe what’s just happened. He reloads and holds his position until all the noise completely fades away. After waiting longer than necessary, he allows his pulse to fully recover, and then returns to filling the containers. Even though common sense dictates that both animals are long gone, he keeps checking around anyways.
Over and over, Jose reviews the sequence of events, contemplating his every mistake. He simply didn’t pay attention to the details and missed every sign. The deer’s panicked route and total disregard for its own safety should have been enough to warn him. Then, clearly evident, was the fear in the poor animal’s eyes. Even worse, he failed to realize something was in pursuit because the first target, which was completely missed and a waste of a bullet, held his full focus. Thinking positively, he realizes that, at least, he succeeded in firing the rifle, getting a true feeling for the weapon, and he scared off a mountain lion.
Caleb, back at the cave, slowly moves about the tiny space wondering how much later it’ll be before Jose returns. Feeling that he can manage the pain, and needing fresh air, Caleb goes out. Leaving is a slow process, but standing in the morning air leaves him feeling invigorated and even a little cheerful. He’s been actively focusing on his body’s healing process, and each time Caleb makes it outside, he walks parallel with and between the logs, retracing the short distance over and over. It’s the only exercise possible for him and he views it as rehab, yearning for the day he’ll be able to leave the confines for real walks.
Several minutes into his workout, he hears a loud and clearly audible gun shot. Straining to listen and hearing no more shots, Caleb crawls back into the cave, retrieves his rifle, and returns outside, pissed at himself for not bringing it in the first place. Back on his feet and gasping from the effort, Caleb’s pain worsens. He curses, trying to control his breathing and the throbbing pain. After a few focused inhalations and exhalations, Caleb checks the rifle and realizes he left the rest of the ammo inside.
“Damn it!” he exclaims.
He debates going back to get extra rounds, but really, Caleb doesn’t want to go through the entire crawling ordeal again, and logic indicates, the shot had to be made by Jose. The kid must have finally fired his first round, and hopefully, he found success on his hunt. However, i
nstead of smiling with the good thought, Caleb worries. An irrational amount of fear sets in, gaining momentum with each passing minute. “What if Jose wasn’t the shooter, but the target?” he thinks. “He could be hurt…or…dead. What if…it’s more Splitters? What if they’ve captured him?”
Beginning to sweat, Caleb’s anxiety builds. Not knowing is brutally worrisome, and his arms grow heavy from continually holding the rifle aimed above the log. A faint noise draws his attention and when he hears something again, it’s closer and definitely coming from the opposite direction of the shot he heard. Clenching his teeth, Caleb fights back his fearful thoughts.
Suddenly, Jose appears, scrambling over the first log and is surprised to find Caleb holding the rifle. Shaking slightly, Caleb quickly lowers his gun, relaxes, and takes a deep breath. For the first time, he gets a sense of the concern parents feel over their children. He’s so relieved; he can’t refrain from hugging the kid. Jose, realizing the cause of Caleb’s reaction, doesn’t hesitate and goes right into telling his story. The boy shares every detail, talking excitedly and leaving nothing out. As the boy wraps up his tale, Caleb wants more.
“How come…you returned from that way?” Caleb nods towards the direction Jose arrived from.
Jose’s a little confused. He expected some type of excitement or at least questions about the mountain lion, the deer, or the shot he finally fired.
Answering quickly, Jose responds, “I looped around…to complete the patrol.”
“So, even with the importance of communicating back to me…you still hiked the long way around?” Caleb asks, trying to figure out the kid’s thought process.
Jose, unsure of where the line of questioning is going, simply responds honestly.
“Yeah.”