by Nikki Lewen
THIRTY-TWO
Before he knows it, Caleb’s alone—again. Making it worse, Jose won’t be returning as usual. Instead, he’ll stay at the homestead—helping Sadie for weeks—while all Caleb will be doing is lying flat on his back, since, once again, pain immobilizes him. His ribs are definitely worse, and spasms continue twitching across his muscles, but even with the setback, he’s still happy about getting out. Walking did wonders for his morale, making recovery seem within reach, and it provided him an opportunity to apologize to Sadie. Even though there wasn’t any response from her, he hopes she’s forgiven him.
As Caleb drifts into his third nap of the day, Sadie and Jose are working away at the Memorial Camp’s overlook up in the trees. Having an extra set of hands to maneuver materials or simply hold things in place is something both of them greatly appreciate. As a duo, they’re getting an incredible amount accomplished, working efficiently as a team, and Sadie assigns Jose additional tasks, adding to his responsibilities. The young man’s maturing in front of her eyes and Sadie finds comfort in his dependability.
With the work done for the evening, the two eat a small meal and turn in early. Before falling asleep, Sadie makes sure to praise all Jose’s efforts. There were only a few minor changes required in the hideout, and a couple of his modifications were pleasantly surprising. Jose’s ingenuity is quite remarkable, and Sadie looks forward to arriving at the homestead to see what else he’s accomplished.
By midday, they return to Anna’s, make a quick patrol, and then immediately head to the decrepit shed so Sadie can see the fuel tanker. Outside, Jose points out the symmetry of the hillside and the sheds external features. Opening the door, they enter, and Sadie gets the complete picture of what Jose’s explained. From inside, the structure’s appearance is very different from the exterior. It’s sturdy and well designed, but its hard to notice because it’s crammed so full of junk.
Jose removes a couple of items and the barrels, showing Sadie how they block access to the rear wall, then, he opens the hidden compartment and steps aside. Scanning the visible portion confirms what Jose believes—an entire fuel tanker has been buried. Sadie knocks on the end of the metallic tube and closely examines the edges where the shed’s structure butts against it. Thick white sheets of plastic appear to cover the entire trailer. Sadie hasn’t spoken since they entered the shed and rubbing the material between her thumb and first two fingers, she turns to the boy.
“You’re definitely right. This…” she nods at the plastic, “probably covers the entire thing. I think,” she examines it again, “it’s…the same material they used on the berry fields. It was used as ground cover for strawberries…and, for the plastic canopies over the raspberry and blackberry crops.”
Sadie clearly sees the images from long ago but knows Jose doesn’t have any concept of what’s being described. Berry fields and apple orchards once surrounded these mountains, but now they’re submerged under the ocean and when she makes eye contact again, it signals Jose and his questions begin. Answering him, she explains the different types of berries, their tastes, and even the annual strawberry festival she loved as a kid. When she talks about strawberry shortcake, Jose’s eyes widen, and he can’t fathom whipped cream—it sounds purely imaginary.
Eventually, his questions slow, then, finally stop, and they exit the shed. Standing outside, Sadie climbs the hillside covering the tanker and examining the area, she believes only a few feet of dirt cover it. They walk towards the shed’s roofline, checking its exterior edges where it sits just above the ground. From the roof, Sadie walks the length of the hill taking large, exaggerated steps while counting as she goes. Reaching a depression in the mound, she stops.
“About forty-eight feet.” She whistles, “That’s a lotta gas!”
Climbing down at the low spot peaks Sadie’s curiosity. It stretches several feet before recovering to its original height into a second, much smaller mound that blends into the slope encompassing this section of the property. Wondering what caused the depression, Sadie thinks of possibilities, but is interrupted by hearing Jose’s stomach grumble, making her realize she’s hungry too.
“Alright, kiddo, let’s head in and make some lunch,” she suggests.
While eating, Sadie reviews what needs to be done, but her mind keeps returning to the gas tanker and the depression in the hillside. When they finish, she tells Jose to grab a couple of shovels and they spend the next few hours digging into the side of the slope. It’s hard manual labor and exhausting. As their hole grows, Sadie keeps them digging deeper and deeper into the depression’s area. Jose’s tired and begins to think Sadie’s theory is wrong, when suddenly, his shovel unearths pieces of plastic.
The material matches what they found inside and the two of them drop to their knees, using their hands, until discovering a long length of metal underneath it. When a large enough section is exposed, they’re able to pull away the plastic, revealing an old rusted hitch that appears to continue into the second mound. Jose looks at Sadie. He’s filthy, sweaty, and breathing hard.
“I think your right!” he says, high fiving Sadie.
The celebratory atmosphere changes when Sadie points out how much dirt they’ll have to move in order to access the second buried trailer. There’s not enough daylight left to complete the task and neither has enough energy to continue. Before wrapping up for the evening, Sadie scrambles up the slope of their dig site and sits. Wondering about easier access designs, she climbs to where the steeper slope starts and rests on a rock. Scuffing her feet side-to-side, she clears away some of the forest debris that’s accumulated over the years. While leveling the area with one last foot sweep, her shoe catches on a metal edge. The more dirt she kicks away, the longer the exposed metal piece becomes.
“Jose, climb up here…and bring the shovels.”
The boy, curious as to what she’s found, grabs the tools, but he’s not overly happy about needing them again. He lifts a shovel to Sadie, and she works from one knee. Standing at her side, Jose sees the outline of what Sadie’s uncovering and joins in the effort. At least it’s a minimal amount of earth that needs moved and the two get it done easily. Brushing away the remaining dirt and looking for ways to open the metal latch they’ve just unearthed, they find a small notch big enough to squeeze a single finger into it. Sadie sends Jose to retrieve a crowbar, and he scurries down, jogs to get it, and returns quickly. Wedging in the tool’s metal tip, Sadie pries up the lid, uncovering a concrete block shaft that has a ladder descending into its depths.
“Sorry…but…we’re also gonna need a light,” she says, turning to Jose.
“I thought so,” he says, reaching into a pocket for the small flashlight he also thought to retrieve.
Sadie smiles in response, shines the light downward, and goes first. Once she reaches the bottom, she calls for him to follow. There’s barely enough room for the two of them to stand there, but Jose holds the light so Sadie’s hands are free to inspect a small opening where a nozzle and hose protrude from the second tanker. Only a partial section of the smaller tank is visible, but when Sadie knocks on it, it also sounds full. It’ll be a little more difficult to carry the fuel out from this location, but both are excited by the find. Halfway back up the ladder, Sadie stops and returns below. Using the light to scan the entire length of the shaft, she finds an opening near the bottom. Getting down on all fours, she peers into the hole and discovers it’s a tunnel containing another length of hose.
Using the connector at its end, Sadie attaches the two hoses and climbs up. Staying on the top rung, she tells Jose what she’s discovered, and sends him down the slope with a shovel. Directing him from her position, in line with the shaft, she has Jose dig around the base of the mound. Uncovering what’s below doesn’t require much effort, and almost immediately he uncovers a single cinder block. Removing it exposes the opening of the tunnel and the hose’s other end.
“Well…that’s handy,” Sadie says. “And easy…too bad we didn�
�t figure it out sooner,” she says, looking back at the all the earth they moved which, now, needs to be returned.
Even though it’s getting late and she’s tired, Sadie starts shoveling dirt. She’d rather get it done tonight then start the day with it tomorrow. Jose’s not thrilled, but he joins her. Seeing how exhausted the kid is, Sadie takes his shovel.
“Jose…I’ll finish. You head inside and shower…there should be plenty of water.”
He’s grateful to hear her words and even more thankful for the gravity-fed spring that supplies the house. Without regular use, the amount of stored water on the homestead has increased dramatically, and he can’t wait to use some. He knows he stinks and as the boy begins to leave, Sadie calls to him.
“After you shower, make us food. I’ll eat when I get in,” she says, barely pausing in her work.
Sadie works efficiently, tossing dirt to rebuild the mound. She finishes just as it gets too dark to see, and heading back to the house, she finds Jose passed out on the couch. She wanted to review tomorrow’s agenda with him, but he looks too peaceful to disturb, so instead, she lets him sleep, eats what he prepared, then showers and goes to bed. When they awake, it’s to the start of a routine that continues for days.
They’re busy from sunup to sundown and each day finishes with them looking forward to sleep and feeling like they’ve accomplished a great deal. Mornings always begin with a patrol and hunt that takes them towards Clara’s. They’ve yet to find passage to her property, but both Sadie and Jose are determined. They eat on the return and then spend a few hours working at the cove, constructing two small bunkers on each side of the inlets mouth to protect the tiny harbor.
From the bunkers, they head to the boat, where they battle with trying to move empty steel drums out of the hold and onto shore. Jose’s system for off-loading materials, although greatly improved, still needs work, and the two struggle getting the empty containers onto land. Developing a better method for loading supplies on and off the watercraft is a prominent feature in their conversations and a growing priority. When Sadie gets the chance to speak with Anna about the gas they’ve discovered, she wants everything in place for refueling the boat, so it can be kept fully operational, ready to evacuate, rescue, or search, at any moment’s notice.
In the remaining part of the afternoons, they work around the buried tanker. Sadie organizes the shed, finding out what resources it contains and tries to figure out a way to filter gas. It’s been stored for a long time, and she’s concerned about sediment ruining the homestead’s gas-powered equipment along with the boat’s engine. While she works on her task, Jose dives into his with enjoyment. He’s attempting to get the tractor running and finishes each day with grease up to elbows, smudges covering his features, and a huge grin on his face.
A week and a half into their regimen, both are making considerable progress. The shed is cleaned and organized, yet arranged in a way that will easily disguise the entrance to the hidden tanker, and Sadie’s ready to test her third and hopefully, final filtering technique. Finding success, she carefully transfers the fuel into a large gas can and gives it to Jose. When he manages to pry the gas lid off the tractor, he pours the fuel in and tries firing up the engine. When it doesn’t start, he makes adjustments and systematically rechecks everything. He tries over, and over, and over again. Jose, sitting on the tractor’s seat, is hesitant to turn the ignition key. If it doesn’t work this time, he’s out of options. He takes a deep breath and tries it.
“Come on…come on…come on!” the boy encourages.
It starts and between the noise of the running engine and the shouts of joy from the boy, Sadie comes running. It’s an exuberant feeling to hear it working, and Sadie hurries to congratulate him.
“Nice job, kiddo! Let’s see if it’ll move,” she squeals, equally excited.
Between Sadie and Jose, they figure out how to raise and lower the bucket, then, feeling a bit more confident, they decide to drive it. It lurches forward, grinding gears, and they quickly run out of room and have to stop. Figuring out reverse is a little more challenging, but they manage to do so, and get the tractor clear of everything. Turning off the engine and then immediately starting it again, Jose smiles.
“I just wanted to make sure,” he says, answering Sadie’s questioning look.
With the tractor parked, the two head inside, declaring their work done for the day. Over dinner, Sadie suggests celebrating by taking the next day off. Instead of toiling away, they can practice driving and maneuvering the tractor. Jose immediately agrees, excited for the change. When they finish their meal, Sadie and Jose talk at length about what they can do with the newly functional equipment. Sadie has several ideas but lets Jose talk first. He’d like to cut a road to the boat and dig out a section of the cliff for easier access. Sketching a few ideas, he diagrams a plan.
Sadie, on the other hand, suggests re-doing the old logging road, since it’s already a part of the homestead and is in dire need of maintenance. Along its route, they can gather the downed redwoods for future use and make the roadway easily drivable for the quad.
Jose’s eyes light up. “I could drive supplies! I wouldn’t have to carry ’em!”
“Exactly,” Sadie grins with her reply, “we’ll start practicing there. It’s level and safer. If we make mistakes, we won’t ruin anything.”
The talk continues and the two become giddy, creating more and more outrageous feats for the tractor and uses for all the wood they’ll gather. As their energy settles back down, Sadie switches topics, asking Jose about his growing list of supplies for the Intrepid II. She looks it over, makes a copy for herself while doing so, and let’s Jose know which items she can contribute. The next morning, Sadie and Jose, both carrying daypacks and hunting gear, meet on the trail between the house and the boat.
“I knew you wouldn’t sleep in,” he says, looking at Sadie and shaking his head.
“Well…I was comin’ to check with you. How ’bout…we mess with the tractor later this afternoon?” Sadie asks.
He knows there’s more coming, and waits.
“I was thinkin’…after a patrol, I’d hike a little further. Maybe…half a day…or so.”
Jose, still shaking his head, figured as much, but asks anyways. “Like…maybe towards Clara’s?”
“Yep.” Sadie responds casually.
“Alright…I’ll join ya.” The boy says, slinging his rifle over a shoulder.
The patrol goes as always, uneventfully, with everything in order. Afterwards, they set a course and Sadie leads. On every trip, she’s studied the landscape, recorded its details, and there’s only a couple of options left to explore. Jose and Sadie hike steep terrain, and at times, it’s dangerous. They’ve gotten stuck on prior hikes and been forced to backtrack several times, but Sadie believes if they can descend the slope they’re on, and climb over the next, they’ll be able to make it the rest of the way. It’s the closest they’ve been and after another backtrack; Jose points below to an area where a rockslide left debris piled up. They head toward it and cautiously climb down.
Excited to be this far, the two scout for a way to climb the next ridge. They travel along a dry creek bed at the bottom of a small canyon with walls that grow steeper on both sides. If they don’t turn around and head back soon, they risk running out of daylight.
“Let’s keep followin’ this,” Sadie suggests. “It’ll either drain to the ocean…or curve toward Clara’s. Worse case…if forced, we can always camp for the night.”
“Let’s go for it!” Jose says, excited to be so close this time.
They move quickly and surprisingly, reach the ocean in a short amount of time. The view and drop to the water is similar to that at Clara’s property, and Sadie notes both its similarities and differences. Briefly taking in the sight, the two turn around, return the way they came, and reaching the landslide where they climbed down, Sadie calculates how much additional time they can squeeze in before returning.
Instead of climbing back up, they head in the opposite direction, and after encountering a few bends in the terrain, they discover a drainage artery coming down from the ridge above. Looking at each other, they nod yes and start the climb. Sweating and breathing heavily, they reach the top and Sadie pauses to examine her map. She’s confident that, by following the ridgeline, they’ll make their final descent where Clara fell and discovered the spring.
Sadie points it all out, and Jose, realizing they could be at Clara’s by nightfall, is thrilled. He can’t wait to meet Clara and see her place, especially after all he’s heard. Jose’s also anxious to see Anna, but finds himself getting nervous, not sure if she’ll be as excited to see him. Along the way, he mentally practices things to talk about and ways to say them. Jose wants to impress Anna and let her know he’s taking care of everything—for her.
THIRTY-THREE
Today’s not a good day, but at least it’s not as bad as others. Anna, somewhat functional, is slowly going about her task. She hasn’t spoken more than a few grumbles, but she’s moving about, and Clara’s happy for that. Some days the poor girl simply lies about, alternating between sleep and bouts of crying. The old woman’s heart goes out to her, knowing the tragedy of losing a loved one, and she lets Anna mourn, while doing what she can to help.
Besides taking care of and comforting her, Clara finds ways to hold Anna’s interest, assigning small chores, even if they’re as simple as making tea. Typically, they’re basic skills, teaching Anna how to manage when alone, although, thank God, none of them are anymore. Anna’s also encouraged to keep a journal and write daily in an effort to cope with the emotions and pain, but as much as anything, Clara’s kindly manner and genuine love nurtures the girl’s recovery.