But the Children Survived

by A. L. Jambor

  The fissures in his head were now growing into cracks and Joe was going to have to find ways to live with his past since he could no longer turn off the bad feelings. No matter how hard he tried, he knew the truth about himself and he couldn't go back to the way things had been.

  Even though things had been bad and he’d been a jerk, at least he was familiar with that kind of life. He knew how to navigate those waters. Now when he lied, he would feel that lie himself. This really sucked, and on top of everything else, these kids were driving him crazy.

  “Everybody shut up!” he yelled. The kids just laughed and yelled louder. Suddenly Joe stopped the bus and got out. The kids started to get up thinking they would leave too and he stuck his head back in the bus.

  “First kid off the bus gets a kick in the ass, understand?”

  He must have looked pretty mean because the kids sat back down. He walked to the edge of the highway. He was taking deep breaths and trying to calm down. Dani saw that he’d stopped and she parked the car. She got out and walked back to where he was standing.

  “What's up, honey?” she asked him. He had on his “I'm done” face.

  “This is too much. I can't stand the noise anymore. Those kids never shut up.” Dani looked at the bus and saw the kids making faces through the glass. She suppressed a smile.

  “You know, I can drive that thing. Just show me how to use the brakes.”

  Dani had never driven anything bigger than an SUV. Since there was no other traffic on the road she might be able to handle it. Getting it around parked cars was the problem. It was awkward and full to capacity.

  “You think you can maneuver it around parked cars? Ride up on the grass with a full load like that without it tipping over?

  “Maybe we should try to find an interstate where there's a parking lane. There would be a lot more room and maybe less traffic.” Dani was trying to convince him she could do this.

  “Where's the map?” Joe asked. They had picked up a map in Arkansas when they were sick of making wrong turns following an arbitrary “E” in the rearview mirror. Dani had never been able to figure out the damn GPS.

  “It's in the car. I'll go get it.”

  The last sign they’d passed said “Nashville 100,” so they knew they were nearing Tennessee. They needed to find an interstate that would take them south. They’d been going northeast when they should have been going southeast. Dani came back to Joe with the map and they laid it on the ground and knelt down.

  “It looks like if we go to Nashville we can pick up 24 and then 75 to Atlanta. At least we'll be in Georgia.” Joe said.

  They agreed to follow that route. They would switch driving duties in Nashville. Joe put his arms around Dani's shoulders and pulled her close.

  “I'm sorry, Dani,” he said.

  “For what?”

  She looked up at him.

  “For being such an asshole.”

  He looked depressed and defeated. There was something different about the way he said it. Dani had heard him say this before, but this time his eyes looked into hers instead of avoiding them.

  “It's okay, Joe.” She put her head on his chest and hugged him.

  Before Joe got back on the bus, Dani got in and told the kids whoever stayed the quietest during the next 100 miles would get a prize. She had no idea what the prize would be, but kids usually fell for that ploy believing the adult saying it already had something tucked away somewhere. They became excited at the prospect of a prize and a hush fell over the bus. Joe looked at Dani with raised eyebrows. She smiled back at him and wished him luck.

  About halfway down the road, the kids started talking again. Their voices kept getting louder until Joe screamed at them to shut up. The moment he stopped yelling, he looked at their faces. They all looked scared and tired. They looked sad and dirty.

  Something in their expressions caused a familiar stirring in Joe's heart. As his eyes went from the road to the mirror, he could see Mindy's little face as he yelled at her to pick up her stuff, or stop talking, or to leave him alone. He had never had time for her. When he would chastise her, she would walk away and go find Dani. Dani would do her best to comfort Mindy, but what the kid really wanted was him. The thought struck him like a bolt of lightning. She had wanted...him.

  Joe had forgotten that all of these kids had just lost their families. They had also lost their homes. He kept checking the kids in the mirror. With the exception of Larry, Gary, Barry, and Becky, he didn't know any of their names. They were just a mass of humanity, all under four feet tall.

  Joe was driving by a mall when an idea struck him. He pulled over and entered the parking lot. Dani looked back and noticed Joe had stopped. She turned around and followed him into the parking lot. Joe climbed out of the bus and told the kids to stay put. Dani got out of the car and came over to him.

  “I have an idea. I'll be right back,” he told her and ran to the office supply store.

  The door was locked and Joe threw a metal trash can from the sidewalk into the window. As with the consignment store, the glass shattered, leaving enough room for Joe to climb in without being cut. After he disabled the alarm, he grabbed a shopping cart and walked the aisles of the store until he came upon the “Hello My Name Is” labels. He grabbed three packs of them.

  He also picked up the plastic sheaths with a pin in them. Finally, he grabbed all the magic markers the store had. As he walked towards the doors, he noticed a rack of coloring books, word searches, and puzzle books. He filled the cart with them and grabbed pens and pencils. He pried the door open and pushed the cart through it. He then walked the cart to the bus and motioned for the kids to come out.

  Joe handed Dani and Jenny magic markers and gave them to some of the kids.

  “Listen up,” he said. “I want you all to write your name on a label, stick it on these plastic things, and pin it to your shirts. I want to get to know you, so I have to know your names.”

  Dani was surprised by Joe's sudden interest in the kids after his tirade just an hour before, but she played along because it really was a good idea. It took a while but when they were done, all the kids had name tags. Finally they would know which of the triplets was Barry, Larry, or Gary. Then Joe announced that they had all been really good so he would be handing out the prizes. The kids cheered. He asked Dani and Jenny to help pass out the books, pens, and pencils.

  “You did good, Joe,” Dani said and she gave him a hug.

  “Yeah, you never did anything like that before,” Jenny said.

  Hearing Dani say he did good lifted Joe's spirits. He loaded the kids back on the bus and told Dani they could still switch in Nashville if she was up to it, but if not he would be okay. She agreed and they got back on the road with a bus load of happy 10-year-olds.

  *****

  They made good time to Nashville. Dani pulled into the parking lot of a Big Mart followed by Joe in the bus. All of them got out to stretch their legs. Joe hoped no kids would pop out of the Big Mart. That store could hold a lot of kids.

  The kids they had found had been hiding out in stores where there was a food supply and no dead bodies. They had so many kids now that finding clean places to sleep and getting them all fed was getting harder and harder.

  Joe imagined the Big Mart must be full of bodies because the smell was becoming stronger the longer they stayed there. Dani said she would like to try and drive the bus. It would be a nice change, she said.

  Dani took her place behind the wheel of the bus. Joe sat behind her and they took the bus for a few laps around the Big Mart parking lot. She was fine at avoiding the parked cars, but they were all in a neat line so that didn't count. What would count is how she handled the cars in the middle of the road.

  He showed her how to use the brakes. After three or four times around, they stopped the bus and the kids came on board. Those that had to relieved themselves on the grass. Jenny was handing out toilet paper to the girls.

  “Do you want me to ride with you?” s
he asked Dani.

  “It's up to you, Jenny.”

  Jenny thought about hours in the car with Joe. Even though his attitude had changed dramatically, he could be moody and she didn't feel comfortable around him.

  “Yeah, I think the change would be good.” She sat in the seat directly behind Dani. The kids who had been sitting there protested.

  “Oh, go to the back,” she said. She then gave them a mean look. They were a little afraid of Jenny. She was still a teenager and she might just beat them up.

  Dani told Joe they would have to find food soon and to keep an eye out for a clean store. A clean store usually didn't have any cars parked in front of it and the doors were locked. After Joe got into the SUV, he pulled out and followed the signs to 75, with Dani right behind him.

  If Dani had ever visited Dr. Tomlinson's website, she would have noticed how many women had come from Atlanta to seek his assistance. She would also have known they would soon need another bus.

  Chapter 51

  Somewhere near Atlanta, Georgia

  Dani was driving the bus. Jenny had taken the seat behind her. A little girl came up to Jenny and asked if she could sit with her because the boys kept pulling her hair. Jenny moved over so the girl could sit by the window.

  She told Jenny her name was Kelly. They talked about all the things they liked. It turned out they liked the same music and the same clothes.

  Jenny told Kelly how much she missed her friends, how she wished she could go on Facebook and Twitter, and how she even missed being in school. Kelly missed her friends and her dance classes. After a while, Kelly leaned against Jenny's arm and fell asleep. Jenny put her arm around Kelly and the little girl snuggled up to her. Jenny had made a good friend.

  Dani saw a sign saying Atlanta was just 50 miles away. The sun was setting and she hoped there would be some lights on in the city. Otherwise they would have to spend the night on the bus. When they stopped at a town earlier that day, they had filled the car with food. When they found a place to stop, they would all eat. The kids had been given bags of chips earlier to keep them from being too hungry. They each had a bottle of water too.

  Dani longed for a place to take a bath, but they had been having trouble finding clean hotels. The last one had been two days ago. The kids needed baths too.

  Joe was really suffering without his two showers a day, but ever since his dramatic change, he no longer complained about it. Dani hoped this change was for real. For years she had been walking on eggs around Joe, never knowing what would set him off. Now he seemed happy, genuinely happy, even around the kids. If he stayed this way, it would be the miracle she had prayed for come true.

  That afternoon they’d stopped at every clean store they could find looking for clothing. The kids’ clothes were dirty and would need to be changed if they took baths.

  Dani and Jenny ran up and down the aisles of the mostly small, privately owned stores grabbing shirts, pants, underwear, and socks. The sizes didn't matter. If they had to, they would tie something around the pants to hold them up. Jenny filled a cart and then threw men's ties and belts on top.

  As she drove, Dani asked Jenny to keep talking to her. She was feeling sleepy. Jenny rattled on about her life before the tragedy and her friends at school. Dani liked hearing her talk. She imagined Mindy might be like this someday, and Jenny's mother could rest in peace knowing someone was taking care of Jenny. Maybe someone was taking care of her Mindy, too.

  The last miles seem to go on forever. Just before they entered Atlanta, they saw a large hotel that announced it was under renovation. Joe stopped and Dani pulled in behind him.

  “I'm gonna check the inside. Maybe they haven't done too much, or maybe they're almost finished,” he said about the renovations.

  The door was locked and as usual, Joe looked around for something to break in. There were concrete blocks along the side of the building that would do nicely. Joe lifted a block and brought it to the front of the hotel. He wasn’t able to lift it over his head so he kind of threw it underhand. It smashed through the glass in the door and Joe was able to turn the lock. He lifted the light switch and the lights came up. He could hear the kids cheering. Much to his surprise, no alarm sounded.

  The lobby wasn’t too bad. There was dust and now shattered glass balls all over, but it looked like they were almost done fixing it up. He took the stairs to the first floor. He switched on the lights up there and went to the first room. The door was open. They hadn’t programmed the locks yet. He turned on the lights and noticed the room looked pretty good. He looked in the bathroom and checked the water. It actually worked.

  Joe thought about the electricity and water. The hotel must have had well water and some sort of independent electricity supply. Most of the places they encountered didn't have electricity or water. He sent up a little thank-you to God and went downstairs to get the kids. Dani was standing in the lobby when Joe came down.

  “Water and electricity,” he said with a smile. “And there are three floors. We should be able to find a place for everybody.”

  Dani and Joe got the kids inside and brought out the food. The kids sat around the lobby while the food was handed out on paper plates. Joe had managed to find boxes of crackers, jars of peanut butter, jars of jelly, jars of applesauce, and pudding. Anything they could eat without cooking. Tonight they would feast.

  Dani, Joe, and Jenny formed an assembly line to put peanut butter on crackers and put them on plates. Jenny put the applesauce and pudding out on the counter. The kids lined up and grabbed a plate and a dessert. Once the kids were eating, the adults finished what was left. They would have to find more food in Atlanta in the morning.

  When they were done eating, Dani announced that they would all take a short shower before getting into bed. The boys groaned and the girls cheered. The hotel had plenty of soap and shampoo. Dani, Joe, and Jenny timed the kids so everyone could get wet, soaped up, shampooed, and rinsed. Then they put on the clean clothes and got into bed. The kids were exhausted and passed out quickly.

  After they got the kids settled in their rooms, Dani and Joe lay down on the sofas in the hotel lobby and fell asleep, while Jenny shared a recliner with Kelly.

  *****

  The sun in his eyes awakened Joe. He sat up and stretched. Dani was still asleep. He decided to go a little farther down the road to see if he could find some food. There must be a grocery store somewhere, hopefully one without dead bodies in it.

  Joe got into the SUV and turned onto the highway. He saw several pancake restaurants and gas stations. They all had cars in front of them. He drove farther down the highway and saw a Granger's Supermarket without any cars. It looked like a brand new store that hadn't opened yet. Joe pulled in.

  He was able to pull the doors apart. He thought it was strange that the doors weren't locked. Maybe somebody had come in alone to let the other workers in.

  He sniffed the air and didn't smell decay. He took a shiny new cart out of the rack and began to cruise the aisles. The shelves were full on top but the bottoms were nearly empty. There was nothing in the freezers or refrigerated cases. That stuff would have been brought into the store last.

  Joe thought he heard something coming from the back of the store. He kept filling the cart as he walked towards the sound. He heard talking. Joe walked all the way to the back and saw the swinging doors that led to the storage areas. He went through the doors and looked around.

  “Who are you?” a voice asked him.

  Joe turned around and saw five kids lying on the floor in sleeping bags. He looked at the shelves and saw more kids. He wasn't sure how many there were.

  “I'm Joe. I...how did you guys get here?”

  “Julius brought us.”

  Who the hell is Julius? Joe thought.

  “Julius finds kids and brings them here,” a girl said.

  “Who is Julius?”

  “He's an old man. He lives across the street.”

  Joe walked back to his cart. He pu
shed it out to the car and looked across the street. He saw a big, old Victorian house with a wide porch. After he put the food in the car, he walked across the street.

  He climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. There was no answer. He tried the door and it opened. The house had that decayed flesh odor.

  Joe could see a room to the left and a room to the right. In the room to the right was a large overstuffed sofa with a small, old black man lying on it, fast asleep. This must be Julius. How he’d avoided death was a story Joe wanted to hear.

  Joe gently shook Julius's shoulder. The old man slowly woke up and looked up at Joe.

  “Where'd you come from?” he asked Joe.

  “Vegas,” Joe replied. He seated himself in a chair across from where Julius was sleeping.

  “Vegas. Lordy, you must have been ridin’ a long time.” Julius turned his body around to face Joe. He then put one leg on the floor so he could use it to move his body around. Then he put the other one down on the floor. He sat up and looked at Joe.

  “How'd you know I was here?”

  “The kids told me.”

  Julius nodded his old woolly head.

  “Yeah, the kids are a handful. I don't know how many there are, but I just keep findin' em.” Julius was scratching his stomach.

  “Where do you find them?”

  “Ah, here, there and everywhere. I drive around and there they are. Sometimes in front of a house, sometimes in front of a store.”

  Joe knew what it was like to just drive around and find kids. Joe asked Julius the million dollar question.

  “How did you survive, Julius?”

  The old man sat back on the sofa and slowly began to tell Joe his story.