The Event Series (Book 2): The Gospel According to Matthew, Margo & Lance

by Thomas Larson

  Vespers tonight were pretty quiet, usual stuff, just talking, being family. Ron and Karen were there, they seem happy. They have started packing up their stuff for after the wedding. That is going to be on Saturday and they are thinking of heading out to Stanwix on that following Monday.

  (Margo) It was hot today, and not one that there was a lot of movement. But then we really don’t have a lot of stuff that needed to be done. We had the standard afternoon storm, and it cooled it down some, for a little while.

  A lot of us are visiting the lake to cool off. We have had some sunburn issues because we didn’t even think about suntan lotion, something for our next scavenger trip.

  Heather is getting really big, she is about seven months along and soon, we think August. It looks really uncomfortable for her. Note to self, being big, pregnant, in summer time is not a good plan.

  Del keeps looking at Heather, it is weird. I hope that she is not thinking that she needs one.

  Code and I hit the Vespers, he stayed over but it was too hot to snuggle.

  June 10th

  (Margo) This morning Code and I took the bikes out to the horse farm. Tay and Teckla have been living out there for a while. They sleep on the second floor just in case Zoms show up. But we have not seen any in a long time, and with the horses in the barn they would probably get some warning. Lucy was not happy about staying behind.

  I actually spent some time trying to work with one of them. It was “Lemon Drop”. She is a beautiful horse, white with light brown markings and tail. She is not too big. She seems to be getting used to me and that is great. I may try to saddle her tomorrow. Teckla seems to think that it might work, or at least we would start getting to a point where she could be ridden again.

  We went back to the camp for lunch; it was mostly salad stuff, which was good. It makes it easier for Nick and Grace and also with the weather; none of us are super hungry.

  I tracked down Del to tell her about the horses. I started to tell her but she seemed upset. I finally asked her what was going on.

  “I missed my period, I think, I think,” and she burst into tears.

  I hugged her, wow, that would explain a lot.

  “Del, I, it’s okay, we can get through this.”

  “But what if it is a monster, a zombie thing, I am so scared.” She sobbed.

  I had never seen her like this; she had always been the rock, the solid person that didn’t break.

  “Does Lance know?” I asked

  “No, no, you’re the first, I, I don’t know what to do. Margo, help me,” a look of anguish and almost panic in her eyes.

  “Okay, Okay, let’s slow down a little here.” What would…I have no frame of reference I thought, what should we do…… “Charlene, we need to talk with Charlene.”

  “Yeah, but, I, I am so scared.” She sobbed.

  “I know, but let’s start there, it’ll be okay, just let’s slow down a little. How late are you?” I asked her.

  “About a week, but I am never late, I just……”

  “Okay, let’s go visit with Charlene.”

  We filled Charlene in on what was going on, Del’s fears and thoughts. Charlene was awesome. She took it so in stride, listened and was really supportive and helpful.

  “First, we need to find out if you’re pregnant. I think we can do that easily enough, but we need to take a run to Hinsdale or Peru and find a drug store.” She said. “Then we can get a …., we can go from there.”

  As we drove into town, I thought about how many times Code and I, we hadn’t been so careful, and wow, that, this could be me. It could be any of us. There has been lots of chances for all of us, and so far only Stephen and Heather….We need to be careful until we see what happens with their baby.

  We found a CVS in Hinsdale. We grabbed some pregnancy test kits and were going to bring them back, but Del had to know right then and there. It was the longest couple minutes of her life I think.

  Suddenly as she looked at the little white thing, tears welled up and it was like she started shaking and sobbing. I looked a Charlene, then back at Del.

  “Well?”

  “I’m okay, I, I am safe…. I’M NOT!…..”

  I think that a sigh of relief escaped us all at that point.

  “Are you sure?” asked Charlene.

  “Yes, but, let’s try a different brand, just to be sure.” Del said, she was already snapping back to the Rock I knew.

  The results were the same.

  “I think that maybe while we are here we ought to take some things that would help prevent this kind of thing from happening, until we see Heather’s baby.” Charlene suggested.

  Good idea, we cleaned that place out of every condom, birth control pill or device. As we drove back it was kind of funny, we got laughing about it a little because if the guys knew what we had done they would probably think, hope, that we were a bunch of sex maniacs with all the supplies. Charlene will keep and dispense most of it, but I grabbed a little supply for snuggle time.

  We never told Code or Lance about what had happened, that was girl stuff, pinky swears all around.

  (Lance) Charlene, Del and Margo took off for the day, so Code and I hung out. We talked a little. Actually, we talked a lot. This woman thing is kind of different.

  “Code, does Margo ever get weird, like moody weird with you?” Lance asked.

  “Like clockwork,” he laughed, “although it is not as bad as it used to be. She would get to the beginning of the month and it was like, I had a serial killer next to me.”

  “Ah, yeah, I call it ‘keep your hands to yourself there Buster’ time. I know it well. But this time it was different, she was weird and it seemed for no reason. She seemed sad, upset.”

  “Every once in a while Margo will get like that; I think it is a chick thing.”

  When the girls got back this afternoon everything was back to the old Del, weird!

  (Matt) Tanya and I took a run over to the veggie garden today, the rabbits were at it, but it’s not a real problem. They nibble but damage is minimal. Of course, we have to keep in mind that the population will grow if we just leave them alone. In terms of providing for each other, I think that we can work out something. We will let the bunnies eat, but we will set some traps, kind of an exchange program. They get some food, we get some food. It is the balance of nature. We are going to set up some traps, humane, as much as they can be.

  It was hot as heck again this afternoon and I managed to get Tanya into the water up to her waist to start. It has been slow, but we are working on it. She surprised me in the end because finally she kind of scrunched down and had the water up to her neck.

  Light turn out at Vespers tonight, but while we were there, the few of us, Charlene came over and told us that she had birth control items available if anyone was interested. Not sure what that was all about and will have to check it out. Maybe Lance heard something from the Pittsburgh about babies. Don’t know.

  June 11th

  (Matt) Another scorcher, I wonder what the climate change people would say. The good news there is they got their reduction in carbon emissions, though probably not the way they would have thought or wanted. Kind of leads back to the idea of the Earth being a living thing, having a fever to kill the virus, although in this case the virus may have been humanity itself.

  Checked on the veggies, found a bunny in the trap, cycle of life, we feed them with our garden, they feed us.

  More and more time has been spent in the lake the last few days. Tanya is getting better about being in the water, although she is usually close to me, and still won’t put her face in the water.

  At Fire Pit tonight we talked about the balance of nature and the existence of harmony between man and nature. I guess I kind of got onto a roll with that. I think it had to do with Heather tearfully commenting about the bunnies out at the garden. I explained the idea that we humans and the bunnies were working together to help each other. We were giving them something good in our plantings a
nd will share with them, but in return they are giving us something in return. As long as we share respect for each other, the harmony and balance will play out.

  (Lance) Kind of a nothing day, it was way hot to do much. I never thought I would say this, but I actually enjoyed a cold shower today.

  Del seems to be back to normal, she was bitching at me about picking up and folding some clothes of her clothes from the floor. Ah, life is good.

  (Margo) Lucy and I were out for a run early this morning, we let Code sleep in. He doesn’t get the same enjoyment of the run, the solitude that it brings. Lucy was huffing and panting along side of me.

  I was thinking about Lucy, and it might not be a bad idea to get her fixed. We can’t be popping out puppies a couple times a year. I need to talk with the Major about that, maybe he can spay her.

  Code and I talked about going out to the horse farm, but it was so hot, I think an afternoon float seemed like a better idea.

  Matt was in lecture mode tonight, Heather was crying about the “poor little bunnies” and how we were eating them. But then, we, she has been doing that for a long time. I think it may have to do with being pregnant. She only has a little time left, a month or two. She is big as a house and looks really uncomfortable, especially in this heat.

  I poked Del, and started to say, “That could be…”

  She glared at me and just said, “No, don’t even go there.”

  We laughed, but I think we each knew, our time will come.

  June 12th

  (Lance) I am thinking about the fuel thing, and what we need to develop a means to keep ourselves in fuel for the trucks. I think that we might be able to work out how to make bio fuels. I remember there was a lot of talk about it back in the days before all this started, back when we were worried about running out of fossil fuels. It was supposed to be an up and coming energy source.

  I am not sure how we would go about that, making bio-fuel, but there has to be information available and I think that the best place to find it is at the community college library up in Pittsfield. They may even have some equipment that we can use to make it in their science section. I will talk with The Three tomorrow to see what they think and see if they will let us make the run up there to look around.

  I told Del about the idea and she wants to come with me. But she warned that it may be a hot spot for Zoms. There had to have been a number of people in the classrooms and the buildings that may have been trapped and are still there. I reminded her that we had made the trip to the campus before and it was not that bad; but still we need to be careful.

  (Margo) Code and I took the bikes out to the horse farm today; we hit it in the morning because I figured we will see another wicked hot day, and it was. Lucy was not happy that she was not invited, but we aren’t ready for that yet, we are still trying to get the horses used to us.

  I spent some time with Leman Drop and gave her a good brushing. She seemed to like that, and when I was near her head she nuzzled me. I think that is good. I tried to saddle her, and she went along with it. I let her get used to the saddle and bit; she was okay with it Tomorrow we’ll do it again and I will try to get up in the saddle.

  In the afternoon I spent some time sketching, it was good. I just sat in the shade, I played with some ideas, I even tried to do a little anime type characters. I did some different versions of Nick, and Code, and Del. It was fun, and funny.

  (Matt) I didn’t want to panic anyone but when I was out by the sheep pen I noticed some very big cat tracks, it looks like our mountain lion has been checking things out. I noticed it as I took the sheep to pasture today. We usually are armed when we are out there, and today, I packed a little more firepower than usual.

  It does kind of create a conflict in me. We talked about the bunnies last night and the sharing and all. Most of me is okay with the idea that a lamb could be taken by the lion, and it would not hurt our food supply or ability to survive. But I am also thinking that if it were to become a regular event it could be a problem. We need to be in balance with nature, and the mountain lion has as much a right to the lambs as we do, but….

  I shared my thoughts with The Three, and since there have been no direct attacks; it is so far a non-issue. But they are clear that the shepherds need to know, and that when they take them out to the fields they may face some hard choices.

  Two days left until the wedding of Ron and Karen. Tanya and I pretty much have our part ready. They are going to do their own vows, and they have selected their readings, as well as the music. Fred and Jan are going to be the Best Man and Maid of Honor.

  Nick and Grace are going to take time to put together a little something special in the dining hall and Lance has volunteered to do the music / DJ thing. It will be close to an old world wedding.

  Did a little lake time late this afternoon, it was another very warm day. We had our, now almost daily, dinner time thunderstorm. Sadly, the storms do little to cool down the day or reduce the humidity. I would have thought that being so far from the ocean or the Great Lakes that we would not have as much humidity.

  June 13th.

  (Matt) It is Friday, wow, Friday the 13th, had not even thought about that, or even about Fridays, it really doesn’t matter, I mean when you think about it every day is Friday, or Saturday, or whatever. It is not like we have a 40 hour work week with OT and benefits. It is get stuff done when it needs to be done, or do without. And doing without could result in bad things.

  Checked on the crops today, did a little harvesting of the leafy greens and tomato from the smaller vegetable garden.

  Hot again today, storm in the afternoon, not much else to write.

  (Lance) I think we hit the 100 degree mark today. A lot of us are hitting the water at the lake. Work, other than absolutely necessary, has ground to a halt, not that there was that much going on.

  Del and I hit a run early, like 6 am, and it was warm, but not that bad. No one is real hungry at this point, salads and greens for meals.

  I think we should consider making a run to like Best Buy or Walmart and see if they have any portable electric fans. I think we would be able to run them with the solar panels. At night that would be a problem, but it would help during the day.

  I tossed it out to The Three and they are good with it. We shall head off in the morning.

  (Margo) It was my turn to watch the sheep today. I took them out to the pasture about 9 am, and found a tree to settle under. It was warm and boring. I sketched for a little while, and as the morning rolled on, the munch, munch, munch of the sheep, and the buzz of the bees, and the warmth, I fell asleep.

  I woke up when the sheep got noisy, making bleating or whatever that noise they make is called. They were nervous. I looked around quick and didn’t see anything unusual but the sheep were all looking off to the northeast corner of the pasture.

  I picked up my rifle and walked that way. I was wishing I had Lucy with me; I can’t take her with me because the sheep freak out, even though she is good with them. As I neared the wall that surrounds the field, something, something big, crashed off into the woods running. I did not see it, it made no call or cry, so I have no idea what it was, could have been a deer, a coyote, or the big kitty, the mountain lion.

  I stayed awake for the rest of the afternoon. There were no further incidents or visits.

  I told Cody about it after dinner; he said that he had also had times when it was his turn for pasture watch that he thought something was out there. But he never saw it.

  Vespers tonight started a little later than usual, we waited until sunset in the hopes that it would cool down. Stephen and Heather joined in tonight and she looked uncomfortable, pregnancy in the heat must suck.

  June 14th

  (Margo) It has cooled off a little, okay it is in the high 80s, but it is better than it has been. Today was pretty much a day off for everyone because of Ron and Karen’s wedding.

  It is funny how when you go to a wedding, you always think back to some that you ha
ve gone to in the past, or you think about your own, even if it hasn’t happened yet. I kind of wonder if Code and I will ever do it, I hope so, I would like to think that the world will calm down enough for us to have that special day.

  (Lance) My day is going to be on the easy side. I am playing DJ for Ron and Karen’s wedding. I have their play list, a little heavy on country western for my tastes, but it is their day. But I will sneak some old stuff in to the mix, a little Electric Slide, the Chicken Dance, and maybe even some real oldies.

  This got me off the hook, because I was playing music I was not expected to dance. But Del did grab me for a slow romantic ballad, The Righteous Brothers, Unchained Melody. It was a classic men’s two step shuffle/sway, but we got through it.

  The gathering lasted until about 10 pm, but some of the crew hung out by the fire pit after. It was one of those rare occasions when a lot of drinking was done. I think LJ and Fred had made a special run to a package store somewhere and laid in a supply.

  (Matt) It was a hectic morning, getting the final pieces of the wedding ready and set to go. We had a start time for the ceremony of 2 pm. That gave everyone a chance to clean up, get ready and have the set up done.

  We did a rehearsal in the dining hall in the late morning just to make sure everyone was ready to go. After lunch, Ron and Karen headed off to get dressed. They actually went out and had gotten tuxedos and gowns for the event, Fred and Ron in tuxes, Karen and Jan in gowns.

  At about 1:45 the bell was rung for all to assemble out by the flagpole, it was an outdoor ceremony, the weather had cooled enough to make it a nice day for it.

  At 2:00, Lance started playing a recording of the traditional wedding march. Ron, and Fred were waiting with Tanya and me at the improvised alter. Jan was also with us. Karen was marched down the aisle by Nick, I am guessing that he was the oldest male, and was given the honor of “Father for a Day”.

  The ceremony was really kind of short and to the point. Tay and Mark read the passages and Michelle did a couple of songs on her guitar. I never realized how good she was at singing.

  The vows were exchanged and promises of love and devotion forever were given.