Chapter 49
The rain held as Brandy drove her wagon west, down 19th Street, toward a huge market on the corner of 19th and Quaker Avenue.
Randy knew the market well. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d stopped on the way home from work to do his shopping there.
And they always had the best produce in town.
He rode slowly alongside the wagon as it rolled down the street, carrying on an easy conversation with Brandy, and the redhead who sat beside her.
The other girl sat on the bed of the wagon, just inside the opening, with a young man named Dave.
Dave seemed as happy as Randy to be working with three pretty girls.
“You said you’re the president of the student Ag council?” Randy asked.
“No,” Brandy said. “The vice president. The president resigned and walked to Abilene to be with his family.”
“I guess that makes you the president now.”
“I suppose.”
“And you thought you’d stick it out because you’re more dedicated?”
“No. I stuck it out because my parents are in Hawaii. It’s kind of hard to walk there.”
“Ouch. Do they live there?”
“No. They were on vacation when the power went out. As far as I know they’re safe. I’ve been kicking around the idea of walking to California and trying to find someone with a sailboat to take me to Hawaii. But with my luck I’d get there only to find out they found another guy with a sailboat and left for California.”
The joy suddenly left her voice and she grew melancholy.
“I hope to see them again someday, but I just don’t see how it’s possible.”
“Don’t give up hope,” Randy said. “The human spirit is powerful. The whole world is working on this problem, and I have to think with so many smart people they’ll figure out a way.”
“Yeah, maybe. In the meantime, I’ve got enough great friends to keep my spirits up and enough projects to keep me busy.”
“Atta girl. What other projects are you working on?”
“Well, this one will keep me busy seven days a week for awhile. We’re thinking it’s gonna take three months or so to gather all the produce. Then we’re moving on to our bucket and barrel project. And we’ll be turning out some horse-drawn tankers with the help of our engineering classes, and will power them with some help from area ranchers.”
Randy laughed.
“I’m sorry. You lost me at ‘bucket and barrel project.’”
She elaborated.
“We’re going to gather all the rotten produce in town and deliver it all to the Ag barn. We’ve got forty student volunteers who will dig through the nasty stuff and mine the seeds from it. They’ll be dried out and processed and bagged, and prepared to pass out to the block leaders that the city is in the process of appointing. The block leaders will be responsible for ensuring enough front yards are tilled up and made into growing plots, and will make sure the residents of the block work together to grow the crops and then share the harvest.
“Once we do all that… gather all the produce, our next project is to gather up all the trash cans and barrels and buckets from wherever we can find them. Plastic storage tubs too.
“Basically anything that’ll store rain water.”
“Okay. And what are you gonna do with them after you gather them all up?”
“We’ll deliver them to the block leaders along with the seeds. We’ll instruct them to place the barrels and buckets up against the houses, so they catch the rainwater runoff from the roofs. Our engineers will help them install rain gutters for those houses which don’t already have them.
“We’ll help them catch as much rainfall as they can. And we’ll teach them how to cover it, to keep it from evaporating between rainfalls.”
“Okay. But why? Why do they need to catch all the rain? The city water is pumping again.”
“Yes, but in a limited capacity. In most of the faucets the water is coming out at a trickle, because only two of the four pumps at the water plant are working. In the high rise apartments the faucets aren’t running at all above the second floor because the water pressure is so low.”
“I was under the impression they’re getting by.”
“Yes. But barely. Once the community gardens are planted in the spring, on every block in the city, there won’t be enough water to go around.
“The point is we need to catch and keep our rainfall for irrigation. We have five months until planting season starts. If we catch enough rainwater, and we catch enough snow over the winter, we’ll have a good irrigation resource come spring. Then we won’t have to watch our new crops wither and die if we have a dry spell.”
They made it to the supermarket with minutes to spare. The wind picked up and the skies grew ominous, and it was obvious the clouds were getting ready to open up. There was a heavy downpour on the way.
“Unhook your team,” Randy yelled over the howling wind. Take them inside.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Just let them wander up and down the aisles. They can’t hurt anything. The roof has skylights so they’ll be able to see enough to keep from bumping into anything. They’ll be fine.”
Once the team was free of the rig, Randy led Trigger into the store. Brandy and Dave followed close behind, lowering their horse’s heads as they ducked into a doorway that was meant more for humans than equines.
And Randy was right. The horses didn’t mind at all wandering around in the semi-darkened supermarket.
It beat the heck out of being out in the heavy rain with lightning flashing all around them.
Chapter 50
The rain came down hard and heavy for more than an hour.
For most of that time the crew worked hard, including Randy.
“You don’t have to do this,” Brandy told him.
“I’m not the type of guy to just stand aside and watch when there’s work to be done,” he replied.
When they were finished they had thirty one shopping carts lined up inside the supermarket’s door. In each cart was a cardboard box, procured from the store’s warehouse at the back of the store.
Within each box was an assortment of shriveled and rotted fruits and vegetables of all types. It was a disgusting job, but it was finally finished.
Randy said, “I’m so glad you remembered to bring gloves. I don’t know if I’d have been able to keep from retching if I had to stick my bare hands into that nasty muck.”
But then again, it was better than moving bodies.
In this particular supermarket, the produce was stacked upon large square display racks with shelves and cabinets beneath them.
Randy opened one such cabinet and pulled out several bags of peanuts.
“Hey Brandy, will these things grow?”
From twenty feet away it was too dark to see what he was holding up.
“I don’t know. What is it?”
“Peanuts. In the shell.”
“Are they raw or roasted?”
“The bag says they’re raw.”
“Then they’ll grow like crazy. Bring them along.”
He put them in a box and placed them in the last cart in the line.
“Are you sure peanuts will grow in this climate?” he asked. I’ve never heard of a farmer growing them around here.”
“Actually, I’ve studied the agricultural history of the area. Back in Lubbock’s early days, around 1900 or so, potatoes and peanuts were its main cash crops. It was only later on that farmers found out they could make more money on cotton.”
“You made that up.”
“No. It’s true. The soil around these parts is very fertile and loose, with very little clay to make it hard. It retains water well, but drains the excess into the aquifer below it. It’s very well suited to beneath-ground crops like peanuts and potatoes.
“Of course, if you don’t believe me you can Google it.”
“Uh, huh. I guess I’ll have to believe
you. My computer hasn’t been working so well lately.”
Dave appeared from the back of the store. He’d gone on a food run for the entire crew, since the girls had been complaining of being hungry since the moment they arrived.
But they weren’t bold enough to venture too far into the dimly-lit store.
Not even after Randy had inspected it to make sure they were alone.
“It’s not people I’m worried about,” Shannon told him. “It’s the rats and mice and cockroaches.”
“I brought back canned Ravioli, canned spaghetti and potato chips. And a twelve pack of Pepsi. Take your pick.”
It wasn’t gourmet food, but it was tasty. And it allowed Randy to save the chili in his saddlebags for another time.
The crew sat and ate, exchanging idle chatter while waiting for the rain to let up.
The horses had wandered through the store and were now out of sight, near the old bakery section in the back.
From that area suddenly came a loud thrashing. A thrashing of epic proportions. It sounded as though someone was driving a freight train through the back of the store.
Randy drew his pistol. He told the others, “Stay here and get out of sight.”
While the others hunkered down, Randy made his way cautiously to the bakery area.
He came back a few minutes later, after the thrashing had stopped.
“What in heck was that all about?” Brandy asked. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Apparently Trigger took a liking to one of your horses. They were getting to know each other.”
“You mean, ‘getting to know’ as in ‘getting to know?’
He smiled.
“Yep. I hope that doesn’t break any rules.”
Brandy said, “Not as far as I know. And I guess if it makes them happier, we’ll have a more pleasant ride on the way back. They’re both mares, by the way. Which one was it?”
“The bay.”
“I should have known. I thought I saw her making eyes at him on the way here. Flashing those big lashes and winking at him. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, huh Ranger? Or in this case, the horse doesn’t stray far from his rider.”
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t know that ‘Randy’ means ‘horny’ in Australian English?”
“What? No it doesn’t.”
“Oh, it does. I swear. My good friend Cathy Howat told me that.”
Randy blushed, but hoped she wouldn’t notice in the dim light.
She did.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“It’s okay.”
“Are there any little Triggers running around out there?”
“He sired a colt four years ago.”
“And he was healthy?”
“Oh, yes. I sold him to a rancher north of town.”
“Good. Maybe we’ll be able to add another pony to our stables.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
Dave interrupted the couple’s conversation to say, “Hey, it’s stopped raining.”
Brandy smiled and got up from the bench where she and Randy were sitting.
“Okay, crew. Let’s get loaded up and head back.”
As it turned out, the covered wagon they’d brought to the supermarket wasn’t near large enough to carry back their haul.
“It’s an exact replica of the ones they used in the pioneer days,” Brandy explained. “Back then they didn’t carry a lot of stuff. Too much stuff slowed them down.”
Rebecca remarked, “There’s no way I’d have struck out for the old west without my dresser and makeup mirror, and a big screen TV.”
“Don’t worry,” Brandy said. “It’s not even noon yet. The gathering is the hardest part, and it’s already gathered and in boxes. It won’t take any time at all to drop it off at the Ag barn and come back for the rest of it.”
As he led Trigger back into the daylight and prepared to mount up, Randy could have sworn the big horse had a smile on his face.
The heavily laden wagon was a bit harder to pull now, but the mares Brandy had been given were up to the task. They covered the mile and a half back to the campus in about forty five minutes and were finished unloading in half an hour.
On the way back to the supermarket Brandy asked, “So, Randy, I think you make a good addition to our crew. When are you scheduled to come back and help us again?”
“Tomorrow.”
She was surprised.
“Tomorrow? I thought you were rotating in and out of here with the other Rangers.”
“We are. But I… well, let’s just say my commander’s not too happy with me. He sentenced me to five days on the detail to start off.”
She smiled. She wasn’t unhappy with that arrangement.
“Well, whatever you did that pissed him off, I’m glad you did it. Wanna talk about it?”
“No. Not particularly.”
Chapter 51
Randy had the sense he was a bit too brusque with Brandy.
“I’m sorry. I was just distracted by my own personal problems and tuned him out at muster yesterday. He wasn’t very happy about it.”
“Your own personal problems? Randy, you strike me as a man who has the world by the tail.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, you appear to me to be extremely confident, extremely comfortable in your position. And if you don’t mind me saying so, extremely good looking as well. And maybe a little bit charming too.”
Dave interrupted from the back of the wagon.
“Hey, I’m all those things too. What about me?”
Brandy turned around and looked at him just long enough to say, “Seriously, dude?”
Dave shut up and would remain quiet the rest of the trip. He’d be too busy sulking to say any more.
Brandy turned back to Randy and said, “Well?”
“Well what?”
“You strike me as the kind of guy who wouldn’t have a care in the world.”
“Thank you for that. I guess. Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving.”
“I’m a good listener, if you ever want to talk about it.”
He looked at her and could tell she genuinely cared.
She went on.
“After all, we have five days to get to know one another.”
“Maybe I’ll take you up on it before the five days are done.”
Randy wondered why all the women he met wanted to psychoanalyze him. Or maybe they didn’t. Maybe they were just trying to be helpful.
He was distracted when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the strangest contraption he’d seen in a very long time.
It was a flat bed trailer made of wood, with a two thousand gallon plastic water tank hoisted onto its back. The tank was held onto the trailer with heavy steel straps. And on the front of the trailer was a rig not unlike the one on the covered wagon they were presently using.
Only this rig was made for a team of four horses, not two.
“What in heck is that?” he asked.
“That,” she beamed, “Is the prototype for the water tankers we’ll be sending out in the spring.”
He got the sense she took great pride in the tanker, not unlike a collector showing off the prized piece in his collection.
“Is that something you designed?”
“No. My boyfriend did. I can introduce you to him when we finish up today if you want. He’s a genius.”
It dawned on Randy that she wasn’t as proud of the tanker itself as she was of her boyfriend’s talents.
And he was just a bit relieved at the mention of a boyfriend. For as sweet and pretty as she was, he still had his heart set on Sarah. All the girls he’d met of late seemed to fancy him to one degree or another. He was glad that he and Brandy could be friends without her expecting anything more.
“I’d like that. Tell me about the tanker.”
“Well, it’s patterned after the horse drawn water tankers of the early twentieth century. Exc
ept those had tanks that were made of wood. A modern plastic tank is much lighter than a wooden tank, and will allow us to carry more water on each trip. Other than the tank itself, everything else is true to the original design.”
“Carry water from where?”
“From Buffalo Springs Lake. It’s a few miles east of Lubbock. Have you been there?”
“Yes. A few times. And you’re hauling water here for irrigation?”
“Yes. By next spring we’ll have a fleet of eleven tankers. They’ll run ten of them each day to and from the lake, where they’ll be filled with lake water. We’ve managed to procure several pumps which weren’t damaged by the electromagnetic pulse because they had pull starts.”
“Like lawnmowers, or the go-carts the LPD is using.”
“Exactly. They’ll fill up and make it back to town by early afternoon. They’ll trade out their horses for a fresh team and hit the neighborhoods, irrigating each block’s crops until they run out.
“Then they’ll drive the empty wagon back to the campus, and the next morning they’ll set out again with a fresh team of horses.
“As I said, they’ll have eleven tankers but will only send out ten. Each day one of them will rotate into the shop for routine maintenance and repairs. That way we can keep them roadworthy.
“And a team of four horses can get there and back without killing themselves?”
“Oh, yes. The engineers calculated the weight for a fully loaded tanker and piled that much weight onto a trailer for a test run. The horses made it there and back with no problem. Since then we’ve taken the prototype to the lake several times, just to work the bugs out of the process.”
“That’s going to take a lot of horses.”
“Not a problem. The city has negotiated with two ranchers to supply us with sixty strong horses. Twelve of them have already been delivered, and the rest will be here by the time all the tankers are built.”
“What about the drivers? You’re going to need a lot of manpower too, for such a project.”
She laughed.
“The manpower is no problem. We’ve got hundreds of students, no longer going to classes, who either have no relatives in the area or don’t want to walk to them. They have nothing to do because they were born in a generation where everything they loved was powered by electricity. Now they’re bored, and available, and chomping at the bits for something to do. We’ve already got a long list of people who’ve signed up to help.”
A Whole New World: Ranger: Book 2 Page 15