I let them inside the compound with Farah ushering them to the whole premises. I walked towards the barn to see the dead bodies. I have no positive identification. I did not know them. I retrieved their ammo and assault rifles for future use.
“Here it is, catch!” I smiled as I throw the items to Steve.
“Steve, there’s some body bags shovels and all sorts of excavating tools in the barn. it would be best if you would bring Lee with you. We have to bury them fast before they start decomposing.” I said.
“Dig a whole outside and give these dead men a decent burial and Susie, go give your parents a hand and that includes you, Farah.” I smiled.
Steve got some shovels and other excavation tools and some body bags. Me and Steve carried the bodies in tandem and have them stuffed inside the black body bags. Steve dragged the bodies by his hands, one dead body on each hand and with a strong and masculine grip accompanied by his large toned Bruce Lee like muscles, he pulled it through. His daughter, Susie and his wife Lee including my wife, Farah followed him closely bringing with them some excavation tools on their way outside of the compound.
“Carl, where’s your wife and kids? Where’s your family?” I asked my friend.
“I left them at the RV Park Ryan, they’re just fine. I have to get them and bring them here if that’s alright with you.” He said will putting his white shirt back on.
“Yeah sure man, no problem. It’s alright. Let’s go to the RV Park and pick them up. Let’s just use my truck and drive there.” I replied.
“Your truck actually works? How?”Carl asks.
“Yes, it works. I just change the fuse every once in a while. I have a stock pile of fuses inside so transportation is never really a problem.”
We walked towards the parking area and on to my truck. I started the ignition, stepped on the gas to RV Park. As I get past through the gates of our farm I see Steve, Susie and Farah burying the bodies. I stopped a bit to have a talk.
“Farah, I have to go to RV Park to pick Carl’s family. We’ll be back soon. Take of the house will yah? If anything moves, shoot ‘em.” I said.
“Okay, we’ll be waiting. Steve has the rifles you snatched so killing is no problem.” She smiled.
We drove off to RV Park. It was a tough road but we made sure to bring some fully loaded shotguns in case. Carl is seated on the front seat holding with him a shotgun. It is a far drive but what’s good is, car fuse and spark plugs are good to provide a round trip. It was a dusty road so I closed the truck windows and utilized the car air conditioner for a bit. I have modified battery chargers anyway so recharging is not a problem.
“Where have you been staying before you came to our farm?” I asked.
“Me and my family just stayed in the RV Park. being their resident handyman brought some advantage of free board and lodging. It’s hard though ‘cause people come around hysterical trying to get anything they could find.” He replied.
“How did come to a consensus to pay us a visit?” I said.
“Well, my family and Steve’s were living in the RV Park when the earth got worse with some solar flare or something. When the entire world went black, we went back to the primitive ages and when our supplies ran out, we had a consensus to pay you a visit. I left my family for a test run to your place. I have to make sure that you would accept my family to move in to your place. Then, I have to go back and fetch them. It’s so dangerous bringing my family around these days. I have to make sure. Then somewhere along the way, those two assholes came along threatening us with their guns after they overheard us that we are going to your farm. You know, farms have ample supplies of everything. Now that I have your consent, I have to fetch them at the RV Park. The only thing is you offered first withoust me asking. How did you read my mind, Ryan? ”
“Just pure instincts my friend, pure instincts. So, how about your safety? “ I said.
“It’s never a problem. I just get immune about it. We have learned to survive every obstacle along the way. By the way, good thing you killed those scumbags a while ago. That was a head shot!” He laughed.
“Yeah. We were just defending our property. It was a hard decision though because I am not a killer but they leave me with no choice.” I replied.
“Well, you just did the smartest decision ever. Everything is just a give and take situation. Those robbers give themselves up for an exhibition with death and you just took the opportunity. They just got what they wanted Ryan.” Carl said.
The twenty five minute ride has finally come to a stop. Ah, yes, welcome to RV Park. A large crowd is stationed in the park’s premises, stranded and hopeless like vagabonds scavenging what life has left. With their shocked and anxious eyes, their stares struck our senses as their expressions preyed upon us like they want something from us. Weary looks of deteriorating health show up as symptoms. dehydration and starvation are just the common facial expressions one can obviously see. But Carl and I were neither scared nor petrified by any impending aggression. A stampede is also not a problem. I am sure that the shiny barrel of Carl’s shotgun loaded with double action ammo is enough to keep them civil and disciplined. Carl walked past me at brisk speed to look for his family.
“Ryan, you just stay here. I’ll be back in a sec.” He said.
“Okay buddy, take your time, no problem.” I replied.
“Thanks Ryan, I owe you big time. Don’t forget to use your Desert eagle if somebody threatens you” He said while tapping my shoulders.
“I will.” I said
I gazed through the park amid their seemingly lifeless recreational vehicles parked around the park while Carl moved on to look for them. Huge portable houses crumple along the venue filled with people who have blank and helpless faces. As usual I stayed close to the Excursion to stand on guard while Carl went on to look for his family. The multitude of people started to clamp on me as if I am their Moses.
“Hey,” an old septuagenarian black man said. “Take me with you. I know you have a lot left. I am already an old man and I deserve to spend my last moments with a smile. Take me with you, I’ll do anything!” He said.
The old man’s words quadrupled into seven folds as all of them demanded in unison that I should bring them in with me. As their distance draws near in a matter of inches, I draw my gun tucked in my holster covered by my jacket and aimed at every one of them.
“Alright shit heads, this game is called blowing your fucking heads off! Who wants to go first?” I asked the crowd while aiming the gun at point blank range. They began hesitating as their aggression was minimized. In a couple of minutes, Carl came out with his family, safe and sound.
“Come on, let’s go!” I said.
Carl and his kin hopped in the Excursion and as I am about to drive off them, men slammed the hood of my truck signalizing the birth of a riot; a rebellion addressed to us. I turned off the engine and got of my truck.
Chants of disturbing demands sounded the bell mixing it into the air “Take me with you!” a group of men said in chorus. “Take me!” “Take us!” “Help us!” They said in unison.
I have to do something and I have to do it quick. “Whew! What a pressure!” I said quietly leaving Carl and his family inside.
“Alright! Quiet! Quiet! Quiet please!” I said, signaling a stop hand sign. The crowd then settled into silence. Now it is my time to speak.
“You can come with us if your RV’s are still road worthy. Who among you here can still drive their RV’s, raise your hands.” I said counting the hands rose up like an ordinary classroom election. They were only a few of them, Thank goodness.
“Those whose RV’s are dead I am sorry. We cannot take anyone of you yet but as a consolation, if you really want to stay with us then take your RVs and let’s have a convoy to my place. You are welcome to stay as well as we can offer you water and electricity but in return, you should help us do the chores in the gardens and ponds in our hydroponics and aquaponics system. In addition, you must also serve as security p
ersonnel. Each will be assigned to guard specific entrance and exit points in a round the clock eight hour interval, 24/7. However, for those who have no RVs, I am sorry.” I said.
“Am I making myself clear?” The people nodded.
I go back to my excursion, turned the ignition and stepped on the gas pedals. The functional roadworthy RVs followed my lead to the farm. The huge convoy is like a locomotive training piling up in single file with me in the lead. The bumpy unconcerned road skidded or tires to into a friction of dust and fumes but we still held on. Their vehicles with them will be of great use. I have to make sure. No vehicle, no adoption. I have to be wiser and tougher now. If should neglect conscience, I will. This is not the time to play holy because this is survival and not a charity.
As our journey home continues, I cannot help but deny the fact that the death toll is rising every day with people killing and people dying just to survive. It’s not just the death of life but also the entire civilization as well. Communications and all sorts of technology innovated by man is now useless and dead. Now we are back on the prehistoric ages with nothing.
Am I ready? Are we ready? Nah… who cares. I’m homeward bound anyway. I’ll worry about it later.
Chapter 9
It was a swift drive back home bringing along with us some company to add up to our manpower needs to hopefully maintain a sustainable workforce that could meet up to our demands. While manpower generation is my primary purpose hidden within the shadows of charity and mercy, such diabolic move also carries some downslides. That is, additional manpower also carries additional demand to our daily consumption. Yes, I may not be obliged to give wages and salaries for their services rendered because money is considered valueless this time, the added workforce will increase our harvest from agriculture and aquaculture sources which, as an effect thereof, will also increase our stakes for barter and trade. For sure, we can come up with enticing promos, packages and all sorts of business strategies to get things done.
“Hey, Ryan. Thank you so much for this.” Carl said.
“It’s no problem Carl. You and your family are always close to us.” I replied.
“We’ll help in every way possible especially for our security.” He said.
“It’s not just that my friend.” I said. “There’s a lot of job to do and a lot of innovative engineering to consider. You’ll surely be excited.” I said.
“You bet I will, Ryan.” He said with a smile.
We ended up the conversation with positive notes and happy moments. It’s seems like Carl felt some butterflies in his stomach. Is this a sign of hope? Maybe but everything is just built on to positivity in the course of a looming adversity. I see the happy moments inside my truck; all were full of smiles. Carl’s family rejoices as they were given a new hope of survival options. I felt like their laughter signifies their incontestable entry to heaven --- my farm and I am their Jesus, their savior. The weeding out of additional personnel is a hard decision and painful decision. The old man who was the first seekers for shelter was left out. Yes, Inasmuch as I would want to bring him in with us, I deliberately junked him instead and left him behind the RV Park. Let’s face it a seventy-nine year old man only brings liabilities. What we want are men that those have the assets, skills and talents that they could contribute to ease up the burden of survival. I hate to be rude but the old man is old stock.
We finally are approaching the gates and with just one last turn and I can then see the gates. The convoy is quite long so I have to find a decent parking area for their vehicles to fit in. RV trucks will surely be piled and lined up in our lawn which will surely damage the Bermuda grass landscape. Tire prints will surely overlap on this once beautifully articulated lawn whose aesthetic balance is a blowout. I hope Farah won’t get mad at this; at least for me damaging her exterior designs. Grasses recuperate while lives don’t so I’d think that she would be more considerate. If freaks out, I’ll calm her down --- with a kiss.
I signaled a resounding horn sound. Farah, Lee, Susie and Steve went out as our welcome party. The glittering sunshine made me make my hand as a visor just to see Farah and the gang approaching. One by one we alighted in our individual vehicles and finally made a touchdown. The shock in Farah’s face is clear enough for me to see some question marks dancing on her head. Without a clue, her steps went from natural to fast speeds mixed with an obvious stomping motion leaving Steve, Lee and Susie well off behind. It is as if that she is doing a morning brisk walk exercise. Her face went to a smile down to a frown; her fists clenched revealing the feminine muscles in her arms; she’s obviously greasing in anger. I am dead.
“Hello Carl, good to see you.” She said.
Farah bypassing me and worse she didn’t even greeted me with a kiss. Call that spousal courtesy huh. She smiled and kissed every member of Carl’s family as well as offering a courteous smile to my new recruits. Her eyeballs rolled into me. Huh! Me at last. She drew herself closer extending her lips beside my left eat.
“We need to talk, now.” She said in a demanding voice.
I feel my nerves quiver as her eyeballs enlarged before me as if she wants to eat me. I know she didn’t want the crowded scenario of multiple adoptions of families. She might be scared that more people will jump on to my bandwagon heroics. I couldn’t help but anticipate what’s inside her mind and I wish I could read it. How I wish I have Professor Charles Xvaier’s brain mutations so that I could read her thoughts but I can’t. She then pinched a small thin portion of my stomach burying her pointer and thumb fingernails into the fullness of my skin. A tear came out signaling pain but I didn’t want my unwanted guest to feel the intrinsic animosity between us. This is just a simple lover’s quarrel which I want to stay in the private halls of our lives. I just gave a soured smile to all of them blocking their peripheral visions from seeing Farah’s wrath. My tears? I just wipe it away before the liquid could come out just like any ordinary sweat.
“Feel at home guys! My wife and I will just go to the barn to check some cow’s milk. We’ll be back.” I said and all of them nodded and said in unison, “okay Ryan.”
I left my whole fleet of migrants as they were and went on to Farah’s direction. The supposed romantic teasing proved to be the otherwise as my better have fast tracked her walking leaving me five steps behind. We were not in close in single file formations --- this means war. I am at least lucky in faking things out to my newly acquired visitors. I do not want them to see that Farah’s angry because I brought new faces that only mean additional budget of supplies. She already reached the barn while I maneuvered in slow paced walking trying to figure out a reason; an explanation as to how am I going to justify my sudden charitable impulse without Farah’s prior approval. Yes, I made a mistake by not seeking her approval first. If only my Blackberry Z -10 is functional, I would have called her before deciding to hoard them up but everything is dead now and for sure, cellular phone failure is too lame and unreasonable for any sane man who had just experience solar storms to consider. With time running out as I am getting nearer by the steps I finally conclude to be true, to stay true and just be myself and tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We finally reached the barn’s threshold leaving fragments of shattered barn walls due to the shooting scene a while ago.
“Let’s go to the sycamore tree just below our tree house. I just don’t want anyone to suspect that you are in rage with what I did because that would be inhospitable or worse, rude.”
I said, as I have already accepted my fate but no, this is not about fate. This is a battle of reasons brought about by human considerations of workforce and manpower. Farah followed to the tree blocking my new recruits’ vision as we were settled at the back of our barn.
“You must have been thinking that our house is an orphanage do you?” Farah said with sarcasm.
“Look, honey, I’m sorry for not securing your permission first before I brought them in. I brought them here because we need additional manpower and with their s
kills, like Carl, the RV’s that the mob of settlers brought in here is useful for transport.” I said.
“I have no problem about Carl and his family, Steve, Susie and Lee Guy because I was part of that decision. But with this right now, are you aware that bringing them in also adds up to the mouths that are to be fed?” She said frankly.
“Yes I know, but without additional manpower, we are not going to be able to fast track our production good enough for barter. Steve, Lee, Susie, Carl and his Family including are just accommodated because we know them. Save for their skills and other assets, but our strength and number is not just enough to cover all the loopholes that we might face on the next days, months and years.” I said.
“And how are you supposed to explain what you said?” She said.
“Okay, I brought them here for security reasons. I want them to serve as guards on a round the clock basis. I will make some bunkers as well as watch towers on selected viable and feasible locations with one guard stationed on it. They will work as guards in five hour shift intervals armed with guns and ammo. In exchange for their services, we will give them power, water, food and all of the basic needs. Hey, at least this would better than paying money.” I said.
Farah just laid herself calmly and listened to my explanation keenly noting up some loopholes that she could find in between my words.
“What are they going to do when they are not on security shifts? Sit around like useless whales?” she queried sarcastically.
“No. They are going to help us do the chores like checking on the aqua and hydroponics system, feed our livestock, cook, clean the premises, repair some vehicles and things like that.” I said.
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