Lauren followed the old man through two sets of boot prints, which the snow had already halfway refilled. They travelled back toward the house along the riverbank while Bernie used his flashlight intermittently to light their way.
At the point they’d almost reached the house, they turned right and walked to the barn. There, Bernie slipped on his leather gloves and, with a bit of effort, slid open the barn door. They stepped inside, their eyes met only by vast darkness, and noses met by the smell of hay, feed corn, and manure.
“That’s it over there,” Bernie said, pointing his flashlight’s beam to a stable in the corner, its upper and lower half doors closed and locked. “We had a couple horses living in them a while back, but they got too expensive for us to keep up with. We sure do miss them, though. The stable with all your dad’s stuff in it belonged to my thoroughbred, Bart. Ruthie had a mare in the one beside his. If memory serves me correctly, her name was Chicory, or something like that. Then again, chicory might’ve been her favorite snack.”
Lauren looked at the old man strangely, then strolled away from him and up to the stable. She reached for the hasp on the upper door and slid it across while it creaked loudly at her, then did the same with the lower door’s hasp. She pulled the upper door open, then peered inside the stable at several towering stacks of boxes and tubs lining the wall. “Oh my God,” she muttered as her eyes studied the interior. She gestured to a rectangular metal box nearly as tall as her. “Is that a gun safe?”
Bernie inched his way up to the stable beside Lauren. “Indeed, it is. My hernia starts acting up just looking at that damn thing. Your dad brought it up here on a Saturday, summer before last, I think. I told him he was plum crazy, and if it weren’t for the help he’d brought with him, we would’ve never gotten that behemoth off the truck.”
Lauren glanced over at Bernie, who was now picking his teeth with a toothpick. “He brought someone with him?”
“Yep. A fella about the same age, or thereabouts. Real nice guy. I think his name was Norbert, or Nolan—”
Lauren smiled. “Norman.”
Bernie snapped his fingers. “That’s it. Norman. I never forget a name or a face. Yep, between the three of us, we wrangled that beast off the truck and onto a dolly, then rolled her on over to where she sits to this day.”
Lauren beamed cheerfully now, on the outside as well as in. Before Bernie had showed up tonight, she had felt so alone, so far away from home, surrounded by people she didn’t truly know. And now she was finding out things she hadn’t known about—that her father had been developing a relationship with Bernie and Ruth and making plans with them for the future existence of his family. And he’d even brought Norman along for the ride at some point. It truly was a small world.
Lauren pointed at the safe. “Any idea what’s in it?”
Bernie tilted his head and shrugged. “Guns, I imagine,” he joked. “Being completely forthwith, as far as I know, the damn thing’s empty.” He peered over at Lauren with a sly grin and winked at her again. “But isn’t that what I’m supposed to say? Hell, the better half and I lost all our guns in a tragic boating accident. What a catastrophe.”
Lauren giggled. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard that line before. “This is surreal. And a welcome surprise. I didn’t mean to sound unappreciative earlier, and I’m sorry if I came across that way. I just didn’t know what was going on.”
“Darlin’, you need not apologize to me. I know you’ve been through hell. And I can’t imagine what it must feel like for you to not know where your dad is. I do pray you find each other someday soon.” A pause. “It’s been my experience, when two or more join in prayer, the Lord answers. Just food for thought.”
Lauren nodded, closing her eyes a moment. “I’ll remember that.”
“I know you will. For now, though, I’m gonna head inside and give you a little privacy.” Bernie lit up a wall with his flashlight and reached for a lantern hanging on a hook nearby. Lifting the globe slightly, he lit the wick with a match, adjusted it for adequate brightness, and handed it to Lauren. “There’s enough fuel in that thing to run it for about an hour or so. Just be careful with it…don’t drop it, or anything. It’ll give you enough light to see but if you drop it, we’ll all have more light than we’ll know what to do with.” He paused. “Now, get in there and have yourself a look around. I hope you find something that helps you complete the puzzle.” He headed off to the barn door and stepped outside, pulling it to within a crack of being closed. “Ruthie set up a room for you upstairs in the house. It’ll be yours as long as you stay, and stay as long as you like. I’ll see you at the breakfast table in the morning. Merry Christmas to you, Lauren.”
Lauren reached for the lower door of the stable and opened it, taking a step in. She closed the door behind her and turned around, leaning her arms over it, and sent a smile in Bernie’s direction. “Merry Christmas to you, too, and Ruth also. And thank you.”
Just before Bernie pushed the door closed, he said, “Lauren…no one knows the future, not a single soul on this earth. The only one who knows what’s going to happen from day to day is the big man upstairs. Now, I don’t have the foggiest idea where your dad is, or what he’s doing, or why it’s taking him so long to come around and show his face, but I’m telling you, he’s out there somewhere. For what it’s worth, I believe he’s still alive, and he’s still trying to make it back to you. So hold on tight to your hope, and don’t give up on him. Because I guarantee he hasn’t given up on you—not for a single second. No father who loves his daughter as much as your dad loves you would ever give up on her. Trust me on that. I know from experience.”
Epilogue
A late afternoon severe thunderstorm had gusted through Winchester from the west and could now be heard rumbling its way over the Blue Ridge Mountains, heading for Northern Virginia underneath a towering, churning anvil-shaped supercell.
In its wake, portions of town and surrounding neighborhoods had been left without commercial power, and the tempest had left behind a sticky, tropical feeling in the air. As the sun breached the waning cloud cover, the ambient temperature, which had dropped several degrees during the deluge, beelined swiftly upward to the sweltering summer norm, while residual moisture could be seen evaporating from the paved roads and driveways.
Alan Russell stepped out the front door and took a moment to study the storm’s aftermath. Michelle and Lauren moved past him to the car, leaving him by his lonesome.
He tapped his smartphone, bringing the screen to life. “I take it there’s no way to convince you two to stay?” Alan asked. “The last text I got said this one might last a while. I can get the generator going; that’ll get things back to normal for you…posthaste.”
“Alan, no,” Michelle replied in refusal, her back turned to him. “Every time there’s a power outage, you play this…game, and we usually play along with you. But right now, your daughter and I just want to get out of the house for a change of pace.”
“Sure. Just like everyone else in the world when the power goes out. No one can stand being home for more than a few minutes anymore when the grid goes down. Imagine if it lasted a day…or a week or—”
“Dad, can you not be that person right now?” Lauren poked, cutting him short. “Please?”
“What person?”
“Just get in the car, Alan,” said Michelle.
A full minute passed before Alan surrendered. He locked the door behind him, muttered a few choice words under his breath, and dragged his feet through the muggy air to the car.
Once inside, he was met with an even hotter, drier air mass, superheated by the unrelenting summer sun. “I really need to buy one of those damn sun shades for the windshield.” He pressed the engine start button and turned the air conditioner on full blast. “I’m not sure how much help it would be on a day like today, but it has to be better than this.”
Michelle snapped her seat belt in place. “Well, dear, it’s no different than all the ot
her things you tend to talk about incessantly and not actually do. Maybe if you stopped procrastinating for once, you could actually make it happen.”
“Maybe I will, then.”
“No, you won’t,” Lauren called from the backseat while tugging at her shirt collar. “Some things never change, Dad. You’d be better off sticking with a simpler option…like leaving the windows down.”
“Sure. Ventilation works great when abetted by a thunderstorm.” Alan shifted the car into reverse and slowly backed down the driveway, choosing to utilize the vehicle’s rear camera. He typically preferred to look out the back window per the method he’d been taught when he learned to drive, only he didn’t aspire to see the patronizing look on his daughter’s face. “I love how you two always seem to know the right things to say to keep me motivated.”
Michelle chuckled, facing Lauren. “Can you hear the gears turning? I can guarantee you, the moment we get to the mall, your dad will have his phone out ordering a sunshade on Amazon.”
Alan peered over to his wife. “Why the jokes, Momma? I’m considering doing it right now. I could have Alexa order it for me while I drive.”
The small talk and razzing continued while Alan piloted the car across town. After fighting his way through several sets of powerless traffic lights rendered inoperable by the storm, he pulled in to the mall parking lot, finding it teeming with other drivers on the hunt for places to park. “Guess that means the mall has power.”
Michelle’s face showed signs of enthusiasm. “Perfect. And that means Victoria’s Secret is open.”
“Is that sale still on, Mom?”
“Sure is, toots. Till tomorrow, I think.”
Lauren nodded approval. “I’m going to check it out, then. I’m in dire need of some new bras…the ones I have are getting too tight.”
“Jesus Christ,” Alan cursed with a scowl. “I should’ve just let the two of you go alone.”
Michelle patted him on the thigh. “Just park the car…honey.”
Alan navigated through the swarm of impatient drivers, soon coming across a parking space not too far from an entrance. The family then gathered their things and headed into the building.
Once inside, Michelle excused herself first, as she usually preferred to shop alone, never wanting to have anyone wait on her. She was a finicky shopper, preferred taking her time, and it typically made her feel overly self-conscious knowing others were waiting around while she was on task.
Alan gave his wife a hug, kissed her on the cheek, and told her to text him if she needed anything.
“Where will you guys be?” Michelle asked. “I shouldn’t take too long, but you never know with me.”
Alan looked to Lauren, and she returned his gaze with a shrug. “Anywhere you want to go in particular, L? Other than Victoria’s Secret?”
Lauren giggled. “I can go there with Mom after she gets back. I won’t torture you.”
“Okay, I guess we’ll head down to the food court area and wait for you there,” Alan said. “Maybe we can play a game or two at the arcade while we’re waiting.”
Michelle tilted her head to the side, giving him a funny look. “You two stay out of trouble.”
While strolling along in the opposite direction his wife had gone, every so often Alan peered down at his youngest, realizing just how much she’d grown up in the past couple of years. He couldn’t help but be impressed. “That’s some good body language you got there, kid.”
Lauren gazed over from the corner of her eye. “What do you mean by that?”
“You’re walking with poise, and you have a certain look in your eye…the kind that makes people think twice before crossing you. It makes you look tough and not easily victimized.”
“Okay…”
“I’m serious. It’s the equivalent of having an ADT security system sticker on your house.” He paused. “Did Dave teach you that?”
Lauren laughed. “Dad, you’re funny, and no, Dave didn’t teach me. It’s something else us millennials have taught ourselves…maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s called ‘resting bitch face’.”
“Oh,” Alan said, nodding. “I believe I have heard that term before. I just never knew what it meant until now.” Alan tried to grimace and imitate the look that Lauren was giving off, with some added overemphasis. “How’s mine coming along?”
Lauren turned her head to see. “I don’t think you’re entirely grasping the essence of it.”
The two continued to walk side by side until they reached the food court, noticing that it was much more hectic than usual. Restaurants had people waiting in long lines, and there wasn’t a table in sight with an empty chair, even in the recently renovated additions.
“I guess the storm sent all the rats running inside for cover,” Alan mused. He placed his hands into his pockets and sighed. “I really hate this, L. I’ve never been a fan of crowds, or rats. Or maybe it’s being in tight places with a lot of people.”
“Yeah, I know, Dad,” Lauren said, pointing. “Look, there’s a table over there…let’s go snag it before someone else does.”
“Good eye.”
Taking her seat, Lauren unslung her purse from her shoulder and set it on the table, immediately pulling out her cell phone. She busily tapped on the screen, scrolling through several social media and messaging applications in the blink of an eye.
Alan’s eyes darted around, taking in the scene of bustling mall patrons. “I know you’re a popular young lady, L, busy as hell all the time, with lots to do and a reputation to uphold, but do me a favor and don’t forget where you are right now, okay?”
Lauren hesitated, then set her phone on the table. She toyed with her hair, intertwined her fingers, and glanced up innocently at her father. “I’m getting pretty bad at that, aren’t I?”
Alan shrugged. “You’re nowhere near as bad as most people I’ve seen, including adults. Do me a favor, put that away and take a look around you. How many people are doing what you just were?”
Lauren took a moment to fully engage the scene. If a smartphone, tablet, or other screen device wasn’t glued to their faces, people were carrying them in their hands or had them half-holstered in their back pockets. Most had a set of earphones jammed in their ears. Conversations with family members and friends were carried on halfheartedly at best, while the crowd’s overall primary focus seemed magnetized to the glowing device screens.
“You’re looking at the planet’s newfangled social interface. We stand side by side, yet we find it essential to have miles of wires and radio waves to stay connected all the time and communicate. These days, everybody has their face buried in a screen. They stumble around aimlessly like real-life walking zombies. It’s like people have totally let go of the fact that we’re surrounded by a real world…and they’ve become hopelessly infatuated with the virtual alternatives. Being honest, I’ve never worried too much about you because you’ve shown so much interest in tangible, non-technological things.” A pause. “Remember that saying about the day that technology will someday surpass human interaction…and how we’ll then be stuck with an entire generation of idiots?”
Lauren giggled. “Yeah. That misquote even ascended to meme status.”
“Meme status?”
“The one with the young mom at the airport. She’s on her cell phone and her baby is lying on a towel at her feet.”
Alan nodded. “Come to think of it, I have seen it. Misquote, meme or not, the photo itself is pretty damn authentic, making the point a valid one. Humanity is waning while technology is deliberately gaining ground. It’s a shame. There’s entirely too much real world still out there for us to ignore.”
Lauren nodded her acknowledgment. “I know, Dad. And don’t worry about me. I know technology has its place. It’s useful and fun, but I can keep it in check.”
“Then you should also know how to live without it.”
Lauren’s smile dimmed a few lumens. “Alas, getting to that level might take a little bit more time f
or me.”
Alan reached for her hand. “Take all the time you need. Live your life. Just don’t overlook what you’ve learned or what I’ve told you, and don’t forget to stay vigilant.”
“Situational awareness, I know. And I won’t forget.”
Alan sat back in his seat and folded his arms, watching as his daughter mimicked him in doing the same. A moment passed before he said anything. “So, what are you doing right now?”
“Well, since I’m not on Snap, Facebook, or Insta, I’m studying the layout of the mall. Marking my exits.”
“If something popped off, where would you go?”
“I wouldn’t, at first. I’d stay put, get low, and watch where everyone else was going. Then find another way.”
“Good girl.”
Lauren smiled and tossed her hair. “I’m also people watching and eavesdropping on some funny conversations. Watching hands, eyes, and body language, but mostly eyes. Eyes can sometimes tell you everything you need to know.”
Alan slowly nodded. “See anything suspicious?”
“Not really. Lots of young people running around on their own unsupervised, and lots of families, mostly. Nothing dangerous or threatening.”
“What about behind you?”
Lauren’s eyes darted around until she found a pane of glass ready to lend a hand. “I can see behind me by looking at that window over there. It’s not easy, but it helps.”
“Anything is better than nothing. And I guess I don’t need to ask you this, but I will anyway,” Alan began. “Are you carrying today?”
Lauren smiled and nodded. “G27, extended mag, one in the hole. Two spare mags in my purse.”
Alan smiled coyly. “That’s my girl, L. You have definitely learned how to impress the shit out of me. You’ve taken what I’ve taught you and what you’ve learned elsewhere and become quite the…weapon.” He paused, leaning forward. “Your mom will be back soon. And if you’re okay with it, there’s a few things I’d like to say to you before she gets back.”
Divided We Stand Page 34