by JEFF MOTES
“It’s okay. I have a first aid kit in my pack. Let’s find some wood, and then we can take care of it.”
We walk to the back of the property where some pecan trees are and gather limbs. Will chops them into smaller pieces, then splits those. I don’t offer to help since I haven’t used an axe before and don’t want to risk cutting myself. When he’s finished, there is quite a pile of pecan chips.
Inside the smokehouse, he lays some sticks in the fire pit. “It’s not hard to start a fire if you have the right materials,” he says. “Just don’t get in a hurry or you’ll smother it.” From his pocket, he pulls a small medicine bottle and hands me a cotton ball from it.
“Vaseline-coated cotton balls,” I say. “Should work great at starting a fire.”
He looks at me with a raised eyebrow.
“My grandpa taught me and my mom how to build fires. I’m not completely clueless.”
“You’re not. That’s for sure.” He chuckles, then gives me a Bic lighter and motions for me to proceed.
I set the cotton ball under the sticks, and within a few minutes, the fire is going.
“Let’s feed this a little more. Then we’ll let it die down,” he says. “We need smoke more than we need heat.”
Before long, smoke is billowing from where the roof meets the walls.
“It’s looking good, Lizzy. Let’s go check on Mr. Wright.”
I take his hand, and we walk to the house.
Chapter 21
Lizzy
The Creek
Day 8
“Mr. Wright, I have the smokehouse ready. You can add the meat strips whenever you want,” Will says.
Mr. Jimmy has a pile of meat in a metal bowl soaking in some kind of marinade.
“All right, Will, thanks.”
“We’re going to head to the creek, clean up a bit, and haul some water back,” Will says.
Mr. Jimmy glances up. “Okay, I guess that’s all right.”
I step out to the front porch. Amy is sitting in the swing, sulking. “Amy, Will and I are going to the creek to clean up. You want to go?”
She looks up. “Yes, I do. Are you sure?”
“Amy, you’re my best friend. Of course I’m sure. Just don’t bring your bikini.”
“Well, what am I supposed to wear?”
“Come on. Let’s go up, get some shorts and t-shirts and our dirty clothes. We can wash them while we’re there.”
After we gather our dirty clothes, I borrow another pair of Amy’s shorts and a t-shirt. I think about the last time I went swimming in a t-shirt and Cole showed up. I shudder at the thought. Will is going to be there, but my bra has got to be washed. It’s starting to smell bad. This is going to be embarrassing and awkward, but I don’t know what else to do.
We put all the dirty clothes in a plastic bag and our clean clothes in a separate bag along with some towels, body wash, and shampoo. I wonder if the creek has ever been used as a bathtub before. Probably not in my lifetime. I follow Amy out the bedroom door, stopping long enough to get my shotgun.
We find Will outside, working under the hood of his truck.
“Is there a problem with the truck?” I ask.
“No problem. Only putting a piece back in.”
“A piece back in?”
“I took the electronic ignition control out so nobody could steal the truck.”
“You think anybody would come here to steal your truck?” Amy asks.
“Don’t know. I took it out just in case.”
Will has the driver’s door open, and I get in. Then he runs to the other side and opens the door for Amy. A little tinge of jealousy hits me, though he’s always opening doors for girls, not only me.
We drive down the old logging road. It’s a rough ride, and Will is driving carefully. I glance up at him then quickly look away. I like Will a lot. A whole lot. But I don’t know if I want him seeing me with only a t-shirt on. It doesn’t seem to bother Amy being seen without a bra, but I’m not like her.
Will stops the truck and gets out. “It’s not deep right here,” he says. “Let me go up the creek a little bit and see if I can find a deeper place. Y’all wait here.”
He starts walking off through the brush, following along the creek bank.
“Why did you bring the shotgun?” Amy asks.
I think about that for a minute. Bringing the little shotgun with me has become a habit.
“I don’t know. I just did. Just in case we needed it.”
“That’s what Will said a few minutes ago,” Amy recalls.
“What?”
“He said just in case, the same words you said.”
“Yes, he did, didn’t he?”
Maybe Will and I are starting to think alike.
He walks up. “Seems like a pretty good spot not far up the creek. Let’s fill the water buckets up before we stir everything up with our splashing. Would y’all mind helping me carry the buckets?”
“Sure, we don’t mind,” I reply.
Will carries four buckets. Amy and I get two each. We follow him to a spot where the water is moving faster and is clearer. It’s only a short distance from the truck. Right past this spot is where the deeper water is.
Will goes to the water’s edge and dips one of the buckets in slowly so as to keep from disturbing the sand and dirt from the creek bottom.
“No need to fill them more than halfway,” he says. “The water will just splash out on the way back.”
He gives me a bucket, and I set it on the bank. Then he hands me another, then another, until all eight are half-full, and we carry them to the truck. Will carries two at a time. Amy and I each carry one at a time. After our second trip, all the buckets are on back of the truck. Eight buckets with about two-and-a-half gallons each for a total of twenty gallons. The water is clear, with a slight brownish color. I’m reconsidering whether we should be cleaning our clothes and bathing in it.
Will catches my gaze at the water. “Don’t worry. We’ll filter it and boil it before we use it to cook or drink.”
He knows so much. I hope I can become the woman he is going to need. I flush again as I consider how cold the water was and how embarrassed I’m going to feel.
“Lizzy, you and Amy go back and wash up and wash your clothes. I’ll wait here. When ya’ll get finished, I’ll clean up. Take your shotgun just in case. And watch for snakes.”
“Yes, thanks, Will,” I say with a smile. How could he know what I was feeling?
Amy rolls her eyes, yet she follows me to the creek.
The swim hole, as Will called it, isn’t deep or very large. It’s about the size of Amy’s bathroom and maybe four feet deep. The water is cold. I wet my hair by going under and add the shampoo. Amy does the same thing. She is very pretty. I’m glad Will didn’t come with us.
“Lizzy, I’m not sure my dad is ready for what is happening. He’s smart and all, but…I’m not sure he can take care of us. You know, with all that’s happening.”
I’ve been thinking the same thing, though I don’t know what to do about it.
“Your dad will come around. He’s smart, and I know he loves you and your mom. I’m sure he’ll do what he’s got to do to take care of you.”
Amy is now standing, rubbing the soap all over, bathing with her clothes on. I’m really glad Will didn’t come. She dips under to rinse and comes back up.
“The trailer park was horrible there. I’ve seen some of those guys in school. They were always running their eyes up and down the girls. I really don’t want to be around them. Does Will have more stuff at his place like what he brought out here?”
I consider her question. I’m not really sure how to answer.
“I guess so,” I respond, “though I’ve never been there.”
“Do you think there would be enough for me? For me and my parents?”
“Will said he would try to find a place for you and your family.”
“Will’s a great guy, Lizzy. You’re lucky.” S
he looks directly into my eyes. “I wish I could be as lucky.”
I know where this is going. “Amy, you’re my best friend, and I love you like a sister, but I’m not sharing my boyfriend with you.”
She walks out of the creek, picks up a towel and wraps it around herself, then picks up her bag of dirty clothes.
“I’m going to wash these back near the truck.” She pauses. “It could be good, Lizzy. You and me together just like always, just sharing the same boyfriend. It wouldn’t be bad. That way, I could go to Repose, and my family could too. Just think about it. Please?”
Before I can respond, she walks toward the truck. I’m still in the water, rinsing the soap away. I’m going to lose my boyfriend or my best friend.
Dear God, why?
I wade out of the creek and get my own towel and bag of dirty clothes then head to the truck. Will is sitting on the tailgate. Amy is washing clothes near the bank.
“Your turn, Will.”
I start washing my clothes at the edge of the creek. I should have offered to wash Will’s, too; I just didn’t think about it. Amy and I don’t speak at all.
Will returns shortly and tries to strike up a conversation, but the tension is thick, and Amy isn’t speaking at all. The drive back home is silent.
Will parks the truck in the same place as before. Amy gets out before Will can open the door and walks to the house without saying anything.
“What’s that all about?” he asks me.
“I’ll tell you later. Give me your clothes, and I’ll hang them up to dry with mine.”
While I go searching for a place to hang our clothes, Will opens the hood and starts removing the device he installed earlier.
****
The sun is waning, and the evening meal was excellent.
“Mr. Jimmy, you really know how to use the grill,” I say. “The deer was great, and so were the vegetables, Mrs. Lynn.”
I step outside, looking for Will. I find him on the back deck near the pool, stretched out in a lounge chair. Amy is sitting in a chair not far from him, her feet tucked up under her. When she hears me, she looks up. I start to make an angry remark, but she cuts me off.
“Lizzy, I’m sorry. I know Will only loves you. I’m scared. What am I going to do?”
I wonder if we should be having this conversation in front of Will. I think he’s asleep, though. I nudge his shoe with my foot. He doesn’t move.
“I don’t know, Amy. Will said he would try to find a place for you. Just be patient and pray.”
“I’m not sure God is hearing many of my prayers these days.”
“Have you been praying?”
“No. Not really.”
“Then how do you expect Him to hear?”
“I don’t know, Lizzy. I just don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll pray with you.” I take Amy’s hand and begin to pray.
“Dear God, there is so much uncertainty before us. We pray for Your protection and guidance. Please find a way for Amy and her family to come to Repose. Please be with my mother and my grandmother and Will’s family too. Help each of us to trust You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Amy wipes a tear from her eye. “Thank you, Lizzy. It’s been a really long time since I’ve prayed.”
“Things will work out. You’ll see. Let’s go inside and let Will sleep. I know he’s tired.”
Chapter 22
Jimmy
Contemplation
Day 9
The air is cool again tonight. It’s 1:00 a.m., and I’ve taken over the watch from Will. Everybody is asleep. It’s obvious Will is not going to fall for Amy despite all her charms. I’ve got to come up with another plan for providing for our family.
If the trouble with the Hiltons is over, I think we can stay here, although it’ll be challenging. Water and food are going to be a constant struggle. We can get water from the creek, maybe even the pool if we filter and treat it. Will showed us how to do it yesterday before dark. It’s not hard, but it’s going to be a chore. First, we’ll filter the water through several layers of t-shirts and a coffee filter, then boil it for one minute. Or we could use eight drops of liquid bleach per gallon of creek water and sixteen drops per gallon for the pool water.
Initially, I was a little skeptical of what Will was telling me. He had it all written down on a notepad he keeps in his pack. There were a lot of other notes in his notepad, though he didn’t show them to me. Seeing my skepticism, he showed me a PDF on his iPhone. It was straight from the Clorox website on how to use their products for emergency treatment of water. I’m glad Lynn didn’t use those scented bleaches. If she had, we couldn’t have used them to treat the water.
I marvel at how much better prepared Will is than I am. I wish Amy could have won him over, though it doesn’t seem that’s going to happen. He is going to be of no more help to our family once he leaves with Lizzy. He said he would try to find a place for us in Repose, though I have no confidence he will. When he leaves with Lizzy, that will be the last we see of him. Besides, when he finds out I lied about talking with Lizzy’s grandmother, he won’t even consider asking us to Repose.
I’ve got to come up with a plan on my own. Everything I’ve tried has gone awry. Finding and buying supplies in Jackson didn’t work out. My tongue moves to where my front tooth used to be. Thankfully, it doesn’t hurt like it did. All the cuts and scrapes seem to be healing, too. No signs of infection.
The food from Richard’s house would have lasted for months if the Hiltons hadn’t stole all of it. Moving to Will’s house certainly seems to not be a possibility. Maybe it’s time for Will and Lizzy to leave.
When our meat supplies run down, I’ll shoot another deer. I’m pretty sure I can do it. It seemed easy enough for Will the other night. Smoking the meat hasn’t been difficult either, though what we put in the smokehouse isn’t ready yet.
What about vegetables? We only have a few cans left plus what James Harris brought yesterday morning.
James!
He said we could trade for food. But what do I have that we could trade? He said gold and silver had value. I’ve got plenty of that in my brokerage account.
“Paper gold,” my advisor said, “is as good as gold in your hand. Even better since you don’t have to worry about people stealing it or paying fabrication and storage fees. And it’s easier to turn into cash.”
I wish I had that gold and silver in my hand right now! Paper gold isn’t even worth toilet paper.
Oh God, toilet paper!
We’re down to our last roll in each of our bathrooms. What are we going to do when that runs out? It’s going to be bad. Very bad. It makes me shudder. I better keep my focus on food. James said other things had value.
We have gold and silver jewelry. I have a couple of rings, and with what Lynn and Amy have, there must be several thousand dollars’ worth of jewelry. I wonder if we can use that to trade with instead of coins.
Liquor? Got none. Cigarettes and tobacco? None. Drugs and medicines? None, other than a few over-the-counter items. Guns and ammo? I don’t even have enough for what we need. Women? That’s not going to happen.
What else did he say? Gasoline? Yes, he said gasoline. I’ve got gas in my truck and Lynn’s car and the Polaris. The Hiltons stole my other gas and cans. All my vehicles are useless, so I have no need for the gas. I could use it to trade. James said it is the most valuable item.
Using the NVD, I scan the yard again. Nothing’s there. I wonder if keeping watch is really necessary. We haven’t had any trouble since the incident three days ago. Maybe the Hiltons learned their lesson and are going to stay away. We aren’t going to be able to keep the watch up after Will leaves anyway.
Picking up his radio, I switch it on and move through the channels. He’s got a lot programmed in here. Some are marked “RP” with different numbers. One is marked “CCSO.” He said that was for the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office. I pause on that channel for few moments but don’t hear anything. Will
said the stubby antenna didn’t pick things up from very far. He uses a wire antenna when he talks with Repose each night. He left it strung up in a tree not far from his truck. I may try it out a little later.
For now, I find the channels marked “FRS,” move down to “FRS14,” and push the PTT button. No response. I push the button again. Still no response. I try it once more, this time speaking into the radio.
“Jimmy Wright calling James Harris.”
After a short pause, a voice comes over the radio. “This is James. Why the hell are you calling me at 1:00 a.m.?”
I hadn’t thought about the time.
“I have something you might be interested in.”
“Whatever it is, it can wait until morning. Out.”
I hold the radio out and stare at it for a few moments. Maybe this isn’t going to be a good idea after all. Stepping down from the porch, I go over to Will’s truck and find the wire hanging down from one of the nearby trees. I remove the stubby antenna, attach the wire antenna, and scan through the channels.
At the channel marked “CCSO,” I pause and listen. I can hear a transmission! It’s weak and garbled, but I can still hear it. Excitedly, I push the PTT button.
“Hello. Can anybody hear me?”
No response. I try again three more times. Still no response. A little disappointed, I swap the antenna and head to the porch.
Now I’ve only got to stay awake until 4:00 a.m.
Chapter 23
Will
A Talk With Amy
Day 9
Lizzy has finally let me hold her close. She feels soft and warm. Oh, how I love this girl! I sniff her hair. The smell is… I open my eyes and sigh with a tinge of disappointment. Lizzy is not here. Laying in my arms is the extra pillow the Wrights gave me to use. This is a dream I’m certainly not going to be telling her about.
It’s time to relieve Mr. Wright. Releasing the pillow, I roll out of bed and start my morning routine. Amy made me miss it yesterday. I push the images of her away. Placing the ball of my right foot on the wall with my heel on the floor, I lean my leg toward the wall. The stretch feels good.