by Ison, S. A.
Tomi could kick the shit out of Perrin for putting notions in his head. Christ. They’d only known Iris a few days. Tomi knew enough that crisis drew people together, giving them closer bonds than most ordinary circumstances. This was all it was. He went back to his rocking chair and watched as Billy and Mika came out. They’d done their chores and now had free time to play with the puppies, who ran and barked. The light was fading from lazy blue to soft pinks and lavenders.
The ubiquitous cicadas were beginning to quiet, as were the birds. All looking for their resting places for the coming night. The soft susurrus of the wind worked its way through the darkening canopy of the surrounding forest. Tomi watched as lightening bugs began to appear around the clumps of flowering plants that dappled the expansive front yard. Mika was now chasing the bugs as was Billy. From time to time, the boys stopped to pick up a small apple from the ground and crunched on it. There were dozens that littered the ground around the apple trees.
Tomi felt an overwhelming since of peace settle over him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this. Years. Maybe never. It was something quite magical, the soft breeze playing over them, the soft creaking of the chairs and porch swing. No one spoke, it would only ruin the moment and Tomi knew they all felt it. It had been a hell of a week. Fear, sorrow, anger. Now, here, was peace in the eye of the storm. Bill and Nell were lucky and hopefully, with him home now, and those five bastards gone, they’d not be bothered.
The two massive dogs were out in the yard, laying and watching the carrying on of the kids. Those two would be equalizers and he was glad. They were good people and it would seem, that left alone, they’d thrive. He was glad. The darkness grew around them like a soft shroud, creeping stealthily. He looked over again at Iris, she was laughing softly with Dawn, both holding hands as women do. He looked at Liev, who beamed like a fool. He chuckled. Bill and Nell were sitting side by side on a glider, tucked over in the corner of the porch.
He sighed heavily and let the earlier day slide away. He’d enjoy this one moment in time and held it dear to his heart. Something to treasure during the rest of their journey to his uncle.
=
Liev stood before the bathroom mirror. He was trying to tame his wild mane of blond curls. The damp morning air sent them to rioting. He added water to the comb and applied it. He tied it back into a ponytail then grinned at his reflection. He couldn’t believe he was going to marry Dawn this morning. His heart nearly shattered with joy. He’d loved her for so long. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the ring. Bill had kindly given it to him.
“Nell said she wanted Dawn to have it.” When Liev had tried to refuse it. He looked at the plain gold band. He smiled when he heard the laughter in the kitchen. Linda was laughing as well and he was glad. He knew she’d been heartbroken over the loss of Norman. It was a good day and he was happy. They’d all been able to take a cold shower, fast. He laughed at the thought. It had taken Dawn nearly an hour to comb out his hair last night. He was dressed in clean camos and a heavy corded tan sweater. It was cold this morning.
Leaving the bathroom, he made his way to the kitchen and was greeted with laughter and cheers. He felt the heat rise. These were a good group of people and he was thankful to be among them. He wondered where he’d be now, if he’d not gone to prison? He’d certainly not have met Dawn. His granny always said, God gets you where you need to be. He was sure she was right. He needed to be right here, with his friends and with Dawn.
He laughed and accepted slaps on the back from the men. He received a hug and kiss from Linda, she held him on both arms and looked up, her eyes shimmering with tears.
“I’m so happy for you and Dawn. You deserve to be happy and I’ve never met a lovelier pair.” She tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thanks Linda, I feel like the luckiest man in the world. Apocalypse or not.” He grinned down at her.
=
Iris wiped at a tear. It was a simple, yet beautiful ceremony. Even with the blue marker, Liev was quite handsome, his face, for once, serious. Bill was doing a wonderful job and Iris saw that Linda was smiling broadly. She watched Tomi surreptitiously, she didn’t know why her eyes kept going back to him. She wondered if it was because he’d saved her. That thought kept popping up. She knew it wasn’t love at first sight, she didn’t believe in that hogwash. Yet, for reasons she couldn’t explain, she was drawn to him and his quiet nature.
He was like the calm in the storm and all revolved around him. His friends were faithful to him. She shrugged mentally. She just couldn’t explain it. She smiled, watching Liev pull the gold band out. Tears fell down Dawn’s face as he slipped the ring on her slender finger. She felt tears prickle again when she watched as a tear slid down Liev’s broad face. She shook her head. Life sure was weird.
She wondered what her life would have been like in Lexington, had she been there when all this happened? Would she even now, be fighting for her life? She’d had hardly nothing in her pantry. Her refrigerator was near on empty. Could she and Belinda have survived? All the people she knew were like herself. None of them hunted, at least, none that she knew of. All were anti-gun, so none would have had a weapon. By now, life must be a living hell, in that city. In all cities. She shivered slightly.
She forcefully pushed the thoughts away. Now was not the time for dark brooding. It was a happy time. Her eyes once more sought out Tomi, and she caught his dark glance and her heart skipped a beat.
=
Everyone chattered in the front yard. They were all reluctant to leave their new friends, but Tomi knew daylight was burning and they needed to get on the road. The two puppies were leashed and running around them. He grinned down at his pup. He’d named her Sakura, blossom, for his mother. Sakura was now biting the leash and yanking it for all she was worth. She then fell over when she yanked too hard. She struggled to get back up, her large belly impeding her. He smiled down at her.
“You’re going to have your hands full.” Linda laughed and went passed him to hug Nell and Bill as well as their boys. Tomi turned and walked to Bill, taking his hand in both of his own.
“Bill, thank you so much for your hospitality and for the puppies. They will remind us of you all and our short, but wonderful time here. Please be safe and I’ll keep you and your family in my prayers.”
“You too Tomi, be safe and go safely. Those puppies will grow up to be wonderful protectors. I doubt we’ll see each other again and that grieves me, more than I can say. I do feel blessed that you came our way. Go with God.” Bill said, hugging Tomi hard. Tomi felt the prickle of tears and smiled, turning to hug Nell and her boys. Then he turned and walk toward the road. One by one, the members of his group said their farewells.
The group walked in silence, each in their own thoughts. He watched Liev and Dawn walk ahead, their puppy, Moon, named after the puppy’s white belly that looked like a full moon. Moon ran as far as the leash would allow, then ran back. They’d all filled their camel packs with fresh water. They had the sad duty of also divvying up Norman’s things. They could let nothing go to waste. They had given Nell one of the AR15’s along with mags and ammo for it. It was the least they could do. They still had their handguns, shotgun and rifles and the two other AR15s.
Tomi laughed and turned, seeing Iris beside him.
“What’s so funny?” She asked, smiling. Her face was now a grizzly yellow, but the greens and blues were fading. She looked like she’d had a tanning booth accident. The swelling had subsided and Nell had felt no fractures on her face.
“I was thinking we look like an advertisement for the second amendment and gun control.” He grinned and she laughed.
“I guess you’re right. I never held a gun before. Never wanted to. I’d seen too much of what they could do in court, but by god, I’m glad we have them. I’m glad our rights weren’t taken away.”
“Yeah, I understand why the anti-gun folks wanted to take guns away. I do. But the thing is, people who legally own guns
and had them taken away, would now be vulnerable to those who illegally own them, like those five men. Had we not had these weapons; we’d all be dead now. Criminals were never going to hand over their guns. Now at least, those who do own the weapons, have a fighting chance against the bad guys, cause there’s no law or government to protect any of us. Just ourselves.”
“Yes, and I was one of the biggest proponents for ending guns. Christ. I feel like an idiot when I think about it.” Iris said, shaking her head. She took Sakura’s leash and walked the puppy.
“Don’t. You believed what you believed. That was one of the things I served for. The right to believe and live as you want. I also served for the right to bear arms.” He grinned and shrugged. She laughed. They fell silent and walked companionably. Linda was ahead with Perrin, both talking softly together.
“Is it me, or did you just want to stay with the Blige family forever?” Iris said, grinning as she tugged gently at the leash.
“Yeah, man, oh man. It was like magic last night. So darn peaceful on that porch.” Tomi said dreamily.
“I know, right.”
“My uncle has a nice big porch like that. Swing too. A few rocking chairs, though I’m not sure if they will hold yon bridegroom over there.” He grinned and she sniggered. At that moment, Liev looked back and both busted out laughing. A brow raised on his countenance in question and Tomi just grinned and shrugged.
“My uncle’s property sits at the shore of the Crane’s Nest River. The back of it rather. When I was a kid, me and my sister used to swim and fish there. I think it reminds me of last night, that peaceful feeling. That feeling of home. Traveling in the military, I was never in one place long enough. Then, prison, there a solid seven years, but that wasn’t peaceful. Or, rather it was more peaceful than I thought it could be.” He amended with a grin.
“You don’t feel angry for spending seven years there? For being kept there, even though the judge knew you were innocent?” Iris asked.
“At first, I was frightened for Airi, I’d not known about her boyfriend and what a crazy bastard he was. I was hurt that she’d lied and gone along with him, and then she died. I was heartbroken, and it took time for that to heal. Liev kept me sane, as did Perrin and Dawn and the other corrections officers. They were a good group of people.”
“But still, you weren’t free.” Iris said softly, looking sideways at him.
He shrugged. “With my family nearly gone, I didn’t feel like there was anyplace else to go. That was why I was heading to my uncle’s place. A quiet and safe place. I finished my education, like I’d planned to do. My mother called me a rock.” He paused when she laughed and he grinned when her face turned red.
“No, not as in dumb as a box of rocks. No, as in solid, calm. Letting things go around me. She said I have an old soul.”
“Your mother was Japanese?”
“Yes, my father met her when he was stationed in Japan. She was a rock as well. She brought calmness to our family, she held it in place. When she died, we kind of shattered.” Tomi said, a sad smile on his face and he shrugged. He felt her hand on his arm and she squeezed it. He smiled down at her. He took the leash; Sakura was now starting to slow down. He stopped and waited, while Iris opened up his pack. He squatted and let her slip the puppy inside, her head sticking out.
He straightened and laughed when he saw Liev and Dawn do the same. They knew the puppies couldn’t walk all day, so they’d carry them in the backpacks. He felt Sakura squirm a bit, but then she settled down. They resumed their walk and he watched Moon, figuring she’d mirror Sakura. Within a few minutes, Moon was asleep, her tongue hanging out.
“Is Sakura asleep?” He asked Iris.
She laughed softly, “She’s out for the count.”
“Good, she’s a heavy thing.” He grinned.
“I think she’ll be good company and also a good guard dog. I’m glad you got her.”
“Me too. I had a dog when I was a kid, but moving around so much, I’d never gotten a pet. It will be nice, I think. Plus, if she can hunt well, she’ll keep us in squirrels.” He laughed.
=
There was a cold breeze as a heavy cloud covered the sun. Iris shivered and was grateful for the knitted hat Nell had made her. She’d been amazed as Nell had knitted each of them a soft wool cap during their visit. The woman’s hands had been a blur. The sound of the clicking needles as they rapidly threw the yarn back and forth. The nights were getting colder and though she was snug in her thermal sleeping bag, her head tended to feel the cold while she slept. At least while the walked down the road, the sun usually hit them.
Nell had also given her a lesson in knitting. It was a basic knit one pearl two.
“With that, you can knit scarfs and hats. I’ll give you a couple sets of needles and some nice wool yarn to take with you. It’ll give you something to do.” Nell had smiled kindly. That home had felt like a real home. It oozed love and compassion. Her own had not, when she’d grown up. Her own father had been a lawyer, her mother, a secretary for her father’s law firm. That was how her parents had met.
Both parents wrapped up in their own world, Iris had been substantially ignored and foisted off on nannies, who were, she assumed, underpaid. She’d had a loving nanny from her infancy until about ten. A black woman of unknown years, but was full of love and hugs. Then, sadly, she’d retired and so Iris had grown up to womanhood under uninterested guardians. Some lasting more than others. Their indifference made Iris long for something more.
She’d found that at Bill and Nell’s home. It was nearly tangible. She’d wanted to stay there and not leave, and she knew that was foolish. She’d always been pushed one way or the other, and seemed to just go along in her life. She’d followed in her father’s footsteps, hoping to please him. When her mother and father had moved down to Florida, Iris had been sad, but not devastated. Her mother had never inspired that kind of devotion and her father was a distant man.
Iris watched Liev and Dawn ahead of her. She envied them. They were like two peas in a pod. He was such a goofy man, and yet, she’d seen the stark contrast of the killer in him. He took his job of protecting them, and especially Dawn, seriously. Dawn, who was a very strong woman, forceful in nature, seemed to bend easily for Liev. It in no way weakened her, and once more Iris was struck by the contrast. Liev was a criminal, though not a bad one. Iris grinned on the inside. $28, he had a sweetness to him, that Iris contributed to his grandmother, whom he’d tried to help.
Then she thought about Perrin, a quiet and somewhat stoic man, yet had a ready grin for his friends. He was compassionate and she had witnessed his solicitude to Linda’s grief over Norman. Also, the quiet comradery between himself and Tomi.
She smiled, Tomi, the rock. When she’d asked what she was, he’d smiled.
“You are grass.” He’d grinned, his eyes crinkling up in that way that she liked.
“Grass? How so?” she’d laughed.
“Grass is strong, but it bends. Sometimes it is trampled, mowed down. But it keeps coming back, sometime lusher than before. It grows between things, pushes them out of the way, or goes around.”
“I thought that was weeds.” She’d laughed and he’d laughed as well and she liked his laugh.
“Weeds are grass, some more prickly than others, but all strong. Did you know that grass is one of the most prolific species there is?”
“So now I’m prickly?” She sniggered.
“No, but you are grass. You bend and go around and sometimes through things.”
“What is Liev?” she’d laughed.
“He’s a goof. No, he’s more like smoke. You don’t really notice him, until he’s choking the hell out of you.” He grinned. They’d both laughed at that and that had caused Liev to turn to look at them once more. He must have known he was the subject of their conversation. He’d walked back to them and grabbed both of them around their necks, choking them, which caused them to laugh even more.
A soft smile played on
her lips. These people were becoming her family. People she’d never in a million years associate with in her previous life. People she’d have considered beneath her. She’d been a snob and to her shame, knew she’d emulated her parents. Her life had been about attaining approval from others. Now, it didn’t matter. Now, it was simply trying to get through each day without getting killed.
She’d been a cynic, and then she’d met these people. She’d met Nell and Bill, who actually talked the talk and walked the walk. She was now seeing things for what they really were, without all the distractions of façades. She was seeing people on their most basic levels.
=
Linda tried to keep up her spirits, but with the loss of Norman, it was difficult. Jack had well and truly betrayed them all, and in so doing, had killed Norman by proxy. Now, it was difficult to put one foot in front of the others. Perrin had tried to help her, bless him. As did Tomi and Dawn. The small wedding had helped buoy her grief temporarily, but now, on the road with her thoughts, she’d plunged back down.
She wondered at times, why she bothered continuing on? Perhaps she should have stayed with the Blige family, but she’d not wanted to intrude. Somehow, each step away from Norman was like a step away from her son. It was like that time, all over again. Pulling her back, and she wanted to die, like she had when Brent had died. She’d held her son in her arms, he’d only been eighteen.
Christ, it had been so long ago, but seemed like yesterday. When Norman had died, well, it had brought her back to that devastating grief. All she could do was to put one foot in front of the other and try to walk the grief away. Though Norman had reminded her of her husband, he’d also reminded her of Brent. She’d not really made the connection until the boy had been killed. Then those horrible feelings of grief had nearly drowned her. Both her husband and Brent had been sweet men. Not weak, but gentle.
She’d grieved when Wallace had passed, but he’d died of cancer. It had lingered for years and when he had succumbed to death, it had been a blessing and a relief. Brent’s death had been unexpected and a shock and heartbreaking. He’d been a child still, not quite a man.