by Ron Foster
“What do you mean there is no Government plan? I thought you been studying how to plan for this shit for years.” Betsy said accusingly towards me.
“Hell, why do you think I prep so much? It is because I KNOW there is not a plan for something of this magnitude. At least ways nothing I have seen for civilians. They have continuity of Government plans, but those plans are for the fat cats and politicians!” I responded a bit brusquely, as it hit a nerve I had not been able to change policies in my short tenure.
I continued a bit aggressively, “While the House last year passed the "GRID Act, addressing vulnerabilities of the bulk power sector to natural threats and cyber attacks, action in the Senate is tied up by conflicting bids for jurisdiction by five different committees. So that means everyone is still talking about it and doing nothing and when they get around to it, will be slow as hell and bureaucratic B.S.” I said choking from turning up my drink up too fast.
“So where is the food they’re talking about coming from?” Sandra directed towards me with a shoot the messenger attitude.
“There are some pre staged supplies in warehouses here they use to pre position for Gulf disasters. This is a rally point for all the trucks that head out, remember Katrina? Maybe they are commandeering the local Winn Dixie and Piggly Wiggly warehouses, I do not know! Give me time to think on it,” I said sitting back and trying to fathom the unknown, while being pelted with more questions.
“Do you know where your distribution point is yet for this address?” I said putting a hush to the babbling around me. Knowing where it was, would give me some inclination as to who was orchestrating this show.
“They said for our zip code we go to Normandale tentatively and it would be confirmed next Wednesday.” Sherry said while shushing her charges and seeing my warring emotions and thoughts.
“They didn’t assign colors or refer to anyone as sectors? Think back to the exact wording, it makes a difference in my understanding of things.” I said slowly and clearly searching the contemplative faces around me.
“No, they definitely said distribution points were being assigned by zip code.” Sherry said looking at me furrowing my brow and studying the meaning of what was just revealed.
“It sounds like they are using a vaccination or drug distributing plan that maps out central points for drive up delivery of medications in case of a bioterrorism attack. It will be military trucks doing the food drops; they are the only ones that can move possibly at the moment but I am still not sure who has those public health plans in their hands.” I considered and wandered towards the house with Sally Cat following me and reminding me with an occasional meow that I usually gave her a treat when asked politely.
“How is the Kitty chow holding up?” I addressed Sherry from the stairs to the house.
“I am being careful, but all we got is that big sack of dry inside the door.” she said worriedly.
“Ok, a few nibbles I give her won’t hurt.” I replied assuring the cat I would provide her something for playing tag along. I fixed a drink and gave the cat a tiny amount of kibble, and returned to my chair.
“Sandra, you and Betsy are at a disadvantage now if they are checking residency papers. But I do not foresee that as a problem at the moment. The problem is going to be this delivery is going to be a first come first served affair.” I stated reminding myself of how many times I had served on Ice distribution lines while in the Guard in response to the aftermath of a hurricane.
“Its basically hand stuff off the truck to a line of people and whoever doesn’t get any first go round is SOL and has to wait on another truck at another time or day. People get hostile about that, let me tell you, if they are one of the unlucky ones,” I said warningly.
“This first go round, all three of you go and get there early. The house should be safe enough because most people will be going after the free distribution stuff for the first time and not studying robbing houses.” I let this sink in for a moment and then carried on.
“The longer this crap lasts the people in the other zip code not being served on that day, figure you’re not home, so break ins start happening. If stuff is in short supply or now high valued, then robberies of people coming back from distribution points start happening. They will lay in wait for you.” I said ominously, but seriously, as I had seen it before as man’s inhumanity to man started to surface after a prolonged disaster.
“It won’t be long before at least one of you needs to stay to guard the house while the other two go out to get what is available.” I said instructing the girls to the realities of things to come.
“But, we have food David; we don’t need to even get out in that danger.” Sherry said while exchanging glances of apprehension with the group.
“That is a smart consideration, but not fully thought through.” I cajoled not wanting to detract from the notion, but needing to get to a main point of our survival without scaring anyone too much.
“Look ladies, everyone in the neighborhood is going to be observing and talking about this possibility of getting some food distribution. You must be just as worried, just as frantic as they are that it will be successful, without letting on you have a margin of safety.” I said as realizations started setting in.
“You need to be just as dirty, just as tired from walking all that way to get something to eat as everyone else to be able to not stand out, or someone will start thinking something is abnormal. Watch out for your trash you pile out on the curb, lose weight with everyone else, don’t be over confident and above all else do not let on to anybody what you have been blessed with storing.” I strongly advised.
“We get it David, I have been talking to everyone, already about just that, but we got neighbors and elderly here in the community that we can’t just ignore.” She said with a bit of venom in her voice.
“I am not saying, we don’t try to help them or shoot someone raiding our gardens to feed their families.” I objected.
“I am merely stating the obvious and making you aware, that I do not need a target painted on the back of any one of us, if we hope to get through this.” I replied a bit strongly while raising my hand to obvious dissent, but indicating I had a plan.
“This block you live on, as well as my Mom’s, have to become little city states that are organized and not little neighborhood gang turfs. The structure and the organization of the communities before we had this event must be maintained and it’s necessary to reestablish that normalcy now under the old guidelines that have already been accepted.” I said while the rationality and plausibility of the concept became more understandable and a general acceptance of the idea was received amongst my listeners.
“Sherry, you were very active in your neighborhood association, you elected officers, interviewed representatives, had meetings with law enforcement etc. to address the problems facing your normalcy of life, did you not?” I directed my attention towards Sherry’s awakening that the solution to the problem was nothing new or out of hand.
“That is correct David, the infrastructure is already in place to meet and agree to solutions to problems here in this neighborhood. How do we start to work on things, and what is the first on the agenda?” she said considering her bastion of safety no longer an island in a sea of distress.
“You call a meeting!” Betsy said surprising everyone with the most obvious solution looking nonplussed.
“See, you are all members of a committee that you did not know you were even members of.” I said, looking pleased with myself, as they excitedly made plans to contact the association for further actions as I exited stage right, while picking up all the glasses to play bartender with.
“Let me interrupt your deliberations a second.” I said, as I was serving drinks to my hostesses.
“Needs of those that cannot get to the distribution point and security for those that do, should be the first order of business for this meeting you propose.” I said taking my own seat and the conversation resumed like I was not even
there, unless a question arouse they could not agree on.
I basically ignored my friends chatter, while I was considering how to start up similar strategies in my Mom’s neighborhood, when Sherry broke my concentration with a question.
“David, you think that ex FBI guy should be put in charge of security?” Sherry and the rest of the females tossed in my lap.
“I never met him, but he looked ok at a distance.” I said refocusing and considering on how he did not look like the typical Hollywood shade wearing prick, which was my current opinion of that service.
Sherry was a bit put-off about me not thinking her idea was wonderful, and I admit I had never personally met the guy and she had, so my judgments might be biased, but I had more questions to ask before committing to the sensibilities of anything.
“You might want to consider an old military infantry man too, but I want to talk to Mr. FBI as a diplomacy effort towards the group or association I will be forming, that he might be collaborating with.” Pausing long enough for everyone to see that a mutual alliance amongst different neighborhoods was part of a bigger plan to normalcy in my viewpoint.
“We need to have what is called multi agency liaisons to address all the concerns any group of people with different needs and responsibilities might face.” I said, apparently complicating the matter and perplexing my would-be advocates.
‘Sorry, it’s a lot to think about, this is what I do. I don’t manage the emergency; I coordinate at a central point a means of sharing a variety of different responses and communications.
“Dang, I always thought that you were practicing not answering a question straight, or with a question.” Betsy laughed and said as she handed me another drink.
“I got to quit partaking, or you all need to quit asking so many good questions, I am afraid this day’s trip has me second guessing my judgments and I am feeling a bit fuzzy.” I said to obvious looks it was my fault for overindulging, but they had mercy on my poor soul.
“Oh, quit trying to carry the burden and relax, David, sometimes it is best to act very slowly before you over react.” Sherry reminded me.
“I know you’re tired, David. Why don’t you eat something and we won’t quiz you anymore.” Sherry said while patting me and visually telling her friends that now was not the time to dog pile on me for answers I did not know.
“I got to get my head clear.” I said rising and stretching a bit.
“I am going to get the keys to the shed and put the tractor up and walk around front for a minute to clear the cob webs out.”
Who wrote that statement that says about how I been feeling for the last few days, I believe it was Robert Frost, but all I can think of is the miles to go before I sleep.
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Daang! David you’re getting pretty skippy, thinking of stuff like that versus staying in the here and now. Well 6 days of hard drinking and exercise plus the stress will do that to you. I better stay here tonight and see Mom in the morning. Sherry said she was alright and even if you did come 200 miles by country rail, the old lady would hell raise you for dabbling in the sprits.
I am just glad enough to be home and away from that hen party in the backyard for a moment, as much as I care about them. Dusk, the time the boogers and the haints come out, I was speculating on as I see moving shadows out of the corner of my eye.
Kids, teenagers actually are riding up on bikes at the far corner of the street congregating in a group of 6 or 7. Normally I would not think anything about the behavior, but they are looking about furtively like they up to something. We had a problem in the neighborhood prior to my appointment in Atlanta with break-ins and the cops told us at the association meeting it was suspected that juveniles were doing it as part of a gang initiation.
They see me watching them and I make sure to get more obvious about it by standing in the drive way and staring in their direction. I got all day and distance to win this contest, I think, leaning up against Sherry’s defunct car as they lose interest and move on.
Damn kids can be more vicious than adults can be and they have not learned life’s lessons yet about dire consequences, I had better add them to my list of predators to warn the girls about.
“You ok, David?” Sherry says behind me giving me a startle.
“I am ok; I was just watching and thinking.” I say in an odd moment of renewed mutual affection and hugging her.
“I am staying the night, you got space somewhere?” I ask unsure of the reply, but knowing I will have the refuge I need.
“I was going to tell you, that you should consider it, we will find you a place before the night’s over.” she offered warmly.
“We are going to make you something special for dinner I think you might like as a homecoming meal.” She said drawing my interest.
“What might that be?” I asked, filled with the joy of having some common ground to base presumptions on.
“Well, its not take out Chinese, but remember we bought that Mountain House Sweet and Sour Pork? I am going to add a can of shrimp to it as a treat and you can have double portions for making it home.” she said with a light pat, as we looked at one of the asparagus beds that wouldn’t be productive until next spring.
“That sounds absolutely wonderful!” My sprits were renewed at the prospect of Sherry tweaking all ready good food up to a culinary masterpiece and adding some special touches of spice and goodness. “I’ll go clean myself up, first.”
Refreshed, I returned to the kitchen and watched the roommates bustle around preparing a meal and could not help but think about how hard of times might be coming, as I saw lights and candles start to appear in the surrounding houses and nightfall started to settle on the city.
I thought I could wait to broach the subject of what I expected to happen next, but I considered time was of the essence and I needed some answers in order to safeguard my friends and family. I suppose I should have waited until after dinner to bring up the subject of possibly relocating, but the thoughts of how quickly I figured things could spin out of control made me anxious to speak.
“I am not trying to scare you all or raise any fears you must have already considered, but those food drops can’t last for long and there will be an end to the service that doesn’t look promising.” I said looking up solemnly and throwing a wet blanket on the party
“What are you getting at David? They already started distributing food faster than you said would happen if this type of thing occurred.” Sherry said with hands on hips and mad at me for spoiling the revelry with one of my doom and gloom proclamations.
“When what is stocked in Montgomery is gone, how will they get more? It used to be in this country we had enough wheat and other food to feed every man, woman and child in the US in the Strategic National Stockpile during the Cold war for 5 yrs. I don’t have the statistics in front of me but the figure is something like 5 days now. We dwindled and sold off our resources to other countries. Besides, that was when trucks were running.” I tried to reason
“What are you saying, David?” an obviously irate Sherry demanded to know.
“I am saying, before summer ends, we should think about bugging out!” I said in exasperation to shocked looks that looked very confused.
“Look I didn’t s
ay we go tomorrow, I am just getting everyone to think about the possibilities.” To stunned silence before everyone began speaking at once.
‘WELL where can we go?” Sandra said above the hub bub.
“I am thinking Lake Martin. Look at this garden and we have been regularly watering.” I replied waving at the now barely visible, but earlier visible memorably drooping, drought affected plants. The only thing that seemed little affected was the asparagus plants in many beds. If we go I am taking those 3yr old roots with us I mentally added to my packing list.
‘We got time to discuss this later.” Sherry said and got back into the groove of making a delicious dinner and ending that subject for the evening.
One good thing about dehydrated food, it was quick, add hot water wait 10 minutes and eat mostly. Sherry worked with it and polished it, but it didn’t take very long and I soon had a heaping bowl of hot chow in front of me.
“This is GOOD!” I said exuberantly and Sherry commenced to explain the ingredients in her recipe, as I was starting to nod from the day’s fatigue.
“You’re sleeping in the computer room, I made you a bed.” Betsy said returning from the house.
“I appreciate that, Thank you. I don’t think I will be long for this world tonight.” I yawned
“David that Xantrec 1500 power pack of yours and those 12v lights you bought is what we use for the main lighting in the living room.” Sherry advised me.
“Is it working well? Have you hooked that fold up 120watt solar panel you were storing for me to it yet?”
“I haven’t needed to, but I am glad you are around to show me how to do it, if you are not going to need it yet?’ she said questioning slyly if I was willing to let her keep borrowing it.
“Oh sure, hang on to it for now, its just plug and play with the charging panel, but I will check you out on it tomorrow.” I replied allocating her the unit for now.
“I am going to go to sleep now. We’re going to get through this.” I said hugging Sherry good night.