No Normal Day

by Richardson, J.

The trip to Joel's for water was a productive one. Joel was always appreciative of any food supplies that they brought. They loaded the trailer full of soda and bourbon bottles, refilled with water. The water would have to be treated to use for cooking or drinking but they were thankful for it, nineteen people used a lot of water. It had only rained once more in the last month. The hot summer was coming on fast and sometimes there was no rain for weeks, so rain collection wasn't dependable. Joel and Jack discussed the garden. Of course, water was certainly an issue in managing the garden. Jack related the serious night encounter. Joel says he had had trouble, too. He pointed to fresh dug dirt way over in the back of his property, “Someone didn't leave here,” he said.

  After lunch, Lee, Jack, and the boys Dane and Matt left in the War Wagon for their acquisition expedition. The wagon was loaded with the regular tie downs, bag for the top and tarps. At a rural propane company they found three bottles of propane. Nearby in a small drugstore, they were thrilled to find two bottles of Lynn's medication and a few things on the shelves, one case of water and some small cheap toys for the kids. They siphoned several gallons of gas from vehicles.

  They decided that as much as they did not want to, they should try to go into the city. At least move in a few blocks and see if some places might have food. Beth had told him about an unlikely place or two that actually had shelves of gourmet and gift food items. She said, “Maybe, people won't think that food will there.” He knows the risk is higher but they have to keep exploring food supplies as long as anything is left out there.

  Jack looked over his shoulder to the back seat, “If we are going into the city, we need to all suit up.” The boys groaned. Jack ignored them, “Get the suits out, Dane.” He pulled over and they all put on the chemical protection suits and masks. Jack suggested that they roll up the windows, they are already swatting flies and they are not even into the city, yet. They didn't have enough full suits for everybody in the family. Thank goodness Beth had bought two packs of five, off of an online auction. And they had several dozen face masks, some better than others. They kept about six of the full suits in the War Wagon and Jack was always hoping to scrounge some more, at a sporting goods store or surplus store.

  The beat up wagon crawled into the city, weaved amid the destruction. The flies were thicker and they just tried to concentrate on their goal and not look around at what was the cause of the swarms. There was not a window intact in any store or business. He caught sight of a figure or two slinking around, he would not want to be anywhere near here after dark. They spotted one of the stores that Beth had mentioned. Of course, it had been broken into, they rolled around to the back of the strip of stores. Lee and Matt stayed with the wagon. Jack and Dane entered the open rear door. Piles of clothes and hangers and shoes were scattered, like a tornado had passed through, pictures and vases and decorative items smashed and broken. They found some shelves that actually did have some kind of edible products on them. Jack first picked up a tall skinny bottle of olives, “Yuck, I had rather starve!” he frowned.

  “Wait, Poppa, I like olives.” said Dane.

  They found a big laundry basket and tossed things in. They read the labels close, because many items were not the familiar brands. They did find bottles of olive oil, crackers and cookies in fancy tins, some soup mixes and bread mixes, a can of tiny shrimp, a few boxes of pasta type meals and tea, cocoa and gourmet coffee. The laundry basket looked like a big Christmas care package, filled with “special” treats. Dane stuffed several kitchen towels into a big deep pot. They spotted some blankets, it was getting warm so fast now, those had been ignored. As they were dragging all of this through the back, to the car, they spotted two big jugs of water. A water dispenser that was for the employees use sat in the corner. They set the basket and other loot down, rolled the big jugs of water to the door. Lee and Matt, got out and helped load all the finds into the back of the car. It was getting full again, fuel cans, propane bottles, the basket and various loose items. They spread one of the blankets over it all.

  Matt raised a hand and said, “ssh-ssh...listen”. All four stood very still. It was distant but there was a definite rumbling of engines, like big trucks.

  Lee said, “Stay with the wagon, I am going back through the store to the front windows and see if I can spot anything.” He and Matt, made their way through the dim daylight in the store, staying low and avoiding the piles of broken glass at the entrance. The two flanked each side of the opening, they scanned the clogged street and beyond that, more retail stores clustered at the edge of parking lots. To the south of the commercial strip, a city neighborhood stretched over several blocks.

  “I think the noise is coming from that neighborhood.” said Matt. Just at that moment, a military green truck came out of one side street and immediately turned into the next street. The truck stopped on the corner, two armed soldiers jumped out and went up the walk to the house. Two more men crossed the street and were at the door of the house, they had on some kind of full chemical suits and masks. They were obviously, beating on the doors, maybe saying something but it was too far away for Lee to hear. No one was answering the door, the soldiers moved with stealth, around the house. In a few minutes, the soldiers came out of the front doors of the house, they had entered somewhere in the back. One soldier motioned to another, standing by the truck. They entered the house and came back out in a short while, with a bag of something. He laid the bag down, turned and sprayed a big X on the front door with red paint. Matt looked at Lee, “What...?”

  Lee spoke in a whisper, “I don't know, let's keep watching”.

  The soldiers moved to the next house, a man to the door. There was an exchange between them. The man turned and a woman and little boy joined him. The soldier escorted them to the back of the truck. When the soldier raised the flap, Lee could see other people already sitting in the truck. The man climbed in and they lifted the woman and boy up. Because of the distance, Lee couldn't hear or see the people very clearly, they seemed to be thin and weary. From a house across the street, soldiers were exiting, carrying body bags. Lee was far too familiar with what a body bag looks like. Another truck rounded the corner and the body bags were thrown into the back of it. All of these houses were marked with the same red X.

  Lee motioned for Matt to follow and they moved to the back of the store and the wagon. He felt like a giant white marshmallow in this suit and very visible. Matt listened closely, as Lee explained what they saw to Jack and Dane, because he was not so sure what it is all about.” When Lee finished, Jack asked, “Fema camps, you think?”

  “The trucks looked military, they had no FEMA markings. Of course, they would be using whatever is up and running, I suppose. Maybe took them this long to get some vehicles functioning and begin some kind of rescue and clean up. It's been pretty ripe around here, you know. I am sure that disease is finishing off some of the survivors.” Lee looked serious, “We didn't watch them continue down the street any farther. I really don't know if there would be any choice given, if they came to clear a neighborhood. And my guess is, if there's any food or supplies, or guns they are confiscating them. They are not going to let you stay where you are and they are not going to let your supplies go to waste.”

  “Why are they putting those red Xes on the doors?” said Matt.

  Lee said, “I think that just means that the house has been cleared.”

  “Where are they now, are they close to here?” said Jack.

  “They are across the highway and deep into clearing the neighborhood. I think we should head out of here, on one of your back streets, pronto.” was Lee's response.

  They loaded up and moved away in the opposite direction from where the military. The War Wagon roared loud as an army tank to them, they kept looking back but saw no sign of anyone following.

  In twenty minutes, they were back in the cover of the garage and home, they stowed all the goods away. There was always a curious welcome when the War Wagon returned from a trip. There were s
ome ew-w-w's some ooo's and ah-h-h's, from the crowd, as goodies were unloaded. The kids were totally excited to see a small fold up table and chairs, just their size. It was placed on the patio by their toy chest.

  Next, everyone waited to hear the story of the day's adventure. Going out, never failed to be an adventure in those days. So far, the girls had not participated in the trips, except to Joel's on occasion. Jack let Lee and Matt tell about the trucks they saw in town.

  Dane said, “It seems a little creepy to me.”

  “Well, some folks really need help. That is, if it's not already too late.” said Lynn. She and Lee exchanged a smile. There were some expressions of agreement. Some just look concerned, Beth, was one of them.

  “It is true, it is god awful out there and the survivors do need help. But, think about it. If they come to this neighborhood to rescue, do you want to move to a government camp? Do you think that will be a better place to be?” said Jack.

  There was a unanimous...No-o!

  A loud out-of-order conversation erupted, “We are fine right here....I don't want to go to some old camp...why would we leave...do we have to Gram?”....daddy, do you think we will leave?” and more.

  Beth stood up, “Listen, be quiet. What if the military, our soldiers come here. What if they insist that we go to a camp? What if they say they have to take all of our food and supplies?”

  Then everyone was very silent. The boys were looking at their parents, with questions in their eyes. Cody looked at Lee. Finally, Dane said, “Well, I am not going anywhere.” Cody reached up and high fived him. The group relaxed a little and some nervous laughs escaped. Lee and Jason and Jack exchanged worried looks. Jason knew, they could not fight an army.

  Jack said, “I guess we will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we are going to need to be a little more vigilant. One good thing, those big trucks can be heard from a long ways off. We will have a warning that they are in the neighborhood. After the incidents of the last week, I have been thinking that we do not need to be advertising that we are here or that we have food. From now on, as much as we can, let's get our cooking done early in the day and not be sending out tempting aromas, all day long. Maybe we can even cook enough for two day's meals.

  The girls all nodded and Beth said, “We can handle that.”

  Each drifted away to take care of their duties. Jack was feeling more than a little weary. As he and Lee, Jason and Eric finished unloading the fuel and propane, they talked some more, away from the girls and even the boys. Jack spoke, “I don't mind telling you, I am really worried about this military thing.”

  “You know, we couldn't stand off armed soldiers that were ordered to remove us.” said Jason.

  Jack's face tells him he agrees. Eric just shakes his head, “What the hell are we going to do?”

  “First off” said Lee, “It hasn't happened yet. I am thinking that a whole lot of folks are ready to be rescued and they are not meeting with heavy resistance in the cities. And that is where they will begin, in the cities. That tells me that maybe there are not big units in any one place, taking care of this. We don't know if the aid will even extend beyond the edges of the cities. Good bet, not for a long time.”

  Jason says, “That sounds right. I think they will not have the vehicles and personnel to come in big numbers. Another thing, I am not the only one who either had no choice about getting to their job or made a choice to not be there. The numbers have got to be greatly diminished, they must be spread thin.”

  Eric has been listening and now said, “I am not a soldier like you guys and I will tell you, that I greatly admire you. You are the reason that I have been able to give my family the security and life, that we have enjoyed. I will tell you this. I will stand beside you and fight. I will not go meekly, with my head down and have my family herded into a camp.”

  Jack didn't feel good but there was always a chance they would never arrive at the door of the compound. And they had to continue to survive day to day. They would continue to fortify as strong as they can and be on the watch for the starving marauders and the US Military. He was thankful that they were all on the same page...the family was not going to be forcefully removed from the compound. There was a round of shoulder slapping and handshakes between them. All the things that they did not say, were unnecessary. They stood together.

  ***

  Life in the compound continued, one day floating into the next. The days were full of the work of survival, the nights were for increased watchfulness. In the evenings, they often played cards or other games. For a special treat, they let the kids watch a DVD, about once a week and on a rare occasion, the adults would watch a movie. Often, someone was curled up in a chair, with a book from the long shelves in the living room. There was a new found interest in many projects that benefited them all and that most of them had forgotten how to enjoy. Activities such as the garden, setting up the kids a swing set, mending their clothes, keeping the War Wagon in good repair. Lynn painted and sketched. Dianne kept a journal of their daily life and struggles. Trish, always an organizer and good with numbers, made the watch and chore schedules, she monitored their inventory and puts the needs on “the list'.

  It was hot summer and much time was spent outside. Sometimes, beds were put outside where t a breath of air could be felt and everyone slept under the stars, while two were constantly walking the fence perimeter. The guys found the kids a small plastic swimming pool. Some evenings they put about three inches of water in and let them all splash around. When they were tired and reasonably clean, the girls pulled their chairs over and put their feet in. What was left of the water was poured on the garden. They had their differences and some days everyone retreated to their very small private spaces and gave it a break. Life was hard but life is simple. There was one common goal, survival. As Beth and Jack lay down at night, their fingers entwined, as had become their habit, they agreed. It was actually a pretty good life, except for the constant dangers that threatened them.

  The event was a little over two months behind them, Trish started, shortly after she arrived, marking days off of a calender. They heard someone, rummaging around outside the fence pretty often, whether human or animal they hadn't had to kill anything. They spotted a doe walking across the church parking lot, one evening. Eric shot it, they dressed it and it was cause for celebration, because fresh meat was not on the menu anymore.

  Late one afternoon, a commotion somewhere down the block erupted. Other than the frequent sound of a distant gun shot, it was usually quiet. They raised the garage door and stepped out to see if they could spot trouble. Several houses down, about half a dozen thugs stood in a front yard. One was pulling a woman out by her hair. A man was begging them, “Please stop, leave her alone.” They kicked him in the stomach. A child was crying somewhere. The guys rushed back in to get some more guns and ammo. While they were getting into the closet, they heard gunshots. “Oh s---!” exclaimed Jack, running back to the garage door. He and the other three men exited the door, loaded for bear. The boys locked down the door behind them. By the time they reached the street, they saw four of the no-goods scattered about the yard, two were running as fast as they could, away. A young teenage girl, stood beside the woman on the ground, raised a rifle and was shooting at them. One went down, only one escaped. When the guys get to the yard, they discover that the marauders had busted in the door of the house, belonging to the man, woman and their little girl. They had dragged the woman into the yard and were bragging about their plans for her. The teen girl and the slightly younger boy that now stood beside her, lived next door. Their parents went to find food one day and never returned. They heard what was happening. She walked out and shot two of the guys, her younger brother shot one and the man pulled a knife from his boot and stabbed the fourth to death. The man explained that they were fine. Also, that the teens and themselves watched out for each other and shared supplies.

  Jack told them that he and his family were down the street. He and
the men helped them drag the bodies out as far as they could, into the woods. They shook hands and parted. There was no real room for generosity these days, but Jack felt encouraged that some were surviving. He thought of the incredibly tough teenage girl and her brother, out there alone.

  ***

  They personally had not had any real bad experiences the last two weeks, they decided that two of the girls could go along when they made a scavenger raid. They all traded out turns, it was so hard on them, being confined at the compound. Today, they were going to go back towards the county line, the liquor store where Jack's bad day had begun. Of course, he knew there wouldn't be a bottle of anything drinkable left but the huge lake was there and they would get water. Beth had asked to go along, she was afraid to know but needed to know about the friends who lived near the county line. They were going to try and check on them. So, Lee and Cody were included, since they would go right by the uncle's little house. David was going and it was Lynn's turn to get out. They loaded up the empty water containers and moved out, in the increasingly dirty and dented War Wagon.

  Jack bounced the wagon up the curb and followed the sidewalk as far as he could to the first big intersection. Beth sat between himself and Cody. Lee, Lynn and David huddled in the backseat. The goliath rolled along a path that had become well traveled for them. It didn't take them long to reach Lee's small house, it was just a burned out hull. Lynn said, “I'm sorry, Lee.” He patted her leg, “No worry, I have a home.” Beth squeezed Cody's hand, he didn't seem to be upset either. They traveled on, weaving in and out of the cars. At the scene of Cody and Jack's first day encounter, they saw no signs or body. It was only a foot, was Cody's rather cold thought, he had a pistol in his lap, he looked out and over at Jack and smiled.

  When they reached the lake, they stopped and filled their bottles. At the liquor store, it looked like a real war zone. What hadn't been taken had been broken. All the glass was gone, across the front of the store. They piled out, Cody and David stood by the car. The sixteen year old had a rifle at his side, that would probably knock him on his butt if he fired. It was his choice, they were all trained with the guns and they got to pick their weapon, on any given day. Jack and Beth, Lynn and Lee stepped over the jagged glass edges and into the liquor store. With all the glass out it was plenty light inside, everything a mess. Lynn rarely had an alcoholic drink, she took too strong medicines. She was poking around though, with the others. “Look Mom,” she had found three bottles of wine, still in a cardboard case. Lee scrounged up a beer here and a beer there. He found a box and started putting them in. Jack was thinking, I guess I am going to have to learn to make my own hooch, or become a tee-totaler. His booted foot hit something and he looked up under a display shelf. Hallelujah! About three bottles of whiskey had rolled under the shelf and been missed. They begin to look under all the shelves and came up with several more bottles of beer, another whiskey and another wine. They also managed to find several cans of soda. They walked out, with two big boxes filled with beverages. The boys were pleased. Beth looked at all the various labels, not a one, their old time favorite brand. She was laughing, remembering how particular they used to be about what they preferred. Jack followed her eyes and said, “It ain't love, but it will do, huh?”