by Annie Berdel
Chloe called Emma back and they spend the next several hours reviewing the maps, and planning.
31
“Goodnight” Tom yelled to his wife, but she was long gone and he knew she wouldn’t be to bed for a while. Heck, he thought. He had seen her in the same spot the next morning when he got up. He bought her the chair she was sitting in the first time he had seen her stay up all night laying out plans. He knew she wasn’t going to stop what she was doing, as he knew in his heart she was living her calling in life, but she could damn well be comfortable doing it.
Tom walked up the stairs into their bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. Reaching over, he picked up his Bible and flipped through until he reached the Book of Proverbs. Quickly skimming to the last chapter, he began to read.
10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
Tommy paused for a moment as his spirit chewed upon what he had just read. He trusted Emma with his life whether she knew that or not. If ever there was someone he wanted watching his six, it was his wife. Not only for the fact that she was an expert with a firearm, but also an expert with his wants and needs, sometimes before he even realized it himself. Letting out a sigh, he continued on.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
15 She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
What did Emma call them? “Oh ya” Tommy mumbled “Her Sister Chicks. Those Coop Girls” Tommy breathed in and exhaled “Lord, watch over those Girls of Emma’s, they mean the world to her.”
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
Yep, Tommy thought as a glimpse of his wife delivering her canned goods to the local shelter flashed in his mind. He gave a chuckle as he remembered his wife talking the pastor into their first ever Thanksgiving dinner that the church opened its doors for. From a mere eight turkeys that were roasted the first year to well over three dozen last year. From the looks of things in town, they will probably need even more. He made a note to remind himself to check on this.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Tommy thought about Emma’s clothes for a moment. Fine linen was far from being her style. Jeans and a T-shirt might become a fad in Heaven one day Lord, Tommy chuckled. “Oh, and bare feet… can’t forget that! Might want to make note of that up there now before she gets there,” he said with a smile thinking about everyone running around shoeless.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
“Well, most of the time” Tom chuckled under his breath. “I think both you and I Lord know this isn’t her strong suit!”
27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
“Lord, remind me to do this more often.” Tommy asked
29 “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.
Closing the book, Tommy knelt down on the floor in front of their bed, a bed they had shared for more than 30 years. “Lord, protect that woman and give her the strength she needs for whatever you need her to do. I lost her long ago to you, but I trust you with her…. so I guess that makes us partners in a way in keeping her safe.” Just then Dixon entered the room and walked over beside Tom and sat down. “Make that the three of us,” Tom said as he reached an arm around Dixon and gave him a squeeze.
32
The table was strewn with maps and all kinds of gear. Emma, Scott, and Angie were sitting around the table muttering back and forth when Tom walked into the room.
“Truck and trailer are all ready to go,” Tom said interjecting into their conversation.
“Awesome” Scott replied as he quickly glanced up at Tom, “We’ll leave in the morning”
“Get in there, get your stuff and get back here,” Emma added. “I’m not liking the way things have been rattling down that way.”
“Yes ma’am,” Scott smirked
“Here’s Shelby’s number if you need anything. She is a lot closer to where you are going than I am and she knows you will be heading down that day. You will also need this, just in case,” Emma said as she laid out a map with highlighted roads. “If that thing blows, Memphis is pretty much toast. Since your house is on the outskirts Angie, your best bet is to head to Shelby’s place here…. I’ve laid out a couple different routes to take in case one doesn’t work.”
“Awesome,” Angie said as she scanned Emma’s handiwork
“Let’s get these bags packed now,” Emma said as she picked up a black backpack
“First things first, let’s go through the list and you pack your own bag so you know where what is and how you packed it.”
“Thanks, Emma, for going over all this with me these last couple weeks. I would have no clue how to use half of this stuff without actually sitting down with you and using it on our camping trip,” Angie said.
“No worries,” Emma quipped. “A lot of people call themselves preppers just because they own things that a prepper might have but they never get out and use the stuff. Makes them no more a prepper than parking my bicycle in the garage makes it a car! Now let’s do this,” she said as she handed the pack to Angie
“OK… Let’s go through this list” Emma said “ And remember, COLD stands for
Clean. Clean clothing will retain heat better.
Overheating. Avoid it.
Layers. Strip off outer layers of clothing while performing strenuous work.
Dry. Wet clothes will kill you.”
FOOD & WATER
•Minimum of 3600 calories of food per person
•Minimum of 9 water pouches of water per person
•Method of water purification (such as potable aqua or a water filter)
• Small fishing/lure kit
• Canteen and lightweight cooking gear
COMMUNICATION
•AM/FM Radio with batteries or alternate power source
•Whistle with lanyard
•Handheld Ham with solar charger
LIGHT SOURCES
•Flashlight with batteries
•Candles
•Lightsticks
•Lantern and fuel
•Road Flare(s)
HYGIENE & SANITATION
•Personal Hygi
ene Kit
•Toilet paper
•Lip balm
TOOLS
•50 Feet of paracord
•Pocket Knife and Multi-tool
•Rolls of Duct Tape
•Foldable Shovel
•Hatchet or axe
•Sewing Kit
•Compass
WARMTH & SHELTER
•Waterproof matches
•Ferrocerium striker
•Cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly
•Tent/Waterproof tarp
•Solar Emergency Blanket and High Grade Sleeping Bag
•Hand & Body Warmers
•Poncho
•Lightweight Stove & Fuel
•Wool Blanket
FIRST AID
•First Aid Kit and supplies including tourniquets
•First Aid Booklet/Manual
•Burn gel and dressing
•Snake bite kit
•Insect repellent
•Sun block
•Special medication
MONEY
•At least $100 in small bills in your kit — be sure to include quarters for phone calls
IMPORTANT PAPERS
•Emergency Instructions such as laminated maps
•Copies of documents such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, wills, insurance forms, phone numbers, credit card info, etc. (can be added to thumb drive for light weight packing)
STRESS RELIEVERS
•Games, dice, hard candy
EXTRA CLOTHING
•A complete outfit of appropriate clothing; including extra wool socks, underwear, hat, gloves, belt
•Snow Gaiters and waterproof boots.
“Now, let’s go through the truck,” Emma said as they picked up their bags and headed outside
Wool blanket / Sleeping Bag
Clothing, socks, boots, gloves
Food and water / fire-starting kit / clean metal container /
First-aid kit including tourniquets
Flashlight with extra batteries
Flares / tire sealant / small tool kit and crow bar
Hand and/or body warmers
Windshield scraper/broom
Extra windshield-washer fluid
Jumper cables or portable jump-starter
Kitty litter or sand for traction
Shovel
Cell phone or CB radio with Solar Charger
They headed back inside. “Scott, how about getting a fire going and Tom and I will throw something together for dinner real fast,” Emma said
“My pleasure, after you my dear,” he said to Angie as he motioned for her to head into the living room ahead of him.
“Let me do this, I need to practice,” Angie said as she walked to the fireplace. Handing the matches to Scott, she said, “I don’t need these either.”
Taking out her knife and grabbing a smaller branch, Angie kneeled before the fireplace and held the branch up as she feathered some dry wood off it for kindling. Grabbing a piece of jute rope about 4” long, she then began to pull it apart to make a fluffy cloud of twine. Gathering some smaller pieces of bark, she laid the frayed jute inside and set it into the fireplace, then she placed the feathered wood close by and laid a few pieces directly on top of the jute. Getting out the tinder box from her pocket, she pulled out a piece of chaga and laid it in the middle of the pile. Next she took a long narrow rod of ferrocerium out of her pack and held it in her left hand over top of her pile of wood and jute. Taking her knife, she flipped it over and laid the back of the knife against the ferrocerium rod and pulled the knife the length of the rod. Nothing happened. She did it a few more times and nothing.
“Switch the pull,” Scott said. “Hold the knife still and pull the rod towards you”
Angie did as he said and a spark appeared. Smiling to herself, she pulled the knife again and sparks caught the jute on fire. Working quickly, she added the rest of the feathered wood until she had a nice base fire going. Next she slowly added the smaller branches. Letting it burn for a few moments, she gave it a couple blows of breath to get the coals burning a bright red. Laying it in the fireplace, she kept adding larger pieces of wood until she had worked her way up to a good solid log.
She stood up and turned to face Scott. She was so proud of herself and took no time in making sure he knew exactly proud she was!
He stood there with his hands on his hips. Across his face danced the biggest grin she had ever seen, and at that very moment, she realized he had stolen her heart.
33
A quick dinner of cold chicken and salad, Emma waited until afterwards to serve dessert in the living room in front of the fire.
“Let’s get some early sleep tonight, but I do want to run through some scenario drills while we are sitting here,” Emma said
Angie and Scott were cuddled up on the floor in front of the fireplace, the flames dancing wildly behind their backs. “Sounds good,” Scott said. “What do you have in mind?”
Note from the Author: To those reading, please take some time and open your mind to the possibilities that are presented in the following Five Questions. Be honest with yourself. I would love to hear your answers, so drop me an email if you would ~ [email protected].
Question One: You are alone, driving out of state when your car dies. Looking around you notice that everyone else’s car has died also. Getting out of your vehicle and asking around, you discover that not only are the cars not working but everyone’s phones are not working also. You have the sinking feeling that an electromagnetic pulse went off. You are surrounded by strangers from all walks of life. Everyone has limited recourses. Would you join forces or disappear on your own? What would be your main goal after this decision?
Question Two: One of your best friends has been shot in a skirmish and a medic has told you that he will be paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of his life. This is a post-apocalyptic world you are currently living in and your friend asks you to please have mercy on him and put him out of his misery. His wife and kids have already died and all he wants to do is be with them instead of living in a world as unforgiving as this. Would you have mercy on your friend and kill him or would you let him live? Why?
Question Three: The government has collapsed and everyone has been on their own for months. Out of nowhere, six men wearing UN uniforms appear at your door saying they are with the government. They need your ammo and supplies, along with everyone else’s, in order to help reestablish order. You and your family must comply or be counted as anti-government radicals. Would you enlist and donate all you have to the new government and be counted as a patriot or would you be labeled as a terrorist and fight them off if you could?
Question Four: Due to World War 3, the infrastructure of society has gone back to a level not seen since the 1800s. Your help is requested in forming the new government and you can change or implement five laws as you see fit. What would these laws be and why?
Question Five: In a post-apocalyptic world, supplies that are not replenished eventually run out. When things calm down to the point where a local economy can start flourishing, what type of business or venture would you like to pursue in order to help rebuild society and take care of your needs?
34
Tommy and Emma said goodnight and walked up the stairs to their bedroom. Tom quickly disrobed and slid into bed before Emma came back from the adjoining bathroom.
“You’re naked!” she said she slid her body against Tommy’s under the big warm quilt.
“And you’re not!” Tommy quipped back as he started to remove her nightgown
Emma cradled within the protection of Tommy’s arms, looked up at her husband. “This is my favorite place in the whole world,” she said as her eyes glistened at her husband
“In Ohio?” Tommy asked
“No no” Emma chuckled “Here, right here, naked, lying in our bed with your arms around me,” she said as she laid her cheek against his chest and gave him hug. “This is my secre
t place where no one else can bother me. This is my home, right here with you. The bed may change, the house or even the state, but here in your arms is home.”
She felt his arm move to shut the light off. Or so she thought. He reached down and tilted her chin towards his face so he could look in her eyes.
“I have something for you,” Tommy whispered “Because God showed me you were worth more than rubies and I got this for you to remind both of us of that. I forget it sometimes and I’m sorry for that.”
“Oh really?” Emma said as she lifted herself up onto one elbow and looked at her husband.
There, dangling from his hand was a ruby heart on a silver chain.
“Oh Tommy, it’s beautiful!”
He slid it around her neck as the ruby fell between her breasts.
He kissed her forehead. “I love you.”
“I know,” she whispered.
35
Angie and Scott made it to Angie’s apartment in Memphis without any problems and began the tedious task of packing it for moving back to Emma’s farm. Emma took the opportunity, while they were away; to take a walk back to check on the cabins she had built on the property and air them out a bit. She would have guests soon, she could feel it; and she wanted to make sure she was ready for them.
Grabbing her Mossberg and making sure she had an extra magazine for her Glock, Emma packed a small lunch and gave a whistle for Dixon as she headed out. Knowing Dixon, he was lazing in the sun somewhere and would catch up to her soon enough.
Rounding the bend in the dirt path, Emma walked into a far hayfield and headed for a particular tree along the southern edge of the field. Stepping into the woods, Emma felt the peacefulness of the forest envelop her. Stopping long enough for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light, she quickly scanned the area. She loved the woods. It was probably her second favorite place on earth. Maybe it was partly due to her heritage, but it also gave back memories of hunting trips with her father. He taught her how to navigate the woods at night and now she had an uncanny ability go anywhere once and find her way home.