EMP

by Wilson Harp

  Luke and another man walked out of the hallway and crossed the living room to me and my mother.

  “Abbey, David. We need to get Pat ready for burial,” Luke said softly. His eyes still brimmed with tears. I knew how much he loved my dad.

  Mom sobbed harder as Luke told us what we both knew.

  “What should we bury him in?” Luke asked me. Mom was too far gone to make a decision.

  “His suit,” I said. “He would want to be buried in his suit.”

  My voice cracked and I felt weak. The light coming through the windows was no longer the low golden light of morning, but was now the clear white light of noon. My stomach growled. I wondered how long I had been sitting with Mom.

  “Here, try to eat,” Rose said to Mom as she approached with a bowl of soup. “You need to eat.”

  Mom let go of me and wiped her eyes. “I’m so sorry, David,” she whispered.

  “I’m sorry, Mom,” I said back. “I don’t know what to do or say.”

  “Neither do I,” she said. “I will never know what to do again.”

  I knew what she meant. More than the EMP, my world was different because of this. I could always rely on my dad. He was always there if I needed him. I didn’t realize how much I just needed him to be there.

  Mom took the offered bowl of soup and sipped some from the spoon. Sarah handed me a bowl.

  “I’m sorry about Pat,” she said. “I wish it hadn’t happened.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I wish none of this had happened. If it hadn’t, you would be home with your family and I would be home with mine. Dad wouldn’t have run out of pills and he could have been going to his cardiologist.”

  “But it did happen, David. If my mom and dad had picked me up after their cruise and I got back home with my friends. I would have complained about being stuck here for spring break.”

  She reminded me so much of Emma. I hugged her to me and she hugged me back.

  “But,” she continued. “I would never have realized how much I loved grandma and grandpa. And how much they loved me.”

  I looked at her and realized she was trying to comfort me. She realized I needed help seeing the situation for what it was. I was heart-broken like I had never been, and I needed help to see it.

  “What about your parents, honey?”

  “They were on a ship in the middle of the ocean. They have to be dead by now.”

  I broke. My tears flowed like rivers and I wailed as my grief, my fear, and what I knew as the truth all came rushing in on me at once.

  It was some time later I realized I had been holding my mom again. She whispered words of comfort to me as she kissed my forehead.

  I sensed a change in the room and looked up to see Ted and Anne sitting at the kitchen table. They just watched me suffer in my grief. Then I heard the noise from the back of the house and Luke walked out of the hallway.

  “He is ready,” he said. “We are going to take him soon. David, would you like to say goodbye?”

  I nodded and hugged Mom hard. Then I stood on shaky legs. I glanced over at Ted and Anne. I gave them a tight smile and started toward the bedroom. My head whipped back as I recognized my gym bag on the table.

  I stepped over to the table and opened the bag. There was what I hoped to see. A small plastic container Sophia had given me after dinner the night before. I opened it and looked inside. Three of the four chocolate chip cookies had broken on the trip down from the compound. I wasn’t sure which of my friends had carried the bag back to me, but I owed them a lot at that moment. I lifted the unbroken cookie and carried it reverently to my dad. This was my final gift to him and the fulfillment of his wish.

  I entered his room and saw him lying on the bed. The sheet that would be his burial shroud was under his body. His feet were bare. That was a tradition the people of Kenton had continued. I approached him and looked on his face. It was a familiar face, but not the one I had seen the day before. This face was a mockery of life, a sad parody of the man I loved. I had never considered how much love and care funeral directors took to make sure that the body in the coffin looked like it was just resting. Dad had been dead for just a few hours and he looked dead.

  I lifted the side of his suit jacket and tucked the chocolate chip cookie into its pocket. Then I placed it back.

  “Sorry, Dad,” I said. “I was a day late with your cookie. I love you and I hope you know that. And I know you were proud of me, and that was what I hoped for more than anything in this life. I will take care of Mom for you. And I’ll see you soon. Pray for me where you are and watch out for me if you can. But most of all, enjoy your rest and your reward. If anyone earned it, you did.”

  I looked on my father’s face one last time and turned to leave the room. Luke and my mother stood in the doorway. I went and hugged my mother. She hugged me back and I could sense a peace around her as I pulled out of the hug.

  “He was proud of you, David. And so am I,” she said.

  I nodded to Luke and went down the hall. Anne and Ted stood near the dining room table.

  “I’m so sorry, David. If I had known, I would have had you return last night,” Ted said.

  “It’s okay,” I replied. “I knew it was coming. We all did. He had kept cutting back on his medication and last week he was finally out. I… I just can’t believe it’s come to this. We are all going to die because we aren’t smart enough to figure out how to live.”

  Anne shook her head. “No David, we are all going to die because that is what life is. We need to live life until we die. There is no other way.”

  I nodded as I thought about what she said. Was I living life or was I just marking time? Death was coming and I had no way to avoid that meeting.

  “You should know Tom got some good news from the men at Cape,” Ted said. “They are going to send a team here eventually to provide us with things. They were impressed by what we had done. They are going to let us stay as we are because they want our input on how to get other towns to work as well as we have.”

  “That’s wonderful, Ted. How soon before they arrive and what will they bring?”

  “I don’t know. The wheat harvest starts tomorrow, so we will have flour soon. Beyond that, the only thing we really need is a steady supply of milk. Maybe they will bring some milk cows with them. In any case, it was men like your father who stayed clear headed, understood the situation, and then acted to solve it that has helped us survive. He was a hero.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  Anne motioned behind me and I turned to see my mom walking toward me. She had a smile on her face and tears on her cheeks.

  I went to her and wrapped my arms around her.

  “He went ahead to get everything ready for me,” she said. “He always said he would take care of me, and he has. He has left me with you as he gets everything ready. I didn’t expect it, but I now know what waits for me when I leave.”

  I hugged her tighter and kissed her cheek. I felt empty and drained, but somehow lighter. I didn’t know what to do, so I just kept hold of my mother.

  Luke motioned for two other men to follow him back to where my dad rested. I guided Mom over to the couch and sat with her. We watched as three men carried the sheet wrapped figure of my father out of the front door of our house. We stood and waited until we heard them tell the wagon to start.

  “Do you think you can walk to the graveyard, Mom?” I asked.

  She nodded. “I can do this for him. I expected him to do it for me. I know I have the Alzheimer’s. I was so mad at him for trying to get me to take the medicine, you know?”

  I helped Mom stand and we walked out the front door. Clyde was pulling the wagon, like he had so many times these last few months. He knew from the sense of people around him where he was going and what he was pulling behind him. His head was up, but he had a calm, measured pace. I was afraid Mom would fall behind, but her pace seemed firm and sure.

  “I don’t want you to hate me, David,” Mom said. “I th
ink I may have caused this. Your dad worried about me so much, and I think my… erratic behavior caused him more stress.”

  “It wasn’t your fault, Mom. He had a heart condition. If you hadn’t made him go to the doctor to get it checked years ago, he wouldn’t have discovered it.”

  “That’s sweet of you, dear. But I know how bad I can get. At least I think I do. At first, I watched my bad days like I was locked in a room watching through a window. I saw how forgetful and emotional I was, but I couldn’t do anything about it. Now that window is less clear and I don’t remember all the things I do. I’m getting worse and I know Pat suffered from watching. I just want you to know how much I appreciated and loved him for all he put up with.”

  “He did, Mom. He did. And I promised him I would take care of you, so you should know I appreciate and love you and will help you as best as I can.”

  Mom squeezed my hand and stopped walking. I looked at her and tears started rolling down her cheeks again.

  “Thank you. I don’t know that I can do this on my own.”

  Chapter 20

  It was a warm morning when they finally arrived. The calendar said it was late September, but the summer still had a firm grip on the land. I was in the field checking on the tomatoes when I heard the bell in town ring. I slipped the small clippers into my belt and headed toward town. Most of the others in the field headed away from their work as well. The bell meant something big, so we could afford a break from a few hours of work in the hot sun to see what was happening. As I got closer to the town center, I could hear the noise of excited people and something else. I realized it was the rumble of vehicles. Not just a couple of tractors or a car or two, but many, large vehicles.

  The sound of the engines spurred me to walk faster and soon I could see the source of the excitement and sound. Six military vehicles, green and well maintained, idled near the square. Dozens of men in uniform, weapons in hands, stood around them.

  Ted and Mayor Mueller talked with a large soldier who wore a heavy jacket in spite of the heat. He wore a black beret and wrote on a piece of paper attached to a clip board. Several soldiers had formed a loose perimeter around the men and a crowd was starting to form along that line.

  One of the soldiers pointed at me and handed his rifle to the soldier next to him. He took off his helmet and pushed his way through the crowd.

  “David!” he said.

  “Frank?”

  I couldn’t believe it. Frank Anderson had not only survived, he had made it back to Kenton.

  We hugged in the middle of the street. Frank looked around and started picking out people in the crowd he knew.

  “I was going to keep quiet and to myself,” he said. “I wasn’t sure who would be here or if I would recognize home.”

  “It’s good to see you. I can’t believe you made it back.”

  “Yeah, it feels weird. I mean, I heard Wilcox wasn’t in good shape, and that’s where my apartment was. So I guess this little town really is home.”

  “So you’re staying?”

  “Captain Davidson wants to leave some men here, so he thought it might be a good idea to include someone with local roots. My folks may be gone, but I do know quite a few people in town. Or at least I hope I do. How bad has it been?”

  “Population swelled to about six thousand right at the beginning. We have about four thousand now.”

  “That’s actually really good, David. Most places are under a third. Those that are alive at all. Any locals holding out on their own?”

  “Ted Riggins,” I pointed to my friend. “He has about a dozen people up at his place. They are well situated and don’t really need any help. Lester Collins has about forty at his place they seem fine as well.”

  Frank nodded as he looked around. “No riots recently?”

  “No riots ever. Ted took control on the first day and he established a council including the mayor.”

  “The captain will be pleased. I haven’t been in a town without riots. Kenton seems to be a gem of a town.”

  “How long will they be here?” I asked. “What can they do to help us?”

  “Well, not too much, honestly. Bring law and order, but ya’ll need it less than most. We’ll set you up with a telegraph which will allow you to communicate with other settlements. We’ll patrol roads out of here which should open some travel and trade.”

  “What about milk cows? That is the big thing we are missing,”

  Frank scratched his chin. “Rare. There might be some we could bring in, but it would likely be for trade.”

  “What could we trade?”

  “About anything. Kenton is in really good shape. I wouldn’t be surprised if the captain doesn’t send some refugees to you.”

  “David,” Anne called to me as she came across the square.

  I motioned her to join me and Frank.

  “Anne Franklin?” he asked. “Are you two…?”

  “No,” I said. “I’m married, remember?”

  He shrugged and waved at her as she approached.

  “Oh my goodness, Frank!” she cried as she recognized him.

  “Anne, good to see you again.”

  “How did you end up in the army?”

  “They were looking for bodies to fill uniforms and I was in the right place at the right time.”

  “You looked like you had some news, Anne,” I said.

  “Yes. The Captain told Ted and the mayor they have secured the road all the way to Cape and have a solid hold on both sides of the bridge.”

  “Really?” I asked. “Is that true, Frank?”

  “Yeah, only known bridge that’s safe to cross from Saint Louis to Memphis. Why? Were you planning on heading across?”

  “Eventually,” I said.

  “Why?” Frank asked.

  “His wife and daughter are up in Chicago, Frank.”

  Frank turned his face away and swore under his breath. “You need to take a trip to Cape, David. You need to see what even a small city is like. Maybe Lexi and Allie got lucky.”

  “Emma,” I corrected.

  “Sorry. Emma. Maybe they got lucky, but… you said eventually. So something is keeping you here?”

  He shot a glance at Anne. She noticed and squirmed.

  “My mom,” I said. “She is struggling with her Alzheimer’s. She needs me here.”

  “What about your dad?”

  “July. Same day as radio contact with Cape.”

  “Oh no, David. I’m so sorry. Pat was a great man.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “But with him gone, I will stay with Mom. I have to keep hope I can find Lexi and Emma, but I have to be realistic as well. They are probably gone, but Mom is alive and needs someone to stay with her. After… well, afterward, we will see what I can do.”

  “Okay, David,” Frank said. “I need to get back to my unit and find out what we will be doing here. We will likely be here a few days taking inventory and getting a census built up.”

  “Great to see you, Frank,” I said. “I’m glad you’re okay. We’ll talk more tonight, but I got to get back to the south fields.”

  “I understand, until tonight.”

  Frank went back to his unit. Anne and I looked at the men in uniform as they set up a few tents. Ted and Mayor Mueller led their officers into the library. I’m sure they would want to see our maps, figure out the food situation, and ask questions about our security.

  “Is today the day that everything changes?” Anne asked me.

  “No,” I said. “It is a big day, though. Contact with the outside world is now more than just what Ted says Tom has been told. I can’t wait to hear what Frank has to say. I’m sure it will terrify me, but at the same time, anything outside of Kenton has seemed surreal. Maybe I’ll be able to start realizing how bad it has been for the others.”

  Anne squinted into the noon-day sun. “It’s getting late. You need an extra helper in the south fields?”

  “Sure, we can always use extra help. Usually you don’
t volunteer for things like that.”

  She shrugged. “Just want to talk, you know? You are a pretty good person to talk to, David. I want to go with you when you head to Chicago. You know that.”

  “Yeah, when it comes time, you can go with me.”

  “Good.”

  “What do you think it will mean now the military will secure trade lines?” I asked.

  “Besides more trade?” she asked back with a smile. “Probably more news and meeting new people.”

  “Probably. It’s amazing how much such little news can become the talk of the day.”

  “Yeah. The wedding last week brought the town to a stop,” she said. “Not the deaths, though. No one wants to talk about the deaths.”

  “People need hope, Anne. Weddings, pregnancies, and births give us that hope.”

  “Lester has five pregnant girls up at his place.”

  “Booze and lack of self-control tends to do that. He has plenty of resources, let him use up a little more. We don’t have say over his people and they don’t bother us in town.”

  “I don’t like it, but that’s the way it needs to be, I guess.”

  I turned and started walking toward the south field. Anne walked alongside me.

  “That is the future for Collins and his group. Weed, booze, sex and enough guns to hold it all. Ted’s place will outshine them eventually, but both groups will thrive.”

  “What about Kenton, David?”

  “It’s a farm town that never quite lost its roots. The land and the soil have provided food, clothing and shelter for poor people for generations. It will provide for generations more.”

  “And what about you, David? What do you have?”

  “Work to do,” I said with a smile. “Work and a place to rest. People that care about me and people that depend on me. I guess that’s all I really need. It’s all I’ve ever really had. I think it’s all most people ever have, if they are lucky.”

  Anne walked beside me and we worked in the field until near sundown. We gathered dinner from Millie for Mom, and Anne joined us for dinner that night.

  Tomorrow I would work in the fields again.