“We’ve all been pretty lucky that violence has not found us here. I have no doubt that it will, though, and we need to be ready.” He turned to Lionel, Amy, and Lynn. “You folks need to rest today and get your strength back. What happened to you in Charlotte will not happen here.”
I stood up next to Tom, and suggested we talk about sleeping arrangements. “I think it would be good to keep the kids in one place. Lisa, would you and Chuck mind terribly if we let Amy and her kids have your room here in the main house, and you move over to Chris’ wing? That would keep you closer to your boys, and it would mean all the younger kids would be here. Then, Lynn and Lionel could take two rooms in Jon’s wing for now. What do you think?”
There were a number of nods, and Lisa agreed it would be better to be closer to her boys. Amy looked a little timid at being apart from Lionel and Lynn until she realized they were in the same building, just a separate area. Then she smiled and said she was very grateful her kids would have a safe place to sleep.
Dinner that night was a bit quieter than usual. I think everyone was trying to come to grips with what had happened to Lionel and his group. For heaven’s sake, the power had not yet completely failed, and already we were seeing acts of depravity. It was going to be a long apocalypse, I thought to myself.
Chapter 14
Monday morning greeted us with overcast skies and the threat of rain. As we all gathered in the pole barn for breakfast, Tom told me that today he was going to work on getting some heat into the pole barn, as it was getting pretty chilly in there in the mornings. I thought that was a good idea. The pole barn had become our dining area. As people moved to the farm, they brought folding tables, folding chairs, and patio furniture, so we had a place we could all sit together. Once winter weather really sets in, though, it would not be a very comfortable place to be without heat.
After everyone was settled down to eat, I asked all teams to give a quick update of what each team was doing today, so we could start getting our new folks integrated into our daily routine. I was happy to see Amy sitting with Grace, with all four kids sitting together as well. Lionel was sitting with James and Samantha, and Lynn was sitting with Patty and Lisa. It was good that they were starting to make friends and fit into the community. I knew it would take a while for them to feel completely at home, but at least this morning it looked like they felt safe.
James spoke first and said that Marvin made it through the night, but he was still not out of the woods. He still had not woken up, and he was being monitored for infection. “Time will tell,” James said. “Meanwhile, please do not try to visit him until he is awake and feeling better. He will probably be kind of confused when he wakes up. Lynn, of course, that does not apply to you. You can come see him at any time.”
The security team reported that the night patrol had heard ATVs out on the road near the main entrance, but they kept on going, and did not seem to be targeting the area, just passing through. There was nothing seen on camera all night. The food team reported today was bread-making day. The clothing team reported they would be looking for additional clothing for our newest members and might have to get out the sewing machines to make things fit. Amy raised her hand and asked if she could help with that, as she loved to sew. Stacy was quick to welcome her to the sewing circle. The carpentry team reported they were done with their projects and would just be cleaning and inventorying tools and materials. I asked Marty if they could build a couple of sets of bunk beds. “I’m sure the Livingstone boys are having fun camping in the basement, but that will get old soon, so it would be good if they had bunk beds. Also, Amy’s kids are all in one room. Bunk beds might give them some extra space and make sleeping easier.” Marty, Tim, and Jose said they could whip out a few sets of bunk beds in a few hours. I reminded them about the extra twin mattresses in Chris’ basement.
Judy reported she was done with the inventory and would be spending the day preparing a list of things we would need in the relatively near future. Father Dan reported he would be on the radio all day, but if any of the new folks needed to talk, he would certainly be available. Zoe reported that Mabel the pig had a litter of 10 healthy piglets last night, and Harriet, pig number two, was showing signs of starting to farrow as well. Ethel and Gwendolyn (pigs three and four) were not showing signs, but were expected to any day. She said that it would be best if nobody disturbed the pigs until after all the mamas had delivered. This brought about a loud moan from everyone who was hoping to visit the babies. Bill suggested that perhaps one of the security cameras could be used to take a video of the pigs and piglets that could be shown on the TV tonight. That got the kids all excited, and, if truth be told, a bunch of the adults were pretty excited, too.
After the announcements were made, Lisa let me know she was going to do some firearms training with Lynn. Amy was already a great shot, and did not need training, but Lynn was very inexperienced. Chuck was going to get Lynn fixed up with a handgun to carry. He already gave Amy a Keltec 9 mm, which is what she was used to carrying.
I decided to check on the various teams, so I headed for my kitchen first. Gabby was teaching the food team how to make braided Challah. This has always been one of my favorite breads because it is so rich and flavorful. Gabby explained since our hens were laying quite well, this traditional Jewish egg bread was perfect to use some of the eggs, and to be a little different than the white and wheat bread they usually made. It would also add some much-needed protein to everyone’s diet. I got out of the way of the bakers and went into the living room, where I found Stacy, Amy, and Grace hemming kids jeans. The four kids were playing with some of Mandy’s toys on the floor. After everything they had been though, it was good to see the kids laughing as they played. Amy looked like she was starting to relax a little, so I kept going out to the pole barn, where I found Tom measuring the side wall.
“What are you measuring?” I asked.
“I’m getting ready to install a wood-burning stove in here. I was out in the sheds behind the barn and found one there. I guess your grandfather was planning to put it somewhere, because in addition to the stove, I found the chimney pipes and even a flange to cover where the chimney goes through the wall. Is there anything your grandfather did not have in one of his sheds?”
I laughed. “Grandpa did believe in keeping everything that could ever be of use, so nothing you find in those sheds will surprise me!” I then asked him if one stove would heat the whole barn. He thought for a few minutes, and said it probably won’t get the barn hot, but it will sure take the major chill off and at least make it tolerable in the coldest weather. I asked him if he needed help, but he said he had it under control. He then asked if I could find Sam and Mike and get them to start bringing some of the extra firewood over. They could put it in the garden cart to move it and then stack it outside the door. Since he was busy with his measurements, I told him I’d find the boys and left.
I found the boys out by the armory with their father. Chuck had done an amazing job in getting the armory set up with a number of long fluorescent lights down both sides. In the very back, he had ammunition neatly sorted by caliber, and placed on shelves. There were several racks holding rifles, and a few more holding handguns. He had a worktable set up with his tools all neatly hung on a pegboard. On the other side of the armory, he had a reloading station set up. Tom had also brought all of his reloading equipment, and I was impressed with how neat and orderly everything was. He had a few gun safes located near the door, and each one had a neatly printed list of the safe’s contents taped to the front. Chuck was sitting at his workbench working on one of the rifles. I asked him what he was doing, and he told me he was removing the front sight so he could mount a scope on the rifle. I asked him if he could spare the boys for a bit, and he looked at me and smiled.
“Please, please borrow them. They’ve finished their chores in here for me, so I am happy to see them help someone else for a while!” I grinned, remembering thinking the same thing at times about my
own boys when they were the same ages as Sam and Mike. I called the boys and told them I had a mission for them. We went to get the garden cart from the shed next to the garden, and then we went to the back of the firewood pile, where I had a couple of empty log racks. We put one log rack into the cart and took it over to the pole barn. We set it up about two feet from the door and made sure it was nice and level. Then we went back over to the firewood pile. In addition to my firewood shack and the lean-to, we had an additional six or seven cords of wood stacked under tarps. I showed the boys which wood to take, and explained how they needed to load the cart. I helped them load the first batch, and we took it over to the pole barn. I then asked if they remembered the right way to stack firewood. Sam was quick to answer that it all the pieces had to be about the same size, and that the cut sides all had to go the same way. He then told me he learned that in Scouts. I told both boys that their job was to fill up the entire log rack, and then to come find me when they were done.
I next went to the infirmary to check on Marvin. I found him awake and sitting up. Lynn was sitting next to him, helping him drink a little broth. James and Lionel were both sitting at the little desk going over what I assumed was Marvin’s record. Lynn smiled when she saw me and introduced me to her brother. Marvin took my hand and thanked me for taking him in and for taking care of his sister and friends. I assured him he and his friends were very welcome and it was our pleasure to have them join us. I could tell he was in quite a bit of pain, so I chose to not stay very long. I also was happy to see Lynn looked a little more relaxed and less frantic than she had looked yesterday. I then headed to the barn to check on the bacon bits – well, okay, to check on the piglets. Zoe was happy to show me the babies.
“It looks like we have four boys and six girls from this litter. They all look good and are nursing well. Harriet will farrow in the next two or three hours, I think, and Ethel and Gwendolyn will both be ready soon!” Zoe was more excited than I’ve ever seen her.
“Zoe, you are doing a wonderful job caring for these pigs! I’ll bet your dad is really proud of you!”
“I sure am”, said Clark, walking into the pig shed. “She’s been out here the whole time and has provided expert care! I’ve not had to worry about a thing with her out here.” Zoe blushed, and Clark put his arm around his daughter. Suddenly, Harriet gave a loud grunt, and piglet number one was born. Clark and Zoe got busy monitoring Harriet and ensuring she did not roll over onto her piglet. I took that as my cue to leave, and I headed back to the house.
Chapter 15
Over the next several days, Lynn and Amy seemed to become more comfortable around people at the farm. Neither one spoke a lot, but both were friendly and slowly the look of panic on their faces was starting to disappear. Lionel spent time talking with both of them, trying to help them work through their feelings. Lionel confided in me that Amy had grown up in a rough neighborhood, and violence was not a stranger to her, but she was struggling with the loss of her husband. Things had not been good for a while between Amy and Ken, and now Amy was feeling guilty for leaving Ken alone at the car. Lynn, on the other hand, had never had any experience with violence at all. The worst thing she ever experienced was her divorce twelve years ago, and even that was more or less amicable. Seeing first Elizabeth and Nina murdered, then Ken, and seeing her brother shot had really shaken her up. Fortunately, Lynn was also spending time talking to Father Dan, and Lionel believed Father Dan’s counseling was helping Lynn quite a bit.
Marvin (or “Red” as he preferred to be called) was still grieving the loss of his wife and baby, and was not really talking much to anyone. He moved from the infirmary to the last bedroom in Jon’s wing. We found out from Lionel that before things got bad, Red was a carpenter. When Jose heard that, he made extra efforts to visit with Red, and the two seemed to be forming a friendship. Healing for Red, both physical and emotional, would be slow, but Jose was exceptionally patient and gentle with him. It gave me hope that eventually Red would be okay.
Things outside of the farm continued to deteriorate. We lost all television broadcasts on Thursday, and radio broadcasts were spotty at best. Power went out Thursday afternoon, and so far has not come back on. Tim and Tom hooked up solar to a few critical places – the well; the barn to power the animal hospital, the infirmary, and the armory; and to the house to run the freezers, the security camera surveillance system, and to power Father Dan’s radios – with the agreement that if power was not back on by Saturday, they would hook up everything else.
Friday morning Father Dan reported hearing his first “official” government broadcast. It was a short radio message and simply said that the United States was experiencing some difficulties related to collapse of the European economy, and citizens should be patient for a week or two while the US government attempts to restart our own economy. The message asked people to remain calm and then broadcast some locations where FEMA was distributing food and water. Most of the locations were near cities, and nothing was listed near Riverdale.
I was speechless. That was it? We should be patient for a week or two while they restart the economy? Does the bureaucrat who wrote this message think the American public is stupid? That was a sobering thought, because obviously, that is exactly what they think. I’ve been very leery of our government since I left the military. There have been so many decisions made that do not seem to be of benefit to this country that I have all but lost faith in the government’s ability to represent the interests of the average citizen. Instead, it seems that the government was more concerned with special interest groups, celebrities, and people in the country illegally than the taxpayers whose money allowed the country to operate. And, where was the President? We have not heard anything from him since his announcement kicking the UN out of the US. What’s up with that?
Tom, Frank, Marcie, Bill, Patty, and I were discussing this announcement later in the day. I tried to give the government the benefit of the doubt, that maybe the announcement was so simplistic to try to calm people down. Tom shook his head, and said giving people honest facts and true information would be a lot more calming, but then Patty reminded him that the announcement was intended for the American “sheeple”, those people who blindly followed and believed everything the government said, just like sheep. Frank was the first one to voice his concern that the government was covering something up.
“In the Marines, we always used the stink test. If it stinks like crap, it probably is. I think this is a whopping pile of crap, and I don’t think it is intended to calm people down. I think it is intended to cover up something that the government is trying to do without people knowing about it.” I’ve not heard Frank so angry, but I agreed with him.
Premonitions (Book 1): The Farm Page 17