A houseboat. Finegan Fine
Page 18
open in good weather along the outside of this commune, closed at night
or during rain. None of the cars have tires, so are sitting on the
ground. The doors of the cars and vans have been removed on the inside
so the complex is like a large dorm area for sleeping.
Yet another house is formed by bales of straw that are secured by wire
wraps, leftover from before the troubles hit. The farm wagon used to
haul the straw bales has been tipped over on its side to form one wall,
with a portion of a farmhouse roof pulled over the center for
protection from the rain.
Yet another house is an old tractor, long out of gas, with all manner
of plastic sheeting thrown over the top and pulled taut and staked and
tied at the edges – one large tent. Boxes and stored items are stuffed
under the tractor body, with sleeping blankets laid out in all
directions like the spokes of a wheel from this center.
The village folk are milling around a central area preparing a communal
supper. A cooking fire has been started and a large pot hung over the
fire. Several women are chopping vegetables and a man is cleaning fish
on a table nearby. The communal dining area has every type of table and
chairs imaginable, collected from the area – kitchen table and chairs,
picnic tables, stools and benches from barns, and tables made from
boards held up by broken concrete blocks. All the tables have been
covered by tablecloths tattered and of all colors but the tableclothes
are clean. In the centers of these tables are dishes and tableware,
also of every kind and color, many chipped. The glasses and pitchers of
water are primarily plastic ware, children’s durable drinking glasses.
139
In the distance can be seen an extensive garden area, running up one
slope and over the top of the hill. The sheep can be seen grazing on
yet another hilltop. Free ranging chickens are dashing about,
underfoot. There is lots of chatter going on, friends calling out to
each other to ask about the windstorm that had blown through and how
their homes were affected.
. . How’d you fare?
Another answering,
Nearly tore my roof off but it held.
Finegan and Joey are walking down a row of shops, off to the side of
the sleeping and eating areas. These are primarily just open areas,
covered by tarps and left open at night as any tools or goods are
packed away at night. The shops are mostly closed due to the storm that
passed recently. One shop is a shoe repairman, who is seated on a
contraption that is a chair with a post in front of the chair, atop
this post a wooden foot. Alternative wooden feet, different sizes, are
in a box at his side. He is waiting for customers, his box of tools
beside him including cutting knives, glue, a hammer, and various pieces
of leather.
A communal library is next, a woman putting books back onto shelves
that had been taken from several different collapsed homes. These
shelves are of every size and shape. She is handling the books with
great care, almost in an affectionate manner. She has a couple tables,
one small for children, and several chairs in the library too.
A furniture repair shop is next, and woodworker setting up shop,
continuing to repair a chair he had been working on before the storm.
He has woodworking tools – a plane, hammers, saws, nails, glue, clamps,
and a hand drill. Some wood shavings are on the ground underfoot. He is
sitting on a stool in front of a low sturdy table, the chair to be
repaired atop this table. Finegan approaches the woodworker.
Could you make me a cradle? One that could hang
from a ceiling yea high?
Finegan has his hand over his head, indicating the height of the
houseboat roof.
______________________________
The houseboat is again on the open water, drifting along toward the
sunset, with the shoreline off to the right. Finegan is not at the
pedals, but Joey is sitting cross-legged on the rooftop, reading to
140
himself. All four lines from the corner posts are covered with cloth
diapers, drying in the breeze.
141
FB2 document info
Document ID: 3e54dfdd-b92a-4737-b4c4-28154e918a3c
Document version: 1
Document creation date: 30.8.2012
Created using: calibre 0.8.53, FictionBook Editor Release 2.6 software
Document authors :
Nancy Lieder
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