Kiamichi Reunion: Book Five of the Kiamichi Survival Series

by C. A. Henry

  Jeff and Helen admired the sand dunes, waves, and sailboats in the painting, then turned to see if they’d missed anything. Jeff frowned, eyebrows lowered, seeming to process what he saw.

  “The walls have sheetrock and are textured,” he said tentatively. “So, I bet there’s insulation all around. And am I hallucinating, or is that a light switch?”

  Helen glanced up and chuckled. “Yeah, that’s a light switch, and those things hanging from the ceiling are lights, but I didn’t see any electric poles out in this field. Try it, Jeff.”

  He did, and the overhead lights came on. He quickly turned them off. “How in the world? Wait. I’ll be right back.”

  He hurried outside and into the field far enough that he could see the roof, then returned, a huge smile on his face.

  “The roof. The whole south slope of the roof – it’s solar. The north side may be, too; I didn’t go around to look. It has those new shingles that look like shiny tiles, but they’re really little solar panels. I bet there are batteries and an inverter in that cabinet over there,” he exclaimed, pointing to the northwest corner.

  Stevie was closest, so she opened the cabinet, and sure enough, there was a control panel of some sort, and several exceptionally large batteries.

  “We’re only here for a few days, just to rest and let Jeff regain some strength, but while we’re here, we can be comfortable. We’ll also have to be very careful. No lights from sundown until morning, no fires during the day. We can’t afford to draw attention to this place,” Helen warned.

  “Yes, but just to be able to sleep indoors, in a warm, dry enclosure. It’s really cool outside at night, and there’s rain coming,” Jeff insisted.

  Stevie gave him a quizzical look. “And how do you know that? You got a direct link to ‘Weather Control in the Sky’ or something?”

  Jeff laughed a little and shook his head. “Not exactly, but I do have a knee injury from high school. It lets me know when the weather’s going to change. It’s not right every time, but it’s right way more often than the TV weather people were.”

  “Well, enough talk. I need to get some snares set and see if we can catch something to eat. I’ve been setting three, but with another mouth to feed, I think I’ll set six. And being inside, the aroma probably won’t get carried so much. If I can catch some meat, we’ll eat hearty tonight.

  “Stevie, would you gather some kindling and wood for the fire? We won’t light it until later, but it’d be nice to have some ready.”

  Stevie nodded. “I’ll gather enough kindling for two or three nights, but wood? You haven’t been around the east side of this place yet. There’s a stack of firewood under the window out there, and there are six one-gallon jugs of drinking water under that little table, in case you haven’t noticed.”

  Helen slapped her own forehead. “Well, of course there would be water. I should have thought of it. Acrylic paint is water-based, and the artist would need water to clean the brushes. I guess the artist needed a swallow every so often, and that percolator can’t make coffee without water, either. I’m surprised there’s not a water tank or a rain barrel somewhere.”

  “Maybe that was in the plan, but she didn’t get around to it before the Collapse,” Stevie suggested.

  “What makes you think the artist was, or is, a female?” Jeff demanded.

  “Well, I’m the one who was interested enough to look over the finished paintings, remember? I don’t think a man would sign his work ‘Charlotte Almond,’ do you?”

  Looking doubtful, Jeff asked, “Signed? I looked at some of those, and I didn’t see any signatures.”

  “She signed them in colors that blend with the colors of the painting and put them in the scene where they seem like part of the foreground. You have to look close for them, but they’re there, kinda like she was hiding Easter eggs.”

  ~~~~

  Helen was gone for almost an hour, but returned to find that Stevie and Jeff had been busy. They’d folded the easel and moved it out of the way, put away the paints, rearranged the canvases to make more room, and swept the floor. The trundle was pulled out and turned so it formed an L-shape with the daybed.

  Her pack was on the trundle, and Jeff lay on the daybed. Stevie had her blanket folded in half and placed against the north wall.

  Stevie grinned at her. “We’re all set for tonight. I had to talk Jeff into taking the daybed, but I figured with his injury, getting up and down from a trundle would be hard on him. I can sleep on the floor just fine, and that leaves the trundle for you, Helen. Don’t argue, please. It’ll be easier for me to recover from the floor than for you.”

  “Thank you, Stevie, for your thoughtfulness and for not actually calling me ‘old,’ even though I am. I’ll go check the snares in a bit, but right now, I could use some rest. Can we lock the door from the inside, or do you want to stand watch?”

  “Yes, and yes. I’m not sleepy, and I found a book to read. I’ll look up often and watch all four sides. Did you notice we figured out the shutters can be opened just enough to peek out?”

  “Good thinking, but that doesn’t surprise me. I’m more and more impressed with your intelligence and common sense, kid.”

  Stevie gave her a sassy grin.

  ~~~~

  Helen slept for almost two hours and woke up feeling better than she had since leaving the RV behind. Sleeping on the ground with no pillow and no real way to stay warm had made her body ache. Her neck, in particular, had been stiff and sore, but sleeping on a real bed, even though the mattress was thin, had already done wonders.

  She glanced around and saw Jeff asleep, and Stevie sitting on the artist’s stool, engrossed in the book she’d found. The girl was still alert, because Helen barely moved her head, and Stevie’s eyes were on her.

  “You’re like a dog I used to have. I tried for years to move without waking her, but could never do it. She could be sound asleep, but if I moved one finger, her head snapped up and she’d be staring at me.” Helen smiled at the memory. “She was a great little mutt. I miss her. Any movement outside?”

  “Nothing but a slight breeze blowing leaves off the trees, and a rabbit. Are you going to check your snares now?”

  “Yeah. I’m kinda hoping we’ll have some rabbits, but I baited two snares for squirrel. We need to get some food in Jeff. He must have been without food for days after he was injured.” Helen shook her head. “I also need to change the bandage and give him his pills.”

  “Not to change the subject, but I was wondering something. What crops do you think they grew around here? Is there a chance we might find some veggies or such to eat?” Stevie looked so hopeful that Helen hated to disappoint her.

  “The main crops in Mississippi are cotton, rice, and wheat. Soybeans, too. It’s much too late in the year; anything that they missed during harvest will have already been eaten by wildlife. Sorry.”

  Stevie shrugged. “It’s okay. I don’t know much about growing things; I’m just running ideas through my mind, trying to help us get through this. If we stay here for a few days, it’s going to make it even harder to have enough food to get to Oklahoma. I was just hoping to figure out a way to increase our food supply.”

  “That’s a good thing. I look around this place and wonder if ‘Charlotte’ had any food tucked away. She obviously came here to have some solitude while she worked, and even artists get hungry. I guess she just brought enough food for the day.”

  “I don’t think so. I looked around while you were gone earlier. That little cabinet by the door has shelf liner, and the liner has circles impressed in it, like canned goods were stored there. I also looked through the wastebasket; there were two cans in it. Campbell’s Chunky Soup cans. I think either she took it all with her when she left, or someone found it before we got here.”

  “Did you ever think about becoming a detective? You’d make a good one,” Helen murmured.

  “Actually, I wanted to be a missionary, and then I wanted to be a cop. Oh, and I wanted t
o join the Navy. For a while, I was determined to go to law school and become a prosecutor. Or maybe…I don’t know. None of those things is really a good idea now. Nothing is like it was. I have no idea what’s even possible anymore.”

  Helen could see that the young woman was about to cry. What could she say to comfort her and give her some hope?

  “I think things are pretty messed up right now, but they won’t stay that way forever. They may never go back to the way they were, but I know you’ll find what you’re supposed to do. Maybe life in Oklahoma will give you a better idea of what you can do, of what jobs are still realistic. I am absolutely sure you’ll be successful at whatever you try. You’re smart, have a lot of common sense, and you’re very observant. We’ll get through this, and my family will help you in any way possible.”

  The two women embraced, and Stevie whispered, “Thanks. I promise not to get whiny again. I have so much to be thankful for, even though I’ve lost a lot. There’s no going back, and the Lord will give us our ‘hope and a future’ He has planned for us.”

  “He will,” Helen agreed. “Now, I better go check those snares. Keep alert, and maybe wake Jeff pretty soon. He won’t be able to sleep tonight if he sleeps the day away.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  January 7-8, the little studio

  Helen returned with three plump rabbits she’d already gutted and skinned.

  “How come you stayed out there by yourself long enough to clean those bunnies?” Stevie asked.

  “I didn’t want to make a mess in here, and if I cleaned them outside near the studio, I’d have been in plain sight, so I stayed in the woods. Where’s Jeff?”

  “He stepped out to take care of ‘personal business’ and should be right back. What can I do to help?”

  Helen pointed at the wastebasket. “Dump whatever is in that and bring it to me. Oh, and bring me one of the jugs of water, please.” She got her knife from her pack and began to cut the rabbits into manageable pieces.

  “I didn’t cut it up out there because I wouldn’t have been able to carry all the pieces very easily without dropping some. Leaving them whole allowed me to carry them by the legs, in one hand.

  “Okay. Slowly pour water over these and into the wastebasket. I didn’t have any way to wash them out there.” As she spoke, Helen rinsed the blood off each rabbit.

  “It’ll be dark soon, and then we can get a fire going in the stove and cook our meal.”

  Jeff came in and smiled when he saw the meat. “You’ve been busy, I see. Looks like a good haul.”

  “Yes, I got three good-sized rabbits. How are you feeling?”

  “Much better. I really needed that rest, and I think the antibiotics and oils are working,” Jeff assured her.

  “Well, while we wait for it to get dark, let’s change that bandage.”

  Helen gestured for Jeff to sit. She removed the old bandage, and was happy to see that the wound was looking less swollen and red.

  “So, Jeff, tell us about yourself,” she encouraged. “What did you do before the Collapse? You have family?”

  “Yeah. I have a beautiful wife and I miss her like crazy. I was in management at a factory, but it shut down. I was on a business trip and found out I was unemployed when my wife called and told me. We agreed to meet at our bugout location, but I haven’t had any way to contact her since the phones went dead. She had her brothers and a couple of cousins to help her get there, and I’m sure they’re already settled in, but I was a long way from home.”

  “If you don’t mind my asking, where are you headed? We’re going to a tiny little town in the Kiamichis where I have family.”

  Jeff’s head snapped up. “It wouldn’t by any chance be McCurtain, would it? That’s the nearest town to our cabin, not that it’s much of a town.”

  It was Helen’s turn to look shocked. “My son-in-law taught at the college in Wilburton. Where we’re going is very close to McCurtain. Ever heard of Kanichi Springs?”

  “Uh, yeah. My uncle used to own the little grocery store there. Another uncle owned the feed store, but he went out of business a long time ago. Wow. Small world. We really can travel together, almost all the way.”

  “I have a son, two daughters and their husbands, plus my first husband’s parents, who gathered there when the Collapse started. The last time we talked, they and my grandchildren were all doing well, but who knows if that’s still true?”

  She finished doctoring his injury, and grinned. “I knew both of your uncles. My father-in-law used to play poker with George, and Grady used to sneak pieces of hard candy to my kids while I pretended I wasn’t looking.”

  “Yeah,” Jeff laughed. “That sounds like them. Uncle George cheated, you know. I hope they weren’t playing for money.”

  “No, just for chips. His cheating was well known. I think he only did it to see if he could. He was a lot of fun.”

  “So, what’re we going to do about getting across that river? Do you have any ideas?”

  Stevie cleared her throat, coming over to join the conversation. “I might have one. I’d like for us to throw out anything that might work, and maybe it’ll help us come up with a solution. My mother said that’s called ‘brainstorming’ and it’s a good way to develop a plan.”

  “Your mom was right,” Jeff concurred. “I’ll start: I thought we might build a raft, but chopping down trees to build it would make too much noise.”

  “We considered ‘borrowing’ a canoe or small boat,” Helen admitted, “but I’m not sure there’ll be anything available. Anything bigger than a little rowboat would be too heavy to drag or carry to the river. I’m pretty sure we’re not going to get to just walk across on a bridge. That’s too dangerous.”

  “Well,” Stevie interjected, “I might have a plan. I’m not sure, but would a farm maybe have some inner tubes? We used to go on float trips with tubes that we tied together. Dad would blow one up around the cooler and load our food and drinks in it.”

  Jeff looked doubtful. “There might be some tubes, but how will we manage to search for them at the farms around here? We can’t just go traipsing around and looking through barns and outbuildings.”

  “Sure, we can,” Stevie countered. “Well, one of us can. I was thinking that you would stay here and help guard our stuff while you rest, and I could sneak around and check things out. Helen will be busy setting snares and taking care of you, so I’m the logical choice. I’ve learned a lot about staying ‘invisible’ and I’ve been told I’m resourceful and smart.” As she said that last part, she grinned at Helen.

  “Oh, I don’t think I like that idea. It’s too dangerous,” Helen insisted.

  “It’s no more dangerous than anyone else doing it. What are the alternatives?”

  Jeff decided the disagreement was about to escalate, so he interrupted. “What if we think about it while dinner is cooking? It’s almost full dark, and we need to get it cooked before it’s completely dark. We can eat, then continue to discuss possibilities later. There must be other ideas we can consider.”

  The women nodded, knowing that arguing wouldn’t solve anything.

  ~~~~

  Stevie sat on the floor to eat, so Helen could have the stool. Jeff sat on the edge of the daybed. Dinner was, again, stewed rabbit with some of the dried carrots and onions that Helen had brought. It was filling and tasty, helped by Helen’s foresight in packing salt, pepper, and some dried herbs. They sat quietly in the dark considering the question of crossing the river.

  Jeff wiped his hands on his jeans, then broke the silence. “Okay. We probably can’t build a raft without drawing unwanted attention. It’s a big river, and I don’t think I could swim it with my injury, at least, not without tearing it open again, plus the water is dirty. I’m just getting over one infection and don’t need to get another one. To be honest, I’m still a little weak.”

  “Finding a boat or a canoe probably isn’t practical, either,” Stevie added. “If I lived near the river and had a boat, I�
�d have it locked up in a garage or shed so it wouldn’t get stolen by people like us.”

  “Helen, I hate to say it, but I think Stevie’s inner tube idea is the most feasible. From what I saw, she handles herself well, stays quiet, and doesn’t take unnecessary risks. I think she could handle the job of finding some tubes. I’m concerned, though, about being carried too far down-stream, plus the fact that the water will be really cold. I’m sure that using our hands and arms to paddle a tube across would be almost as much work as swimming, and I can swallow my male pride and admit that I doubt my ability to do it, because it’s literally a life-or-death scenario. And I don’t want either of you risking your safety to help me if I get in trouble.”

  Helen started to answer, but a loud clap of thunder interrupted. Lightning slashed across the sky, and then the rain began.

  “Well, I guess it’s a good thing we found shelter, huh?” she said. “Jeff, your ‘weather knee’ was correct. If we were still outside, we’d be wet and cold. It sounds like the wind is picking up, too.”

  Stevie sighed. “I wish we had a way to cover the windows so we could use the lights. It’s too early to go to bed, and there’s nothing we can do to stay busy without lights.”

  “We can talk, but we’ll have to speak up to be heard over the storm,” Jeff added. “It’s a good thing this studio doesn’t have a metal roof. We wouldn’t be able to hear ourselves think. Let’s get back to the problem at hand. The rain is probably going to make the river rise and it’ll be flowing too fast for us to cross, for a while, at least. If there’s been a lot of rain upstream, we might have to stay here for several days, and our food situation will become desperate.”

  Nodding, then realizing her companions couldn’t see her, Helen spoke up. “We’re in serious trouble if that happens. We’re already living on mostly meat, and winter isn’t a good time to try foraging. Most of the plants we could eat aren’t available this time of year.