by Darrel Bird
Part 7: Realization
As the girls finished unpacking the groceries and supplies, Rob and Gary hooked the four-wheel drive to the generator and pulled it across the field on skids.
When they got it to the edge of the woods Gary asked, “How are we going to get it to the mouth of the cave?”
“We can take the winch and the battery off the truck and winch it up to the cave.”
“Well, might as well get it done.” He said as he took the tool box out of the truck and began loosening the bolts that held the winch.
Rob lifted the hood and began taking the cables off the battery, and soon they had the heavy winch and battery at the front of the cave.
They wedged the winch between two trees, then began to feed out the cable to the edge of the woods.
Gary guided the generator as Rob worked the winch, soon the generator sat in front of the cave.
“Let’s put the battery back in and then go eat, maybe the girls have something fixed by now.”
“Yeah, I’m famished.”
By the time they got back to the house the girls had dinner on the table, Ruth met them at the back door, “You guys wash up, dinner’s ready.”
“We’re ready for it; I'm starved.” Gary said as he hugged Ruth and headed for the bathroom.
The women had prepared a large dinner, as the men came in and sat down, “We figured you guys would be pretty hungry, so we fixed heavy.”
There was not much conversation as the men went about eating as only hungry men do. Kathleen sat picking at her food as she picked up a pickle and examined it closely.
“ I really never thought much about the process of canning food, how long did you say this was going to last?”
“Possibly several years, maybe six, why?”
“We brought back the four-wheel drive loaded, and that is only enough to feed four people for about two months. Even if we ration we can’t last years.”
“We’ll have to forage for food later; there will be about six hours at night when there won’t be any danger from radiation.”
Rob thought about the myriad problems involved with true survival when they would have to remain in the cave for so many hours of the day. The problems were astronomical.
Rob and Gary worked feverishly to get the insides of the cave lined and floored; they built cabinets, a small kitchen and a bathroom complete with a shower. They hauled everything they needed in from the small lumber company in town.
They used a dual tank construction compressor to run the pneumatic nail guns which speeded the work greatly; they didn’t build for looks as there was just not enough time.
As the girls hauled in more food, they took to hauling it across the field in the four by four and stacked it at the edge of the forest, and by the time they were done there was a muddy road that led straight to the cave.
“Rob, look at that road, a blind man could see that.”
“Yeah, well, we could seed it. The grass will grow fast this time of year.”
“Yeah, we'd better get it done and quit crossing that field in the same place, unless we want to advertise our new address then.”
They drug a log behind the four by four to smooth it back out some then reseeded the field. Two weeks to the day, preparations were made to move underground.
“Let’s have a good dinner here at the house tonight, then move into the cave tomorrow, how about it Rob?” Gary said as they stood looking over their work.
“Good idea, I’ll go tell the girls; they just pulled in.”
Rob walked around the corner of the house just as Kathleen was about to go in. “Could we have a good dinner here tonight? We are going to move up to the cave tomorrow.”
“Sure Rob, we’ll get on it as soon as we finish up here.”
“Good, call us when it’s ready.” He walked back to the back of the house and started putting the fence back together with Gary stretching the wire; he drove the last of the stapes in the cedar post just as the light began to go.
“Dinners ready you guys!” Ruth called from the back door.
The girls had gone all out, and the smell of the food permeated the house as they washed up and came into the dining room and sat at the table.
The girls came and sat down. They looked around the table at each other, “I think a prayer would be in order. Rob, would you pray?”
“I’m not sure I know a good prayer, Gary, do you want to do the honors?”
“No, I’m no good at that, and she asked you first buddy boy, so you got the job.” He grinned at Rob.
Rob thought about it for a full minute as they sat looking at him. “Well…if we are going to do it, let's do the best we can with it, lets all hold hands.”
The little band reached across the table taking one another’s hand until the circle was complete.
“De..dear God, we aren’t much up on praying, but we have come to this place before you, I’m sorry that I have neglected you; I know in my heart you are the true-life giver. We thank you for this place you have brought us too. Please watch over each one in the coming days. We know from reading the Bible that we are facing a time of trial such as has never been on this earth, and perhaps the reason for the trials is so that you can get our attention. You have gotten ours, and we thank you for it. We will do the best we can with what we have. Amen.”
“You did pretty good buddy, better than I could have done, let’s eat.”
“Yeah lets, I’m starved. “ Ruth chimed in.
“Before we eat, I have something to tell you; it may as well be among friends.”
“Whats that Kathleen?” Rob enjoined.
“I’m pregnant.”
Rob sat stock still a full thirty seconds, a shocked look on his face. “With a kid?’
The laughter rang around the table at the look on his face and the question. “You didn’t even notice the pack upon pack of diapers you hauled up there did you?”
“What diapers?”
“Men!” Ruth snickered.
“I just never thought…when did you find this out?”
“Last week. I just thought it better to keep it from you, because it would take your minds off what you had to do. Is it ok honey?”
“Well…sure, but jeez! A baby?” Everyone broke out in laughter at Rob with his red face and stumbling boyish look.
“Pass the potatoes pop.” Gary chuckled.
“I’m sorry Rob.” Kathleen sat looking crest fallen.
“Oh no honey, no need to be, I love you; it's just…Hells bells..I’m going to be a pop?”
Ruth bent over laughing and caught a piece of food in her throat, Gary slapped her on the back and the piece of food shot out of her mouth onto the table, that caused another round of laughter.
The four of them became a family that night, and they were going to need that love and closeness in the days ahead; each one instinctively knew that.
The next evening Gary announced that it was time; Solar Cycle 24 had started registering on his sensitive instruments.
From then on they would not be able to come out except for ten minutes a day, and a few hours at night.
The girls looked crestfallen as they crawled through the small concrete and steel door Rob and Gary had built for them; they had considered making it to full standing headroom, but then had opted out of that, they felt a smaller opening would be easier to defend in case they were attacked.
Their looks changed a bit as they were met by the warm wood lined and floored cave when they got to it and stood up.
The place was spacious; it was just more like a single wide mobile home than what they were used to. Right away, the girls began straightening, stacking and storing the food stuff stacked around. They began to build their home for the foreseeable future, a future with not much hope. Their love would have to bind them together and they knew it.