|
Post by bretf on Jul 1, 2018 12:53:37 GMT
Chapter 36
Chad looked up from his map with bleary eyes and said, “I didn’t see any signs to confirm it, but I think we’re in Idaho.” He wanted to feel happy, but he only felt fatigue. He wished he knew for sure when they’d crossed into Idaho so he could’ve symbolically peed on Utah one final time. The desert had been torture to cross. And Carol looked like she was having trouble just staying upright.
“Here, let me take Faith from you,” he told her. She passed the baby over without protest.
“Really, we’re in Idaho? So I guess we’re nearly home. Good,” Howie said. His words were flat, and he appeared as exhausted as Chad and Carol.
John was the only one of the group who appeared close to normal, the benefit of riding most of the way in the cart. “Home? Wha home?” he asked. Chad and Carol had tried to explain the foreign concept to him. They’d moved from place to place his entire life and had never been in a place they called home.
“Yes John, home. And all our family,” Chad said.
It was something else his dad had tried to explain to him. “You, Mom, Faith, Oowie, Chevon family,” John said. Despite his dad’s explanations, he still didn’t understand what a grandparent was.
“But we still have a long way to go,” Chad continued. “At least three hundred miles.”
Howie did some figuring in his head and said, “So another twelve to fifteen days. Promise me we won’t be running off anywhere soon once we get there, okay? I don’t think I can take it.”
Carol remained quiet and plodded forward.
Chad soon stopped again, standing beside a weather-faded sign. “Now I’m certain we’re in Idaho,” he said. Despite his weariness, a smile split his face. The sign indicated they were at the entrance to the City of Rocks National Reserve. When Howie joined them, Chad said, “So I’ve been doing some thinking. After the hard push we made to get through the desert and up to here, we need to take some time to rest up. This place should have some good secluded camping areas and water in it. The map shows the road cuts almost straight through it, so if we pass through, we won’t be adding any extra distance. We’re out of meat, and I saw some deer run over the hill there,” he pointed into the former reserve area. “So I think we go that way and find a good place to camp, and then tomorrow I’ll get a deer. We stay and rest while the meat dries. Then we make the final push to home, rested and with enough food to last us all the way. What do you guys think?”
“I think it’s a great idea, because one day of rest won’t be enough,” Carol said. “The desert really whipped me. I need at least two days down time, maybe more.”
“Sounds good to me,” Howie said. “I need a long break too,”
Chad nodded his head and said, “It’s settled then. Let’s go find a place to camp.” He wasn’t going to be picky about a campsite for the night. He just wanted to get settled. He agreed with Carol that two days of rest might not cut it; he was weary to his core. If he needed to, he’d find a better place to camp later where they could stay until they were fully ready to make the final push for home.
Chad led the way into the former Reserve. After topping a rise, he stopped and looked into the distance. Rock formations jutted into the sky, and with deep shadows on them he saw the resemblance to city skylines he’d seen. It was obvious how the area had received its name. Carol joined him, and then Howie with the goat and cart.
“Wow,” Carol said as she gazed out. Chad was glad to see her reaction; she’d been increasingly lethargic as they plodded along. It was good to see her perk up, if only a bit.
“Wow indeed,” Chad said. The stony landscape was such a marked contrast to the flat nothingness they’d crossed the past days. Howie also looked in awe. Chad pointed towards an area of aspen and juniper trees growing close to one of the towering formations. “Why don’t we head there and try to find a place to camp. It looks like there’s water and it should have shelter and fuel.” In fact, it looked good enough he might not have to find a better place later. Best of all, it was close.
“It looks good to me,” Carol said, and Howie nodded agreement.
They trudged onward, each of them anticipating finally stopping. As they made their way through the sagebrush covered plain, Chad was pleased to see a lot of deer sign. He was even more pleased when he saw elk tracks and droppings. An elk would certainly yield enough meat to get them home, though it’d be more work to take care of. But looking at Carol’s drooping shoulders and exhausted features, a few days of inactivity would be worthwhile. But he could figure all that out after a night’s rest. For the time being, he just needed to get camp set up and get everyone fed and into bed.
#
Carol gratefully accepted Chad’s offer to sit and feed Faith while he and Howie set up camp. She studied Chad’s back while the baby nursed and hoped he couldn’t see the conflict she was going through. Though she’d be glad they were done traveling, she couldn’t share his joy. While he was looking forward to a joyous reunion with his family, she was filled with dread. She would come face to face with two problems that’d nagged at her for the last five years: her mother, and Rory Young.
Chad had a loving family to return to and she knew they would welcome her as well, but what about her own family. Hers was dead, at least her dad was and her mom might as well be for what she’d become. Would her mother welcome her, or had their relationship completely died years ago? She hadn’t been able to understand her mother and had felt betrayed by her, but after a long time, decided she could forgive and forget, but her mother would have to make the first move.
Then there was Rory. He’d made blatant threats to her and towards Chad’s family after he raped her. She knew Chad would kill him on the spot if he ever saw Rory. Chad hadn’t said as much, but she knew it was true. What would happen to him then?
But what if Chad didn’t see him first and kill him? They were returning with two small children. She knew Rory would be incensed, and they were sure to be in danger. A dark part of her, the part she tried not to acknowledge, wished Rory would see them and her as vulnerable and act on it. Then she could do what she’d dreamed of for years. Kill the bastard before Chad could and spit on his lifeless corpse. If he so much as looked cross eyed at her kids, he was signing his death warrant. In that dark place, she longed to see Rory nearly as much as Chad longed to see his family. And it chilled her to the core. Still she knew if her kids were endangered, there’d be hell to pay. She’d make sure of it. She was filled with trepidation as she nodded off.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2018 19:38:29 GMT
Thanks Bret. Hope they make it home in time for Lisa.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Jul 2, 2018 11:33:58 GMT
Chapter 37
Chad was up before the sun, anxious to procure some meat and get it drying. He moved as quietly as he could so he wouldn’t disturb anyone. They needed to sleep as long as possible, though one of the kids was sure to wake Carol before she was ready. It troubled him how tired and quiet she’d been the previous day and he wanted her to take it as easy as possible. Shoot, he could use rest to, but it would have to wait until he had meat drying. He just needed to get it first.
Once he had the fire burning, he put the cook pot over it to heat water. When Carol did wake, he wanted to have something ready for her to eat. He added a handful of dried vegetables and stirred the contents. While it heated, he emptied his pack of everything not required for his hunt, and then made sure the air rifle was fully charged. When he was ready to go, the pot was beginning to boil. He removed it from the heat and put it in the insulated cozy they carried for it. The cozy was two pieces of foil-lined insulation which folded flat for transport. One section had a bottom, with sides formed to fit around the pot. The second piece covered the top like a second lid. It would hold the heat inside and allow the contents of the pot to cook, giving Carol, Howie, and John a hot meal when they got up. It was a far cry from a traditional breakfast of bacon, eggs, and pancakes, but it would fill the void.
For himself, he hoped to forage as he hunted. He’d seen quite a few edible plants, including wild onions when he set up camp, and was hopeful he’d find more to harvest as he moved around. The onions were tiny, but if he managed to kill something, they’d be great cooked with the fresh liver. His mouth watered just thinking about it.
Chad looked at his sleeping family again. It would be nice to have Howie along if he got something. He’d be a big help getting it back to camp. But Howie wasn’t a stalker, and was more likely to scare off any game, especially as exhausted as he was. Chad saw it in every move he made the day before. Shoot, they were all running on fumes. Thinking of it made him feel his own exhaustion. But he wouldn’t yield to it, not yet anyway. Not until he had meat laid out and drying. There would be plenty of time to rest after that.
He looked at Chevon, considering, and not for the first time wished he had a packsaddle and bags for the goat. Depending on where he went while hunting, chances were high there wouldn’t be access for the cart, but the goat could walk anywhere Chad could go with a pack. However, they lacked the right equipment and Chevon showed the results of the grueling trip as much as Carol and Howie did. Actually, more. He’d lost noticeable weight on the trek and his bones were pronounced. He was awake and chewing his cud, and judging by his distended abdomen, must’ve found plenty to eat before settling down. Maybe Chad could get something where he could use the goat and maybe not. But for the time being, Chevon could stay and rest as well.
Chad shrugged, actually preferring to hunt alone. He only hoped his strength would hold up enough to get the meat back to camp where Carol and Howie could help take care of it. If he got some anyway.
Chad left the camp and climbed a low hill as the sun climbed over the horizon. He studied the sagebrush and juniper covered plain before him for a long time before he detected movement. Several elk were moving slowly near some aspens at the edge of the open ground. He studied their movements carefully. If they continued to move and graze in the direction they were going, the closest they would get to his camp was about a half mile. He’d prefer them to come closer, but knew better than to wait and hope for something better. As it was, he was elated to see the large animals even that near to camp. After studying them more, he slipped behind the crest of the hill and walked in a direction he thought should put him ahead of their chosen path.
#
Chad looked at the massive body on the ground and asked himself if he’d just bitten off more than he could chew. The elk he’d singled out to shoot wasn’t the biggest of the animals, it was a young bull, but it still weighed several hundred pounds. It would be a lot of work to get it all back to camp, but well worth the effort.
As he studied it, he made a plan. After skinning, he could separate each of the four legs from the carcass and hang them in the shade in the nearby trees. He’d cut the rest of the meat from the skeleton and put it in his pack and take it to camp along with the heart, liver, tongue and testicles. Each back leg would require an additional trip, and the front legs one more.
He considered the animal’s hide. He didn’t think they would stay long enough at their camp to tan it properly, but it still might be useful. If he salted it down when he returned, then rolled it and put it where scavengers couldn’t get to it, he could take it back to camp on his final trip. There, he could stretch it out flat and let it dry in the sun. It might come in useful as a cover to the cart if they encountered rain.
“Well, I wanted meat and I guess I got some. Now quit standing around and get to work. It’s not going to take care of itself,” he said. He leaned his pack and rifle against a juniper, pulled out his knife and slit the skin up the abdomen. Flies had already found the animal and he shooed them away while he worked.
The sun was well past its midday position when Chad was finished with the elk carcass. He hefted his pack and decided it was enough weight for one trip. He shouldered the pack with a groan, picked up his rifle, and headed back towards camp. Several times he turned, orienting himself to the location. He didn’t want to spend a lot of time looking for it when he came back.
When he arrived at camp, he was happy to see Carol and Howie had been busy anticipating his return. They had racks in place to lay out the meat and a large pile of fuel gathered, both dry and green. The green fuel would create a lot of smoke but little heat so the meat could dry, and the smoke would keep the flies off it.
Carol saw his bloody hands and clothes and the way his pack strained as he approached. “All right, you got something,” she said.
John ran up and greeted his dad.
“Dad dirty,” he said.
Chad resisted bending down and hugging him. It could wait until he’d cleaned up some. “Hey buddy, I sure am.” To Carol he said, “Yeah, an elk. Thanks for getting things ready here. So how are you feeling today?”
“I’m dragging. I wasn’t sure we’d be able to get the racks and wood ready for when you came back. In fact, we just finished,” Carol said.
“Well, thanks for doing it. What do you think about having the heart now while it’s fresh? It can cook while we get the meat laid out on the rack. And later, I can get us some wild onions and we can have liver and onions,” Chad said.
“You said you got an elk, so there must be a lot more meat than what’s in your pack, isn’t there?” Carol asked.
“Yeah, it’ll take three more trips to get it all here,” he said.
“Then you pack meat and I’ll find the onions and mind the fire,” Carol said.
Chad looked at Howie and asked, “What about you? Are you up to bringing a slab of meat back?”
“I suppose,” Howie said. “I don’t think I could put in a full day, but I can do some,”
Chad nodded. “All right, we’ll take care of this,” and he motioned to his pack, “And eat. Then we’ll both go get a load. I think I’ll be able to get the rest of it on my own on one more trip and you can stay and help Carol.”
Carol started the heart cooking, then joined Chad and Howie as they laid out the meat on the racks. When it was done and the fire smoldered beneath it, they sat down to eat. As they ate, Chad studied the drying racks. “We won’t have enough space on those racks. We’ll need to set more up, a lot more. Maybe I should’ve tried to get a deer instead of an elk.”
“We’ll make it work, Hon. As long as we can get it dried before it spoils, we’ll be fine. We just might have to stay here a bit longer than we planned,” Carol said.
After they ate, Chad and Howie left Carol and the kids in camp and went to where he’d shot the elk. He hated to leave Carol there alone but was sure he couldn’t get all the meat moved before dark by himself. But with Howie’s help, it could be done. The skin was another story. It would have to wait for the following day.
It turned out, it was two days before Chad went to get the elk hide. On Howie’s first trip, Chad’s second, he and Howie each carried a hind leg to camp. Chad had Howie stay and help Carol get more rack space and cut the meat into strips while he went back for the front legs. He lashed them together on his pack and half stumbled back to camp, arriving just before the sun set. He was exhausted.
He nearly fell asleep with his liver and onions in his lap. Carol took his plate and ordered him to bed; he didn’t protest. There was more meat to prepare for the racks but it would have to wait until they all had a night’s sleep.
Chad was still lethargic the following day, but the three of them kept at task until all the meat was hanging in strips above the wide, smoky fire. When it was all set up and the only job remaining was keeping the smoky fire going, Chad decided the skin could wait one more day. Instead of getting it, he stayed with the family. They spent the rest of the day lazing, eating fresh meat, drinking lots of water, and recuperating from the grueling trip. Most rewarding to Chad, he got to spend quality time with both his kids.
The following morning, he felt more refreshed than he had in a long time. He tested a strip of the meat from the first load he’d returned with, and found it was dry enough to keep without spoiling. He put all that was ready into a food bag and rearranged the rest of the meat on the racks, and then worked on the smoky fire. He made sure the fire was right for drying, not cooking the meat. It was still bigger than he’d prefer and the trees they were under didn’t dissipate the smoke as well as he’d like, but there was nothing he knew of he could do otherwise. They needed the meat dry and not covered with fly eggs.
After doing as much with the meat as he could, he worked on the morning meal. He had herbal tea made and the last of the liver cooked when Carol got up. “Hey darling, how are you feeling?” he asked and gave her a cup of tea.
“Almost alive. We might’ve been busy the last two days, but it was just what I needed. I feel like I could even get back on the road today if we needed to,” she said.
“Well, thankfully, we won’t need to. I’m thinking all the meat will be dry enough we can bag it late today. So we’ll most likely leave in the morning,” Chad said. “After we eat, I’m going to go get the elk’s skin.”
“Let’s hope it’s still worth bringing back,” Carol said.
“Even if it’s not, I have a good piece of rope on it I don’t want to leave here,” Chad said. “Now, shall we eat?”
#
Carol watched Chad’s back go over the hill. The rest had been amazing, restoring her mentally as well as physically. The dread she’d felt about returning home didn’t weigh so heavily on her. A solution would be found, she was sure. She busied herself, making sure the camp was in order, then picked up the cook pot to fill it with water.
She heard a stick snap behind her as it was stepped on. Chad must’ve returned already. “That was quick. Did you decide not to go get the hide after all?” she asked as she turned. She gasped and all the blood left her face. The pot clattered to the ground.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
|
|
|
Post by Ozarks Tom on Jul 2, 2018 19:39:42 GMT
bretf , I wouldn't have thought it, but you've got a mean streak. For some reason I'm reminded of the old silent movie serial "The Perils of Pauline", when the end of every episode had poor Pauline tied to railroad tracks or hanging off a cliff.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Jul 3, 2018 0:59:32 GMT
bretf , I wouldn't have thought it, but you've got a mean streak. For some reason I'm reminded of the old silent movie serial "The Perils of Pauline", when the end of every episode had poor Pauline tied to railroad tracks or hanging off a cliff. Mean? Oh no, I've just been setting it up for the fireworks. (wink, wink)
|
|
|
Post by Ozarks Tom on Jul 3, 2018 22:04:02 GMT
bretf, Okay, enough is enough. Now my mind is playing tricks on me. I was scrolling down through the forums and thought I saw you'd posted again 20 minutes ago, I said "Hot damn, the next installment!" I immediately clicked on it, only to find it was 20 hours ago.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Jul 3, 2018 23:51:43 GMT
Happy Independence day! Enjoy your celebration!
Chapter 38
Just Bob leered at Carol and shot her a predatory smile. “It sure was considerate of you to have that nice smoky signal fire. Otherwise, I might’ve kept going on the road over the hill there and missed you. So you have my undying gratitude for doing that.”
The way he said undying sent a chill down Carol’s spine.
“I knew fate would lead me to you if I was only patient. I just never imagined fate wanted me to follow you so damn far. But I have to admit, this is a fine place, a very fine place for what we’re going to do now. I can already hear your screams and how they’ll echo. This is going to be so fun, totally worth the effort to get here. I’ve been imagining how it’ll be, playing connect the dots with my knife on your leopard skin. I wonder who’ll scream louder, you or your busy-body husband.”
Carol controlled her fear, barely. “You’re going to pay for what you did to my friend. Chad is going to kill you.”
Just Bob’s smile never wavered. “So how’s he going to do that? I happen to know he’s a long way from here, and I don’t expect he’ll be back right away. I sat and watched him walk away, leaving you here for me. You know, I considered taking care of him first, but I decided you and I should get better acquainted before he gets back. Then I can welcome him back to your comfortable little camp in style.”
Just Bob started taking slow careful steps towards her. She’d seen a rabid raccoon once and it’d looked nearly like him.
Carol glanced at the sleeping kids. They were her first priority. She had to draw him away from them. She backed away from them and from just Bob at the same time. Just Bob grinned and angled towards the kids. She stopped backing, instead, taking steps towards the man. Stay away from my babies, she hissed silently.
Noise to the side drew both their attention as Howie came out of the brush from the area they’d designated for a toilet. He looked from Carol to the man and asked, “Where’d you come from?”
“Howie, he’s a killer!” Carol shrieked.
Just Bob took advantage of the moment. He lunged for Carol, grasping the sleeve of her jacket. She tried to jerk away from him, but he had a firm grip and it didn’t pull free. Another strong yank was rewarded by the sound of tearing cloth, but Bob shifted his grip to her wrist. Carol quit trying to free herself and fought back. She spun, pivoting on the leg closest to him, the other swinging in a powerful arc. It slammed against just Bob’s knee, buckling it, and he released her.
Just Bob gave Carol a look of pure hatred. “You’re going to pay for that you hideous hag. I’m going to take my time with you, but not until I’ve skinned those brats of yours,” he hissed. He started hobbling to where Faith and John lay.
“John, get up, now!” Carol screeched and ran for their bed.
“St . . . stop . . . right there,” Howie stammered. “Or I . . . I’ll shoot!”
Just Bob looked at Howie. He had the Ruger .22 in both hands, the barrel shifting wildly. Just Bob sneered at him. “You aren’t going to shoot me,” he said, and started limping towards Howie.
“I . . . I will shoot. Now stop!”
Just Bob continued walking towards Howie as the gun danced in his hands. “You aren’t going to shoot me, now give me the damn gun!” He flinched as Howie pulled the trigger, the sound nearly deafening him so close to his ears. The bullet whizzed harmlessly past his head. “You piece of crap! I’ll kill you nice and slow for that!” he snarled, and his hand flashed out and he grabbed the gun. They both struggled for control of the gun before he wrestled it out of Howie’s hands and swung it against Howie’s head. Howie crumpled to the ground, moaning.
“And now it’s just you and me,” just Bob said as he turned back to Carol.
The initial shock of just Bob’s appearance had worn off. Instead of the fear he usually witnessed in his victim’s faces, Carol’s face was set and determined. Her eyes burned with determination and rage. Howie’s distraction had been enough; she’d remembered Rory Young and her vow to never be a victim again. Just bob was about to find out how determined she was. The piece of scum had hurt her friend, murdered Jimmy, hurt Howie, and now had the audacity to threaten her children! HER CHILDREN!
Carol’s hand was in the pocket of her jacket, the pocket that always sagged from the comforting weight. She pulled the short-barreled pistol out of her pocket and aimed it at just Bob. Rage and adrenaline made it difficult to held steady, but she kept it wavering over his center of mass.
Just Bob laughed at her. He laughed. “Oh, that’s rich. I watched your husband leave. He’s carrying an air rifle for God’s sake, and here you are with a pocket cap gun to go along with it. Oh that is too rich,” he said, walking towards her, a predatory leer on his face. “You might as well drop it. You aren’t going to shoot me with that thing.”
The gun Carol pointed at just Bob was small but it wasn’t a cap gun. It was far from it. It was a Ruger LCR, chambered in .357 magnum. Though Carol had learned to use it with lighter .38 loads, when traveling it was loaded with the most powerful cartridges Chad had been able to come up with.
Carol never said a word, just kept the pistol aimed at him as he advanced. In her mind however, she was screaming. You better think again dirtbag. I WILL NOT BE A VICTIM AND NO ONE, I MEAN NO ONE, THREATENS MY BABIES! Her Momma Bear instinct overwhelmed her. That piece of crap wasn’t going to harm her children.
“GIVE ME THE DAMN GUN!”
Her hands steadied, and in a smooth motion she sighted perfectly on his chest and gently squeezed the trigger. She didn’t register the recoil or the shock in just Bob’s eyes as the revolver jumped in her hands and the slug slammed into his chest. As Mat taught him before, Chad had drilled into her head to “double-tap”. She brought the gun steady again and squeezed the trigger. Just Bob was on the ground, but she didn’t stop. Adrenaline surged through her, this son of a wants to hurt my babies, and she leveled the gun and squeezed the trigger as fast as she could. Just Bob lay lifeless on the ground, but she repeated the action over and over, not registering the revolver was no longer firing as the cylinder cycled around onto already spent chambers.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Jul 3, 2018 23:53:48 GMT
Chapter 39
The sound finally registered, rather the lack of sound; the absence of the explosive rounds firing, and Carol stopped squeezing the trigger. Without a further glance at just Bob, she walked on trembling legs to her children; she needed to hold them, she had to hold them. That bastard wanted to hurt them!
They’d been shocked out of sleep by the thunderous gunshots and both were crying. Carol fell to her knees in front of them, dropped the gun, and pulled both her children into a tight embrace. She breathed them in, smelling them, feeling their warm, vibrant bodies, hearing their wails diminish into hiccupping sobs. She buried her face against them, tears streaming down her face and mixing with theirs. She soothed them while their very presence soothed her ragged nerves.
Carol had no idea how long she knelt there, but was eventually cried out. John looked at her puzzled when she released her tight hold. Carol sniffled and looked around. Howie was sitting up, the side of his face covered in blood. She gasped, released the kids, and hurried over to him. “Oh Howie, you’re hurt!”
“He just rung my bell. It’s probably not as bad as it looks.” He grimaced and wiped the blood away from his left eye. “So how bad does it look?”
“Like you had your bell rung with a crowbar. Here, let me see it,” she said, parting his hair and peering at the source of the blood. “There’s a nice gash in your scalp, but it doesn’t look too bad. But we need to wash it so we can see for sure. Let me get some water heating.” She stood and walked to the blackened cook pot, giving a slight glance at just Bob’s corpse as she passed. “Nobody messes with my kids, !” she spat as she went past.
Before she could enter the trees where the stream was located, she heard something on the slope beyond their camp. She turned and saw Chad charging down it at a dead run. Before he got to the bottom, he stopped and looked around frantically.
Carol waved at him and called, “Everything’s all right Hon . . . now.”
Chad hurried the rest of the way, his eyes looking all over the camp. He was nearly breathless. “I . . . heard . . . shots . . . and”
Carol’s steely resolve disintegrated and she ran to him and wrapped herself in his arms. Tears flooded her eyes again and she clung to him like a lifeline, crying herself out for the second time in minutes. Chad held her tight, with his head on her shoulder and looked at their camp; at Howie, his face encrusted in blood, and at the crumpled, unmoving shape on the ground.
When she was finished crying, she released Chad and stepped back. His face was full of concern and he asked, “What happened? Are you all right? Who was shooting?”
“I’m fine, just a little shook up. He didn’t hurt me or the kids.”
“He? Who shot?” Chad asked.
“I did,” Carol stated, the fire returning. “He was going to hurt the kids. Nobody messes with my children.”
“He?” Chad asked again.
“Yes, that Bob guy, from Philmont. The one who hurt Nancy and killed Jimmy. He followed us here,” Carol said.
Chad’s eyes widened and he looked at the crumpled shape on the ground. He pointed and asked, “Just Bob?”
Carol nodded.
Chad studied her and asked, “But you’re okay? He didn’t do anything to you? And the kids are okay?”
“Yes, we’re fine. He got ahold of my sleeve, but I convinced him to let go, and then Howie distracted him. He never got near the kids,” Carol said.
There was obviously more, but he figured Carol would tell him all of it when she was ready.
“Do we need to leave here?” he asked.
Carol considered for a few moments and said, “No, I don’t think so. I might have woken up feeling good, but now I’m not sure I could go all that far.” Her legs felt weak, even more than when they’d set up the campsite three days earlier when she’d been exhausted. “But you and Howie need to take out the garbage,” she said, pointing at Bob. “He’s not worth burying, and I’m not sure even the coyotes will eat him. That man was rotten.”
“We’ll get rid of him,” Chad said. “But what about Howie? He’s covered with blood.”
“He was hit in the head with his pistol. He’ll be fine, but we need to clean him up. Get rid of that first though,” she said, pointing at Bob’s corpse. “I’ll get some water heating.”
“Uh, sure,” Chad said. He looked at his incredible wife once more and turned and walked to Howie. “You alright Howie?”
“I think I’ll have a heckuva headache, but I’ll live,” he said, “Thanks to Carol.”
“Are you up to helping me?” Chad asked. “I want to get that out of here.”
“It’d be my pleasure,” Howie said.
Carol stared at Chad and Howie’s backs as they drug the corpse away, and then picked the cook pot up and headed for the stream. Going home and facing Rory Young didn’t terrify her any longer. Nobody messed with her kids, NOBODY!
#
Chad and Howie took just Bob by the arms and dragged him out through the sagebrush away from camp. Once out of site of the camp, Chad said, “This is good enough. We’ll be leaving in the morning.” For a moment, he considered going through just Bob’s pockets, but didn’t. There was no telling what he’d find; Carol was right about the man being rotten. Anything the man had, they could live without. He wouldn’t even try to find just Bob’s pack. He wouldn’t put it past the man to have human flesh for food.
“So what happened Howie?” he asked.
Howie described the brief encounter as thoroughly as he was able, making sure Chad knew Carol had saved his and the kids’ lives. Chad wasn’t surprised, remembering how driven she’d been once she opened up to him about Rory and asked him to help make it so she could fight back effectively if she ever had to. He wished she hadn’t been forced to do what she’d done, but was glad for her powerful resolve.
They went back to camp, and amazingly, Carol had water heating to clean Howie, and was nursing Faith. He considered going to get his pack, he’d dropped it and returned at a dead run when he heard shots, but decided it could wait until later. The rope and the elk hide would be left where they were. Even in the tree, scavengers would get to it. Besides, within twelve to fifteen days, they’d be home. He shouldn’t miss one short section of rope in that time. For the time being, he wasn’t leaving his family for anything.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Jul 3, 2018 23:57:53 GMT
Chapter 40
Chad could not believe it; he absolutely could not believe it. He flinched when he pinched himself to see if he was dreaming or not. He had no idea if there was any truth to the notion, but he did it anyway. He pinched himself again for good measure. And nothing changed. He looked to his left past Carol, and confirmed he was really there. Chad pinched himself again.
Of all the things he'd experienced, a smallpox pandemic, a nuclear war, his dad getting shot, meeting his brother, his parents nearly starving, becoming a husband and father, and the list went on and on, he thought he was experiencing the most unlikely event yet: sitting on the seat of a pickup truck driven by his best friend Nick Robbins. He nearly pinched himself again. No, Carol was his best friend but Nick was a close second. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He was having a hard time accepting it was real; it had to be the most unbelievable thing he’d ever experienced.
“Nick, what’re you doing here?” Chad asked. Nick hadn’t answered when he’d asked before, saying there’d be plenty of time to talk while they drove. Drove! Nick was driving the pickup truck, and he, Carol, and the kids were in the cab with him.
Nick grinned, that incredible Nick grin that said he knew the funniest story ever and was going to share just enough of it to have his listeners begging him to finish. “Well Chad, it’s obvious. You wandered away from home and got lost. There was no way you were ever going to find your way back so I had to come and get you. Shoot, there’s no telling where you’d end up if I wasn’t watching out for you.”
Chad shook his head again. It was such a Nick answer.
Events had gone from bizarre when Fred Lewis got out of one of the trucks and waved at him, to “are you stinking kidding me” when the next people he saw were Chuck and Amy Gray, to “those were the wrong mushrooms we had for supper” when he saw Nick Robbins and Glen Camp get out of the trucks.
#
“You know, I don’t like this,” Chad said, as he looked at the wide expanse of broken asphalt known as Interstate 84.
“Yes, I know, but we discussed it, and together we decided this was the best way to go. Now we need to make the most of it and just be extra careful,” Carol said.
Chad had been on edge ever since Carol and Howie’s run-in with just Bob, not wanting to let anyone out of his sight. It’d only been enhanced when they dropped out of the mountains into the Snake River Plain. The area was just too open, with no-where near enough cover to suit him.
It’d been a picture perfect day when they stopped high above the plain and looked at the expanse below. The country showed it’d been cultivated in the past, however nature was reclaiming much of it. But there were still strips of green agricultural ground near scattered villages nestled close to canals. As it had always been and always would be, water was the key to agriculture and civilization in the arid west.
As they looked down from the higher elevation, Chad was conflicted. They could drop down to the plain with the freeway cutting through it, or remain in the mountains and hills and work west. The river plain was practically flat, the freeway bisecting it in a nearly straight line. Moving through the hill and mountain country would be a different story. There wasn’t a road that resembled a straight line to be found on the map, and the country was far from flat. As they studied the country and discussed the options, speed and convenience won out.
Chad had been nervous crossing to the freeway and it was even worse once they got to it. They were just too exposed there. As if someone had been reading his thoughts, they hadn’t gone a full mile when he heard vehicles approaching. He looked around frantically, and there was nowhere to take cover, and the sparse weeds offered little concealment. But it was all they had. He hurriedly ushered Howie and the goat to the barrow pit, got John out of the cart and sent him to his mom and directed them to flatten on the ground further away. The trucks stopped, he saw there were three of them, and he flattened himself with his rifle trained on the lead vehicle.
The passenger door of the lead truck opened and Chad sighted on the center of the man. He didn’t make any threatening moves and stepped around the open door with his arms held out. “You didn’t shoot me last time you had the chance, Chad, and I’m hoping you won’t this time either.”
Chad squinted at the man, trying to make out his fascial features and place the voice. The man continued to move slowly towards him and Chad recognized him. “Fred? What on earth are you doing here? This is a long way from where I saw you last.”
“You’ve got that right,” Fred called.
A door to the second pickup opened and a man got out, followed by a woman with long black hair. Chad wondered if he was hallucinating.
“I decided I needed to relocate. I’m not too popular down south, rather I should say I’m too popular for my own health,” Fred called. “Some friends of yours, the Grays, found me at a most opportune time, so we traveled here together. We made it to Wyoming and ran into some more friends of yours. We figured you’d be showing up here sooner or later so we’ve been watching a twenty-mile stretch of the freeway for the last few days.”
“More friends of mine?” Chad asked.
“Yeah, it seems you’re a pretty popular guy,” Fred said.
The question was further answered when Glen Camp got out of one of the pickups and Nick Robbins got out of the other. Four men he recognized from Cambridge got out of the third truck.
Chad stared at his friends, speechless.
Carol and Howie reacted before Chad did, both climbing to their feet. Carol had John stand and whispered softly in his ear.
Nick walked to the stunned family and stopped in front of Howie. “You must be Cousin Howie. There’s a gal with a gleam in her eye back there wanting to see you. It might not be safe for you though.” He turned and winked at Chad and Carol and said, “I think she’s pregnant and her dad looks really ticked off whenever your name comes up.”
Howie’s eyes got wide and he looked like he was ready to turn and run.
Smiling, Nick walked past him and approached Carol. “Oh Carol, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” he said and pulled her into an embrace.
When they separated, Carol looked at him numbly, as shocked as Chad to see him. “Nick . . . ” was the only word she could utter.
He walked past the stunned woman and pulled Chad into a bone-crushing hug. “Man, am I glad to see you brother! Now let’s get you guys loaded up and hit the road.”
“But Nick, what are you doing here? And what are Fred and the Grays doing with you?” Chad asked.
Nick grinned and said, “We’ll have lots of time to talk on the road. Now let’s get moving.”
Chad woodenly followed his instructions, after greeting Glen Camp, Fred, the Grays, and the group from home in a mental haze. Soon he, Carol, and the kids were nestled in the cab of the pickup, riding in leisure down the weathered highway. Glen was driving an extended cab truck. Howie was in it, along with Amy and Chuck Gray, and Fred. Chad wondered if it was a good idea after what Nick said, but the only other option was in the back with Chevon.
“Okay Nick, we’re moving. What’re you doing here?” Chad asked.
Nick grinned at him. “Well Chad, it’s obvious. You wandered away from home and got lost. There was no way you were going to find your way back so I had to come and get you. Shoot, there’s no telling where you’d end up if I wasn’t watching out for you.”
Chad smiled. The years might have aged his friend, but he was the same old Nick. “So Nick, really, why are you here now?”
Nick’s face turned serious, never a good sign. He looked at Chad and said, “We came here hoping against hope we could get some whisper of where you were, and go get you from wherever that was and take you home. We ran into your friends in the Wyoming oil country and with them, deduced where you should hopefully end up. We weren’t sure which road you’d take out of the mountains so we thought it best to watch a good stretch of the highway. So we’ve been hanging around here, waiting and praying you’d show. It’s a good thing you didn’t run into problems to slow you down.”
Chad could tell by his face and how he spoke something was wrong. Softly he asked, “What is it? What’s happened?”
Nick’s face was full of compassion. “Chad . . . your mom is sick . . . real sick. She needs to see you, Carol, and your kids. She’s too good a lady to not get to see all of you. I love her like my own mom, so I wanted to try one last time to find you. If there was any chance at all, I wanted to get you home for her.”
Chad was at a loss for words. He’d always pictured everyone at home safe and comfortable, just like when he’d left. It didn’t seem real, to be sitting with Nick and hearing what Nick was telling him. “Wh . . . what’s wrong . . . with her?” he choked out.
“Doc says it started as breast cancer and spread. The scourge of women couldn’t be wiped out by a pandemic and a nuclear war,” Nick said.
Chad looked sightlessly out the window, tears running down his face. This can’t be right. It can’t be.
Carol held his hand, squeezing softly. He removed it gently and laid his face in both hands and sobbed. She moved the hand to his back and rubbed as her own tears ran down her face.
There was no conversation for several miles before Carol asked in a barely audible voice, “Nick, what about my mother? Is she still with Frank Young?”
Nick slowed the pickup and turned to Carol with a sad expression and said, “There’s no easy way to say this Carol, but your mom is dead.”
“Dead?” she whispered. It was Chad’s turn to try to comfort her. She turned to him and choked, “Our relationship . . . died . . . but I didn’t want her to die . . . too . . . I . . .I always hoped . . . we might reconcile. . . Now we never can.”
“How did it happen?” Chad asked.
Looking grim, Nick said, “Frank Young went off the deep end. During the summer after you guys left, Rory disappeared. I figured he went hunting for you. Maybe Frank did to, but I don’t know. The story goes that he got nuttier and nuttier with Rory gone. Then, a couple years ago, he confronted your mom, Carol, accused her of having you hidden somewhere, and you lured Rory in and did something to him. Well, it wasn’t pretty and when people went to the house to stop him, he started shooting. He killed Tom Jenkins and Gil Roberts and shot Russ Camp. Russ lived, at least. Anyway, the house caught fire during the melee and when it was out, the guys found your mom and Frank’s bodies in the rubble.”
Chad pulled Carol to his chest, doing his best to comfort her for her loss while receiving comfort in return. He looked at Nick and asked, “So what about Rory? Did he ever show himself again? Because if he did, I’ll kill him. He did something that’s unforgiveable.”
“No, he never did show and no one ever heard anything from him. Personally, I say good riddance and hope the coyotes had a good meal off him,” Nick said.
It was quiet in the cab of the pickup again for some time, the only sounds coming from the tires on the roadway and the motor running. At last Chad broke the silence and said, “Well, I can’t believe you’re here, but despite the circumstances, I’m sure glad to see you.”
Nick shrugged and said, “You’re family man, and you’d do the same for me. Now tell me about yourselves. You’ve got two kids and gained a cousin. I want to hear all about it.”
“Okay, but before I tell you anything, you have to answer another question. Is Amy really pregnant?” Chad asked.
Nick laughed his infectious laugh that always had Chad wanting to join in. “Beats me. I was just yanking cousin Howie’s chain, but judging by his reaction, I might have just hit the bullseye.”
#
“Heather, can you and Mat help me please? It’s time to go down the trail with Dan,” Lisa said.
“Of course we’ll help you,” Heather said with a sniff. “But are you sure you should exert yourself.”
Fire flared in Lisa’s eyes and she said, “I haven’t missed an evening in years, and I’m not going to until you’ve put me under the ground or they get home! Now are you going to help me or do I have to manage on my own?”
Heather wiped away tears and said, “Yes I’ll help, but you know I hate it when you talk like that. I don’t know what I’ll do without you.”
“Now I told you not to do that. I’m going to a better place when I leave here,” Lisa said.
“So you say, but I don’t want you to. I want us to grow old together and drive the kids crazy when we talk about the old days,” Heather said.
“I know, but I have to take a different path,” Lisa said. “You can drive them crazy with Mat.”
“But he’s a guy. Plus, I haven’t told him all the juicy stories,” Heather said.
“Then you both have something to look forward to; you telling him all your sordid past you’ve kept from him. Now help me up,” Lisa said.
Heather and Mat each took one of Lisa’s spindly arms and helped her to her feet. They moved slowly as a unit, Heather with an arm around her sister supporting most of her weight and Mat holding Lisa on the other side. Dan joined them and they shuffled to the overlook where Dan and Lisa had gone every evening for the last five years.
Dan traded places with Mat and they all joined hands. Dan cleared his throat and spoke the familiar words, “Lord, we stand here before you yet again. We can’t know your plan, but please, allow our son to come home. We miss him and long to see him, as well as his wife and his children. Amen.”
They gazed across the valley for a few more minutes before Dan said, “We better get you back to the house, Hon.” He helped Lisa turn around and they took a step, but Heather stood where she’d been, listening.
“Is that thunder?” she asked.
Mat heard the noise as well. “No, I don’t’ think so. It’s such a rare sound, but I’m sure it’s trucks coming this way.”
“I wonder what that’s about,” Heather said.
“I guess we’ll find out,” Mat said. He and Heather took their places bracketing Lisa and they helped her back up the path. They stopped where the path intersected the main trail leading to the road in the valley.
Two pickup trucks lumbered into view over the rough trail and pulled to a stop near them. The doors to the first pickup opened and Nick got out of the driver’s door. Lisa looked across to the other side of the pickup and gasped, her hand flying to her mouth when she recognized her son.
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Jul 4, 2018 0:01:47 GMT
Chapter 41
Despite Nick telling him how sick and frail his mom was, Chad was shocked at her appearance. He never noticed his dad, aunt, and brother. His attention was completely captured by his mom. He walked to her in a trance and stood before her, but refrained from hugging her. He was afraid he would hurt her.
Lisa took the initiative and molded herself to him. “Oh Honey . . . you came . . . home,” she said, her voice breaking and tears soaking into his shirt.
He put his arms tenderly around her. “M-om . . .” he choked out.
They clung together for a minute, for an hour, for five missing years.
At last she released him with one arm and took a half-step back. “Carol,” she said and held her free arm out. Carol joined the group hug, Faith still in the sling at her chest. When she stepped back, Lisa looked at her and beamed. “She’s adorable . . .What’s her name?” she asked.
Carol smiled at her and said, “Lisa, meet your granddaughter, Lisa Faith Smoke.”
The wide smile never left her face, but she pinched her eyes closed for several seconds. She opened them and reached a trembling hand out and stroked the side of the baby’s face. “She’s so precious,” she murmured. Looking down between Chad and Carol, she smiled again and said, “And this must be John.” She kneeled carefully to be close to him.
John tilted his head one way and then the other, his face twisted up. “You Dad’s mom?” he asked.
“Yes Honey, I’m your dad’s mom, your grandmother,” Lisa said. She held Chad’s arm and used it to help stand up. “Now I think we should go to the house so I can sit down and hold these beautiful babies.”
John looked put out by the woman’s statement. “I no baby,” he stated.
Lisa smiled at him and said, “No, I guess not. But I want to hold you anyway.”
“We have more people with us for you to meet,” Chad said.
Lisa smiled weakly and said, “Let’s do it in the house, all right? I’m afraid I need to sit down.”
“Sure Mom, of course. Sorry I wasn’t thinking,” he said, feeling like a heel. It was obvious his mom was weak as a new-born kitten.
“Hey Buddy, let’s help your mom,” Heather said, punching Chad lightly on the shoulder and taking her position at Lisa’s side. Chad noticed Aunt Heather for the first time, as well as his dad and Mat; he’d been so focused on his mom. Dan and Mat followed them as they started moving up the trail. Nick, Howie, Glen, Fred, and the Grays fell in behind.
They hadn’t gone far when Lindy, one of the family dogs appeared, barking at the bunch of strangers. Mat silenced her with a hand signal. She was followed by a girl of seven or eight, carrying a baby in her arms, and two striking young women who looked completely alike. Chad stopped and stared, stopping Lisa and Aunt Heather as well.
“Mom, did I hear a truck?” the girl asked, then noticed the stranger holding her grandma. She stopped, confused that he was holding her grandma so close.
The young women paused as well and one of them squealed, and they sprinted past the girl. “Chad!” one screamed. Aunt Heather moved Lisa away just before Chad was tackled by Alison and Brooke.
Glen grinned at Howie and said, “You’ll have to watch your step around those two. They’re a handful.”
“How do you know which one is which?” Howie asked.
Nick laughed and said, “I hope you’ll tell me when you figure it out.”
“Help me Mat,” Heather said. “I think Chad will be busy for a while.” She maneuvered Lisa slowly past the three siblings.
Carol smiled at the reunion and turned to John. “Come on John. Let’s go with your grandma.” John followed, but he cut a wide arc around the two women who had his dad pinned to the ground.
The twins got off Chad and each took a hand and hauled him to his feet. “You’re bigger,” Brooke said. At least Chad thought it was Brooke. It had been too long, and he was as confused as Howie looking at the two of them.
“I got bigger? What about you two? I hardly recognize you,” he said.
Alison giggled, or was it Brooke, and wrapped an arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder. “We’re so glad you’re home.”
Chad noticed the plural, that she still spoke as if for both of them. This one is Alison, isn’t it? He reached for her hair, to see if the small brown spot was below her left ear, the only way he’d been able to tell them apart when they were infants.
Alison, or was it Brooke knew instantly what he was doing and danced away from him with a sly smile. She moved to her sister and whispered excitedly in her ear.
“Uh oh,” Nick said to Howie. “He can’t tell them apart anymore either. Man, they’re going to give it to him in spades until he can figure it out.”
Chad looked at the young girl holding the baby. “Can this be Hope?” he asked. “And whose baby is that?”
“Yep, it’s me, Uncle Chad. Sorry, but I don’t’ remember you, only from your letters and the stories. I was pretty young when you left. This is Grace, my little sister. She can be a pain at times, but other times she’s pretty cool,” Hope said.
Chad looked close at the baby and gave Hope a one-armed hug. The baby was cute, but in his opinion, didn’t hold a candle to Lisa Faith. “Yeah, you were young. You weren’t a whole lot bigger than her when I saw you last,” he told Hope.
Dan had stayed instead of trailing along as Aunt Heather and Mat helped Lisa to the house. Chad looked closely at him. His dad looked tired and had aged quite a bit in the time he’d been gone. “Hey Dad . . . I . . .” he said, unable to come up with anything else.
Dan didn’t give him a chance to form words. He pulled his son into a tight embrace that Chad willingly returned. They hugged, their faces wet with tears. Chad wasn’t sure how he could have enough tears for all the crying he’d done since Nick found them.
When they separated, Chad said, “So you’ll never guess what we found one day.” He motioned Howie to come closer. “This is Howie, Uncle Del’s son.”
Dan smiled at the man, grasped his right hand, and pulled him into a one armed hug. He stepped back and said, “Howie Smoke, my, but it’s a pleasure to meet you again. I met you once before but I suppose you don’t remember it, just like Hope with Chad. I visited your family when you were a pretty young. I have to admit, I wasn’t taken by Chicago and didn’t ever want to go back. In fact, I never did. Del didn’t want to come back here either, so I never expected his son would end up here one day.”
“I never pictured myself here either, sir, but now that I am, I plan on staying unless your son drags me off on a quest,” Howie said. “Although, I wasn’t a lot of help to him on the road.”
Dan chuckled and said, “There’s no sirs, and there’re no Mister Smokes here Howie. I’m Dan or Uncle Dan to you. And I’m sure you were more help to him than you realize. Now who is this you’ve got with you Howie? Are they more family?”
Chad was glad his dad asked Howie about Fred and the Grays since they’d ridden together. Nick had been vague about meeting up with them, so he was certain Howie knew a lot more about what they were doing there than he did.
Howie blushed red and stammered, “Well . . . uh”
Fred stepped forward to help him out. “It’s like this, Mister Smoke –”
“Dan, my name is Dan. As I just told Howie, there’s no Mister Smoke here,” he said, interrupting Fred.
“All right, Dan. It seems your son and his cousin here have a certain magnetism about them. Due to the circumstances of our meeting, I didn’t have a chance to talk a lot with Chad, but the little I did, I was drawn to follow him here. Now the lovely young lady was drawn to follow your nephew.”
Howie turned crimson at the comment.
“But they are both remarkable young men and all three of us are glad we met them,” Fred said.
Dan raised his eyebrows wanting more information, but Fred didn’t volunteer any. Instead, he introduced himself and the Grays to the Smoke Family, and Dan introduced his daughters and Hope. When he did, Chad studied the twins, trying to discern the tell his dad used for them. He didn’t see it. Even their clothing matched.
“Well, we should all go on up to the house,” Dan said.
They started walking and Chevon bleated from the back of the pickup he was tied in. “Oh yeah, we need to get our goat too,” Chad said.
“I’ll take care of him and set all your stuff out at the house,” Nick said. “You go along with your family.”
“I’ll help,” Glen said.
Nick and Glen trotted back to the pickup, got in and drove past the group to the house, and got to work unloading it. The other truck, with the men from town, had already driven away.
Chad and the group walking with him rounded some brush and he could see the home site spread out in front of him. He stopped and a lump formed in his throat as he looked at it all. The first time he’d ever rounded the brush and saw where Mat lived, it’d looked different and he thought his new-found brother was a caveman. He’d been totally underwhelmed then. But standing and looking at it after being gone so long, he had to fight not to start bawling again.
His dad’s pickup sat beside the trail where it’d ran out of gas all those years ago. More pieces had been cannibalized for projects over the years.
The garden stretched out to the right side of the trail. Three long plastic tunnels stretched out, and there were a few rows thick and green with early season vegetables. A wooden table and small greenhouse had been added near the fence.
The shed and goat barn looked unchanged. Chad grinned as the family goats ran to see the newcomer when Nick put Chevon in with them. The lead doe instantly showed him who was in charge, raising onto her hind legs, then dropping and hitting him with her long curved horns. Chad hoped they wouldn’t be too rough on him. He’d served them well and deserved a nice rest.
Turning the other direction towards the house, he did a double take. “Wow, you guys have made some major changes,” he said, seeing a second wall of glass along the hillside.
His dad smiled and said, “Yes, we have. After receiving a letter about your expanding family, we knew it was going to be really tight in the house when you got back. So Mat said we should build a second house. He and Nick scrounged the countryside scavenging all the material for it. Your sisters might be disappointed with you in it though. They’ve been pressuring us to let them have the new house, and I have to admit they worked hard on it.”
Alison and Brooke were clinging to him, one on each side. He turned to one, grinned and said, “Thanks Sis,” then repeated it to the other one. They smirked to each other when he didn’t call them by name.
They approached the original house and Glen stepped out, having set a backpack inside. Nick joined him and his eyes misted over and he said, “I think we’ll be shoving off. Man, I’m glad we found you and got you back home. It . . . it . . .” He quit talking and pulled Chad into a tight hug. “I’ll see you in a few days, after you’ve had time to settle back in.” He twisted his face and wiped at his eyes and said, “Those dang goats sure are stirring up a lot of dust.”
Glen’s goodbye hug wasn’t as emotional. “Glad you’re home Chad.”
Chad thanked them both and they got in the pickup, turned it around and drove away from the house. “That’s some good friends you’ve got there, Chad,” Chuck Gray said.
“Don’t I know it,” Chad murmured.
Dan slid the door to the house open and stood aside with a hand gesture for everyone else to go in.
“You go in first, Chad,” Fred said.
Chad did as he was told and once inside stepped out of everyone’s path as a wave of nostalgia hit him. The indoor garden boxes were flourishing, though he wouldn’t have expected any less from his family. The memory of how important those beds had been during the year of the nuclear winter and how they just may have saved his parent’s lives threatened to overwhelm him as he looked at them.
“This is incredible,” Amy Gray said, bringing Chad back to the present. There were murmurs of agreement from Chuck and Fred.
“Welcome home, Buddy,” Aunt Heather said and engulfed him in another crushing hug.
They both sniffed as the waterworks started flowing again.
Heather was replaced by Mat. He stepped back and studied his brother with knowing eyes. “Well, at least the scars are all hidden, but sometimes those take the longest to heal.”
Chad nodded silently. There was nothing he could say yet. It was all he could do to keep from crying again. He turned slowly, taking in the wide room. He got a bitter-sweet smile at seeing John on the couch next to his mom. He was jabbering away to his grandma while she held Lisa Faith and fussed over both of them.
Chad introduced Howie, Fred, and the Grays to Mat and Aunt Heather, then to his mom. Lisa beamed at Howie, happy that Chad had rescued his cousin and brought him home.
Heather and the twins started working on supper and Carol joined them and gave Heather a package. “What’s this?” she asked.
“Just open it,” Carol said.
Heather carefully opened it, smelled it, and her eyes got wide and she wrapped Carol in a crushing hug. “You are such an angel!”
Carol tried to laugh, but it was hard to as tight as Heather held her. “It was Chad’s idea,” she wheezed.
Heather released the young woman and nearly tackled Chad as she pulled him into a tight embrace. “You brought coffee!”
He grinned. “I thought it might be appreciated.”
“It sure will be. Now why don’t you show everyone to the bathroom so you can all get cleaned up before we eat. We’ll have supper ready in a little bit,” Aunt Heather said.
He did as he was told, then waited until they were finished to clean up last. At the dinner table, there weren’t enough chairs for everyone so they’d been moved out of the way and replaced by wooden benches. It was tight, but they all managed to fit at Dan’s insistence they all sit together. Lisa wasn’t at the table, but was very close. Mat had moved the recliner near and helped Lisa settle into it.
Dan looked around the table at all the new faces and held his hands out to each side. Alison, or was it Brooke, was on his left and took his hand automatically. Carol, to his right caught on and did the same. Heather and Mat reached out and included Lisa, completing the circle.
“Dear Lord,” Dan started, “I can’t find the words to express my gratitude to you . . . for bringing Chad and Carol . . . back home . . . for the additions to the family . . . John, Lisa Faith, Howie . . . Amy, Chuck, and Fred. You have blessed us beyond imagination. And thank you for our good friends Nick and Glen, so willing to sacrifice to bring us all together.” Dan paused and swiped at his eyes. “And as always Lord, thank you for this meal. Please bless it and this home. Amen.”
There were murmurs of “Amen” around the table.
Dan looked at everyone and said, “Well, dig in.” He picked up the first platter, took some sliced tomatoes, and passed it to Alison.
Chad’s mouth watered as the plates were passed around the table, recalling so many other meals like it and feeling a twinge over how much he’d missed it the past few years. He and Carol had rarely found a meal that could compare to the fare at home. The meal was heavy on home produced vegetables, all fresh from the garden and the indoor beds. There was salad, radishes, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, fried zucchini, goat cheese, biscuits with huckleberry jam, home canned elk roast with egg noodles. It wasn’t only Chad; all the travelers made up for poor trail food and left the table stuffed.
When the meal was finished, Aunt Heather said, “I guess you can all bed down in the new house. It’s rather Spartan in there as we’ve been pushing just to make it livable, but at least it’s not all cluttered. We put in three bedrooms, so you can all work it out between yourselves who sleeps where.”
“Well, I guess I’ll see you all in the morning,” Chad said to the rest of his family. He hugged his mom, whispered, “I love you Mom,” and went out into the twilight. Man, I can’t stop crying, he told himself as he stood and drank in the sights, sounds, and smells of home.
Aunt Heather led the newcomers to the new house, ushered them in, and gave them a quick tour. When they saw the largest bedroom held a double bed, everyone insisted it was Chad, Carol, and the kids’ room. They graciously accepted and everyone else figured out their sleeping arrangements. Soon the house was quiet, all of them exhausted from the long emotional day culminated by the incredible meal.
Chad lay awake, listening to Carol’s soft breathing beside him. Afraid he’d disturb her as restless as was, he got out of bed, gathered up his clothes and slipped out to the main room of the house. Moonlight glowed through the large windows and he was able to make his way through the strange room without hitting anything. He dressed and went outside, cringing at the sound as the door latched. He looked around, and hearing noises at the goat barn, wandered over to it. Chevon was settled in with the rest of the goats. He recognized Chad and made a soft bleat.
“Hey Chev. I hope you fit in with them, you provided great service to us.”
He walked over to a bench near the garden and sat, looking out across the shadowed ground. Everything felt so foreign to him, yet familiar at the same time. He jumped when Mat materialized and sat down beside him.
“Hey bro. Having trouble sleeping, huh?” Mat said.
“Oh, you startled me,” Chad said. “But yeah, I am. How’d you guess?”
“I went through some of the same stuff when I got back from Afghanistan. You might not have been involved in a war, but I’d be willing to bet there’re a lot of parallels to what we’ve both seen,” Mat said.
“There’s some bad stuff, some bad people out there, Mat. It’s hard to believe what they do. So how long does it take, for things to feel normal?” Chad asked. “It all looks right, but it feels so different. I guess I’m different too.”
“There’s no telling how long it’ll be for normal to return, we’re all different, but rest assured, little by little, it’ll feel right again. You have a loving wife and kids, all your family, so it shouldn’t take long,” Mat said.
“A family, but what about Mom?” Chad asked, his voice breaking. “I never imagined anything like this could happen. I always thought we’d come home and it would all be normal. Mom would be her self, spoil my kids, and everything.” Chad sniffed and wiped his eyes. “There I go again.”
“I know bro, it’s tough,” Mat said. “But as life went on for you, it went on here as well. It never stopped. It had everything life always has; living and dying, hurt and happiness, laughing and crying. We had a lot of good times here and some not so good. We have a new daughter, but we also have your mom.” He was quiet as he searched for the right words.
“It’s been hard watching her go downhill like she has. I don’t think I ever told you, but you guys coming here saved me. I thought I wanted solitude, but I was an empty shell. Then you guys all showed up one day and totally disrupted my life. It was your mom that made me see just how empty and alone I was. Of course having Heather along helped, but I don’t know what would’ve happened to any of us without Lisa. She was the glue that put all the broken pieces together.
“So,” Mat continued, “All you can do is return all the love she gives you and absorb all her love as long as you can. You know, she’s happier this evening than I’ve seen her for years.”
Chad stood and moved a couple of steps away, put a finger to a nostril and blew through the open nostril, and then repeated it on the other side. “Good thing she didn’t see that,” he said. “She always chewed me and Dad out for doing the barn-yard blow and said we should carry a hanky.”
Mat chuckled and said, “Yep, she sure did.”
The brothers were quiet for some time, listening to night sounds; crickets chirping, frogs ribbiting, owls hooting. At last Chad sat back down beside Mat and asked, “Did you figure out why we left? Why Carol had to get away?”
“Maybe. I know it had to do with Rory Young and I think I know what he did,” Mat said.
“It did,” Chad said and told Mat the whole story. “So Nick told me Rory disappeared not long after we left. I don’t know if he’ll ever show his face again, but if he does, I’ll kill him on the spot.”
Mat gripped his leg and said, “I’ll say this once only, and we’ll never talk about it again. You don’t have to be concerned about ever seeing him. He’ll never show his face again. Heather is the only other person who knows. Tell Carol if you need to, but that’s the final word on the matter.”
Chad looked at him, searching for more, but Mat was stone faced. “All right. I’ll probably tell her. I think she needs to know. Plus, I try not to keep secrets from her. She can always tell when I’m hiding something. Thanks brother.”
Mat shrugged and said, “That’s why Heather knows.”
They sat in companionable silence as moon shadows danced across the garden. Chad had no idea how much time passed before Mat stood and said, “I better go in before Heather comes looking for me. We’re all glad you’re back, and I’m here if you want to talk about anything.” He disappeared into the night as silently as he’d arrived.
Chad went in soon after, and crawled back into bed. Carol rolled over and wrapped an arm around him. “You alright Hon?” she asked.
“Yeah, just having a hard time shutting my brain off,” he said. He lay there comforted by his wife’s presence and was able to finally relax and fall to sleep.
#
Chad woke and felt for Carol, but she was gone. He looked around; both kids were gone as well. He dressed and went to the bathroom, amazed to have a real toilet and running water again. After he’d taken care of his morning business and washed, he went to the main room. Carol was sitting in a chair with Lisa Faith to her breast. Amy was sitting beside her, the two chatting quietly.
Carol beamed when she saw him and said, “Good morning Hon. I hope we didn’t wake you. We were trying to be quiet so you could sleep in.”
He leaned over and kissed her and wagged his eyebrows at the magnificent view, receiving a chuckle for his effort. “Good morning. You didn’t wake me,” he said. He grinned at Amy and said, “If you want a good morning kiss, you’ll have to discuss it with Howie.”
“I certainly plan to,” she said with a smile. “I was just telling Carol how remarkable I think your home is. It’s just like you described it, well except for the second house, but I’m still surprised.”
“It was a family effort,” he told her, then asked Carol, “Where’s John?”
“He was excited to see everything so ran out when he saw Hope.”
“Well, I think I’ll go outside too unless you need something,” he said.
“No, we’re good. You go ahead,” Carol said.
Chad hadn’t taken five steps when his dad saw him and waved him over. “Good morning son. How about milking a goat for me?”
“Sure Dad,” he said.
Dan tilted his head and looked at Chad. “Your brother told me you might need some time to get comfortable here again. I figured there’s no better way to make you feel at home than milking.”
Chad smiled and said, “You know, he might be right.”
Lindy followed them and Chad said, “I didn’t see Perro Feo last night.”
“No, she died last year. She was quite a dog,” Dan said.
Chad felt like he’d been punched. It was more bad news he hadn’t considered. “Yes, she sure was,” he said.
Chad got a goat on the milk stand and sat on the T-stool. Chevon walked up behind him and nibbled on his hair. He scrunched his shoulder, but was comforted by the familiar presence. With his dad milking one goat and Chad milking another, Chevon behind him, Chad did feel more at home and it was easier to find the right words than it’d been the evening before. He was able to open up and have a real conversation with his dad, sitting in such familiar surroundings. After milking, Dan opened the gate, allowing the goats out to graze. Chevon trotted right along with the rest of them. Chad was glad he fit in so easily and wondered that it was taking him longer.
A lot of the day seemed to pass in a daze. He talked to his mom every chance he got, answering all her questions and savoring the time he had with her. He wished it could go on for a long time, but it was obvious her time was short.
When his mom was sleeping, he helped with the garden, and spent time in the new house with Carol, Howie, Fred, and the Grays figuring out how everything was going to fit together there.
He saw little of his kids, except when his mom was awake, as they seemed to be with her most of the time. Her face had a constant smile as she looked at her grandchildren. During one of her naps, John took time to drag him out to see all of Chevon’s new friends. John also spent time with his cousins, enthralled by Hope, and just as much by Grace. She was six months older than Lisa Faith, sitting up and crawling all over the house.
As Chad watched his mom with his kids, he was filled with remorse. He’d missed so much time with her, and his kids would grow up not knowing what a special person she was. Lisa saw his look and called him over to sit with her.
“Chad, I can read your face. Let me tell you, even though I’ve missed you terribly all this time, you did the right thing. Carol told me what happened and why she asked you to leave. I wouldn’t expect any less of you. She needed you more than anything, and if you would have refused her, she would have been lost forever.” Lisa took his hand in her own. “I couldn’t be prouder of you Chad. Just like I was when you kept our family safe after That Day. You did the right thing.”
After another incredible supper, Chad walked down the worn path with his dad and stopped where they could see the valley open up below them. “We came out here every night since you left. Rain, shine, snow, it didn’t matter. Even when your mom needed help, she still came. She insisted one day the Lord would answer our prayers,” Dan choked up then, finding it hard to talk. “And . . . lead you back home. Even after she got sick, she only wanted to see you again.”
“Dad, I—”
“No son. You did what you had to do. That’s all we need to know, and just what we’d expect from you.” Dan said. “And now you’re back. She hasn’t been so happy in a very long time.”
“Oh Dad,” Chad said, and stared out across the valley. He’d gone hundreds, no, thousands of miles to come back to the home and family he loved. He’d seen some incredible sights, met some wonderful people while traversing those miles. Even cousin Howie.
He and Carol had become parents. But he’d also done some things he wished had never happened. And he’d missed so much at the same time. His sisters were striking young women and he’d missed seeing them grow and blossom. His niece was nearly unrecognizable, the same age the twins had been when they’d arrived homeless at Mat’s place. His dad looked aged and tired. And there was his mom. He’d missed so much time with her.
Years ago, soon after That Day, he’d threatened to hit Aunt Heather in the head with a stick and tell her it was all in the past. Just leave it behind. Oh, if it were only so simple. Yes, it was in the past and there was no getting it back. He’d made his decisions and it was impossible to turn back the hands of time; it was lost from him forever.
Chad grasped the significance of the place he was standing and reached out and took his dad’s hand. “Dear Lord,” he said. “Thank you for helping me and guiding me on my journey. And thank you for leading me back home. And Lord, thank you for my wonderful family . . . for Carol . . . John . . . Lisa Faith . . . Howie,” he found it hard to speak, but it all felt right, “for Alison . . . Brooke . . . Mat . . . Aunt Heather . . . Grace . . . Hope . . . Dad . . .” he faltered, sobbing as he tried to finish, “And for Mom . . . Lord, she’s endured a lot. From you and me both. I sure hope you appreciate and love her as much as I do.”
Dan squeezed his hand, and finished for him, “And Lord, thank you for granting her most cherished wish, to see Chad and Carol again and meet their children. Amen.”
Chad and Dan stood together with their hands clasped, missing the spectacular sunset painting the sky before them.
THE END
Copyright 2018 Bret W. Friend
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Jul 4, 2018 0:05:28 GMT
bretf , Okay, enough is enough. Now my mind is playing tricks on me. I was scrolling down through the forums and thought I saw you'd posted again 20 minutes ago, I said "Hot damn, the next installment!" I immediately clicked on it, only to find it was 20 hours ago. Okay, will this suffice?
|
|
|
Post by Ozarks Tom on Jul 4, 2018 0:20:21 GMT
bretf , What did I say about a mean streak? I take it all back.
A wonderful story, and wonderfully written. You've got a great talent, thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Tom
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2018 1:05:07 GMT
Thank you so much, bretf! This is wonderful.
|
|
|
Post by meandtk on Jul 4, 2018 3:11:06 GMT
bretf, Thank you very much.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2018 20:54:55 GMT
Bravo Bret, bravo. You’ve had me crying the entire last chapter.
|
|