The Journal: Raging Tide: (The Journal Book 4) (9 page)

“You’ve been through a lot, son. I’m sorry
about your dad. What about your mother?” Jim gently pushed the boy
to continue.

“Oh, she died years ago. It’s only been me
and dad for over five years now.” Glenn hungrily cut another slice
of pizza.

I noticed the sun was gone and shadows were
creeping into the house. “Are there any evening chores we can help
with?” I asked.

“I need to change Glenn’s sheets again. The
clean ones are on the line and the chickens need to be cooped up
for the night,” Annie sighed, standing up.

“Why don’t you tend to the bedding, I’ll
take care of the chickens, while Jim and Glenn light the lanterns,”
I offered.

“Are you staying the night then?” Annie
asked, sounding hopeful.

“I think we can hang around another day. You
still need a few more lessons on how to use all the great stuff
your mother left for you and Glenn is still too weak to do chores.
So, yes, we’ll stay the night,” I replied. These kids were hungry
for adult companionship and guidance.

“Great! You two can have my parents’
bedroom!” Annie grinned. Sleeping arrangements hadn’t occurred to
me.

“Allex can have the bed, Annie. I’m going to
pitch our tent in the yard. Someone should stand guard tonight,
just in case,” Jim was quick to make the change and I breathed a
sigh of relief. Sleeping in the same tent in separate sleeping bags
was one thing; sleeping in the same bed wasn’t something I had
considered.

*

“All four of the kids are sound asleep,” I
said, settling into the rocker on the porch. Jim had retrieved our
two liquor bottles from the Hummer and poured us each an evening
drink.

“How much longer do you think we need to
stay here, Allex?” he asked casually.

“I think we can get on the road again
tomorrow afternoon. If that’s okay with you.”

“That’s fine. I don’t want them getting
dependent on us, that’s all.”

“Good point. I’ll show her a few more things
and leave her lots of notes. I feel good about helping them,
Jim.”

“I know you do, Allex. I do too, but too
much help can hurt.” Jim said.

“How much firewood do they have now?” I
asked.

“After I do some splitting tomorrow, I’d say
about a month. That should give Glenn enough time to get his
strength back,” he said. The darkness settled around us, and we
finished our drinks in silence.

April 15

I woke to the
sun streaming in through dingy lace curtains and a little redhead
sitting on the bed next to me staring in my face.

“Good morning, Jodi,” I said, and she jumped
down off the bed and ran out the door, making me laugh.

*

“The colonel made some coffee for you,
Allexa,” Annie said, handing me a cup.

“I’ll have to thank him,” I said sipping the
hot brew.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” Annie
said, looking embarrassed.

“Sure. You can ask me anything you want,
however I reserve the right to not answer,” I replied, giving my
standard reply to personal questions.

“Oh,” she looked like she was rethinking
what she wanted to know. “Are you and the colonel married?”

I was startled at her abruptness. “No, we’re
not. Jim and I are only friends. I can see where that might be
misconstrued though, considering we’re traveling alone together.” I
took a sip from my cup before continuing. “My husband, Mark, died
four months ago from the flu. Needless to say, I took it very hard.
I think Jim knew long before I did that I needed a reason to keep
going, and this road trip is part of that healing process.” I don’t
know why I shared so much personal information with this young
girl, maybe I needed her to see me as just another survivor, like
her.

“He seems like a good man,” Annie said with
wisdom beyond her years.

“He is, and I’m lucky to have him as my
friend. By the way, do you know where he is?”

“He and Glenn are walking the edge of the
woods looking for deadfall to cut. Glenn is doing so much better
already. Have I thanked you for saving him?” Annie’s lip
quivered.

“If he had gotten enough fluids he would
have healed on his own, eventually.” I looked out the window at a
movement, and saw the two dragging a small tree. “What would you
like to fix for breakfast?” I asked changing the subject.

“We usually have eggs and biscuits,” she
answered. “Biscuits are something I’ve gotten good at making.”

“I remember seeing a home canned jar of
sausage on the shelf so how about sausage gravy for those
biscuits?” I offered.

“I never learned to make gravy,” Annie
confessed.

“Have you thought of anything else you would
like me to show you before we leave?”

“There’s a ton of stuff I need to know,
Allexa, and no one to teach me. I don’t even know how to thread the
treadle sewing machine. Are you sure you can’t stay longer?” Annie
pleaded.

“We need to keep moving, Annie, sorry. I
tell you what, though, if we’re anywhere close on our way back,
we’ll stop in. How’s that?”

*

“That was really good,” Glenn said, pushing
his plate aside.

“Biscuits with sausage gravy plus fried and
scrambled eggs. That’s the way to win any man!” Jim agreed with a
loud burp. “I’m almost too full to keep working!”

“Well, Annie and I have a couple more hours
of going over some of these supplies. Why don’t you repack the
Hummer before doing any more physical work?”

Annie cleared the table and I sat with some
fresh coffee and a stack of 3x5 cards, jotting down notes. Many of
the small appliances in the second pantry room still had the
instruction booklets so I didn’t concern myself with them. She was
a bright girl and would figure them out. She did need instruction
with the grain grinder, the meat grinder and sausage stuffer, the
juicer, and the dehydrator. Although the dehydrator wouldn’t work
without power, I could show her how to use it with solar and I
still needed to see about a bucket shower for them.

“Remember, with the grain grinder it’s
easier on your arm and shoulder if you grind in stages. First grind
is to crack the grain, especially corn. The second time through is
for meal, and the third time for flour. Each time you need to
tighten down the wheels,” I demonstrated.

We discussed each piece that was on those
shelves, making notes or taking notes. All the while, Jim and Glenn
cut and split firewood while the twins played in the yard.

I found a solar camp shower in the back
behind some other camping gear. “Is there an empty five gallon
bucket, Annie? I want to make a shower for you.”

I used a hand brace to drill a hole in the
bucket right at the base, just big enough for the hose from the
solar shower and used some tub caulk to seal it. From Annie’s
father’s workshop, I found a heavy duty hook which I screwed into
the ceiling in the shower and hung the bucket up. The sprinkler
head hung down too low so I trimmed it back a few inches.

“Why couldn’t we just hang the solar bag?”
Annie asked.

“We could have. I find the bucket is much
easier to fill and adjust the water temperature. It’s a bit heavy
when it’s full, though I doubt Glenn will have problem lifting it.
Until you get used to it, you might want to try lifting a less than
full bucket.” I took the empty bucket down and filled it with cold
water to demonstrate how to use it. “The water is gravity fed, and
even though it’s slow, that slowness has an advantage: you can
stand under it longer. It’s like standing in the rain.” I opened
the valve and the water sprayed out the nozzle.

“Wow…” was all Annie had to say.

*

We continued with her lessons, making bread
in the Dutch oven on top of the wood stove much like she made
biscuits, and then we did flatbread on the griddle. Doing it this
way made me ever grateful to have my wood cook stove with an
oven.

“Now, where is the sewing machine?” I asked.
She led me to it and I sat down on the chair. I flipped the top
open and pulled the sewing head out.

“The belt needs to be put on the wheel each
time, and the machine won’t collapse again until you disengage
it.”

“I’ve used it before but I don’t remember
how to thread it or wind the bobbin,” Annie said.

“This looks very much like mine. Watch what
I do.” I put a spool of thread on the spindle, pulled out a foot,
and threaded the machine from memory.

“You make it look so easy. I’ll never
remember all that.”

“In time you will do it automatically too.
My mom taught me a real easy way to remember. In fact, she used
this method as she got older and her memory wasn’t so good.” I took
some scissors from the little cabinet and snipped the thread off at
the spool. “Just leave it like that, already threaded. It will
always be a reminder of how it’s supposed to go.” That suggestion
earned me a big smile. Next I showed her how to wind the bobbin and
how to fit it in.

Soon it was four o’clock in the
afternoon.

“It’s sixteen hundred hours, Allex,” Jim
announced. “We need to get a move on to get some distance before
finding a campsite.”

“You could stay another—” Annie started.

“No, Annie, we can’t, we have to go,” I
said, giving her a hug. “You will be fine now. Just remember to
pre-filter the water and make clean water every day.” I turned to
Glenn.

“I know, I know. No more peaches!” he said,
embarrassed.

“Allexa, here are those eggs you asked me
for,” Annie said. “With all you’ve taught me I wish I had six dozen
to give you.” I knew better than to refuse her gift, as that would
offend her.

“One quick question, Glenn. Does this road
go all the way through?” Jim asked.

“No, it curves north about a half mile from
my place and then dead ends. There’s another bigger road about five
miles south of here. You’ll know because it has a sign that says
you’re entering the Hiawatha National Forest Preserve. That road
runs all the way to I-75.”

*

After cutting away fallen trees twice, we
finally made it to the turnoff almost two hours later, just as it
started to rain.

“How about we make camp right here next to
the river?” Jim suggested.

“Sounds good to me, it’s been a long
day.”

We pitched the tent under the wide arms of
an old and stately oak tree, in hopes that it would shelter us
somewhat if the rain got heavier. The sleeping bags were unrolled
to get the air mattresses out and blown up. They were thin and
cheap plastic and I knew they would keep us off the damp ground.
Even though it was still two hours until the sun set, the dark
clouds, filled with cold rain, cast a gloom to the day and it felt
much later than it really was.

I lit the kerosene lantern and hung it from
a hook in the center of the tent, hoping it would keep out the
dampness, plus it offered the necessary light as we moved around
inside.

“This is a nice tent, Allex. I’ve been
meaning to tell you it was a good choice. I can even stand up in
it,” Jim said. At six foot two, there were only a few inches
between the top of his head and the center of the tent. Not having
to stoop over all the time made a big difference to the
comfort.

“Do you think we should run a tarp between
the tent and the Hummer, Jim? If it rains much harder we’ll get
soaked the minute we step outside. Plus it will let me cook
outside.”

We set two ten by twelve tarps over a rope
strung from the center tent pole to the Hummer, one for the rain
and one to block the wind that was increasing. It made for a cozy
and functional little room. I extended the legs on the camp stove
and got to making fried Spam sandwiches for our dinner. Jim cast a
questioning look at the meal.

“When I was a kid it seemed we always
pitched camp in the rain. The girls’ tent was the biggest and the
first to go up so Mom would have someplace dry to cook while the
rest of us unloaded all the gear and set up the other tent for my
folks. My brother had a floorless pup tent over the trailer and
slept with all the food,” I said. “Fried Spam sandwiches were the
easiest and quickest for her to fix. When you’re cold, wet, and
hungry, that hot sandwich was the best meal!”

“Sounds like you had a good childhood,” Jim
said. “Would you like Bordeaux with your Spam sandwich or a
Merlot?” he asked with a straight face.

“I think the Merlot,” I said, cracking a
smile. We sat on the wide tailgate of the Hummer and ate our
dinner, drinking fine wine out of tin cups. The rain was definitely
coming down harder and I could hear a rumble of thunder in the
distance. The air was collecting a distinctive chill so we took the
rest of the bottle inside the tent and finished it over a game of
cribbage.

*

April 16

The morning air was misty and humid as the
sun struggled to break through the clouds. I shrugged on my jacket
and stepped from under the tarp, my booted feet squishing in the
water-logged grass.

“Good morning, Allex!” Jim said, coming from
the front of the Hummer.

“You’re mighty chipper this morning.”

“I feel it’s going to be a good day to
travel,” he replied, taking a deep breath of fresh air. “I’m going
to start taking the tarps down so the dew can run off before I fold
them back up.”

“I think I’ll get a bucket of water from the
river to wash up the few dishes from last night, and then I’ll help
you break camp,” I said, walking toward the river and swinging the
bucket.

With the steady downpour from last night,
the river was running even faster than before. It looked almost
peaceful in its turbulence. I knelt near the edge and dipped the
bucket into the water, leaning forward awkwardly since the water
level was at least a foot below the edge. I didn’t want the bucket
to fill too quickly or it might get pulled from my hand. All of a
sudden the soggy shore crumbled beneath my knees and the dirt gave
way, propelling me forward even more, causing the bucket to dip
deep and the fast current pulled hard at it, and pulled
me
headlong into the roaring river! I surfaced sputtering the dirty
water, my clothes instantly soaked with the icy water. I was swept
away before I could call for help.