The two men sit at the table and begin to devour the pancakes with a relish of two starving castaways.
“So dad, you think we ought to try that trick play today? I don’t think they will be ready for it.”
“Well let’s see how the game goes but just have it ready just in case.”
Life in the valley had its rituals and every Sunday a ritual was played out that used to be reserved for Saturdays and Sundays in a time before the change. The folks of the valley would congregate at a field that was known as the festival field. It was large with a place for a great bonfire and stone fireplaces for cooking large pieces of meat. It also sported a football field that the men had set up for just their Sunday ritual. The field was 80 yards long and 40 yards wide with 10-yard markers created by removing the grass in lines. Lodge pole pines had been hewn and converted into field goals. The field was a wonderful arena for grown men to exemplify their use of testosterone and a place where the women could congregate and socialize. Well at least appear to socialize while they observed their mates and prospective boyfriend’s display their manly wares.
Jon and Chris prepared themselves for the event that began roughly at 1:00 pm. Preparation included putting on sweats, blue tops, athletic shoes, and a good dose of mental toughness. For this game was 8-man football and was full contact. Many a cut, bruise and bump were sure to be had over the course of the afternoon and all that participated relished in it. It brought back the memory of youth for the older men and gave a sense of completeness for the younger men.
“Son, go out to the cooler and pull out about twenty pounds of ground Elk.”
“It’s our turn to bring the meat for burgers.”
“Ok dad.”
Promptly Chris came around to the truck and loaded the meat into a cooler that would serve to keep the food ready until after the game.
“We ready son.”
“Yep let’s get going.”
Soon the truck was out the drive way and moving up the road. The field lay about five miles beyond the Smith’s cabin and served as the end of the road. It wasn’t long before they entered the field and parked by the many vehicles that were already there. The field was taken with men who were out stretching and running and throwing around what appeared to be an old and slightly over inflated football. On the sides were many of the valley’s ladies, chatting and passing glances at the soon to be players. In addition, there were older men and younger boys on the side that liked to be spectators with no real intention of playing.
The two teams were named the Bears and the Wolves. Chris and Jon played for the Wolves. While it was eight-man football, each team had about twelve players on the roster. Players played between the defense and offense and the numbers were needed as short-term injuries took their toll.
The rules of the game were much like football with a bit of old-style rugby mixed in. There was blocking and tackling and passing, the latter being not used as much. For offense, the line had a center, two guards and a tight end. Then there had to be four men in the backfield which usually meant a quarterback, two running backs and a flanker. The Wolves however employed a flex three back set as they ran more of an option attack. The Bears preferred the pro style and threw the ball a bit more.
With the toot of a whistle the game began with the Wolves kicking off to the Bears. A twenty-yard run, a hard tackle and the game was under way. The first two quarters were hard fought with each team exchanging touch downs. Chris quarterbacked the Wolves while Jon played a bit of line for defense and offense. Jon, even at 58, was six feet two inches tall and a solid 210 pounds. He had a past of contact sports and knew how to lay into the man in front of him.
Late into the fourth the Wolves trailed by two as they had failed to convert the two-point conversion on a touchdown in the third. They were about fifteen yards out and there was time for one more play. Chris pulled them into the huddle and started to call the play when Jon said,
“Boy let me take that ball on a pitch outside.”
“Dave come in and play guard, I am going to run those sons of bitches over.”
“You sure you are ready for that” said Dave.
“I’ve got one more good sprint left in me.”
“Ok let’s do it” said Chris.
The wolves came to the line with Jon at the flex back. The ball was snapped and he came around the back and took the pitch with the fury of a mad man. The first Bear, Kyle, a thin wiry man got pushed to the ground. Then Ted, a stout fellow missed the tackle. Jon saw the goal line with but one man to beat. Unfortunately, that man was Riley, the local blacksmith. Riley had chosen his profession well as pounding hot iron all day with his burly arms suited him and his muscular build. He was a dark-haired man with a beard and could at times show quite a temper. This day he had a running back in his sights three yards out from the goal and was determined to keep Jon out. Jon realizing the impact that was ahead of him gritted his teeth, lowered his butt and shoulders, and prepared to run the blacksmith down. The collision was momentous but the mass and velocity of the runner carried him into the end zone where he touched the ball to ground and gave his team the winning four points.
Then Jon lay there and thought about if he could get up again.
“Man, that was some run Jon” said Riley. I thought I had you stopped.”
‘So did I.”
“Can you move Jon, are you hurt.”
Jon got up and other than the bruises that he knew would hurt for several days felt no worse for wear.
“I’m tolerable” said Jon.
The Wolves came over to congratulate their champion and to shake hands with their opposition. Another day of battle was over and the men made their way over to a pickup that was loaded with refreshments. Likewise, the lookers on made their way in that direction as well.
“Break out the beer, the boys are thirsty” yelled Jon.
The crowd grabbed mugs, cups and glasses all ready to capture the cool brown liquid that would bring refreshment and pain relief to the players and just sheer joy to the others.
As the beer flowed the men sat in chairs and on the back of the pickups reminiscing about the game that had just transpired. Soon the talk changed to just sports and the state of the world in general.
“What ever happened to a sport like this any way” asked Riley.
“Oh, they don made it illegal in that urban world” quipped Mort.
“Illegal” asked one of the younger players.
“Yes son illegal” answered Jon.
“But why would they make a sport like this illegal dad” asked Chris.
“Probably because we men liked to play it too much” said Riley.
Jon then began to explain the on goings that had made many sports illegal.
“It actually started long before the actual laws were passed. At the turn of the century many parents started to look on football as being too violent for their kids. Football, as they said was too rough with too many injuries. As such they adopted other sports that they thought were less tough like soccer. Football fields began to be replaced by soccer fields and so it went. Then in the second decade even soccer was too rough so they changed the rules to forbid any contact and of course they quit keeping score so as not to deflate losers.”
“Football and Baseball and many other sports fell into ill favor. Then there was a move that collegiate sports should also be removed and only club sports that were voluntary were kept. It was driven by the notion that college should be available to all and in order to pay for that it was felt that any expenditure on sports or expensive coaches was wasteful and those dollars could be put toward providing other salaries. Of course, as usual the bureaucrats made a huge mistake in this because they did not comprehend that much of the money that went to the sports did not come from taxation, it came from donations and buying school paraphernalia.”
“So, when
the money wasn’t there to promote those plans, they of course raised taxes to cover the loss.”
“College Football was gone and with it soon professional as many felt that the salaries athletes made was also not worth it. Then of course all the other sports died as well. The final rationalization of the loss of sports was that it was an unnecessary risk that brought on injuries that the National Health care system should not pay for.” And when finally, everybody went to a world government system there was no turning back.”
“God what the hell has this world become” quipped Riley.
“A place that we don’t want any part of; a place where there is no risk, no reward, no life, no pleasure, no blood sweat and tears.” replied Jon.
“And the sad part is we let it happen or rather it happened and we stood by until the point where we could do nothing about it.”
“So we left it and came here to re-create a life that works for us.”
“Do you ever think about going back Jon?” asked Riley.
“What would I have to go back for? There is nothing in that world that I really care about. Well almost nothing” replied Jon.
Before Chris could make a comment, Jon gave him a quick look as if to silence him.
“Ok enough thought for the day, let’s get another drink and fire up the grills; we have got meat to cook.”
The group filled their glasses with more beer and several of the men headed over toward the fire pits to start up the wood. It wasn’t long before the fires had produced enough coals and soon numerous elk burgers were sizzling on the grill. The after-game feast soon turned into quite a party that went on toward sunset. As the party broke up folks packed up and headed toward their cozy homes and cabins around the valley.
Chris and Jon had packed up their truck and were making their way back to the homestead.
“Dad, do you ever think of going to see Mom and Amanda?”
“I do from time to time but I just don’t make the trip.”
“Why not dad?”
“Your mother and your sister made the decision long ago that they preferred to stay in the city and not come with us. You know that.”
“Well maybe they have changed their mind.”
“As I remember the last conversation.”
Jon looked out of the wind shield and suddenly recalled the past.
“I am not going to live in a prehistoric manner, just surviving. We need to have culture, a sense of society, a social fabric that only exists in the world we live in. I can’t even believe I am letting Chris go but he has a mind to. I guess you have brain washed him as well with your politics.”
“Oh, and your politics is not brain washing? The never-ending drivel that comes from the bureaucracy is not brain washing. I prefer to go someplace where I can be a man and make my own decisions and it seems Chris wants that kind of life as well.”
“Well you go to your cabin in the woods and I hope you find the life you want. I will stay here with Amanda and we will be a part of society.”
“And that was the last time we saw them.” said Jon.
The truck pulled into the drive and stopped before the cabin; Chris got out and began the process of unloading several chairs and glasses. Jon sat briefly in the truck, a distant view upon his thoughts that brought a mist into his eyes. He reached under his shirt and touched the gold ring that was secured by a chain about his neck.
Enough of that, I think I need to heat some water and soak in the tub to ease my bones and mind thought Jon.
“Chris I’m going to fire up the tub for a soak” he yelled at the boy.
“I am bruised and battered” in more ways than physical thought Jon.
It wasn’t long before the outside tub that sat on the back porch was filled with steaming hot water and soon a fifty-eight-year-old body was soaking and enjoying one last glass of refreshment.
The sun had set and the sky darkened into a fine fall evening. The air was cool and caused steam to rise from the hot water of the tub that Jon was soaking in. The tub was outside on the back porch as Jon enjoyed being able to have a soak, drink a glass of wine, and look up at the sky. This evening though his mind was on the past. For the most part he had tried to keep his wife and daughter out of his mind as the thought of them being away was painful. He knew they were alright and were getting along but being a father, he felt a terrible pain in regards to Amanda.
As the wine began to take effect, mixed with some ibuprofen, Jon began to relax and become a bit more reflective about the whole situation, He knew one day he would see the girls again and who knows, maybe they will be ready to join together again as a family.
“A family.” said Jon out loud.
“Well enough of that.”
It’s been a good day, thought Jon, A good day.
Chapter 4
Another morning found Jon sitting at his usual post, on the back porch with a cup of coffee, watching the world come alive. The soreness of his muscles and bones from the previous day’s football game only added to the feeling of wonderful life. A life of liberty, of freedom and a life of feeling the hardships; these are the things that make a man thought Jon.
Walking back into the kitchen Jon called out to Chris that it was time to get up and get ready for school. Chris sent back a reply of “ok”, and soon stumbled out of his room. Breakfast was prepared and the two sat eating and talking.
“Dad, what is the point of me learning Calculus. It doesn’t help me to hunt, fish, or do anything else I do up here. Fact is I am not sure why I go to school at all anymore.”
“Son, you learn Calculus just like you learn History, Politics, Economics, and Classical English Literature.”
“And that’s another thing, what good does it do me to read Shakespeare?”
“Chris, just because we live a different life here than say I lived, doesn’t mean we stop learning all the things in the world that we need to know. The ability to learn and think is what separates us from the animals. The things you have been taught here is what will let you be a critical thinker as you grow old. Do you think those people down in the urban areas think any more? No, all the critical thinking is done for them, just listen to that I and you will understand what I mean. Fact is they got rid of studying English, History and the like. They claimed it had no value and that only things that had value should be taught. The history was rewritten and then all they wanted to teach was Math and Science. They claimed that education like that would help support the nation and the world. All it did was turn people into calculators. But then that is what the bureaucracy wanted was to have people stop thinking for themselves, so that they could do all the thinking for them.”
“I get what you are saying dad, all the things we learn and the different things we learn help us to think and rationalize. Makes us our own man huh?”
“Now you get it.” said Jon.
“So, when you are ready it is off to Mr. Millers for a day of Calculus. I think it is good that we structured the schooling to spend one day a week on each subject so you students could focus. I remember that in school we would do five different subjects each day and it never really gave you any time to concentrate and drill down.” said Jon
“So, you have a group coming here for economics today huh dad.”
“Yes, the eighth and ninth grade class. It is amazing to see how little they know about the way things used to be and what they don’t know about how this country came to be.”
“You don’t go off on your diatribes with them do you dad.”
‘Oh, I try not too but sometimes it’s hard not to. I feel a passion when I talk about such things.”
“Dad maybe you should have been the President back when we had one. Things might have been different.”
“Oh, I could have never been that, wasn’t raised in the proper schools and didn’t really have time. See at that point
becoming a politician generally meant you didn’t have a real job. Sad fact is many of the people making decisions for the country had never really had a private sector job. I think that was a big reason for where we are today.”
“You make it sound like there isn’t much hope left to ever get things back to the way they were dad.”
“Son I’m not really sure that things will ever be like they were, but then that is why all of us in this valley live here.”
“We have created a place that is something like what this country used to be. A place of liberty and freedom, a place where neighbors help each other, and a place where you succeed or fail by your own efforts or lack of them.”
“Well enough, let’s get going.”
Let us, then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
“Ah Henry Wadsworth Longfellow”
“More poetry dad?”
“Yep”
Chris shortly had his coat on and was collecting his things for school. He carried a tablet PC that contained all the data required for his learning. He had been using this device for years as had many of the children in the valley. While much life in the valley harkened back to past times, the best things of technology were brought into this world. Living off the grid did not mean a total divorce from advancement.
Ten years prior when Jon had made the decision to go off the grid, it was a decision that was to be well planned out. He had always been a corporate worker, strong and capable but lacking in skills such as construction and general repair. He had always hunted and fished so these skills would only need to be honed. But the others required some training. To that end he spent nights and weekends learning craftsmanship, electrical, and simple construction. In addition, the arts of canning, preserving meat and other back woods skills were gained.
Going off the grid, or rather escaping the world that was devolving was something that many began to do at that time. The hope of regaining what the country used to be was lost when the government decided that it knew best and quit listening to the people. Hastily passed laws that had wide reaching affects transformed the country into a socialist land, filled with so many rules and regulations all designed to spread the wealth. Laws created that were designed to remove any desire for competition and freedom.
Jon Smith Page 3
