by Vince Byrd
“No way, you’re messing with me.”
“See for yourself.” He flipped off the dome light and started to drive again. He stopped at the next intersection. “Do you recognize anything?”
“Oh wow, we are almost home. It looks totally different with no lights on anywhere. Turn left, and I’ll show you the rest of the way. It’s not far from here. I must have really been out for a while.”
“I told you, Sleeping Beauty.”
Paige got an ache in the pit of her stomach as she showed Ethan the way. The closer she got to her house, the more anxious she became. She was hoping her dad was going to be there when they arrived. “Right here, the drive with the red reflectors,” she pointed.
Ethan pulled the Duster into the driveway. It was long and black-topped. The drive made a circle in front of the house with plenty of parking space. The house was secluded from the road by trees and foliage. He stopped by the front door of the gray and white, two-story home. It had a full covered wraparound porch, a detached two-car garage with a connecting breezeway, and a red front door. “Your house is not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?” she asked, getting out.
“I don’t know,” he left the headlights on so they could see. “It’s just not how I pictured it. I thought it would be more like a log cabin or something.”
“Why? I never said anything about a log cabin.”
“I guess it was my perception of your dad, being a carpenter and all, and of what you’ve told me about him.”
“My dad did build this house for my mom. Now, come on.” She slipped her key into the deadbolt of the front door, unlocking it and then the knob. She swung the door open and yelled, “Dad!” There was no answer or sound. “Dad! It’s me. Are you home?” Again, it was quiet. “He’s not home.” She slumped her shoulders and flipped on the lights.
“Don’t go there. I know he’s on his way. You know how much effort it was for us to get here. He has an even longer way to come than us. I bet he’ll be here within a day or two. Wait, the power’s not off here?”
“Dad switched the house over to solar a few years ago. He said it was more economical.”
“That’s so awesome. I’m sorry, babe, but I am so sleepy; can we go to bed and figure everything out in the morning?”
“Sure, let me get you something.” Paige disappeared into the house, and Ethan grabbed their bags from the trunk. He dropped the bags on the floor by the stairs, then closed and locked the door. Paige returned with a pillow and a blanket and gave them to him.
“Where’s your room?” he asked.
“You can’t sleep in my room. If Dad comes home and finds you in my room, or worse in my bed, he’ll skin us both alive. There’s the couch, buddy, and the bathroom is right there.”
“I’m already scared of him, and you just made it worse for me, thanks. Thanks a lot.”
She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to be. Thank you for everything today.” She kissed him again and started to climb the stairs, “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight. I’ll be down here—here on the couch.” He plopped down on the sofa and within minutes he was sound asleep.
Paige got to the top of the stairs and looked down the hall at her dad’s room. She turned and walked toward hers. She stopped, turned around, and walked into her dad’s room. The bed was still made, and everything seemed normal, as it should be. There was no sign that he’d been home. She looked at his worn-out bible on the night stand. The clock beside it read 4:14 a.m. She went to his closet and looked at his clothes. Picking up a sleeve of one of his flannel shirts, she smelled it. It was not his scent. It smelled like their washing detergent, clean and fresh. She dropped the sleeve and jumped onto his bed. She grabbed his pillow from underneath the comforter and buried her face in it. “There it is. That smells like him.”
She rolled over on her back and pondered the many times she’d jumped onto his bed throughout the years. She pictured herself with Jacob and their mom, all jumping up and down, trying to wake their father up after one of his long nights as a paramedic. He would finally open his eyes, jump up, and attack as the tickle monster, sending everyone into a fit of laughter. She smiled at the memories, and then tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. “Dad, you better be on your way home.”
Thirty-five
Paige Day 2
The morning glow of sunlight shown into Ethan’s eyes, and he was being poked by something in his side. He adjusted himself and tried to ignore it. He was poked again; this time it was harder and almost painful. He opened his eyes only to find a strange man pointing a single barrel shotgun in his face. “Paige!” he yelled and sat up holding his hands in the air.
“Who are you, boy, and what are doing in Jesse’s house?” the strange man questioned.
“I’m Ethan, Paige’s boyfriend.”
“We’ll see,” he responded to Ethan’s answer.
Paige woke up to the voices and hurried down the stairs, “Dad?” she called.
“Nah, it’s me.”
“Mr. Applebottom!” Paige exclaimed.
Ethan heard his name and smiled. “What are you smiling at, boy?” Mr. Applebottom asked.
“Nothing sir,” Ethan stopped smiling.
“Paige, do you know this ragamuffin?”
“Yes, please put that down. That’s Ethan, my boyfriend. What are you doing in my house?”
“Jesse told me to keep an eye on the place while he was gone fishing. Thought he’d be back by now, though. I saw the car out front and…well, he gave me a key. I thought it might be squatters,” Mr. Applebottom explained, as he broke his shotgun open and removed the shell. “Sorry for the intrusion. Jesse said you’d be coming home for Christmas. How’s college?”
“It’s fine. I was just getting used to being away from home, and then it was time for Christmas break,” she smiled. “Have you heard from Dad?”
“No, I haven’t. Wasn’t his plane supposed to get in yesterday?” Mr. Applebottom asked.
“Yes, but since the blackout, I’m not sure what happened to him.”
“Well, knowing your dad, he’s not far behind you. He’s missed you something fierce. Well, I’ll get out of your hair. Paige, if you need anything, I’m right next door.”
“Thanks, Willie. Oh, how’s Alice doing?” she inquired.
“She’s much better. She’s cancer-free according to her last scan.”
“That’s wonderful! Tell her I said hello.”
“Will do. Let me know when your dad gets back,” he said, walking out the door.
“Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room, or should I say apple?” Ethan asked. “Willie Applebottom? Come on, that deserves something.”
“Stop it. He’s a very sweet old man, and his wife is even sweeter,” she smacked him on the shoulder.
“‘Like my dad would say, ‘suit yourself’. Even still, it’s funny. I need a shower. Please tell me there is hot water.”
“I believe there is. The water is on a well, and we have a propane water heater.”
“Your dad is a genius. I’m going to get cleaned up, and nature is calling. I’m prairie dogging it.”
“Gross, Ethan! Just like a man.”
“Hey, you got any bacon?” he teased, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door.
The afternoon sunlight lit up the house. Paige looked around to see if anything had changed. “It looks exactly the same. But, I’ve only been gone a couple of months.” She stepped over to the mantle and picked up a family photo. She touched the face of her mother. “I miss you, Mom, all of you. I miss you all.” She placed the photo back on the mantle and walked into the kitchen. She noticed that the digital light on the refrigerator was not lit up; she opened the door. The interior light was not on either. She opened the freezer door, noticed
that everything had condensation on it and was beginning to thaw. “Oh no,” she whispered.
She looked at the microwave, and the clock light wasn’t lit as well. She closed the doors to the refrigerator and checked the plug on the microwave. “It’s plugged in.” She flipped on the light switch, and the overhead lights came on. She walked over the sink and flipped on the garbage disposal. The motor hummed to its full speed and made some weird growling noise. She then noticed smoke rising from the drain. “What’s happening?” The kitchen light went out, and the motor came to a grinding stop. “There goes the breaker. This thing is toast.”
Paige retrieved her dad’s toolbox from the laundry room and began to disconnect the garbage disposal wires. She was lying under the sink, and Ethan walked in wrapped in a towel, drying his hair with another. “What’s going on in here?”
“I got it,” she said and slid out. “Where’s your clothes?”
“Got what?”
“All the appliances are going haywire. The fridge doesn’t work, the microwave must be broken, and when I turned this on—” she tapped the disposal with a wrench, “it started smoking and threw a breaker.”
“So, are you trying to fix it?”
“No, I disconnected the wires so I can flip the breaker back on.”
“And, you know how to do all that?” he waved his hand in the air.
“I helped Dad install this disposal last year, and don’t forget I am the daughter of a master carpenter. He taught me many skills,” she stood up.
“And, you’re a nurse—well going to be.”
“Are you jealous?” she asked and moved close to him, touching his damp chest. “Where are your clothes?”
“I’m not jealous, just a little…”
She snatched the towel out his hands and twirled it around to pop him with it. “You better go get some clothes on right now.”
“You’ve left me defenseless. Don’t make me take this towel off. I will.” She snapped the towel at him, smiling. He jumped back. “That’s it!” He jerked his towel off.
“Ethan!” she screamed. She dropped the towel, covered her eyes and turned around quickly to avoid seeing his man parts.
“It’s okay. I have shorts on. I just wanted to see what you’d do. You can shoot a man, deliver a baby, fix appliances, but losing my towel makes you turn away.”
She turned around and looked at him. “Ethan, you know why. You know I’m saving myself for marriage. That’s very important to me. Seeing you like that, I may not be able to resist you. It’s hard enough already.”
“Well, that does make me feel a little better. I’m irresistible, huh?”
“That’s your take away?” she smiled and came close to him again. “You are most of the time.” She kissed him and said, “Now go put your shirt on; we’ve got bigger issues right now. We have to get all the food out of the fridge and into coolers.”
Paige went down to the basement and flipped on the breaker. Ethan hurried down the stairs after her. “The light came on, and I didn’t see any smoke,” he said.
“That’s a good sign.” She saw the small chest freezer in the corner and opened it up. Ice was formed all around the inner edges, and she saw no signs of defrost. “I think this freezer is still working. Let’s bring all the frozen food down and put it in here.” They found two chest coolers to take up for the rest. Paige took one and broke off chunks of ice from the freezer and dropped it into the cooler.
Once they finished with the food, they made themselves some sandwiches to eat, then went to the couch and sat down. Ethan chose a remote out of the five that were lying on the end table. “Is this the one for the TV?” He held it up.
“No, it’s the gray one.”
“You mean this one with the rubber band on it?” He picked it up and pushed the power button. The TV power light blinked on and off, and a grey screen appeared. “Hey, we might get lucky.” Just as he said that, the TV made a popping noise, emitted sparks from the plug, and the house filled up with an electrical burning smell. “Maybe not,” he dropped the remote.
“We need to unplug all the appliances and electrical devices so we don’t burn down Dad’s house.” Ethan devoured his sandwich, and they proceeded to unplug everything from the outlets, except the freezer in the basement.
“The solar storm must have fried your appliances. I wonder…Where’s your thermostat?”
“By the stairs,” she pointed.
“Yeah, just like everything else,” he pushed a couple of buttons on it, “Your thermostat is digital, and it’s fried too.”
“The garbage disposal is not digital.”
“Maybe, it was short-circuited by the other appliances going haywire.”
“So, the only things that will work are the lights and the water?” she held out her hands, shrugging her shoulders.
“Pretty much, but your gas stove should work unless it’s digitally operated.”
“No, it’s actually an antique stove that’s been upgraded with new burners.” She went to the kitchen, tried a burner, and it lit up. “Yay! At least, we’ll be able to cook and keep warm by the fireplace since it’s gas also.”
“But, I don’t think you’ll be able to get more propane any time soon. Do you know how much you have?” Paige went out the back door to check, and Ethan followed. “Wow, this is nice back here.” He walked out onto a large, carpeted screened-in porch overlooking a stone walkway that went down to a dock that floated in a lake. The dock was long, and it led out to a gazebo. “You never told me about all this. This is so cool.”
Paige checked the gauge on the propane tank. “It says there is seven hundred and eighty gallons left. It’s nearly full. Dad must have just had it filled up.”
“That should last through the winter and then some. Can we check out the dock?” he pointed.
They walked out onto the dock and into the gazebo. It was also screened in with wood benches that ran around a large hole in the center for fishing. “My mom and dad and Jacob and I would catch fireflies, fill several jars, and use them for light while we fished for crappie at night. I can’t tell you how many fish we’ve caught in here. Jacob had a remote-control boat one time that he tied a hook and line to, baited it, and drove it around and around in here until he hooked a fish.”
“He caught one with it?”
“Yes, he caught several. After that, we think he must have hung a really big one, because his boat disappeared under water. It popped up again way out in the middle of the lake, but then it was gone again. He never found it after that. I aggravated him about that for the longest time.”
“I bet it was awesome growing up here.”
“It was. It really was.”
“Well, what do we do now?”
“I guess whatever we want. Are you up for some Scrabble?”
“You know you can’t beat me,” he teased.
“But, you can’t use the dictionary this time.”
“Ah, come on. Then, the last one to the house has to make dinner,” he started to run.
“Wait!”
“What is it?”
“Look, a fish!” she pointed, shoved past him, and ran toward the house, leaving Ethan in the dust. “I just wanted a head start” she called back over her shoulder.
“That’s cheating!”
Thirty-six
Paige Day 5
Paige sat at the kitchen table, staring out the sliding glass window. The water rippled and glistened in the wind and sun. Leaves made continuous shadows as they twisted and twirled, falling from the trees toward the ground. Ethan disassembled and reassembled his smartphone several times as he sat across from her. He was hoping to discover a trick or have some magical epiphany that would make it work again. “I give up!” he tossed the phone onto the table. “It’s useless. I’m bored out of my mind, Paige. I really miss my phone, my
apps, but most of all, the food delivery. I’m craving a gyro right now. You know when you bite into that pita bread and the insides squirt out all over your mouth, and then drips down onto your shirt. I miss that.”
Paige continued to stare out, “It’s been four days since we got home, and he’s not home yet.”
“I know, babe, but don’t give up hope. We don’t know how long it could take for him to get here. You saw all those cars, the road blocks, the weirdos, and if he’s anything like you, he’s been delayed by someone who needed his help.”
She turned and looked at him, “You’re right. It could take a while. I know what I’m going to do.”
“Go get a gyro?”
“No, decorate the house for Christmas.”
“Can we go get some junk food before we do that? My craving is becoming monstrous. Pleeease!” he made a begging face at her.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
They took the Duster to the local shopping center two miles up the road that had several shops. Paige turned into the parking lot. A long line had formed at the front door of Garner’s Grocery Store. “Are we even going to be able to get in?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Let’s go see. We better park out here so we don’t attract attention to our car. I don’t see anyone else driving around. The people look agitated.”
They parked way out from the door and approached the line. There was a police officer standing out front, and Paige recognized him. “Hey, I know that cop. Let’s go talk to him.”
They walked up to the front of the line, and a man yelled, “Hey, no cuts!”
Paige held up a hand and said, “We’re not getting in line. We just want to talk to my friend.” Turning back to the policeman, she called his name since he didn’t see her walk up. “Gavin!”
The officer turned around and looked at her. “Paige, you’re back.”
“You’re a policeman now?”
“The sheriff deputized twenty of us to keep peace and order around town. It’s been crazy the last couple of days. We’ve had a few murders and a ton of break-ins.”
“Wow, really? This is Ethan, my boyfriend.”
