The Ones Who Lived

by Ashley Nemer

  "I think bringing the four horses and three cows back today with us along with the supplies we loaded up is enough. We can come back tomorrow for more."

  "We will probably need to take it easy with the horses at first since they have clearly not been used in the last year." John said.

  "Good point. However, it will still be faster to get home with the horses pulling the buggy than by bicycle."

  "Amen to that brother, let's load up and get home." John finally felt something changing, he wasn't feeling like it was all doom and gloom. "Hey, we should look in the house for first aid supplies while we are here. Just in case someone else shows up. I know Jody could use anything extra."

  "Good call, a working farm I am sure had some good stuff especially for the animals."

  Once the two were finished loading up the buggy with the feed and other supplies they hoisted their bikes onto the platform and tied everything down securing their load. Getting the horses to cooperate enough to attach to the buggy was harder to do. The buggy only had room for two horses up front. Sam had decided that he could ride one of the horses with the saddle so that left the fourth free.

  "We can tie it to the back of the buggy like they used to do in those western movies." John suggested.

  Shrugging Sam said, "Sure, but make sure you don't ride them all too hard pulling the heavy buggy."

  "I know, I know sheesh." John found the bench where he had to sit uncomfortable. "If I am going to do this a lot I'll need a cushion for this thing."

  "You don't think they have one in the shed somewhere?"

  "No idea, I didn't look." John hopped off the buggy, "Give me five."

  Sam waited patiently for his friend to return. As he was waiting he saw a dog walking around one side of the farm. He dismounted from the horse and walked over towards the dog. It wasn't really a puppy, it looked full grown, full grown and scared.

  "Hey there boy, come here, I won't hurt you." He said in a calmed tone voice. He reached his hand out for the dog to sniff him. The fur was golden, and that made Sam think he must be a golden retriever. "You want to come home with me, I have a little girl that would love to meet you."

  The dog walked slowly towards Sam and eventually accepted his hand by sniffing and then licking it. "Good boy, good boy." He let Sam pat the top of his head lightly. "Come on, let's get you home." Sam turned around to walk back to the horses and slapped his leg a couple times and called out, "Come boy."

  The dog ambled his way along with Sam and then suddenly without warning jumped into the front of the buggy where John was sitting.

  "What's this?" He asked.

  "Sunny, she needs a friend and I think this guy here needs one too." Sam started to mount the horse again, "She will love it."

  John was looking the dog over and petting it slowly, "Well I am sure Sunny will love it but it's a girl and she is pregnant."

  Sam shot his head back, "How in the world could you possibly know that?"

  "Well genius first I looked between the legs and didn't see any parts that only men have. And second, I put my hand on her stomach and felt little paws kicking."

  "I guess then all the kids will be getting a new puppy for Christmas." Sam rolled his eyes, "Lucky us. Now come on let's get home."

  "Wait, the cows!" John hollered out.

  "Crap, we forgot to get them set up." Sam shook his head back and forth and dismounted from the horse. "How are we going to get them home?"

  "What if we took one of those trailers that you carry horses in and just hooked the horses up to that?"

  "I have no idea if that will work, I mean, I guess it would." Sam ran his hand through his hair and walked over to the vehicle storage facility and called out to John. "I have an even better idea, look what I found." He pushed open the door all the way to display a truck already attached to one of the trailers John was talking about.

  "Damn I'm good." John laughed, "See I told you that would be a great idea. We can load part of the coup and chickens up in the bed of that truck too. How's the gas?"

  Sam opened the front door and looked inside, he found the keys stuck in the visor, turning the key switch into he on position he belted out, "Hey it's even full!"

  "Wow we can make several trips then! Hell yeah!"

  Sam walked around the truck and inspected the tires and then the connection to the trailer. "Let's load these cows up and get home. We're gonna be heroes!"

  Anthony was the one who caught the radio call from Sam and John about their discovery. He quickly went into action with the fencing. He, Natalie and Jody were the only ones around that were available to help tear down the fencing. They each took a section, he hadn't expected it to be as tedious and physically demanding as it turned out to be. Anthony and Natalie had their sections completed by the time that they showed up. Natalie went to help Jody finish her part.

  It had seemed too good to be true to Anthony, their community now had actual livestock. Amelia would make a run to the library to acquire all the books on milking cows and making cheese. He could see her enjoying learning all of that. They were going to need more horses that he already knew for sure. He and Sam would figure out the best way to distribute using the horses.

  "Hey guys, great find!" Anthony said as his friends pulled into the neighborhood. "Oh, Amelia is going to just love that buggy!"

  "I know I can already hear her teasing me in my head over it."

  It took all four of them to get the cows to go into the back yards but once they were in there they seemed to be okay. Jody had found a wheel barrel in one of the garages, they used that to pour feed into for them. Who knew if they were just hungry or starving but Anthony seemed confident they needed the feed immediately. If nothing he said it would help them feel safe.

  "Did you figure out what we are going to do with the horses yet?" John asked Anthony.

  "No, but I figure maybe we can tie them up to something over in the play area and we just keep the kids away for today. We can build something I'm sure if we all work at it."

  Sam and John nodded in agreement. As they continued to unload they were interrupted with a scream of laughter. All of them knew who had just gotten home, the girls.

  "Sam, you got me a buggy!" Amelia screamed out as she came walking over to them.

  "Oh boy, you're in for the teasing now buddy." John mumbled under his breath. Sam punched him in the shoulder as he walked past his friend to greet his wife.

  "I sure did and that isn't all brought home." He turned around towards the buggy and yelled, "Come here girl!"

  The dog peeked his head up and when Sam clapped his hands she jumped out of the buggy and ran towards him. "Where's Sunny?"

  "She's in the house she will be right out, she had to go to the bathroom. You got her a dog, that's so sweet."

  "Correction, I got her a pregnant dog, so lots of kids will be getting puppies." Sam grinned and let out a laugh.

  "Oh boy, well looks like we're gonna be parents then." Amelia smiled. "Sunny will love this."

  "I thought she could use someone to offer unconditional love to her without question." Sam reached for her hand and caressed his fingers against hers when they made contact.

  "It was a great idea. Here she comes." Amelia waived Sunny over to meet them.

  "Hey kiddo, have fun shopping?" Sam asked as he knelt down to get to eye level with his cousin.

  "It was okay got a couple things I needed. You got horses, that's awesome Sam."

  "I got more than that, here, meet your new friend." When Sam pointed to the dog Sunny's mouth dropped open.

  "Really Sam, for me?"

  "Yep Sunny, all yours. She's a female and she is pregnant so you're gonna have to help be a momma. What do you think?"

  "Wow! I think it's awesome this is the best birthday present ever!"

  "What did you say" Amelia interjected.

  "It's my birthday, didn't you guys know?"

  By this point Jody, Natalie, John, and Anthony had gathered close enough to hear the i
nterchange and they all were looking at one another clearly not knowing what to say.

  "Sunny, I ..." Sam got choked up and couldn't speak.

  "I'm just teasing Sam it isn't my birthday, but you should have seen your face." Sunny burst into laughter and hugged her cousin. "Really Sam this dog is great, I'm so happy, thank you."

  All of the older teens looked at one another and slowly they all started laughing. "You all should have seen all your faces that was great." Sunny laughed some more and then started to run off. "Come on girl come with me and I'll give you a bath."

  Once Sunny had left Anthony was the first to speak up. "What's sad is we have no way to confirm what day it actually is. Hell, it could be her birthday."

  "One crisis at a time man, let's find a place for the horses then we can work on a calendar." Jody said.

  The group of them worked together for the remainder of the day getting a make shift stable set up along with distributing the dozens of eggs that were claimed from the farm. Everyone's excitement increased when they discovered that one of the houses on that back row next to where the cows were being kept had a pool in the back yard that was only three feet deep in most areas. They all agreed they would work on piping in plumbing to that house so they could use it as a watering hole for all of the animals. After much debate they removed all the interior boards from the back yards and placed the three cows and four horses back there. Each block had eight houses so with that much room they were hopeful that the animals would be able to live harmoniously together.

  By the end of the day Sam was truly exhausted. He and Amelia walked back to their house hand in hand smiling. The amount of work they managed to get done in such a short time was nothing less than a miracle. But their community had captured a real win with this find.

  "You know what we have to do tomorrow right?" Sam said as he took his shoes and socks off.

  "Learn to milk the cows?"

  He shook his head, "Nope, figure out how to transport the bull."

  Amelia laughed and took the remainder of her clothes off, she walked into their bathroom and turned the shower on. "You got that job all to yourself now. I want no part of that."

  When Sam moved to sit on the bed Amelia yelled out, "Don't you dare sit on my bed Sam! You're a right mess."

  He rolled his eyes at her, "Woman, I brought you a horse and buggy just like you asked for, now let me just sleep."

  Chapter Sixteen- How Life Settles and Changes

  NOT EVERYONE WAS OKAY with the newest additions to the neighborhood. Natalie's back yard seemed prime for the chickens to continuously break into and hid out. She was constantly having to call on John to get him to come and rescue them. It was during the third rescue that she realized this was how they ended up getting together, today of all days. She had touched his shoulder and saw it, saw them kissing next to the chicken coup. She was still trying with all of her might to keep anything from happening, but she wasn't having much luck.

  She was still scared to death for Brody, but she had been doing a lot of soul searching. Her other fear was she fought so hard against allowing her and John to develop that she wondered if that could be the cause for the future she saw for her brother. She didn't know how to reconcile all the driving parts so she had decided to simply give up. She would let the fates dictate what happened.

  Or at least she tried to...

  "Hey there, we gotta stop meeting like this." John said to her as he walked into her back yard with a pile of wood planks hoisted on his shoulders.

  She gave a nonchalant shrug, "Maybe I keep sabotaging the panels to let the chickens in as an excuse to call you." Natalie smiled at him as she teased.

  "You know, all you have to do, if that's what you want, is just ask me out on a date. I'm not old fashioned I'll gladly let the women lead." He set the wood down from his shoulders next to the side of the house.

  "I'm just teasing, I hate these darn chickens. Get rid of them please!"

  "Awe man, and here I thought we were making some headway, you know, you and me."

  Natalie tilted her head to the left and quirked her eyebrows up, "What do you mean you and me?"

  "Ya know, you" John pointed at her then aimed his finger at himself, "and me. An item."

  "I'm not sure what you're talking about." She tried to play coy.

  "Don't you do that, you know exactly what I mean, you and me, we have chemistry." John pulled his hammer out of the tool belt he was wearing and pointed it in the position against the plank already up against the fence and started removing the nail. He worked at it until the whole plank was on the ground and he had a pile of nails started in his pocket.

  "I think you're mistaken John, I need you for chicken removal only." Natalie's heart started to speed up, she really wasn't ready for this, ready for what was going to follow. She had dreamed about it and she had known it would happen but knowing and living the experience were two different things.

  John didn't say anything else, he simply worked on the fence rebuild section by section. He had offered to replace the fence for her in his down time. Which today he managed to have three hours he could devote to her. He had traded with Anthony three hours of his supervisory shift for tomorrow, so he could get this job done. He was exhausted, but this would be well worth it for him.

  "You hungry John?" Natalie had asked almost an hour into his work. He had managed to replace a third of the panels and the job looked really well done.

  "Yeah, actually, I am."

  "Why don't you stop and come eat with me. I made some dinner and I thought it would be a nice thank you."

  John didn't have to be asked twice, he dropped his hammer down on the pile of planks and walked over to where Natalie was standing. "Mighty nice of you, can I wash up in your bathroom?"

  "Of course, why don't you use mine, Brody and the other kids like to keep theirs messy and Jody has the other guest bathroom. Wouldn't want to impose on them."

  John let his lips form a sly smile, he felt like this was a small victory, getting to use her personal bathroom instead of the guest one. "Thank you, ma'am, mighty kind of you."

  Natalie rolled her eyes and walked into the house, wiggling her finger for John to follow. When she opened the master bedroom that was stationed downstairs she guided him into the bathroom area. She opened a cabinet and pulled out a large towel. "If you want to shower, you can. I haven't used my allotment of water yet today."

  "My hands will be sufficient, I tend to take long showers, and maybe you could join me sometime." He winked at her and then walked over to the sink. He squirted some soap into his hands and rubbed them together lathering them up. With his pinky he switched on the faucet and the cold water hit his skin as he cleaned the soap suds off his hands.

  Natalie noticed he didn't avert his gaze from his task at hand. She was smiling at him, but he wouldn't notice it. This was getting easier and easier the flirting and that unsettled her. "I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready to eat."

  As she walked through her bedroom she took a look around, she was proud of the well-kept house she managed. Everything had a place and that's where it was stored. She sometimes wondered if her bedroom even looked lived in since it was never untidy. She stepped back into the kitchen and the smell of dinner hit her, it was lingering the air.

  She had pulled out two plates and set them down at the table along with two wine glasses she liked to use for tea. When he walked into the kitchen she looked up and smiled, this time he noticed. His return smile made her heart jump a beat and that caused her stomach to feel flutters. Crap, she wasn't ready for this.

  "That smells fantastic, do I detect some type of stew?" John asked as he sat down across from her at the table.

  Natalie smiled, "Yes, it’s my own little concoction that I'm quite proud of."

  "It smells like heaven, what's in it?" John held his bowl up patiently waiting for her to take the spoon and scoop some into his dish.

  "Well I have the fresh veggies from the garden in here
along with some spices that I have been growing on my own. I also found the jack pot one day and landed on some beef stew soup at the grocery store. I've kept it for quite a while for a special occasion. Guess getting a new fence is that occasion."

  "Thank you, Natalie. I am touched you would spend your precious stew on me."

  She felt her cheeks blush, "It's not a problem really, and you’re doing all that work for me."

  "It's truly my pleasure. Anything for you."

  The two of them ate in silence, John didn't know what to say to fill the void. He was nervous as can be waiting for the next moves to happen. He had no idea how to do this. He had teased and joked about it with the guys but now that he was face to face with destiny he didn't want to screw it up.

  As far as soups go, this one wasn't bad. The beef stew tasted great, he couldn't remember how long it had been since he had that. Sam said they had soup all the time, but his woman was one of the ones in charge of scavenging supplies, so they always had the best stuff. John didn't care about that stuff, he was single. But if this was how people who were paired off together ate then maybe he had been the dumb one for putting this off so long.

  He could really get used to life like this. Coming home from a long hard day's work to a woman who smelled like her, and cooked like this. A home that was warm and welcoming. This was what dreams were made of and he was really starting to fall hard for this woman.

  All she was really missing was a real private garden, she had the herbs but she needed more vegetables. Ones that went fast in the common area so that meant there wasn't lots to go around. Or maybe she could have wheat fields, she could make flour, he bet she was great with bread products.

  "John, are you even listening to me?"

  The sound of Natalie's voice snapped John back into the moment. He had drifted off on his imaginary life with Natalie and their own little farm he hadn't heard anything that she said.

  "I'm sorry, I was daydreaming. Blame your stew it is that good." He tried to smile, but he had felt bad that he had completely ignored her like that.