by A. American
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
HOME COMING
A. AMERICAN
Home Coming
Copyright © 2018 by Angery American Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
First Edition: August 2018
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of Angery American Enterprises Inc.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
CHAPTER 1
After waking up, Thad stayed in the bed. The room was quiet; only the soft sound of Mary breathing beside him disturbed the silence. Light filtering through the blinds cut across the room in sharp beams. Thad watched as tiny particles of dust drifted in and out of the beams in a silent dance. Slowly turning his head to the side, he saw Mary’s bare shoulders. They were covered in only a sheet and he could see her form lying beneath it.
A pang of guilt swept over him. The image of Anita and Tony came into his mind. He’d had such a hard time dealing with his feelings for Mary and the ever-present memory of their loss. But he wasn’t disrespecting them. He carried their memory every day with him and thought of them often. And he would never forget them. Looking again at Mary, he thought, no, this isn’t wrong. He loved Mary. It wasn’t the same love he had for Anita and never would be. But it was just as strong, and he would give Mary as much as he gave Anita.
Moving slowly, Thad slipped out of the bed and pulled his pants on. Glancing back to make sure Mary was still asleep, he eased out of the room and quietly closed the door. He made his way through the kitchen, which was now a useless space in the house. Modern kitchens simply were not designed to function without the luxury of power and running water. It didn’t matter though. Thad had adapted to the new reality a long time ago.
In preparing the house for him and Mary, he’d installed an elevated water tank to supply the house. So, the sinks and toilets worked. You could take a shower, but the pressure was weak. He didn’t have another of the large tanks like the one sitting in the road not far from his house. Instead, he’d connected two fifty-five-gallon drums together and put them on a platform, eight feet off the ground. He connected the output to the house in the same manner as previously, using a garden hose to tie into the hose bib outside the bathroom. And that bathroom was his next stop.
After taking care of nature’s requirements, he picked up a bowl of eggs sitting on the kitchen counter and went out the back door. The house was small, which was fine with him, but it had a terrific patio on the back of the house. Unlike most of the houses in the area, this one was concrete block sitting on a footer directly on the ground. The patio was a solid poured cement pad.
Thad set the eggs on a table and pulled a Weber grill away from the wall. He dropped a double handful of pine needles into the bottom of it and lit them with a lighter. He waited for those to burn away and the small pieces of oak he’d piled onto it to turn into a sustainable fire. Once it was ready, he put the grill top on and placed a cast iron skillet on it. Taking a spoonful of bacon fat from a Mason jar, he banged it on the side of the skillet and waited for it to melt down.
While the fat was melting, he went back in the house and collected the rest of his breakfast materials. Miss Kay had given him a loaf of bread the night before when he and Mary left to go home. It was in a basket with a small jar of butter and jar of jelly from Gina. There was also a small piece of bacon wrapped in a towel. As Thad sliced the bacon, he smiled to himself, remembering how people used to react to food being left on the counter overnight. Today, no one would throw something out that sat out overnight.
With the bacon sliced, he laid the strips in the grease. He liked to add a little extra grease to the pan when cooking bacon. It would be added to by the bacon he was cooking and create a nice skillet to cook his eggs in. As the bacon popped and hissed, he sliced up the bread. It would go on the grill later for a light toasting. Then he filled a percolator from the sink and spooned some coffee into it. The grounds had been a gift from the old man and he smiled as he watched the dark grounds fall into the basket. He couldn’t help but wonder how it ate the old man up to give it away.
The coffee finally boiled as he was toasting the bread. Two plates sat on the table with eggs and bacon. Initially, he intended to wake Mary up and have her join him for breakfast on the patio. Then he had another idea and went into the kitchen to go through the cupboards. In the back of one, he found a tray that would suit his needs. It was the kind you’d use in the oven, but this morning it would carry Mary’s breakfast to her in bed.
He carried the little tray carefully towards the bedroom. At the door, he fumbled for a minute, watching the coffee as it sloshed slightly. Getting the door open, he saw Mary roll over and smile. Seeing the tray, she sat up. The sheet fell away, exposing her breasts. She quickly blushed and pulled it up. Thad smiled at her embarrassment and said, “It’s ok. I think I know what they look like now.”
Mary looked down and smiled again. “I guess you do,” she replied and let the sheet fall away. Thad carried the tray over to her and placed it on her lap. “This looks really good,” she said as she picked up the fork.
“I hope you like it,” Thad replied as he leaned over. Mary looked up and he kissed her.
She looked around and asked, “Where’s yours?”
“I could only find one tray. Mine is on the table out on the patio.”
She looked at the tray, “This is very nice,” and then added, “but I’d rather eat with you. Take it out there and I’ll get dressed and join you.”
Thad nodded. “That was my first idea. But I thought this would be nice.”
“It is nice. Very sweet of you,” Mary replied and held the tray up. “Take this out there and I’ll be right out.” As Thad took the tray, she grabbed the coffee cup, “I’ll keep this.”
Thad smiled, “I’ll wait for you.”
Mary jumped out of the bed, sipping on the coffee. The sheet trailed behind her, falling away as she made her way to the bathroom. Thad stood for a minute watching her bare backside until she closed the door behind her. He then carried the tray back out to the patio and waited for Mary. It didn’t take her long. She came out of the house in a small thin sun dress and sat down closely beside him.
Taking a bite from a piece of bacon, Mary smiled at Thad, “This is wonderful.” She looked around the yard and added, “It’s better than the other house.”
Thad sipped his coffee, “It was kind of crowded there. You really like this house?”
She nodded eagerly, “Yes! Very much. I like the back porch and the house is nice and small. It won’t be hard to keep clean.”
“It’d be better if we had some power,” Thad said.
Placing one of her eggs on a piece of toast, Mary replied, “It would be. But it’s fine for now. Now that they have power to town, maybe we’ll get some too.”
“Morgan said they were going to run it out here. He told them there wasn’t any hurry. But they said they’re going to do it anyway.”
“Morgan should just let them do what they want. He always seems worried about oth
er people doing things for him, like he doesn’t deserve it or something,” Mary replied.
Thad mopped an egg yolk on his plate with a piece of toast. “That’s Morgan. He’ll go out of his way for anyone but doesn’t want anyone to do it for him.”
“He always seems worried,” Mary added.
Thad finished his breakfast and took a sip of coffee. “That’s just his way. If anything bad happens, he beats himself up over it. Like it was his fault. Like all this is his fault. He needs to relax a little.”
Mary tapped Thad’s mug with her own, “I agree with that. He certainly needs to relax.”
Thad stood up and took the plates. “What do you want to do today?” He asked.
Mary rocked her head back and forth. “I don’t know.” Then she gave him a devilish smile. “We could go back to bed if you want.”
Thad smiled and looked at the plates in his hands. “Should I wash these first?”
Mary stood up and whispered into his ear, “They’ll wait.” Thad left the plates on the kitchen counter and followed Mary back to the bedroom.
The other newlyweds had also chosen themselves a place to live. It wasn’t the best choice tactically, and Aric had been told so by several people. It was on the back road of the neighborhood, past Danny’s house. His was the closest to it and it was still a fair walk to get there. If something happened, they would be on their own until help arrived.
But Fred liked the house. It was a small log home, single story with a loft. The house had an open design and full porch wrapping all the way around it. This allowed the windows to be open all the time, as direct sunlight never came in them to heat up the interior. In northern latitudes, you wanted a southern exposure to allow this light in to warm the place in winter. You didn’t need that in Florida. Any benefit from a southern exposure in winter was trumped by the broiling heat it created in summer. And summer lasted a lot longer than winter down in Florida.
The little house had wood floors, which had obvious advantages when there was no electricity. A broom still worked. Aric had spent time cleaning the place up. Whoever had lived there had left a long time ago, and when he first went in, it was like looking at a snapshot of a life interrupted. Dirty dishes had been left in the sink. A pile of dirty clothes sat in front of the washer. All the cabinets in the house were open as a result of the several trips made through the house in the months after the Day. But nothing had ever been damaged because the group that went through the houses was always very careful. At the time, open windows that rain could blow in through were closed, as were doors that had been left standing open. The houses were secured in the thought they may be needed later; and that turned out to be really good foresight.
This morning, the morning after her wedding, Fred wasn’t feeling well. She was still in bed and Aric checked on her occasionally as he tended to chores around the house. He’d helped Thad put the water drums on the roof of his house and Thad was supposed to come down sometime today and help Aric get the two drums they scrounged up onto the roof of his new home. You could live without power. You could live without running water. But living with running water was a lot nicer. Not to mention, having the drums on the roof outside kept the water in them warm. Later in the summer, that water would get hot. But it kept the toilets working and it allowed for basic washing and general use.
Aric walked into the bedroom and sat on the side of the bed. “How you feeling?”
Fred rolled over onto her back. “I’m tired of throwing up.”
Aric glanced down into the bucket he’d placed beside the bed for her. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
With absolutely no effort, she slapped his shoulder. “Shut up. Don’t remind me. I wish I had some crackers or something.”
Aric patted her thigh under the sheet, “I do too.”
A knock at the door got his attention. “Let me go see who that is.”
“Whoever it is, tell them I’m not here.”
Opening the door, Aric was surprised to see Miss Kay and Jess standing on the porch. Kay held a large bowl with a plastic lid and Jess carried a pan covered with a towel. “Hey,” was all he could manage.
Jess cocked her head to the side and asked, “You going to invite us in?”
Stepping back and pulling the door open, Aric replied, “Oh sure, come in.”
As Kay passed Aric, she stopped to hug him, having to go up on her toes to do so. “Good morning, sweetheart. How is your wife this morning?” Kay couldn’t help but smile as she asked.
“She’s still in bed I’m afraid,” Aric replied as he hugged her.
Jess set the pan on the kitchen counter and asked, “She still getting sick?”
Aric nodded. “Yeah. She’s having a rough time with it.”
Kay made her way to the kitchen, placing the bowl on the counter. “This should make her feel better,” she said as she pulled the lid off the bowl. Aric leaned over to see a clear broth in it.
“What is that?” He asked.
“It’s bone broth. It’ll make her feel better,” Kay replied.
“So will these,” Jess said as she pulled the towel off the pan. It was filled with small thinly sliced pieces of bread. Jess picked one up, “Not quite as good as crackers, but it’s the best we can do.”
Aric took the piece from her and took a bite. He nodded his head, “It’s like melba toast.”
Kay was filling a bowl with broth. “Exactly. I can’t make crackers, but I can make melba toast.”
Aric motioned with the last bite of the toast, “She’s going to like this. Thank you for bringing it over.”
Kay smiled and replied, “Let’s go check on our mother-to-be.”
Fred was sitting up in the bed when they walked in. She smiled when she saw Kay and Jess, trying to look upbeat. “You didn’t have to bring that over here.”
Kay shooshed her. “You need your strength and something to help your tummy out.” She set the bowl on the nightstand. “You drink as much of that as you can.”
“And these should help too,” Jess said as she handed Fred a small stack of the toast.
Fred immediately ate a piece of the small bread. “Thank you for this. I really wanted some crackers, but, you know something, these are better than crackers.”
“I’ll make sure you have some every day. You just pick them up at supper time and bring them home, so you’ll have them in the morning.” Kay sat down on the edge of the bed. “And don’t worry. This nausea won’t last forever. It’ll stop soon.”
Taking another bite of toast, “Not soon enough.”
Kay laughed and patted her leg. “You’ll be alright.” “And what are you doing today, Aric, besides taking care of Fred?”
“We’re getting the water drums installed on the roof today.”
“Good!” Kay excitedly replied. “You’ll have to have running water when it’s time for the baby.”
“That’s the plan,” Aric responded.
Kay stood up and announced, “Alright. I’ll leave you alone.” “Take care of yourself, Fred; and if you need anything, anything at all, you just let me know.”
Fred held out a hand and Kay took it. “I will.” “I’ll send Aric if I need anything.”
“Good.”
Fred looked at Jess and asked, “Can you stay a while?”
Jess looked at Miss Kay, who gave her a dismissive wave. “You stay here. I can get myself back. I still know how to drive a truck.”
“Ok. I’ll stay here with Fred for a while then.”
Kay said her goodbyes, gave Aric another hug, and left. Aric had a real soft spot for the older woman. Growing up, his own mother had worked a lot. She was very focused on her career and he was often left to fend for himself. It was how he’d developed a love of the outdoors, spending most of his time outside to be away from the empty house. His father was very much like his mother, also consumed with his career. Aric had often wondered as a young boy why they’d even bothered to have a kid. Was he a mistake? An accident?<
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But Miss Kay was so unlike his own mother as to be her total opposite. He imagined her as a mother, always there, looking out for her children. He couldn’t imagine her any other way. He almost thought of her as being smothering, very active and engaged in the lives of her kids. And it made him smile. He loved the old woman and was thankful that his son would only know her as his grandmother. And what a fine one she would be.
“Hey, babe. I’m going to go out and work on the water system,” Aric said.
“Ok. Just be careful. I don’t need you falling off the roof.”
He smiled and leaned in and kissed her. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”
Since their house was so far from the others, he’d taken one of the four-wheelers as his own. Not that anyone cared. There were plenty of them around. Gas was certainly an issue, but for now, they had plenty. He’d also found a yard cart at one of the houses in the neighborhood and rigged a hitch up on the ATV so he could pull it. The addition made the four-wheeler even more handy. Hopping on it, he started it and sped down the drive towards the gate.
I was under the hood of the Suburban reconnecting the batteries. Focusing on what I was doing, I wasn’t paying much attention to anything else and that’s why I didn’t hear Dalton’s big ass walk up behind me until he whispered, practically in my ear, “What are you doing, Morgan?”
I jumped, banging my elbow on the hinge of the hood. “Son of a bitch!” I shouted. “Why the hell are you sneaking up on me?”
Dalton shrugged, “I wasn’t sneaking. I just walked up. A train could sneak up on your ass. You really should work on that, you know.”
Rubbing my elbow, I shook my head. “I’m going to hang a cow bell around your neck.”
He smiled, “That’s what the world needs, more cow bells.”
Turning my attention back to the battery I was connecting, I asked, “What the hell do you want?”
“How’s the vinegar doing?”
“It ain’t ready yet.”
