I could hear the pain in his voice.
“How are you feeling, Tom?” I asked, knowing his wife and young son died in the first sweep of this virus late last winter.
“A bit rundown, tired, not eating right; you know, normal,” he chuckled. “I’m also staying isolated, though, so I should be fine. Which is actually one of the reasons I called. I think it advisable for your group to stay out of Marquette. And before you deny anything, I know some of you have snuck into town and hit the yard sales. Word gets around,” he added before I could protest.
“I understand, Tom. I will make sure everyone knows we’re under self-imposed quarantine. You do know that some of our forays have been to spread some money around,” I replied. “I’m surprised the economy has lasted this long and I’d rather scatter this cash while we can and others can take advantage of what little value it has left.”
“I understand what you’ve been doing, and that’s why I want you to stop. You’re a good person, Allex, and no one wants anything to happen to you.”
~~~
We finally had a break in the ever-present depressing ash-cloud cover. The sun came out and warmed the air to a delightful seventy degrees. I took the opportunity to hang sheets out on the clothesline and to work in the garden some.
“Do you think there will be much of a harvest, Mom?” Eric asked as he worked the hoe down the rows of stunted corn.
“Certainly not what we might hope for, and since those ears are forming so well, we might get a few to eat. Most will have to be saved for planting next year, though. And when you’re done hoeing, don’t forget to knock the stalks against each other.” I went back to weeding the peas.
“Do you really think that helps pollinate them?”
“Sure can’t hurt.”
While the garden in the yard looks paltry for September, it had a decent head start before the ash fall hit. We might get some corn and peas. The root crops, potatoes, beets, and rutabaga are doing much better than I expected. What is really going to sustain us this winter are the greenhouse crops. The green beans are close to picking at a mature size and will keep producing for another six weeks. After that, I’ll replant and maybe we will have fresh beans all winter. The bin I had set aside for compost now holds potatoes that might give Jacob his fries and Emilee her chips.
CHAPTER 12
September 2
“Mom,” Eric said, bursting in the back door, “you’re not going to believe this, but we just came from the Resort and it’s like the ash never touched it!”
“There was no one at the gate, so we cut the chain and went in,” Jason cut in. “I thought we might be able to find some old manual tools at the compound, but what we found was even better… deer. A lot of deer. And moose, turkeys, and geese. I’m guessing all the stampeding we witnessed in July was the animals heading to safer ground.”
“That’s incredible,” I said with awe. “We must have truly been on the very edge of the cloud, and that’s why it moved away so quickly.” My mind was reeling with possibilities. “Did you find any people?”
“There wasn’t anyone at the compound, though we did see a smoke signature that might be from Mathers Lake. We didn’t check it out, because we thought you might like to go with us for that,” Jason said.
“We did, however, do some harvesting,” Eric grinned. In the back of the pick-up truck was a six-point buck and two wild turkeys.
The thought of fresh meat made my mouth water. I also thought of all the lives that could have been saved by moving just ten miles north.
“What’s all the commotion?” Mark asked, emerging from the sheltered deck where he spends his time reading. He’s been engrossed in all the books Jim had dropped off last week, and I know he’s thrilled with the new knowledge he’s gaining on taking care of the animals.
“My boys have outdone themselves this time, Mark. Look!” I pointed to the harvest.
“Jason and I were talking it over on our way back, and we think this deserves a celebration,” Eric said.
“I know this is a bit early, but what about a Thanksgiving dinner?” I suggested. “Even though Thanksgiving is almost two months away, we really don’t know what the weather is going to be like. The roads may be impassible by then. Plus, every day should be a day of giving thanks.”
That sobered the mood a bit, remembering we no longer had snowplows to keep the roads open and once the snow fell we could be completely isolated for months.
It was decided that in a few days, we would invite Colonel Andrews and Tom White out for dinner. Meanwhile the boys needed to hang and cure the deer and I needed to clean some birds. From past experience, I know that the quicker the cleaning is done, the easier it is.
Dressing the turkey was easy since it’s just a big chicken, though I wanted to save the organs and the neck for making gravy. I boiled a big pot of water, dipped the bird, ripped the feathers off of it and gutted it in less than an hour. After setting it in the outside refrigerator, I called Amanda and Emilee over to help with the second one.
We set up the sawhorses and boards like when we cleaned all the fish in July. My thoughts momentarily drifted to John and how his demolition expertise got us a hundred pounds of fish in a very short time.
I dipped the bird again, then let those two de-feather it for the experience.
“That wasn’t so hard, Nahna, but it sure was messy,” Emi announced.
Next I opened the body cavity and pulled out all the organs, separating the ones I could use and scrapping the rest. The heart and giblet would be added to the turkey broth for gravy, and the liver would make a delicate liver pâté.
Amanda had the job of using my propane torch to singe off the hair-feathers from the now naked turkeys. I washed the birds in cold water and set them back in the refrigerator. By then, Eric and Jason, along with a curious Mark, had finished skinning and hanging the deer.
“Mom,” Eric whispered to me, “Mark wants to autopsy the next deer.”
I laughed. Mark certainly gets into his work, and it makes sense to for him to see the internal workings of different animals.
September 3
“What can I do for you, Allexa?” Colonel Andrews said, and I could hear a smile in his voice.
“I’d like to do something for you, Jim. How would you like to come out here on Friday for dinner? We have some exciting news to share and my sons have managed to supply us with fresh meat that we would also like to share.”
“Fresh meat? I thought all the animals died in the ash fall.”
“Apparently not, Jim, and that’s part of the good news.”
“I would be delighted to come to dinner, and thank you for thinking of me, Allexa,” Jim said.
“I’m inviting Tom White also. You might want to touch base with him in case he wants to share a ride.”
As much as I would have liked to invite Anna and George, I had no idea where they were. Nor about their exposure to this virus, and I can’t risk my family getting infected.
It was only Monday, and I felt our small group shouldn’t have to wait to do some celebrating. I decided we should have venison steaks for dinner tonight and save the two turkeys for Friday. I called Amanda over to give me a hand.
“What can I help you with, Mom?”
“I need you to do an errand for me,” I replied. “Would you take Jacob and Emilee for a walk down the road to tell Ken and Karen and Joshua about dinner tonight? That would sure help my timing out.”
“Of course! I think the kids could use some diversion; they’re both getting fidgety.”
“What would you normally do with Jacob about now?”
“We would go to the beach,” Amanda said wistfully. “It’s too cold though.”
I filed this in my brain, wondering if the boys could come up with a solution. After all, Emi and Jacob are their children.
~~~
With the days growing shorter all the time, and the false dusk coming early, we gathered at six o’clock for dinner. Along wit
h the venison steaks, I had fixed a large bowl of rice with canned ramp greens. Then I surprised Jacob with a plateful of French fries, which got me a big hug.
“Thank you, Nahna! I love fries and I love you!” Jacob exclaimed, dipping a fry into some catsup.
“You’re welcome, Jacob. You do know this is a treat, right? We don’t have enough potatoes to make fries all the time, but this is a special day.”
“I know, Nahna. I hope we can have more special days!” He gave a fry to Emi, who had been eying the plate.
“And here’s something for you, Emi.” I set down a bowl filled with lightly salted homemade potato chips. Her eyes got huge and teary. She picked one up and took a crunchy bite, sighing with obvious contentment. Then she gave one to Jacob, and passed the bowl around so others could have some too. It didn’t surprise me that everyone took only one.
~~~
“That was delightful, Allexa,” Karen commented while sipping on a glass of Eric’s latest beer, a dark ale. “I think we’ve all missed fresh meat.”
“Oh, yes, Miss Allexa, it was a wonderful change from dried fish and cheese,” Joshua chimed in. He’s been quietly working at making his new home more comfortable for him and his animals so we haven’t seen much of him lately.
“How are things coming along, Joshua?” Mark asked. “Is the barn big enough for your cow and goat?”
“Oh, yes, Dr. Mark. The girls are right happy in their new home. I think because they are still together. The baby chicks are growing bigger every day and are always underfoot, but they never get stepped on. Bossy and Matilda are real careful around them.”
That seemed to be the cue for Chivas and Tufts to appear from the living room where they’d been napping, and were now on the hunt for table scraps. Eric pushed back his chair to tend to the animals, giving them separate bowls of dry food with some meat scraps and rice poured on top. The two pets were doing well on the limited diet.
“While we are all here,” I announced, “on Friday we’re doing another bigger dinner, with company. To truly celebrate our thanks for Eric and Jason finding a source of fresh meat, we’re doing a Thanksgiving dinner early and we’ve invited Colonel Andrews and Tom White to join us.”
“What’s on the menu, Allexa?” Ken asked, taking another roll from the near empty basket.
“Turkey with all the trimmings and a stuffed venison neck roast is what I have planned. The meat won’t last much longer even in the fridge. I think we should eat as much fresh as possible, and then we’ll set up to can what’s left. Since it’s their deer, Eric and Jason will cut the meat up and deliver it. That way each household has the option of how they want to cook it, or to freeze it if that’s your choice.”
“Other than the meat, what else is planned, Mom?” Jason asked.
“I think it would be nice for Emi to do dessert,” Eric said before I could answer. “She’s getting real good at making sweet things.” My granddaughter beamed at the compliment.
“Then an Emi-dessert it is. I’ll make rolls and figure out some veggies. If anyone thinks of a dish they’d like to make let me know. The less I have to do the better,” I said, absentmindedly cradling my still very sore arm.
~~~
“You were awfully quiet at dinner, Mark,” I said while we snuggled under the covers later that night.
“Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the family dynamics, that’s all,” he confessed. “It still amazes me how Eric and Jason treat you as a friend as well as their mother. The interaction is so smooth and natural, and rare.”
“It isn’t rare to us; it’s the way we’ve always been with each other. I was young when I had them and I guess we grew up together. Although I maintained being the ‘mom’, I also treated them as mini-adults, and with respect. I hoped it would forge a deep bond between us, one I never had with my parents.”
“Really? As stable as you are, I would have thought you had a great upbringing,” he responded, sliding his hand down my hip.
“I didn’t have a bad childhood, but there were many things in the way I grew up that I set out to change with my own children, and affection was at the top of the list.”
“Well, I would say it worked, because those two young men adore you and would do anything for you.”
September 4
“Do those stitches itch, Allex? You keep fingering them,” Mark asked, pouring me a cup of coffee.
“As a matter of fact they do. When can you take them out?”
“Well, since it’s been two weeks. I think I can take them out now, and I’ll take the ones out of your arm while I’m at it.” He cupped my chin gently, tilting my head for a better look.
The slice along my jaw Dr. Streiner made with her scalpel was a grim reminder of what she did to me… and to Kathy. The sooner the stitches came out, the sooner I could forget about her, though it would be a long time before I forgot about Kathy’s death.
With tweezers and thin scissors, Mark snipped and tugged the few stitches out one at a time.
“You have remarkable healing, Allex. These could have come out days ago.” He kissed the fine scar. “And the scar is so faint it won’t be noticeable at all once the redness fades.”
“I’ve got good genes, and a good doctor,” I smiled up at him.
“Perhaps. I think it has a lot to do with your health, and maybe your happiness, which I’ll be happy to take some credit for.” He kissed me deeply and I silently decided he was right.
CHAPTER 13
September 7
Jason and Amanda came over early to help bring in chairs and set the table. With all the extra guests coming we set the three tables up in a “U” shape to have enough seating space.
“I wish we had some table decorations that would be suitable,” I lamented.
“Let me see what I can do,” Amanda offered. She finished setting the table, then left.
I set the rolls for the second rise and basted the turkeys again. They were small, maybe ten pounds each, and both fit into one large roasting pan. They were now a golden brown and the scents coming from the meat and the stuffing were heavenly.
I saw Amanda coming back across the road, but she veered off toward the barn and I lost sight of her. Even from this distance I could see that determined look she gets, and I knew not to interfere.
Ten minutes later, she came in, carrying a basket, set it in the center of the large table, and proceeded to pull things out. Shortly she stepped back, to reveal what she’d been doing.
“What do you think, Mom?” She beamed at her handiwork. On the table was the basket, with branches of hops and bittersweet artfully spilling from it.
“That is stunning, Amanda! I know you must have gotten the hops from down in the gully, but where did you find the bittersweet?” The papery pale green hops contrasted perfectly with the orange berries.
“They were in the basement, in a box marked ‘Fall Decorations’. Aunt Nancy was really organized. Do you like it?”
“I love it. Thank you so much for doing this.” I was feeling an unexpected tearing over her thoughtfulness and gave her a quick hug.
Just then, Mark came in with an armload of firewood.
“It smells fantastic in here!” he gushed. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“As a matter of fact, you can help me drain the turkeys. My arm is still too sore to lift much.”
“Is it very painful? Maybe you’re doing too much.”
“I’m fine, I just don’t want to stress it.” I gave him a quick kiss, and then retrieved a pot we could use for the juices that would become gravy.
At three-thirty the rolls came out of the cook-stove oven as the military Hummer pulled into the driveway. The boys took that as their cue to bring the family over, and soon Ken, Karen and Joshua arrived. I’d say no one wanted to be late for our early Thanksgiving dinner.
“The bar is open. Thanks to the Colonel’s generosity during Kathy and Carolyn’s wake, we still have plenty of alcohol.” I motioned everyone to the
side counter. Soon I heard the tinkle of ice cubes filling glasses, and friendly chatter among my guests.
With everyone milling about, it gave me time to pull Amanda aside so we could set the food out. Two golden brown turkeys took center stage, and were flanked by a bowl of steaming stuffing, a pot of rich gravy and a large casserole of green beans. On the dining table were a basket of hot rolls and two platters of deviled eggs.
~~~
Tom belched. “That was incredible, Allex. I can’t remember the last time I ate so much. I’m stuffed!”
“But there’s dessert,” Emilee protested. She’d been keeping her sweets a secret, even from me.
“I’m sure all we need is a few minutes for dinner to settle, Emi,” I said to her. Her enthusiasm with baking has been a source of pride for me.
“So, Eric,” the Colonel remarked, “where did you manage to harvest our dinner? I really thought all the wild animals were gone.”
“We thought so too, Colonel, but Jason wanted to check out the private resort north of here for tools, and we surprised a flock of turkeys in the road.”
“The resort is a private club that holds over thirty thousand acres in wildlife refuge,” I added. “Most of the animals there are accustomed to humans and to being fed. I’m surprised, too, that there is wildlife still there. I know the place pretty well; it’s where I’ve worked for the last eighteen years.”
“After we gave the compound where all the cabins are a cursory check to make sure no one was there, we went back to the field where we last saw the turkeys. Fresh food was more important than more tools,” Jason continued. “There was a nice buck under the apple tree, grazing right along with the birds. Since Eric can shoot double skeet, he took the birds that took wing when I shot the buck.” They both grinned. “We make a good team.”
The Journal: Crimson Skies: (The Journal Book 3) Page 9
