by Sweet, Dell
Whether heading east or west, roads snaked here and there, away from the main route, or what they considered the main route: Woods covered parts of the island, wide plains other areas. Nothing alive moved anywhere they looked.
“I think,” Joel said as they sat on the hoods of the trucks and drank warm bottled sports drinks, “This whole place, or most of it, was flooded over. I guess we can all see that, but I mean for a time, a long time. Any life washed away... Including people.”
“So what's to stop that same thing from happening again,” Alice asked. She looked nervous even as she said the words.
“I would bet a tidal wave... No, tsunami triggered by the quakes, rolled right over everything on the coast. Probably took days to recede. That's why there is no one here.” Jayne said thoughtfully.
“Wouldn't happen again?” Alice asked.
“I don't think so,” Scott said. “I think it's been quiet for months now... I think this place is safe now... Maybe the only place in the world without dead. I think the dead in that store were trapped by the place being locked up. Probably locked it up themselves for protection... Drowned when it flooded.”
“We'll have to be careful if we come across something like that again,” Jayne said, more to herself than anyone in particular.
Silence held as she finished, a few nods of agreement.
Joel upended his bottle, drank deeply and then grimaced. He looked at the label. “Cherry Cucumber,” he said aloud. “For real? Who in hell thought that up? Haley, take a letter to...” He paused as he looked for the manufacturers name on the bottle without success. “Well, to these sonsofbitches,” he said in his best Clint Eastwood imitation. “Tell 'em we won't be drinking no more of these bastards.” He grinned, turned and spat on the ground. Scott applauded.
“No more Clint Eastwood, that sucks,” Alice said with a sad face.
“Or cold beer,” Scott said and grimaced.
“Or panty-liners,” Jayne said and then pulled a face. Haley broke into laughter so hard that tears squirted from her eyes. Alice joined in. Joel, John and Scott just shook their heads and looked at one another.
“I... I can't believe you said that,” Haley said. She laughed harder.
Joel cleared his throat and looked out over the island. “A perfectly good conversation,” Joel said and sighed dramatically. Haley gave him a shot in the ribs with one elbow. They all laughed then.
Okay... Okay,” Jayne said eventually, “but really... Here we are; what is this place now that we've found it?”
“Alabama Island,” Scott answered promptly.
“Yeah... Alabama Island,” Joel agreed.
“Okay, but what is it to us,” Jayne said
“Home,” Haley said. “It's home.”
The silence held as one by one they each nodded.
“We'll need to make more trips,” Jayne said at last.
“A lot of trips,” Scott agreed.
“What do we need,” Joel asked, as Haley produced a small pad of paper and a pen.
November 12th
Alabama Island
Joel and Haley
The tide was on the way in when they reached the shore and rolled out onto the long flat beach. The trip was faster now, knowing for a certainty that the land was there, but it was still a close run between the tides.
As the days passed and the trips became more regular, they planned on leaving on the low tide, collecting all the materials they needed, and coming back on the next nearest low tide. That usually meant a layover, as it took time to collect what they needed, and as the areas around Fort Deposit were nearly stripped clean of any and all building materials or supplies: They found themselves venturing farther out. Some were back on the island while another group was out. Today two groups had met up and come back together.
The old road had been cleared of sand in most areas simply by driving over it, in others with shovels and hard work. The highest area had been officially named Mount Alabama, and a rough camp was set up there. It was the highest point on the island, therefore worthy of the name, they had decided. Piles of materials had been trucked in across the water and stored there under the trees, but they had not yet begun to build.
Joel lead the way down the road and into a forested area that was part of Mount Alabama, but a quarter mile from the actual summit. Here the trees were very old growth. Massive trunks and heights that went well beyond a hundred feet with large spreading limbs. They had all been taken under the spell of the place since they had first stumbled across it on the third day. Unlike some areas they had discovered, where submersion under salt water had killed the trees, these trees had either never been submerged, or had not been submerged for long. There were thriving and imparted their beauty over the entire area.
As Joel stopped the truck there was nothing there to denote the fact that they had chosen this place to build: It looked like nothing more than a scattered tent community under the huge trees. The six survivors had become twenty during their supply runs, and Joel had no doubt the twenty would become fifty before they ceased their runs to the mainland. Others were there, he could feel it. He, Haley and Scott often talked about it. It was easy to understand their reluctance to come out of hiding and join them. It had taken those with them some time; it would take those remaining some time too.
Joel jumped down from the truck and watched the others pull in. Two of the new trucks were stake-rake trucks: One driven by Scott one driven by Kyle, one of the newcomers. Kyle had been a farmer in the old days. All of his own animals that had survived were here now, including a half dozen cows, fifty chickens, and a nearly blind dog named Bam-Bam. Kyle helped Bam-Bam down from the truck and then walked over to Joel where he stood with Haley, Alice and Scott.
“Six cows and four pigs. Scott's got a bull and John has twelve pigs that are about as wild as I have ever seen. Like to have eaten us as we were trying to load them... No horses yet.” He pulled his hat from his head, wiped away the sweat from his face and then put the hat on backwards. Joel smiled.
“That bull?” Scott said.
Haley smiled. “Pissed off?”
“Very,” Scott agreed. “I think take it out in the field before I release it. Make sure it calms down and doesn't just charge us.”
Joel laughed. “I know it's not funny. I never really thought about how to get it out of the truck once we got here.” He sighed. “Well, we've got five acres fenced for it... Should have built one of those chutes you see on rodeo shows.”
“Are you a secret cowboy,” Alice asked Joel as Jayne walked up.
“If I am, I'm one of those McMurtry cowboys. The real ones not the cleaned up versions.” Joel laughed.
“So... We could back it up to the gate, close in the sides before we let that door open, maybe it will shoot right out the back and kick rocks,” Scott said.
“Kick rocks?” Joel asked.
“Hit the road,” Haley supplied.
“Hmm, well, if that's our best option let's do it.” Joel agreed.
The bull turned out to be easy; it was the pigs that were trouble. They dropped the latch on the back of Scott's truck and the bull took off. They dropped the door latch on John's truck for the pigs, and instead of taking off into the woods to become wild pigs they could hunt on occasion, they stayed right in camp. Raiding garbage, knocking down tents, and chasing kids around. They had to shoot two of them before it was over and the other ten had finally run off: As night closed in they had all eventually found a reason to laugh about it.
~
“Okay, there are more pigs we can get. What we'll do next time is release them a little further away. The thing is they're going to be dependent on us until this island springs back and starts supporting all the life it should be. We've released rabbits and a few dozen nutria. It won't take long for them to breed and become a food source for the pigs, but until they do they will search us out and look for food. And a pig will eat anything at all. A cat, puppy, garbage, which is what we can feed them
. They're omnivores so they'll search out vegetation and eat that too,” Kyle finished.
“You mean feed them cats and puppies,” Jayne asked.
“I didn't say that,” Kyle said. He frowned “Okay, maybe it sounded that way. I meant garbage. We can feed them garbage so they aren't trying to eat our cats and puppies.” His face was red.
“So long as you are not trying to feed them cats and puppies,” Jayne said. She seemed to enjoy getting Kyle wound up. It was an easy process. He was somewhere south of infatuated with her and immediately got both defensive and tongue tied when she spoke to him.
The fire in the center of the tent city was burning brightly. Both pigs were spitted and cooking over the flames. Food for a few days only with twenty adults. There were six children here too. None had come through with their parents; all had been on their own and taken in by the people that had come to join with them. Some were past the trauma on those first days back in March, some were not.
“Deer,” Jayne said after a pause. “Equally important as cows.”
“I agree,” Joel said, “but getting them here alive is the trick. We need a way to get animals here in larger quantities to release them.”
“What about, probably stupid,” Jayne said, “But what about by sea? Hear me out.” She raised her hands when the comments about how shallow the water was had started. “Wait.”
“Let her finish,” Joel said.
Jayne smiled. “Thanks. Okay, so water. Yes, we've just a few inches here and inbound from here. I think that is getting deeper almost daily, but I realize it will be a long time before it's deep enough to take a boat with any real cargo on it. Not enough draught, but the Gulf side of the island is plenty deep. We can leave a port in Georgia, Mississippi, even Louisiana and get here from the Gulf side.” She finished with a twisting of her mouth and a shrug of her shoulders. “Should work, right?”
Joel was nodding.
“Will work,” Haley said. “That's a great idea.”
“I have to agree,” Scott said. “That will work. Kyle? Do they make something to haul animals over water?”
“Oh yeah. And if we can't find something ready built we can get a barge and outfit it ourselves. Anybody plumbed that channel between this island and the little one?”
“Looks deep,” Joel said.
“Probably is plenty deep, but let's find out exactly how deep,” Kyle said. “In fact, I want to go tomorrow and bring back a seaworthy boat... Something fifty, sixty feet long. A fisherman... Better yet a tug. We'll need a tug if we're bringing back a barge... Might need two tugs in fact,” He laughed and waved his hands at everyone. “Sorry, got carried away... Here's the thing. That channel would be perfect to build a dock on... Some place to unload. This side of the island is far too shallow. The Gulf side is too deep with nothing but cliffs. That channel is perfect: If it's deep enough. So, I can get a boat. A tug would be good because it's already going to be set up with depth finders, fenders and a good powerful motor. And as I said if we end up with a barge we'll need a tug boat... We'll have it.”
Joel looked around to nothing but nodding heads. “Looks like the ayes have it,” He said and laughed.
Everyone laughed and then the laughter died away. “Well, that's another thing right there,” John said. “I know of no better time to bring this up, but we probably should make something official before things get bigger here.”
“For instance, I've been following you since before we came here, and there is no doubt you are the guy who runs things here, but it isn't official. Now suppose some guy comes along and decides he should be in charge? I'm not for that. That's like some of these other settlements we hear about. We've all listened in to The nation and their broadcasts. They have it together there. They're growing because they have established rules and leadership, and we could have it together here just as easily, but we need our leadership established. We need to have it decided. That place, a few others I have heard of or talked to have leaders. It's right up front, no dancing around it...” He shrugged. “Maybe I'm overstating the obvious. We should elect you the main guy here... However that goes.”
“You and Haley together,” Jayne said solemnly.
“No, really, that's the way it should be,” Alice added. She clasped one hand to her mouth and her eyes began to leak.
“Okay,” Scott raised his voice and waited as everyone quieted down and turned to pay attention to him. “Listen! A motion came up to legitimize this place,” He laughed along with the others: As the laughter died away he continued. “Here's the deal, John and a few others of us believe it's time to make the leadership of Joel and Haley official.” He had intended to say more, but he was drowned out by the cheering that erupted. He would never have believed twenty plus people could make that much racket. The dogs were barking, the children running around in circles and screaming.
“Jesus,” Jayne said. She turned to Joel, an amused look in her eyes along with the tears.
Joel stood. “Okay, okay,” he tried. He finally had to lift his voice above the din. “Okay! Hold it down folks; I'm sure they can hear us on the mainland.” The noise died down, but they were all staring at Joel expectantly: He had no idea what to say next so he sat back down, embarrassed. Scott stood and brushed his hands against his jeans.
“So here it is: I don't know anything at all about how to form a government, but I suppose it goes something like this; we all decide it, vote, and that's that.” Nodding heads met his words. “So the idea was Joel as the leader of this place, Alabama Island. Haley was suggested too. That would be it. I guess that's a king and queen?” He looked and sounded doubtful.
“A monarchy,” Jayne answered. “Like the motherland... England”
“A monarchy,” Scott repeated. He still looked doubtful. “Anybody against it?”
Dead silence greeted his words.
“Okay, for it?”
The noise split the air again, wolf whistles, shouts of Hell yes, more. The dogs were once again barking and howling. Scott sank back down to the ground.
Emmett Wolf stood and lifted a nearly full bottle of bourbon skyward. His other hand held a sheaf of plastic drinking cups. A few seconds later nearly everyone had a drink of straight bourbon in their hands.
“Joel and Haley,” Emmett bawled above the general din. The crowd repeated his words and the drinks were downed. “To Alabama Island,” Emmett yelled. The drink cups went around again and everyone toasted to Alabama Island.
“I don't know how much use this crowd will be tomorrow. You might want to plan an easy day,” Scott told Joel. He had to raise his voice above the din of voices.
“It's crazy,” Haley said.
“Oh, I think they'll party all night long. After all, they just elected America's first king and queen in well over 200 years,” John opinioned. “I think Kyle and I will bow out early. Want to catch the midnight tides and get in there early tomorrow morning.”
Joel nodded. “I'll be going with you.” He turned to Scott. “Do you think you'll have enough sobered up to begin plans to build a dock? Check that depth; figure out some way to get in there?”
“Yeah. I think it will go as is. I mean the depth. We have a stack of railroad ties we salvaged a few days back. Here or up top. That will make a dock. I think my idea was a dock, further down the road when this deepens.” Scott answered.
Joel turned back to Haley. “You be okay here alone?” he asked.
“My loyal subjects will make sure I am,” Haley said. Her words were joking but her eyes said she was a little overwhelmed.
“Don't sweat it... Don't let anyone treat you differently. Don't think of yourself differently. It will be old news in a few days and you'll be okay with it, okay?”
She nodded. “Just not sure if I like it much.”
“I understand that,” Joel agreed. “I'm pretty sure I'll never be comfortable with it myself, but it's done. One way or the other it had to happen. I was thinking more along the lines of a committee the way some
other places do, but I can see where this has its attractions too... Ease of making things happen... A lot of responsibility though.”
“Is it ever,” Scott agreed.
“And you volunteered me for it,” Joel said.
“Who else could do it?” Scott asked. “No. You were the only choice... Besides, we can change things to some other form down the road if we need to.”
“You think so?” Joel asked.
Scott looked out at the people as they laughed and danced in the firelight. He tried a lopsided smile on his face. “I hope so.”
Joel rose from the ground and dusted the sand from his pants. “Well, I hereby appoint you and Alice as council to the monarchy: let's get everyone eating before Emmett gets them too far gone.”
Scott laughed, picked up a metal scoop near the fire and banged it against a pot a few times. In no time at all lines were forming as the pigs were lifted from the fire, burnt and crispy in places, juicy and dripping fat in others, and carried to the tables. A layer of palm leaves had been laid out on the table tops, and the pigs were lowered onto them. Alice, John and Jayne began carving and serving. Joel, Haley and Scott fell back and watched, marveling over how so much had changed in just a few hours.
ABOUT
Wendell (Dell) Sweet wrote his first fiction at age seventeen. He drove taxi and worked as a carpenter for most of his life. He began working on the internet in 1989. He was honorably discharged from the service in 1974.
He is a Musician who writes his own music as well as lyrics. He is an Artist accomplished in Graphite, Pen, and Digital media. All music, lyrics, artwork or additional written materials attributed to characters in the novels, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright © 2009 - 2018 Wendell Sweet.
