by Wilson Harp
“Are you dead?” she asked.
“No,” I said. Her boots seemed to split into two pair as I tried to pull myself up.
“Maybe next time.” She turned and led Bonnie away from me.
I closed my eyes and laid back down. My shoulder seemed to ache, probably from when I hit the ground, but nothing like the headache I was experiencing.
“You must have pissed her off something fierce,” a voice said above me.
I opened my eyes and squinted through the pain. A wrinkled face set behind a heavy beard and mane of pure white hair was smiling at me.
“Ready to get up?” the old man asked. He held his hand out to me. I grabbed it and felt him pull me up.
“You must be David,” he said as he steadied me.
“I am, and you are?” I asked.
“Tom Pearson,” he said. “Glad to meet you.”
“Thanks,” I said. “This where Ted lives?”
“This is his Shangri-La. Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
I followed Tom up the rough drive way past a tall wooden fence. It wasn’t one of those professional looking fences, this looked like it had been pieced together over a period of several years. Some of the tall slats of wood looked fairly new, stained and weather-treated, but others looked decades old.
“Besides Ted and Kenny, there are Sophia and her kids, Ben and Karen, and Holly and me. Not many people, but we do what we can.”
I was half-listening to Tom and half trying to work out the soreness in my neck when my guide into the compound stopped and swept his arms around as if to show me something grand.
And it was grand. I was looking down into a small valley that was sheltered on each side by high oak and cottonwood trees. Terraced gardens ran down the valley toward a large pond. The pond was fed by two small streams that pooled every fifty feet or so. Small bridges and walkways led to various small buildings and structures.
The sounds of animals brought life to the amazing painting of farm life in front of me. Geese and ducks swam in the pond, chickens picked at the hard ground in front of the buildings where several goats were keeping the grass shorn short. Two big golden retrievers were following Anne and the kids from the barn where the lowing of cows lent a richness to the entire spectacle.
“This is amazing,” I muttered.
“It is,” Anne said as she stepped up beside me. “Sorry about the boot to the head. It really was an accident. I didn’t see you turn back to help me.”
“Why did you leave me lying there?”
“Because Tom was already coming out and I was pissed at you.”
“Fair enough,” I said. I turned slowly and looked around at everything that was hidden in this little plot of wilderness.
“What is that?” I said as I pointed up.
“That’s a cell tower,” Tom said. “It’s the reason Ted wanted you to come up here today.”
Chapter 16
The cell tower stood a good two hundred and fifty feet high. It topped out the trees by a good hundred feet, and yet with the heavy spring foliage, I didn’t even notice it as we had come out to Ted’s place.
“How far away is it?” I asked.
“About a quarter of a mile from the gate over there,” Tom said as he pointed between two buildings. “Me and Ben cleared the path to it and have run the wires needed.”
“What wires?” I asked as I turned back to the old man.
“To hook the radio up to. Once you get it fixed, we will be able to hook it up and let the cell tower broadcast it for us.”
“Wait, I’m not even sure I can fix the radio,” I said. “I just don’t know… I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it, David. Ted just wanted you to see what we got ready for you. Come here.”
Tom led me to a small shed next to what looked like an old fashioned windmill. It turned without creaking, but looked like it should have been in a sepia tinged photo from the dustbowl era. He turned back to where I stood unmoved and motioned to me in a way that made me feel like a skittish dog being called after his new owner.
I went to the small shed and he opened the door for me. Inside was a small, sturdy table with a power cord that looked like it would plug into the radio I was working on. I had noticed there was no power cord in the package Ted had given me, but I thought it was just an oversight on his part. Apparently it was not.
“You have a steady source of power?” I asked.
I pointed to the cord when Tom raised an eyebrow at my question.
“Of course,” he answered. “Hasn’t Ted told you anything about this place?”
“He said him and Kenny and Kenny’s sister lived up here and survived on what they grew and could make.”
“I suppose that’s true. But what we can grow and make is, well, it’s pretty nice. We have wind power to supply us with electricity and pump our water. Our solar panels blew out in the EMP, but we were able to get the generators going again. As long as our propane and gasoline supplies hold out, we should be good.”
“How much do you have?”
Tom tugged at his ear and squinted up into the sun. “Well… we haven’t really told anyone that yet. Ted was pretty particular about that information not being available.”
I understood. It would make them a target if word ever got out. If they had enough supplies to last eighteen months, some would think, then surely they can take me and my family in. But then those supplies drop to twelve months. And then another family, and it’s down to nine months. Pretty soon, they have nothing left and everyone who showed up is mad because they thought they would be okay.
“I assume enough for an extended period of time,” I said.
“That’s a good estimate,” Tom replied. “Come on, I’ll show you the other part of why you are up here today.”
I followed him out of the small shed and we headed down the hill a bit. A small black woman and Anne talked in the doorway of a house. They looked up and smiled as we approached.
“You must be Sophia,” I said as I extended my hand.
She took it in a soft handshake and nodded. “I am. You’re David?”
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Sophia was just about to show me what we will be taking back to the town,” Anne said.
“Really? We are taking something back?” I asked.
“Come back this way,” Sophia said.
She entered the house and led us back to a nice sized kitchen. Six large plastic tubs were stacked up on the counters.
“That is enough herbs for a few months we figure,” Sophia said as she patted one of the big bins.
“Wow,” said Anne. “Those are full of herbs?”
“Yep. Basil, oregano, rosemary, coriander, thyme, dill, and bay leaves. There is some fresh mint and new garlic bulbs in there as well. Should be able to start growing quickly.”
“Why are you giving us all of this?” I asked.
“Being neighborly,” Sophia said. “My kids were curious about what you folks were eating in town. We told them you were eating bland stews and raw vegetables. That made my kids feel bad because they are eating better than the kids in town. So we talked about what we could give that the whole town could use. We usually have more herbs than we can use, so that seemed to be something we could do to make your lives a little better.”
“Thank you, Sophia,” Anne said. “And thank your kids. This is a wonderful gift and I’m sure the whole town will appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, and I hope we will see you again soon.”
Tom helped me take the bins of herbs out to the front road. Anne went to get Bonnie and I was trying to figure out how we would be able to strap the bins to the saddle when Ted appeared. He had his rifle in his hand and Kenny’s backpack slung over his shoulder.
“Hey Ted,” Tom called. “Wasn’t expecting you back this early.”
Ted stopped and looked at Tom and then at me.
“I take it David and Anne had th
e good sense not to say anything,” Ted said as he resumed his walk up the road.
“About what?” Tom asked.
“Kenny. He got himself in trouble.”
Tom muttered a few choice words and then looked up at me. “We thought he might do something stupid,” he said. “What happened? Did he catch the thief?”
I nodded. “Yeah, he caught him. Found a bunch of things that were stolen. So I guess you could say he caught him red-handed.”
“So Deputy Dawg didn’t like someone doing his job, huh? Doesn’t surprise me.”
“It wasn’t so much the catching that got him in trouble,” Ted said as he came closer. “It was the hanging that seems to have ruffled some feathers.”
Tom’s face drained of color until his white hair seemed vibrant in comparison.
“Hanging?”
“Yeah,” Ted said. “Seems Kenny decided that it would be a good thing to hang the thief instead of just catching him. So he did. Then he sat under the body and waited until a mob formed and he almost got himself shot or hanged.”
“Where is he now?” I asked.
“They have him locked in the pharmacy. Hanson has a room where all of the remaining medicines are locked up. They decided that would be the best place to put Kenny until the trial.”
“At least they are going to give him a trial,” Tom said. “I don’t know if I would if I were in their place.”
“He mentioned trying to find a thief?” I asked.
“Last night,” Tom said. “He came in and packed a bag. Said he was going to go back to town and see if he could find who was stealing stuff. Guess he had a few people tell him about some thefts.”
I felt guilty. I didn’t know Kenny would act to stop the thefts in this manner.
“What’s wrong, David,” Ted asked. “You knew about this, or at least some of it. But you look like you were sucker punched.”
“Sucker kicked is more like it,” Tom said. “That little filly kicked him in the head while dismounting. She said it was an accident, but she was smirking as she walked away with him flopping in the dirt.”
Ted laughed. “Are you okay?” he asked me. He looked at my eyes and I could see he was concerned as well as amused.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” I said.
“Good, I need to go let Sophia know what is happening with Kenny. Wait for me and I will head back with you and Anne.”
Ted headed into the compound with Kenny’s bag and a heavy chore of letting Sophia know about her brother.
“It wasn’t the kick to the head that made you look all sick,” Tom said as Ted got far enough away not to hear. “It was something about Kenny. Am I right?”
“It was me and my big mouth,” I said. “Kenny was working in the bean field yesterday. I don’t know why he works in the south fields. It’s so far for him to walk. Anyway, we were talking and I mentioned my folk’s medicine had been stolen and my mom had been scared and shaken by whoever broke in. Kenny started soapboxing like he does. He said thieves were no better than murderers and we needed to punish them for what they did.”
“That sounds like Kenny. You know, I have never smoked a cigarette. Have you?”
“What?”
“I said I’ve never been a smoker. Did you ever smoke?”
“I’m sorry Tom, I don’t understand.”
“The question is pretty straight forward, I thought.”
“No, I’ve never smoked.”
“You ever get onto people for smoking?”
“I don’t think so. I’ve asked a few people not to smoke in my house before.”
“That’s about as far as I’ve gone. But you should hear my wife. She will nag a person to death over their habit.”
“She used to be a smoker?”
“That’s right. See, converts make the best zealots. Former smokers or alcoholics understand what they experienced and they want to help others break free of those addictions. Even when those who are partaking in the activities don’t see it as a problem. Kenny is the same way about his former life.”
“You mean he was a criminal?”
Tom nodded. “He would have denied it even until a few years ago, but he has come to realize that even though he was never caught or punished, he was still a liar and a thief.”
“And so he thought Brent Talley couldn’t be reformed?”
“I guess. I’m not sure. Maybe he saw something more dangerous in him than simple theft.”
“Taking my parents medicine was more than simple theft,” I said. “It was a sure way to make certain they would die.”
Tom scratched at his beard. “Yeah, this has changed a lot of things. When you need something to survive, the rules of morality and ethics tend to bend and break.”
“Some superficial things change, but basic principles still hold. Kenny didn’t have the right to hang Talley.”
‘Who did? We accepted the death penalty as part of our justice system, even if you disagreed with it. If we had to put someone to death, who has the right to make that decision and then carry it out?”
“What are you two talking about?” Anne said as she led Bonnie out onto the road.
“Kenny,” I said.
Anne bit her lower lip and readjusted a strap on the saddle that looked perfectly snug to me.
“Yeah, Ted came in and asked for a minute with Sophia. I took that as my signal to get Bonnie and get back to town.”
“Ted is going back with us, he asked us to wait for him.”
Anne smiled. “I’m sure you appreciate the extra company. We wouldn’t want you to feel unsafe.”
Tom cleared his throat and edged his way over to the entrance of their compound.
“I’ll take that as my signal to, uhm, be somewhere else. You have a safe trip back to town. It was nice to meet you David, look forward to you bringing us a working radio.”
I waved goodbye to the old man and sat down on one of the plastic bins.
“I am sorry about kicking you, David. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Better get used to that question. I bruised up your face pretty bad. It’s swollen and you might have a black eye tomorrow morning.”
“Well you rang my bell pretty good,” I said. My face did feel a little puffy and numb.
Anne handed me a canteen. “I didn’t see you bring any water with you. That’s a bad habit, you know. You need to find some canteens if you expect to make it to Chicago in one piece.”
“How did you know I was thinking about Chicago?”
“You need Lexi and Emma back. You need to take care of them. Your parents shouldn’t be who you need to care for, they have each other.”
She was right. Sometimes I felt like I was speaking out loud when I had private thoughts. What if other people can read my mind? Is that how she knows what I am thinking.
“I do need to get to them. It’s been almost three months, though. Did I miss the chance to help them? That question haunts me every day.”
“You couldn’t have reached them without waiting, David. If you had gone haring off after them, you wouldn’t have made it far. Now you are stronger, more resilient. Now you would have a chance of making it to Chicago.”
“Maybe you’re right. I don’t know,” I said. I looked up at the sky, more to avoid looking at Anne and digging deeper into this conversation than anything else. It wasn’t anyone’s business when I was going back to find my family. And yet, it stabbed at me every day I stayed in Kenton.
“What’s up there?” Ted asked as he joined us by Bonnie. “Vultures back?”
“Vultures?” I asked. “We have vultures around here?”
“On occasion.”
“Let’s get this gift back to town. We will probably be able to get them to the cooks in time to season tonight’s food,” Anne said. “That will give the town something better to think about than Kenny.”
“Why did you leave?” I asked Ted as we lashed the bins to Bonnie’s saddle.
“I a
m too good a friend of Kenny. Not enough objectivity. The council wants to pick a group of men to act as a jury and they didn’t want me there to influence them.”
“Did you get a read of what they were thinking?” asked Anne.
Ted shook his head. “No. One of the reasons I picked the men I did was they were calm and collected in the face of panic. They also had wide social circles and were connected to many different aspects of the town. The one thing none of them had, however, was any personal relationship with either Talley or Kenny.”
“They were right to ask you to leave,” I said.
“I agree,” Ted responded. “I don’t like leaving him there like that, but I need to stay out of it. Otherwise it will break down the trust the town has for the council.”
We started back to town, a small caravan of three bringing gifts from a not so distant land. Trade goods packed in plastic. A gift from children who wanted to bring some happiness in a land of long sorrow.
Those same children were probably being told by their mother that one of the men who protected and took care of them was in some trouble and wouldn’t be home for a while. I hoped it would just be for a while. I hoped Kenny hadn’t left his home for the last time.
We walked along in silence, each of us mulling over the issues of the day.
“Ted, when do you think David should go to Chicago?” Anne asked.
“I’m not sure, I would expect he is ready to go now.”
“I’m not planning anything like that,” I said. I could hear the defensiveness in my own voice. “This is something Anne brought up. I haven’t been thinking about it.”
Ted’s eyes narrowed as he looked at me. “For someone who doesn’t say much and observes others, you are a bad liar.”
“I’m not lying,” I protested.
“Maybe not to me, but then to yourself for sure. You need to go, and soon, David. It’s gnawing away at you.”
“I’ve got to get the radio fixed first.”
“Every time someone brings up the radio, David, you insist you don’t know if you can fix it,” Anne said. Her voice was like a blade on fire, it cut and burned all at once. “So now you can’t go find your family until after you finish a job you didn’t want and don’t know if you can accomplish? It’s an excuse, David, and you know it.”
