by Brad Manuel
Matt and Avery used a snow blower to clear a set of tennis courts the day before. They left to play on the newly cleared and dry surface. Meredith was never far from Avery, and asked to tag along. A dozen people quickly planned to use the tennis courts or watch their friends play.
It was not the “date” Matt hoped it would be.
Lunch sizzled on the grill, thinly sliced moose steaks pounded tender and served in baguettes. Todd put out jars of roasted red peppers, homemade mayonnaise, and scavenged steak sauce.
Greg and Rebecca were early to lunch. They made a large sandwich, and snuck away before the crowd came from school and the cottage. They went to a one room coach house they kept secret from the rest of the survivors. Not even Paul or Hank knew about the private spot. It was a charming little place about a half of a mile away from Choate Road. It had a half bath, day bed, couch, desk, and fireplace that warmed the room. There was firewood neatly stacked against the side of the cottage next to the sliding glass door. Upon arrival, Greg lit the starter log he brought under his arm, and loaded the wood box next to the fireplace with the wood from outside.
“It’s not too bad in here.” Rebecca said to Greg as he made his second trip in from the wood pile. “I think the skylight let’s enough sun in to warm it up a bit.” She looked at him. “I still want the fire.”
“No kidding.” He replied.
She took off her backpack and emptied the contents of their picnic on the coffee table in front of the couch. They had the steak sandwich and two bottles of water. Not a huge offering, but certainly enough for the two of them. Instead of sitting down, she pulled a few logs from the wood bin and placed them on the now burning starter log. The dry wood caught immediately, popping as it burned.
Greg dropped a third armload of wood into the bin, an adequate supply for their picnic lunch and an afternoon of relaxation. He pulled off his work gloves and set them down next to the bin. He walked over to the sliding door and shut it. He untied his boots, set them by the door, and finally sat down next to Rebecca on the couch.
He leaned over and kissed her. They embraced for a few moments. Their lips unlocked and she buried her face into his shoulder. “I miss you.” She said into his sweater, a blue cashmere she picked out for him at one of the stores in town.
“I know. I miss you too. I miss us.” They leaned back in the couch, holding hands. They enjoyed being together, alone together. It had been a week since they were alone.
“I love your family.” She sat up after a few minutes. “They are great. Your uncles are cool. Your dad is nice. Your brothers and cousins are awesome. I like everyone. I love everyone.” She bit into her sandwich. “I especially love Todd’s cooking.” She said.
“But you don’t love them all the time.” He added.
“It’s not even that, it’s like we’re all together all the time. We sleep in a house with 10 people.” She ate more sandwich. “I’m a kid, I get it, they look at me like I’m 13, which I am, but you and I were alone for a long time. We were on our own for months before we found each other, and months before anyone else came.”
“I know.”
“And, well, I was alone a lot before the death. My parents both worked at the store, and some days I would be by myself, and I got used to that lifestyle.”
“Yep.” He ate his sandwich as she spoke.
“So I don’t know how you feel, I usually do, but I don’t right now.” She paused as she chewed. “I’m usually much more in control of a situation.” She put down her sandwich and looked at him. “I, I’m hoping we, but I’ll start with I, need to figure out a long term solution to our living situation.”
“I agree.” He said through a mouth full of moose.
Greg put his sandwich on the paper plate she had brought for him, and finished the bite in his mouth. He touched her hand, sliding his fingers into hers so their hands became one. “It’s we. Don’t think it’s ever not we. I love you. Yes, I’m a 15 year old kid. Yes, to all the things you just mentioned, and yes, we have to figure out how the “we” fits into the “tribe” my aunt Emily keeps talking about.” He looked at her. She was a confident woman, not so much the young girl he met skipping out to her trashcan six months ago. Her hair was long, and hung down her shoulders and back. Greg used his free hand to touch the back of her head and run his fingers through the auburn locks. She closed her eyes, and leaned forward so her head was resting on his shoulder again.
She kept her eyes closed. “I know everything I want to do. I can see how we are going to get the tribe to Hawaii, how we are going to make a life there, but it has to be on our terms when we get to Hawaii. We have to be able to live our own life, two of us, not eight of us sleeping in a room together.”
“It will be.” He stroked her hair. “We won’t let them control us.” He leaned back on the couch, putting his legs up. She snuggled on top of him, her eyes still closed, his arm around her. They enjoyed the moment, lying together, breathing together.
“So you seem to be hitting it off with Avery.” Greg said, breaking the silence.
“I know, isn’t that funny? She is not my type, but maybe I don’t have a type anymore. I mean, you’re not my type.”
“I am so your type.” He said, lifting his head off the pillow to look at her.
“No, you’re not. You’re a jock, a popular kid. Sure, you’re smart, but you’re not the level of smart that I hung out with.”
“First of all, let’s be honest, your level of smart is kind of its own level.” He chuckled at her false modesty. “How many boyfriends did you have before me?”
“None.” She sat up with her elbows on his chest, her chin in her hands.
“And I didn’t have a girlfriend, at least a serious one before you, so that means we’re perfect for each other, and therefore, as you smart kids would say, each other’s type.”
“Really? Okay.” She kissed him on the nose before sitting up. ”I’m finishing this sandwich.”
Greg sat up too. He picked up his lunch. “You think we can get to Hawaii?”
“Yes. No question.” She chewed and looked at the fire.
“Really? That simple?”
“I pulled the specs on the Boeing 777. Peter is right, it has the capacity and the range. Your father found fuel. Peter is licensed to fly that jet. We are good.”
“How do you know he’s licensed?”
“I asked him. He has his license for both a 747 and a 777. Either plane will work. I think he’d rather find a 747, it’s smaller and probably easier for one man to handle, but again, either will work. The fuel should be fine. We are going to Hawaii.”
“See, one hour with me, alone, and you’re back to the old, confident Rebecca.” Greg smiled at her, putting the last bite in his mouth. “That steak tasted so good. I had no idea how much I missed red meat. Squirrel and rabbits aren’t the same thing. And Uncle Todd knows how to make bread.” He sat back and rubbed his belly.
“You’re not my type, because I didn’t have a type.” She said to him, still looking at the fire.
“I didn’t have a lot of friends, Greg. You know that. I was too different, and that horrible disease took everything away. I gave up my childhood to be smart, to do well, to move on to medical school or get an engineering degree. Probably both, actually, I could handle the load.” She turned to look at him. “I sacrificed more than any 7 year old should be asked to, but I did it, and I didn’t mind, because I knew what was at the end, but look what happened. I don’t have an ending, do I? I threw away being a third grader, skipping rope and playing with dolls. I lost all of that for nothing.”
“Come on.” He rubbed her back.
“No, it’s fine, it’s upsetting, but I get it. Life is like that.” She put her hand on his leg. “I got you. Whatever took everything away from me gave me you to make up for it. That sounds insane for a rational fact based person like me to say, but I think I believe that through all this death and destruction and pain, we got each other.” She fell into hi
s arms. “I love you, Greg. I didn’t have a type, and if I did, it wasn’t a handsome, baseball playing, good grade getting, hardworking boy like you, but you’re my type now, and I’m getting tired of sharing our time with everyone else.”
He held her, and they watched the fire getting low. Greg stood to put a log on.
“What if we promise each other this.” He asked. “When we get to Hawaii, we find a place, a little house, maybe close enough to everyone else, but still just ours, and we live like we’re supposed to live, together, the two of us. We are part of the tribe, but we get to be alone when we want to be.”
“I love your family, but I can’t live with them in the same house. I accept your offer.” She was exhausted, her words were coming slowly, her eyelids fluttered, and there was a yawn at the end of her sentence. Rebecca let herself fall sideways onto the couch. Greg placed a soft blanket from a nearby chair over her.
“Sleep tight.” He kissed her cheek.
Rebecca awoke to the sound of Greg placing another log on the fire. “What time is it?” She asked him, stretching her arms and watching him head back to a big leather reclining chair. “That was the best sleep I’ve had in a week.”
“It’s 4:30 sleepy head.” He sat in the chair reading old magazines. “I mean, fun afternoon away you planned for me. ‘Why don’t we sneak off so I can take a four hour nap.’”
“I can’t help it if you don’t take naps. Mine was great. It was just what I needed.” She sat up. “You promised me a bungalow in Hawaii, and you guarded me for a nap. Rebecca wins.”
He gave her a look from his chair. “Are you ready to go? We should get back.”
“You know what I’d like to do? I’d like to spend the days working with the group, doing our tasks, helping out, then come back here and be alone for the night.”
“I don’t know.” Greg replied. “The Boston people just got here. That’s a bold move.”
“I know it’s not going to happen, but it’s what I would like. I’m just saying it to you. I’m not asking you to do it.”
“It has been nice to sit down and read a magazine again.” He held up a tabloid. “Do you remember when we cared about all of this stuff?” A celebrity couple smiled on the cover. The woman was pregnant, and there was a fake tear between the two people signaling a break-up. “It’s weird to think all of these people are dead.”
“Maybe they aren’t dead.” Rebecca told him. “If Dan Couples is alive, maybe one of them made it.”
Greg nodded. “You know, if we do stay here for a while, more than two weeks. I will move over here with you. I can’t take the summer camp lodging we have. Yes, I’m 15, but does that mean I get put in the kids’ house with everyone else? Matt must feel the same way. Sure, fun to see him, love him and Craig, but we didn’t share a room in Charleston. Why am I sharing a room now?”
She stood and walked over to his chair, sitting on his lap and cuddling. “It’s just the way it is right now. This is all temporary.”
“I know.” He put his arms around her. “You understand, I love a lot of the things we have with the new people, but I miss some of the things you and I enjoyed when it was just us.”
“Now you sound like me. This is your family. Snap out of it Dixon.” She enjoyed his embrace for a few minutes.
“Okay, time to get back.” She got up from his lap. “We probably need to help distribute firewood or make dinner or something. Let’s not become freeloaders.”
“Alright, just let me run through this one more time. I’ve had a few hours to stare at this half bath. The sewer system is still there, right? If we can figure out a way to have water in the toilets, if the pipes running to the sewers aren’t frozen or did not burst this winter, we should be able to use the toilets, right?” Greg was determined to restore modern conveniences.
“Yes.” She told him, pulling on her shoes.
“What if I redirect the gutters on the houses into rain barrels, and we have the rain barrels fill the backs of the toilets after flushing. Sure, we’ll have to fill the toilets manually with a spigot, but it’s still better than going outside.”
“See, I knew I liked you for your brains.”
He looked through the door of the half bath. “I could run a hose or gutter through the window and use the sink for a stand.” He thought out loud. “I’m going to try it here first, maybe tomorrow. There are some rain barrels along the big house.”
“You are overlooking a bigger issue on the horizon.” Rebecca grinned wryly.
“What?” Greg replied, true concern in his voice. “Are you afraid the sewage is emptying into the river or pond?”
“At some point we are going to run out of toilet paper. You should focus your attention on learning how to make soft, pliable tissue rather than worrying about a toilet.”
“Oh my god, you’re right.” Greg had not considered toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, or even diapers as a fleeting resource.
“Okay, Greg, let’s get our shoes on and go.” She waited for him by the door.
He walked over to his boots. “When did you plan on moving over here? Was it when my Uncles arrived? I bet you’ve been thinking about coming over her for months.”
“You know I’m a girl with a plan.” She flashed her confident smile.
“It would be a hard winter here, but not too bad a spring, summer, or fall.” He laced his second boot. “I know how you work. You can’t fool me.” He grabbed his coat and gave her one more hug and kiss before opening the door.
“I’ll never lie to you, but that doesn’t mean I’m looping you in on all of my decisions.” She gripped his hand as they walked outside. It was cold. The wind shifted from a southern breeze to a northern gale. “Brrr.” She said. “I told everyone it was going to get cold again.”
Patchy black clouds blew across the sky at a rapid pace. The sun was shining, but the temperature was dropping despite the sunshine. Greg and Rebecca planned a leisurely walk back to the house. Their plan changed to a quick trot.
There was no one at the Choate Road house. Greg and Rebecca went to the Cottage. Everyone was inside, crammed into the small building. Screams came from kids upstairs. Bernie was talking to Karen in the living room while Jamie and Peter sat next to each other on a couch. The older kids were playing cards in the dining room. The kitchen was full of adults.
“Welcome back.” Matt said to both of them. He sat at the table, a smartass grin on his face. “I hope you two had a nice afternoon.”
“I appreciate that, Matt.” Rebecca said to him. She was not embarrassed or ashamed of her alone time. “What are you up to?”
“We’re playing spades, trying to pass the time. It’s freezing outside. It cut our tennis game short, but not short enough that Avery didn’t crush me in humiliating fashion.”
Now it was Rebecca’s turn to smile. “She didn’t tell you she played?”
“Must have slipped my mind.” Avery winked at her friend.
“The jokes on the two of you.” Matt told them. “I had fun anyway.” He stuck his tongue out at Avery.
“Why are we all inside?” Greg asked.
Tony put his cards on the table, making sure no one could see them. “It got cold and everyone freaked. We ended up in here. Hank had plans for some big pan on the grill, but now he’s in there making dinner on the woodstove. I think everyone wants to eat so they can get out of here and go back to their own places.” He picked up his cards. “Now can we get back to me winning at cards?” He looked around the table.
“Thanks for the update.” Greg gave Antonio a pat on the shoulder.
“Dad was looking for you.” Matt told him, still grinning.
Rebecca noticed Avery was not playing. She was just watching the card game. “How was tennis, really?” She asked her. Avery got up and walked over to Rebecca.
“Forget tennis, where were you two? It was the talk of the house for a little while, you two sneaking off for the afternoon and not telling anyone.”
“Rea
lly?” Rebecca feigned surprised. “I guess. You know how it is. We lived alone for months, then we only had Paul and Hank, who gave us space for the next two months. I’m not used to sharing a house with twelve people. I needed a break. It’s my fault, I asked Greg to sneak off with me.”
“Hey, don’t apologize to me. You’re right. I’m not in your boat, they gave me my own room, well, sort of, I do share it with Meredith, but she’s cool. We have a house we can go to.” Avery gave her a small punch in the shoulder. “Nice work, girlfriend, raising some heck in the house.”
Rebecca blushed, “whatever.” She replied. “Can you keep a secret?”
“You know I can.”
“I fell asleep and napped the entire time.”
“What?” Avery said loudly, getting looks from the spades game table. She said it softly. “What? You sneak away, and all you did was fall asleep?”
“Yes, honestly, it was the best nap I’ve had in a week, but that was it. We went to this little coach house we know about, lit a fire, ate the steak sandwich, and I passed out. How sad is that? I needed some space, some alone time, and I blew it on a nap.”
Avery laughed. “Tennis was fun. I like Matt. He’s funny, and pretty easy on the eyes.” She looked over at him. “I’m going to see where it goes. I met him like a week ago. I don’t have many options, but still, I don’t want to start seeing a guy on the first day at a new school, right?”
“I think you have some time. You know his Dad is seeing Solange now?”
“Get out!” Avery said loudly again. This time the conversation in the living room stopped and people turned.
“Subtle.” Rebecca told her. “Anyway, yeah, they are staying in the same house. I saw him go into her place last night, and he told Matt about it after dinner. Wild, huh?”
The girls gossiped while the other teens played cards.
Greg’s conversation with his father did not go as Greg expected.
“Look,” John said. “You are your own man now. I stopped being your boss when I hung up the phone last August. All I want you to do, and this is a request rather than an order, is to tell someone, anyone, Cameron if you want, where you are going and how long you’ll be gone. You can even grab a radio, just give us a way to connect with you if there is an emergency.” John sat at the kitchen table with Paul and Ahmed. They each had a glass of wine.
