I turned around and told her it wasn't necessary. 'I'm so hungry I could eat dog food right about now.'
'I've had that,' Sela commented.
'Well, so have I. In a pinch, it's not bad, especially if it's warmed up. Tastes like stew. Is this dog food?'
Laughing, Sela said, 'No, it's Dinty Moore stew. I was lucky about four months ago and found several cases of it at an old warehouse up in Des Moines. I bring it out on special occasions.'
As I sat down on the couch, I picked up a whiff of Sela's perfume or body wash or whatever. Actually, maybe it was just her natural fragrance. At any rate, it smelled wonderful to the point I almost forgot the plate of food. My pulse quickened slightly.
As I shoved a large chunk of stew meat into my mouth and savored the taste, Sela asked me how long I'd been on the road. With a mouthful, I mumbled out that I had been walking for over a year.
'How about you? How long have you been holed up in this farmhouse?'
Sela explained that she had been a lawyer back east and after the summer of insanity, she started her trek out to the family homestead. 'The car gave out somewhere I think in Ohio. I tried to find fuel, but a lot of the gas stations had been blown up or depleted of any fuel, not to mention that with no electricity one couldn't get the fuel pumped. So, I abandoned the car and started walking. It took me several months to get out here. My Dad was alive then.'
'What happen to your Dad?' I asked tentatively as I scooped up another spoonful of stew.
Sela paused with her spoon in midair and got choked up. She pursed her lips, fighting back her emotions. Jerky jumped up next to her and slipped onto her lap.
'Jerky, get down,' I ordered, knowing full well that the cat would ignore me.
'She's fine,' Sela said stroking her back as Jerky curled up into a ball. 'She's very comforting.'
'Yeah, she has that effect on people.'
'To answer your question…um…my Dad happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.'
'How so?'
'He made the mistake of going into our little town a few miles down the road without any protection. He forgot his rifle that day. He also didn't tell me he was going. By the time I figured he had left, things had already gone very bad.'
'I'm sorry,' I said, getting up to put a few more logs on the fire.
Sela went on to explain that she pedaled her old bicycle as fast as she could to go find him. As soon as she got into town, it didn't take long for her to find him.
'A group of men, I guess about four or five, had my Dad tied to a telephone post. They were taking turns throwing a knife at him. He was covered in blood. I screamed at the men to stop. One of them started to run toward me. Instantly, I shot him as well as the other three. I ran to my Dad. He was already dead. I untied him and set him down. His hand was balled up into a fist. I spotted a chain dangling from one end. I opened his hand. A small gold cross on a chain was pressed into his palm,' Sela said touching the pendant on her neck. 'He must have been getting it for my birthday or something. I sat there and cried for hours before dragging his body to a field. It took me the rest of the afternoon to bury him.'
Jerky got up, crawled up her chest, and licked the tears streaming down. It made her laugh.
'I'm so sorry. That must have been…very…traumatic,' I said putting my hand on her shoulder.
'I remember being so angry and out for revenge, but also very afraid. I was ready to kill anyone who crossed my path or simply walked into my front yard. That's when I became obsessed about my defensive perimeter. I put up the crosses and spears then. I just didn't know what to do.'
Jerky continued to nuzzle up into the crook of her neck.
'If she's bugging you, just push her off,' I said.
'No, she's fine. I love having a cat around. We used to have a bunch of them on the farm here.'
'How long ago did your Dad…um?' I stammered awkwardly.
'Oh, I guess close to a year now.'
Sela wiped her face and took my bowl. 'Would you care for any more?'
'No, that's fine. It's best to ration good food like that,' I said.
She left the room and a few minutes later came back with a box of Fig Newton cookies. My eyes got huge. She laughed at my response.
'Cookie?' she asked, sitting back down on the couch.
'Oh, my. Manna from heaven? Where in the world did you find these?' I asked, reaching into the box. I inhaled the cookie's aroma as though I were a wine taster sampling a fine Cabernet.
Sela explained that she found a case of them at that same warehouse.
After an hour or so chatting about each other's past, a large stretch of silence occurred and we both just stared into the dying embers.
Sela broke the moment. 'Heckel is a very unusual name. Is that a nickname or what?'
Clearing my throat and stifling a yawn, I answered, 'Nope, that's my real legal name and yes, it is very unusual. I can thank my mother for it. Heckel is the name of a really expensive and top-of-the-line professional bassoon.'
She looked over at me with a smirk and one eyebrow raised as if to beg for more.
'My mother was finishing up college. She was a music major and a damn fine bassoonist. She was hoping to land a gig in a good orchestra. After she graduated, she did the auditioning circuit, met my dad and had me. She had been saving money to buy that expensive instrument that cost more than a car, but when I came along, they needed the money and her dreams of owning that fine bassoon ended. I think it was my dad's idea to name me Heckel. My mom thought it was poetic justice or something, I guess. Later on, I asked her about why my name was so weird. She would just smile and say, 'you are the song of my life.' As a young snot-nosed kid, I'd crinkle up my nose, shake my head and run off. My dad explained the whole thing to me when my mom was dying of cancer. After that, I really loved my name. It is indeed unusual, but also very special.'
Sela smiled warmly and patted my shoulder. 'What a great story and you are right. Heckel is a very special name. What a wonderful way to remember your mom as well.'
Her smile and pat on my shoulder made my insides warm. 'Most people call me Heck. You know like…what the heck are you doing? Where in the heck have you been? I get that a lot.'
She laughed. We continued talking until well after midnight. I could see at one point that Sela's eyes where getting heavy.
'Hmm,' I said, trying to stifle a yawn. 'It's late.'
'Let me get you a few blankets and a pillow. Is the couch here all right?'
'It definitely beats the ground. My back will think it has died and gone to heaven.'
Sela put her hands on her hips, frowned and chastised me. 'There will be no dying on my watch.'
I put up both my hands in capitulation and told her that she was absolutely right. There would be no dying in Iowa. She shook her head defiantly and walked into her bedroom. A few minutes later she came back with a sheet, two blankets and a large fluffy pillow.
'I really appreciate this,' I said, taking the bundle from her. She leaned over and kissed me lightly on the cheek.
'Sleep well. I really enjoyed talking with you this evening,' she said blushing. It's been a very long time since I could trust someone and…um…let them into my life. Oh, and I couldn't forget Jerky.' The cat had positioned herself on top of the couch so that Sela could pet her.
I looked at the both of them and felt a warm sensation spread over me. 'Looks as though I have two protectors now.'
Sela said good night again and started walking to her bedroom. Jerky jumped off the couch and followed her. I started to protest and Sela said that it was fine. Jerky turned, bushed out her tail and I swear it looked as if she had a grin on her face.
