A houseboat. Finegan Fine

they are safely away from shore, Finegan goes to the back of the

houseboat, tucking his pistol in his pant waist at the back, all the

while keeping an eye on the men on shore. He back pedals to move the

houseboat further out beyond any waves. The guard is in the middle of

the group of men, who are pushing him around and occasionally giving

him a punch. Finegan looks up at Joey, who is standing at his post on

the rooftop. Finegan says,

There was a shark in the water all right, but

not the one we ate. . .

63

The Orphanage

The houseboat is being pedaled up along a broad flooded ravine, in the

midst of farming country, fields cleared of woods but not all fields

planted so they have become overgrown in weeds. Trees can be seen

lining the fields in places, or in ravines not yet flooded. One large

field that has been planted is in Amaranth, a tall, leafy grain plant

with plumes containing small seeds. Amaranth is known to be entirely

edible, and is one of the rare plants that can equate to meat as it has

lysine, a protein that meat contains. Another field nearby is planted

in Corn, which when combined with Amaranth equal meat in protein

nutrition.

The houseboat stops, Finegan taking a break to view these planted

fields, a rarity during his travels. While he watches, some small

children emerge from among the tall Amaranth plants. They range in age

from 2-3 years, toddlers, to pre-adolescents. Most are not dressed in

clothing appropriate for their age. Most of the older children have

adult shirts or t-shirt, which fall almost to their knees and are tied

around the waist. All are barefoot. Only the younger children have

clothing that fits, and this so well worn it is clear they are hand-me-

downs. The children are solemn, staring at the houseboat, and not

leaving the safety of their Amaranth forest.

Finegan leaves his bike seat and comes to the front, standing side-by-

side with Joey as they too solemnly view the scene before them. The

houseboat is close to shore, next to where an idle field slopes down

into the water. Finegan says,

I’m not sure they’re used to company.

Finegan decides to moor the boat and check out the situation, as there

does not appear to be an adult in charge. As he slings the grappling

hooks into the ground and slides his gangplank forward, the children

slip back into their Amaranth forest silently, disappearing.

______________________________

Finegan and Joey are walking along the edge of the Amaranth field where

it abuts an old farmstead. The house has collapsed, and weeds and brush

have grown up along its sides. The barn was knocked sideways by

earthquakes but the roof is intact and has been propped up by lumber so

it is, in essence, a lean-to. The hay in what was formerly the upper

floor of the barn, the hayloft, is now the floor of the collapsed

structure, and is covered in various blankets. This is where the

children have been sleeping – out of the rain, but not out of the

64

chill. As Finegan and Joey approach, some small children are seen

dashing into the collapsed barn and crawling under their blankets, or

dashing into the woods. They are indeed shy, and not used to visitors.

Joey glances at Finegan and says,

I’m not the only one . . missing parents.

A wood burning stove is in the yard, under a tree where a tarp has been

tied to the lower branches to act as a roof. A broken picnic table is

nearby, supported by pieces of firewood where a leg is broken. Some

dishes are piled on the table, washed from the last meal. The sound of

young children’s voices can be heard in the distance, unintelligible.

An older woman with a limp appears, surrounded by a dozen children of

various ages. They cluster around her, all talking at once, and

gesturing toward Finegan and Joey.

The orphan mistress has graying hair, barely pinned on top of her head

in a bun. Her dress is tattered and hanging on her body as though at

one time she were somewhat overweight. She looks immensely weary, and

walks as though she might not make the next step. She stops to take her

breath and looks up at the visitors. Seeing them non-threatening, she

raises a hand weakly, as though saying a “hello”, and then walks

forward toward the dining area. She takes a seat on the picnic table,

sighing as though relieved to be off her feet. Taking a deep breath to

gain her strength, she lifts her face to smile at the visitors and

waves them forward to join her. She directs her charges.

Stir that fire and put on a pot. We’ll serve

some tea.

Finegan introduces himself.

Morning mam. Finegan Fine here and my partner

Joey. I’m a trader, moving up and down these

parts. Got my houseboat out there at the end of

your field. Pretty impressive plots you have

there. You plant and harvest that all by

yourself?

The orphan mistress smiles and winks at the absurdity of this idea.

Fortunately, I’ve got plenty of help.

She leans back, having caught her breath, and continues to direct her

young charges.

Honey, use that other pot. It has a spout.