CHAPTER 26
While the little girl named Nikki Oliveri introduced herself to the group, Buckley drank from a gallon jug of salt water. Although his gut was filled to bursting, he had to raise the sodium level of his blood. The maggies were coming fast and furious now. The last thing he needed was to end up like Sally Struthers, his recent memory of her death reminding him of how bad it could get. And thankfully, no one paid attention to him. Instead, all eyes were on the new addition to the group who sat on the curb with Little Rashad beside her, pleased to pass her Twinkies and a warm can of soda. The boy couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.
Finally the girl came up for air. 'I didn’t think I’d be able to eat again. Everything was rotting and…'
Sissy knelt behind the girl and laid her weapon on the ground. 'There, there. It’s all going to be good now. I won’t let you die, honey.'
Buckley stared at Sissy in wonderment.
Gert and MacHenry exchanged a private look.
Grandma Riggs hummed an aimless tune to herself.
They all heard the sound of a caddie feeding on a building several blocks away, but couldn't take their eyes of Sissy.
'That’s what my Mommy always said,' Nikki whispered.
'She kept her promise, didn’t she?'
'I guess so. I just…I just…'
'Miss them. I know,' Little Rashad said. 'Me too.'
Nikki stared at the boy.
'My Dad died when I was five. A car accident. My Mom died couple of days ago. No big deal.'
A building collapsed somewhere on the next block. Buckley took one more swig of water, then put it away. It would have to do.
MacHenry spoke first. 'Thing’s getting closer. We should get a move on.'
'Give me a hand with Grandma,' Buckley said to MacHenry.
'And then there was Sally,' Little Rashad continued. 'I need to tell you about Sally sometime.'
'Was she someone special?' Nikki asked.
'Oh yeah.'
'We need to get going,' Gert said nervously.
Sissy patted Nikki and Little Rashad on their backs. 'Come on kids. Get your stuff together.'
MacHenry and Sissy finished laying the duct tape and tying the ropes that affixed Grandma Riggs to her chair.
When Buckley tried to stand, he groaned.
'You know? Either she’s heavier or I’m weaker.'
'Stop talking like I’m not here,' Grandma Riggs said.
They got into formation. MacHenry and Gert took point. Little Rashad held Nikki’s hand, and the pair walked in front of Buckley, still struggling with Grandma Riggs on his back. Sissy brought up the rear, occasionally turning and scanning the street along the length of her rifle. After fifteen feet or so Grandma Riggs kicked Buckley in the back with a heel. 'And I ain’t heavier.'
Buckley chuckled. 'I know Grandma. I know.'
CHAPTER 27
Night fell hard on the heels of a caddie going up in flame. Since then, they'd been alternately running and walking, the ocean seeming never to get closer. In the distance, under a cloudless Milky Way sky, they could see several immense caddies grazing on a row of condos.
Other than panting and the occasional curse, Grandma Riggs voice was the only thing they heard.
The old gander's weeping,
the old gander's weeping.
The old gander's weeping,
because his wife is dead.
She died in the mill pond,
she died in the mill pond.
She died in the mill pond,
from standing on her head.
Gert was limping badly. Every time MacHenry tried to help her, she shrugged him off. They fell back to the rear as they argued, trading places with Sissy who took up position in front of the group.
After a few minutes, MacHenry jogged up to Buckley. He grabbed one of Grandma Riggs’ chair legs and lifted it to help Buckley with the load.
'How long do you think?'
'Dunno,' Buckley said.
'Mind if we stop for a bit?'
'Don't think so. We need to keep going.'
Go tell Aunt Rhody,
go tell Aunt Rhody.
Go tell Aunt Rhody,
the old gray goose is dead.
MacHenry glanced up at Grandma Riggs in irritation, and was confronted by her blind stare. He stopped and let Buckley continue on, the old woman staring and singing. MacHenry couldn't help but believe the song was about him.
Nikki and Little Rashad trudged past him.
'We’re not going to make it,' Nikki said.
'Yes we are. Sally told me that even when it seems as if there’s no hope, it’s really there, only invisible.'
Nikki shook her head. 'There ain’t no such thing as invisible.'
'That’s what I told her. And do you know what she said?'
'No. What?'
'She said that a month ago there was no such thing as Maggies.' Little Rashad nodded wisely. He adjusted his grip on his trumpet.
Nikki wrinkled her forehead. 'What does that prove?'
'Proves things can be invisible.'
Half a mile later, they turned onto Highway 74 to Wrightsville Beach. This was the main drag and would take them past Lees Cut to Harbor Island and then to Wrightsville Beach where their optimism rested in the exquisite form of the Atlantic Ocean. But where their trek had been fairly easy going in the city, 74 was packed with wrecked and abandoned cars.
They finally halted near a billboard where a pickup truck had crashed through a smiling skull holding out a cigarette on skeletal arms. The billboard read- CIGARETTES: THE NUMBER ONE KILLER IN AMERICA.
Just as Buckley laughed, Gert stumbled and fell. She grimaced as she tried to stand. MacHenry moved to help her. She grinned miserably as she labored to her feet, then fell again.
'I can’t go any farther,' she sobbed. 'Something’s wrong. My feet feel funny.'
'Oh, Babe,' MacHenry said. 'You’ve gotta get up. We’re almost there. Hell, you can smell the ocean.'
Gert closed her eyes. 'I just want to sleep. I want to rest.'
'It's almost over, baby.' MacHenry whispered, smoothing her hair. 'It's almost over.
Little Rashad and Nikki stood closest to the pair.
'He's right,' Little Rashad said. 'I can smell it, too.'
