The two big trucks swung around into the parking lot. Ted lined the trailer up on the ramp and Mike parked the other one and got out. Then the passenger door opened and a young lady stepped out. Sarge gave him the stink eye and walked quickly over to him. He looked at Crystal and asked, “What the hell is she doing here?”
Mike shrugged, “She wanted to go for a ride.”
“This ain’t your daddy’s car to take out to try and get a little stink finger in.”
Mike patted him on the shoulder. “Relax. We’re just here to pick you guys up. Nothing’s going on. They’re going to come over and hang out with us today and maybe stay the night.”
“They?”
Mike pointed at Janet. “She came too.”
Sarge shook his head and leaned in close to Mike. “You two fuckers better not do anything to stir up shit between us and Dave. I’ll be the first to lead you at the end of a shotgun to your wedding.”
“Look, Top, I promise you. We’re not up to anything like that. I like her, and I think Ted and Janet are getting on really well too. You have Miss Kay—” Sarge cut him off.
“Watch what you’re about to say.”
“Calm down, would ya? Listen for a minute. I know you think I’m just a wild ass, but I want what you, Thad, Morgan and Aric have. I want someone around, to be with someone. And, so does Ted. This is for real.”
Sarge looked at Crystal. She was standing with Ted. “I’m calling bullshit.” He looked at Mike. “But I couldn’t think of anything better than you two boys settling down.” He looked at Ted again, “But until I see it,” he looked back at Mike, “I’m calling bullshit.”
Mike smiled and quickly wrapped the old man up in a hug. “Thanks, Dad!”
Sarge slapped him in the side of the head, “Get off me, you damn idjit!”
Mike laughed and ran off towards Ted. I introduced him to Mom and Dad and he in turn introduced Crystal. We were chatting for a moment when Sarge shouted, “Let’s get this scow loaded and get the hell out of here!”
We quickly loaded the boat and I was strapping it down when Dad walked up. “What kind of situation have you gotten into?”
Removing the plug from the boat, I replied, “What do you mean?”
“All this,” he replied, indicating the trucks. “Where the hell did all this come from? What exactly are you doing? I mean, how in the hell did you get all this shit?”
I stood and leaned on the gunnel of the boat. “Some of it we took from the DHS. Some of it the Army gave to us. Remember, I told you we’ve been working with the DOD. The old man there, he’s been promoted to Colonel. We were working with the local National Guard unit; I told you what happened to them. But during all this, we’ve acquired a lot of gear, food and other supplies. We’ve been trying to support the community, helping who we could.” I shrugged, “Just living.”
“Looks like you’ve done alright.”
“Come on, let’s go home.”
I got in a truck with Mom and Dad. Ted was driving, and Janet was there as well. Mom and Janet chatted, the excitement of someone new to talk to taking hold of them. Dad sat looking out the window as we rumbled over the bridge. When we turned onto 42, the trucks sped up. After a couple of miles, Mom sat back in her seat. She didn’t look too good.
“You feeling alright?” I asked.
“I suddenly don’t feel so well.”
“Hey Ted, slow down a little. I think Mom’s getting a little car sick.”
“I feel it too,” Dad said. “We haven’t moved this fast in almost a year. Kind of an overload.”
Ted called Mike on the radio and told him to slow down some and why. Both trucks slowed to about thirty. Dad suggested Mom not look out the windows. She leaned back against the side of the truck and closed her eyes. “I think I’ll just rest a little,” she said.
We didn’t talk much for the rest of the ride. Though, Ted and Janet chatted some. I was eager to get Mom and Dad home so they could relax and, more importantly, to get them a good meal. Left to my thoughts, I began considering where they would stay. I knew they wouldn’t want a large place. I hadn’t given this much thought and probably should have had something set up beforehand for them. But then, they may find a place they prefer, and any work done would simply have been wasted.
But we had time, now. Plenty of it. I sat with my back against the bulkhead of the truck and looked at Mom. She was rocking with the rhythm of the truck and her color looked a little better. Aside from being thin, she looked good. They both did. Their skin was now a dark mahogany from so many hours spent in the sun. Even in the Before, they spent most of their time on the river and current events dictated they spend even more trying to eke out a living.
It made me feel better to know that their lives were about to get a lot easier. At the same time though, I felt a sense of failure, of having let them down for so long. The fact that it took me nearly a year to get to them weighed on me. It was tempered with the fact they were both well and sitting in the truck with me. I couldn’t imagine any other outcome to this expedition. The alternative was just unthinkable.
When we turned onto highway nineteen, Dad sat up and looked out the windows again. The market was bustling with activity and he commented on it.
“What’s going on over there?” He asked.
“One of the local markets where traders go to try and sell their wares. There’s a couple of them. This one, one in
