“Of course. That’s a task that is right up my alley,” she said.
Matthew smiled. “Thank you, Mom.” He turned to look at Patton and Allison. “As for you two, I think it would be good for you to canvass the hotel rooms.”
Patton groaned. “Dad, Grandma and I already cleaned the rooms. I don’t want to do it again.”
“I don’t mean like that,” Matthew said. “I’d like you to go through the rooms to see if you can find anything useful.”
“Like what?” Patton perked up.
“Like mini sewing kits. First aid kits. Soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, anything that you and Allison think would be helpful or have a purpose. Think of it like a treasure hunt.”
Patton turned to look at Allison with wide eyes. “We should start in the cellar.”
Allison grunted a negation. “That’s not part of the hotel rooms, dummy.”
“But it hasn’t been explored yet!”
“Don’t fight over it,” Matthew said. He felt as though Allison was a bomb with a very short fuse. “Use your imagination. Have fun with it.”
Allison crossed her arms and looked at her cereal, picking out and eating the marshmallows. Concern filled Matthew. Usually his daughter had a bit more fight in her. A bit more life in her. She was beginning to look listless, as if all her energy had been sapped. He’d have to question her after breakfast.
He looked to his father. “Dad, I think you and I should survey the grounds. We can get a sense of what we need to do to better defend ourselves. Maybe we can find spare materials to construct a gate. I think it would be a good idea to really understand the property limits and where we should start to fortify the place.”
Before David could respond, Jade cleared her throat. “What can I do?” she asked.
Matthew paused. He wanted to blame her for everything that was going wrong. He wanted to demand that she admit that she was outside earlier, that she was acting like a ghost and trying to scare Kathleen. He bit his lip, and tried to force the explosive feelings away, but the mean streak refused to leave.
If Jade wanted to stay, then she could prove her worth.
“There’s a shovel in the back shed,” he said. “Why don’t you get it and start digging a latrine? We’ll need it since the toilets stopped pumping in water for us to flush.”
She won’t do it, Matthew thought. She knows I’m testing her. There’s no way she’ll do something like that. She’ll give up and leave.
Jade paused for a moment and then tightened her ponytail. “Actually, I wondered if we might consider making a composting toilet instead.”
Matthew couldn’t help but laugh at himself. He was being a jerk and Jade was taking it in stride.
“How would we do that?” David asked.
“We would need sawdust. Essentially, you put the sawdust in a bucket and then put that bucket inside a latrine. Then, when it’s full, the sawdust can be composted. It’s much more sustainable.”
“What would we do with the compost?” Patton chimed in.
“Most likely use it in a garden,” Jade said.
“That’s so gross!” Patton said.
“We might even be able to use it to trade,” Jade continued. “The soil would be really rich. Others might be looking for something like that. I’m not sure how good the soil is around here, but it might be a commodity.”
Patton uttered a loud belly laugh. “You want us to trade our own poop?”
“Patton,” Matthew admonished. “Behave.”
“That’s smart,” David mused. “How did you learn about that?”
“I read it in one of the books in the hotel’s library,” Jade said. “I couldn’t sleep last night either, so I went exploring. I found the library full of books that might be useful to us.”
Surprise filled Matthew. He’d forgotten about the tucked-away library. “I can’t believe I forgot about that,” he said out loud.
“It’s not a big deal,” Jade said, as if apologizing for his oversight. “There’s lots of books about the local flora and fauna. A couple about the history and folklore of the area. You know, the stuff most hotels have for their guests to get a sense of the area.”
“Thinking outside the box,” David said and tapped his temple. “Good on you.” He gave Matthew a meaningful look, and Matthew fought the urge to roll his eyes. Yes, okay, Jade has some good skills. Don’t rub it in, he thought.
“I’d forgotten all about those old books too,” Ruth murmured. “Maybe when we’ve finished up our chores for the day, we can divvy up the books for everyone to look through. There’s got to be more information that we will find useful. Jade’s already given us a way to improve the place.”
Jade ducked her head, as if Ruth’s praise had made her shy.
“If you don’t mind, Matt, I’d like to learn more about the composting toilet,” David said. “Would you mind if I skip out on assessing the property line with you?”
Matthew studied his father for a moment, unsure what to say. He’d wanted to talk with David one-on-one about Kathleen and Allison. The property line survey seemed like the perfect time to do so, but he understood that David might be keen on keeping an eye on Jade.
“You don’t really need to do that task with me, Matt,” David added. “But if you’d like me to join, I will.”
“I think you should work with Jade,” Ruth seconded. “I don’t want you to overstress your heart. It will be good for you to get out and learn, but not to dig. Let the young ones do that.”
David let out a long-suffering sigh. Matthew mentally smacked himself. He’d been so focused on his own problems and wanting to talk them out with his father that he hadn’t taken into consideration David’s heart. It was foolish of him to suggest that David accompany him. David had been through so much already.
“That sounds like a good plan,” he
