Chapter 20

[Arnold's manuscript]

It was a long wait.

It was full dark when Maria came out. She said, "I'm not really hungry. I will just have snacks and water in my room."

She started for the kitchen. I cried out, "Maria, please wait. I'm sorry. I truly don't know how to handle a relationship in a functional way. You may never be able to forgive me. If that is true, I will understand. I will have to regret that for the rest of my life." She had stopped and was looking at me. I walked to her and knelt in front of her. "I most humbly beseech you, I beg you, please let me have another chance recognizing I truly don't know what to say or how to express my feelings well."

She went to her knees before me and hugged me to her. "Arnoldo, I accept your apology. Let's work together to listen to each other."

I moaned, "Thank you, thank you." I had to stop because I was crying. "Please let's cook supper together and talk." She pulled back gently and nodded. I stood and helped her to her feet and then retrieved the water bottle she had dropped. We walked into the kitchen. I set the bottle on the counter. I handed Maria a paper towel to dry her eyes and used one myself. By then, we were both more composed.

I said, "I want to do something simple with you, like cook. Maria, we seem to work together well and I enjoy that. I don't want to lose the good we have in an attempt at something different." We had found some frozen steaks and canned vegetables.

Maria said, "I agree. Why don't I cook the steaks in the oven with the broiler and you heat our vegetables on the stove top?" I nodded and we began our tasks. She watched me open the cans and said, "Combine those two and add some garlic and chilies from the dry goods." I nodded and did. We cooked most of the meal in comparative silence after that. We had liberated a couple bottles of wine and they were cooling in the refrigerator. I set the kitchen table and we served our plates from the stove. I poured each of us a glass of wine.

We sat down and I said, "May I pray?" Maria nodded. "Lord God, please bless this meal to our bodies and give us patience and understanding with each other. Help us to follow Your will in our lives. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

We lifted our bowed heads. Maria made the sign of the cross. "Arnoldo, that's the first time we have prayed before a meal."

"Maria, we are making a fresh start in some ways. I wanted to add God to our time together. I have always felt better about a meal that was blessed first."

We ate and my steak was very good. It was well seasoned and cooked right. I complimented her on the steak and she complimented me on the vegetables. I laughed and said, "I just followed your instructions. You made it good."

She laughed back and said, "The green beans are good. I didn't suggest anything on them."

"Okay, my cooking is tolerable. Yours is great. It's the first good meal since we went on the road. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Arnoldo. Do we have more wine?"

"Yes. We have more in this bottle and I chilled two so there is another one unopened."

"Good. Refill our glasses. Let's retire to the living room. The entertainment center has movies and music discs. Pick something soft for us to listen to."

[Janice writes]

At that, Jen marked the spot in the manuscript and closed it. "Now, it's late. Time for bed everyone."

There was still a little grumbling but we all made our ways to our pallets. Tonight, Mel and I would sleep together while the guys were with Pam. I knew I would listen and I knew listening would make Mel and me horny. The five of us did eventually get some sleep.

I woke early and went walking around the area. There was a little breeze from the sea making for a cool morning before the humidity burns off. I was looking forward to traveling again. Bennie came outside and saw me. He walked over to me and gave me a hug.

He said, "You're ready to go." He chuckled. I smiled and nodded. "Quiet?" I nodded again. We walked back with our arms around each other. Knowing Robby, he was with Melissa this morning. The guys always did that after one of us had a double night. It helped remind us that we were all part of one family and all were loved. It worked well.

Later that morning, we flew out of San Diego heading north to Bakersfield. There was a general aviation field and Meadows Field, a commercial airport. We were going to try the general aviation field but the runway was cracked badly. We headed for Meadows hoping for better luck. It was useable. I'm not sure the C-130 could land with a full load but we had no problem. We landed and quickly found good fuel. We filled up and set about looking around more. It was hot but we had passed over green fields in the area close to some big creeks that the map called rivers. We began to look around and Mike and George went to get transportation organized. Bennie and Robby were looking at security and a safe place to leave the planes. We had a trip in mind. The reason for Bakersfield was Sequoia.

We wanted to see the big trees. We would make it a long day trip using today to prepare for the trip and to secure our planes. We would take two vehicles and would hope that anyone who saw us land would arrive here today. We saw some sign of cultivated fields though it could be volunteer crops or leftover from past planting. However, this was a higher probability area for people than the big cities.

We spent the day working diligently and finished everything well before dark including preparing a bus. We even got an antenna up for forty meters for this evening though it would actually be late afternoon here. We had found an open hanger and pulled both planes into it and hid the tracks. It was hot and dry.

Mel was slightly uneasy so we set out sentries. Robby and I took one post with Pam and Bennie on the other. We made ourselves comfortable and had an ear bud and throat mike each. We could and did listen to the reading of Arnold's manuscript.

[Arnold's manuscript]

We went into the living room. It amazed me how "normal" things could be when the power worked. Maria heard me mumble that and said, "Only some things, Arnoldo. We have all been changed. I think our emotions, good and bad, are all on the surface. Before the Day, we would not have met nor have a discussion about any relationship between us." She took a sip of wine and motioned for me to do so, too. I did and she crawled into my lap and put her glass on a side table and looked at my glass clearly wanting me to do the same. I did and she put her arms around my neck. "Arnoldo, kiss me until I let you loose." I know I must have looked shocked but I had decided that she would drive things.

I kissed her and put every bit of passion and caring that I had for her in that kiss. I let it carry me to a place of warmth that I had never been. Maria finally broke the kiss. We were both breathless. She said, "I think you care for me very much. I care for you very much, Arnoldo. I want you to kiss me again but only if you are willing let this passion take us where it will. There will be no stopping. This is that chance. If you say, 'Stop.' We will stop and be friends but it will never go further than that. There is risk in caring. You either take that risk or we will be friends but no benefits. I heard the term in college in America, 'friends with benefits.' I have not and will not do that. You must take the risk and make the commitment."