Chapter 10: Going East

We rose in the morning and showered together again. Laura said, “I think we need to make this a habit. I do enjoy showering with you.”

“That works for me. I enjoy it. It’s fun to clean your body.” We grinned at each other as we toweled each other’s body dry slowly and gently.

We dressed and completed our packing. We cleaned up the room and placed our bags in my car before going to the dining hall. There was a low expectant hum there. It seemed that everyone was ready to go and looking forward with hope toward the future.

I talked with Ed and Bert. They took on some the luggage in my car clearing space for Tom, Brit, and Sam to ride with us. Ed and Bert led out with Laura and I and the teens in my car followed by the rest. We went north to I-20 and then east. They exited before Augusta and we followed them down a ways to a smaller road and then to a grouping of homes. They pulled in front of one and stopped. We all gathered around. Bert said, “There are six houses close here. The farmland is good and we released the cattle and horses into the pastures. Some were in pretty bad shape. We left when you called.

“Brian, Laura, why don’t you take this house. It’s big and central. I think your leadership has been recognized sufficiently to need it. Besides, there is room here for your three older children.”

Tom and the girls were standing with us. Laura and I grinned. She said, “Well, ‘older children, ‘ will this house do for us?” All three brightened to realize that we planned to keep them with us. They looked at each other and then nodded at us.

We carried our cases to the front porch. Everyone cheered since it was a start, I guess. We went from house to house with Bert and Ed making recommendations for what each contained and people volunteering to live in that particular house together. We filled all the houses.

Laura and I moved into our house with our “children” and set up housekeeping. Laura had been on birth control pills to regularize her periods and was staying on them with my agreement.

We are happy and have learned a lot about farming. We are starting to make preparations for a time without gasoline and, eventually, electricity. These are issues that we know will come and we are trying to look ahead rather than simply react. Ed and Bert are marvelous in patiently teaching about farming and in trying to keep a fire burning in Augusta to attract attention. Thus far, we haven’t found anyone else. We feel that there should be more in Augusta and more in Atlanta but can’t prove either possibility. No one seems to read our signs. No one calls. No one comes to Augusta and sees the smoke from the tires. It’s spring after a mild winter and we are trying to plan further out than next year. Most of the Internet is still working. We have tried to post to everything we can to get attention without success. Trying to find new people has been a frustrating exercise.

Today, we picked up a new person, sort of. Ryan showed up in Augusta by himself. He said that Joshua and Sarah ordered him to leave. Rather than fight a battle he didn’t want to win, he left. He said Joshua and Sarah argue and fuss about every issue. Over the winter, Marietta became less hospitable as power went out and food has gone bad. We put him up with Ed and Bert. Lisa and Karen were living with them and Ryan is the fifth wheel. Our community, such as it is, gets together every Sunday at a small Baptist church to worship and to meet as a community. It’s not an exciting life but, with Laura, it’s a good life.