Chapter 15: Village Adventure

June 24, 2029

The death of Brother Matthew was like a punch to the gut, reminding them once again of their own fragility and the losses they endured after the Collapse. They grieved and begged the heavens to bless his soul.

Life was impatient, demanding the attention and energy of the living...

The first cutting of grass in front of the cabin not only needed to be done but became urgent. It helped keep their minds busy and away from the sadness of death and the horrors of destruction.

In spots where chicken manure had been spread out, the grass was a lush deep green and knee high. Sally brought up the grass hook that Clark got from the hardware store. It was way more efficient and less tiresome than using the sickle.

With the clearing cut, Fifi and Trish enjoyed their wide open playground running around naked, climbing on top of all the little heaps of drying hay to come tumbling down. But, the most exciting moment of the day was being carried on Clark’s shoulder to the bathing pool to jump into the water. At the end of the day, the sweet smell of fresh hay filled the evening air like magical incense coaxing everyone into deep restful sleep.

While Sally and Katie bagged all the hay, Clark wandered through the forest to select and mark with his hatchet the trees to be felled in the fall. It was therapeutic.

He had his mind set on bringing up the two-man logging saw from the monastery hoping to cut all the trees needed to produce ten cords of firewood in one week what before took nearly a month using only an axe, and leaving nothing but tall stumps and a sore, aching back. Plus, they would finally be able to fell trees with girths of twelve inches or more. Thicker trees meant producing more firewood in less time. They were also heavier to drag, and he made sure to select the ones closest to the cabin.

June 27

More grows in a garden than a gardener sows. And, not everything that he sows grows. That basically described the situation when they returned to the farm, reminding them that their learning curve wasn’t getting any shorter. Clark had eliminated most of the weeds a week before, yet they were back and more voracious and relentless than ever. The task of hoeing and pulling weeds was a never ending battle like trying to slay a Medusa serpent monster. For every weed that was slain, another two or more would pop up.

Clark had to remind himself and the girls of what his mother often said, “The prettier the garden, the dirtier the hands of the gardener.” They understood they had to be persistent and not be afraid to get dirt under their fingernails.

Despite their efforts to rid the garden of weeds, the amount and size of most vegetables looked smaller than the previous year. Clark needed to take the advice from one of Mr. Wheeler’s Farmers’ Almanac serious about companion planting, crop rotation and the use of cover crops for next year. It wasn’t enough just to subsist and survive; their efforts had to be improved and sustainable for the rest of their lives.

In the meantime, several important matters had to be taken care of before the start of the big September harvest of corn, grains and apples.

They agreed that first they needed to go to the monastery to make sure everything was fastened down and safe. It would be some time before they would be able to return there. Plus, Clark wanted to try his luck with the radio one more time.

Second, everyone including Katie needed to go to the hardware store to make a thorough survey of what was available, as well as select the essentials they needed for the short term. Eventually, they could set aside things they might need for much later to be picked up after the harvest.

It was also going to be the last time for Katie to make the long trek down to the farmhouse and back up to the cabin. She was going into her final trimester of pregnancy and should no longer be hiking up and down mountains like an alpine goat.

July 1

Four days after eliminating the weeds in the garden and allowing the vegetables to breathe again, Sally and Clark drove to the monastery while Katie stayed behind with Fifi and Trish at the farmhouse. She wanted to go through some of the sneeze-inducing books and magazines in the parlor to find references about what to expect before and during labor.

Clark rummaged through the upstairs rooms of the orphanage to find several more toys for Fifi and Trish to play with and keep them entertained in the living room of the farmhouse. They loved the stuffed animals, but their favorite was a little wooden car, taking turns to make it go ‘vroom, vroom.’

“You guys are back early,” Katie commented surprised when Clark and Sally returned by mid-afternoon. “Was everything alright?”

“There wasn’t much to do,” Clark explained. “It appears Brother Matthew made sure everything was in its place and properly closed before he left. It was as if he knew he wasn’t coming back.”

“Did you find any references about giving birth?” Sally asked trying to change the conversation.

“Yes, and also a lot about the role of a midwife,” Katie answered. “You know I’m counting on you to get me through this. I’ve already separated everything you need to read and for us to discuss. That also goes for the father of this baby.”

“Oh boy, I’ve never done this before,” Clark replied.

“Boy!” Fifi and Trish repeated simultaneously clapping their hands.

“And I always thought you were in the delivery room helping mom when I was born,” Sally said inquisitively.

“They let me into the delivery room only after you popped out,” Clark explained. “Plus, you were a fast baby. Your mom went in and five hours later there you were screaming at the top of your lungs.”

“By the way, did you have any luck making contact with anyone on the radio?” Katie remembered.

“I’m afraid not. I tried as soon as we arrived, then about thirty minutes later and a third time just before we left, each time tuning the full range,” Clark replied. “There was no signal from any other station and I have a feeling there’s nobody out there.”

“Or, no one who knows how to operate the radio on their end,” Sally added trying to put a positive spin on the subject.

They looked at each other in silence, the kind that conveys a shared thought which needs no words. They were alone and had only each other to survive no matter what was happening in the world far removed from their own. In fact, it was best they didn’t know and just keep carrying on without it.

July 4

After launching a second attack on the weeds in the cornfield, the day had arrived for their big adventure. The farmhouse was abuzz with excitement. Everyone woke up bright and early to take the long awaited ride down to the village.

Fifi and Trish were especially excited to get into Daddy’s big toy. Sally sat with them in the back seat, each next to their own window, while Katie, in the front where she could recline the seat and comfortably cradle her belly.

As soon as Clark rolled out onto the road, the girls couldn’t contain their curiosity. Like incessant explorers and thrill seekers, they perched themselves up on their knees to feel the car moving forward and watch the world speed by. The road was bumpy and the sound of tires crunching gravel added special effects to an already new and sensational experience.

That quickly changed when they reached the asphalt pavement of the county road. It almost felt like they were being carried along on a magic carpet. The sign on the side of the road stipulated a speed limit of 55 mph, but Clark decided to drive slowly for Katie’s sake and also to make their first trip into Farrville more enjoyable and memorable. He rolled down the windows for the girls to feel the wind in their hair. He honked the horn which brought them to sit down and look up at Sally bewildered and searching for an answer.

“Daddy, can you toot your horn again for Fifi and Trish?” Clark complied happily.

“See, Daddy can make the car go honk, honk. Isn’t this fun?” Sally asked. “Now you say honk, honk.”

Fifi’s and Trish’s honk, honk was followed by Clark blowing the car’s horn again and everybody laughed uncontrollably.

“Hey, do you know what else is fun to do in the car?” Katie asked. “Sing! Who knows The wheels on the car go round and round?”

Soon, they reached the hill from where they could see some of the houses of the village. Everyone fell silent as they descended to a strange new world. Clark stopped short of the crashed pickup at the intersection where the traffic light above no longer blinked, but swayed gently in the wind from side to side as if telling them which way they could turn.

“Down to our left are the post office, some small shops, offices, and houses. The hardware store is to our right,” Clark informed, giving Sally and Katie the opportunity to choose in case they wanted the whole tour of Farrville.

“I think we should go straight to the hardware store,” Katie opined. Sally agreed. The desolate look of the village was depressing.

The front of the hardware store was a pitiful sight. The drab parking lot looked like a crumb cake with moss and crab grass finding cracks in which to thrive.

Clark drove around to the back door of the hardware store positioning the car in such a way in case they needed to make a fast getaway. Sally and Katie were able to see most of the merchandise near the open back door, but the front end was too dark to visualize anything, especially the smaller items. Clark had no other choice but to grab a crowbar and pry open the plywood panel from one of the front windows. It didn’t take much effort, and he removed the other one, plus the panel over the two front doors. “Let there be light,” he mumbled to himself and raised the crowbar in victory.

They agreed that Sally, Katie and the girls would mull around in the household and clothing sections, while Clark would concentrate on tools and hardware. Occasionally, he would hear them shriek with joy on discovering items such as denim jeans, flannel shirts, jackets, and other outerwear for the rugged outdoors. They also found work shoes and boots, gloves, socks, sweatshirts, and T-shirts. They looked high and low for underwear, especially thermal underwear, but quickly gave up the search. Intimate apparel didn’t commingle well with hammers and nails.

“Daddy, you have to come over here to try on these shirts and jeans to see what you like,” Sally shouted like some salesperson making a call over the store’s public announcement system.

“Oh, and look at these toddler sizes for Fifi and Trish,” Katie announced. “They’re so cute and cuddly.”

It was the girls’ first exposure to shelves and racks loaded with clothing, and they were just as excited as Sally and Katie, if not more. They were already familiar with baby powder, shampoo, and Vaseline and both insisted on having their own little supply.

Clark already knew in advance what he needed. High on his list was mesh fencing to urgently enlarge the chicken run, as well as tools to prune the apple trees soon after the first hard frost. He also grabbed the row planter, a pump sprayer with a jug of weed killer and a second sprayer with a bottle of insecticide to use in the spring. Although tiresome, it was still possible to hoe most of the weeds between the rows of corn and sunflowers. But, in the wheat and oat patch, it was a nightmare. He had also hoped the birds would tackle the bugs in the garden, but it seemed the birds didn’t like the taste of those that did the most damage. He wanted to stay organic, but it was time to get tough.