Chapter 5

"Nawsir. He just stayed here and watched things for Mr Scoggins. He's the one owned the cattle, but he's dead now. His whole house fell in on him and kilt his family, every one of 'em. I went by their place first when I finally dug myself out. I come here next to see if George had changed his mind and come back in time. I doubt he lived through the wind if he ain't here. He didn't even have time enough to get to town I don't reckon."

"I've been to town since then and there's a big wreck between here and there. A fuel truck crashed up with a bunch of cars and pickups and they were all burnt to nothing just about," I said.

"Might have got George for sure. He knowed better and done it anyway. I hope it twasn't him, but I wouldn't put money on it. He was hard headed."

"Well if he was in that wreck he's a gonner for real. It took hours for it to cool off enough for me to go around it on the shoulder.

"You said you had to dig yourself out. Do you need to come here to live?" I asked.

"Nawsir. Me and Gertie woulda been just fine if we'd stayed in our house. We just didn't know it. It's near a big hill and the hill kept the wind off the house. We got in our storm cellar though and a durned old pine fell across the door. It took all this time for me to get out from under it."

"Is Gertie your wife? Is she all right?"

"Yessir, she's my wife and she's fine, cept for being mad. I was coming here to get the tractor too. I need it to get the tree offen the cellar door so's she can get back in the house."

"Well I'm ready if you are. Me and my women will follow you and help," I said.

"Powerful nice of you, Mister Jake. Powerful nice."

As soon as I introduced James to Sarah and Karen and told them about Gertie they wanted to rush us up and leave right away.

"Pardon ma'ams, but twon't help a thing to get in a big hurry and Gertie ain't hurt. She's gonna be mad 'bout me bringing company and not giving her time to cook up a meal, but she'll get over it. She's fine in the cellar cause we fixed it up enough to sleep in there during a big storm. She was happy as a clam when I left cause she didn't have to do nothing sides listen around on her radio."

"Can she get any stations?" Sarah asked.

"It's one of them short wave things. She said she can hear it better now that there ain't so many people talkin'. I'd a thought all this mess in the air would foul it up, but she says it ain't.

"Just let me get the tractor started and we can go on over and let her out. She'll make us some coffee if we do," James Larry said, and then went over, started the tractor, and drove it out. I closed both sets of doors after he was outside and then we piled into the pickup and followed him.

His house wasn't far away and was only about a quarter mile off Texas 243. I could see what he meant about the hill protecting his house when we drove up the steep gravel driveway. I could also see the pine tree that had fallen across his cellar door.

He killed the tractor and walked to the cellar and we got out and followed him.

"Is you still alright, Gertie?" he yelled toward the door.

"Yes, but it's time to cook something to eat. Can't you get me outta here now?"

"Yep, and I brought some company with me to help."

"Is it George? Is he doing ok?"

"It ain't George and I don't know for sure, but I don't think he made it. Mister Jake said there was a big crash tween here and town and a buncha cars burned up when they crashed into a gasoline truck."

"Lawdy. Thas awful. Who is Mister Jake?"

"I am Miz Gertie. Are you sure you're all right?" I asked.

"I know your voice. You ain't Jake Calhoun is you?"

"Yes ma'am. It's me. I knew your voice too."

"Well at least somebody I knew is still alive. I guess you ain't still mean as you was when you was little is ya?"

"I don't think so. Least ways you won't have to chase me off down Miller Street no more."

"It's good, cause I'm too old for that now."

"Me too."

"Who you brought with you? James said there was some others up there."

"Sarah and Karen. They're sisters and I found them in Wal-Mart."

"Now Jake don't start in on that kinda stuff again. I know they don't sell no girls, letalone sisters, in Wal-Mart."

"I mean I found them there looking around for food after the big wind. I took 'em in and they been trying to teach me some manners."

"Them poor girls. You'll work 'em to death at it. It is good you got two though. I allus knew you'd grow up to be too much for one woman," she said.

I decided to see if we couldn't change the subject by working on the tree across the door. James didn't really need my help though. He maneuvred until he had the hay spear under the trunk then he lifted it and just pushed it around until it was out of the way, leaving the tractor there to hold it in place.

We let him go inside and help Gertie out and when she made it above ground she was a blast from my past.

Gertie had helped mama around the house when we were just kids. While James was about five-eleven and weighed probably one-sixty, Gertie was only a little over five feet and surely weighed two-fifty if she weighed an ounce. She was equipped for a long cold winter for real.

"Well all that's in the past now and I sho miss some of the folks I knowed, but looks like I ain't gonna be the only one now," Gertie said, when she was above ground.

"We'll all miss damned near everyone now, Gertie," I said.

"I won't. They'll be a lot of folks gone, but I don't guess I'll miss many of 'em. Still, I'm glad to see you still up and around and you sho picked up some nice friends. Looks like you'll have two to keep you warm if times really do get hard.

"They's going to too. I could listen real good after that first big wind knocked so many off the air. Did you know Mexico City is just gone?"

"No. We don't even know about Queen City yet. How did you find out so fast?" I asked.

"My radio. I never did like TV and James didn't much either, but I's got a good shortwave radio and James put me up a long wire in a tall pine tree. It got bent over bad, but I guess it didn't fall all the way down.