Chapter 2: Autumn, A Thief in the Garden.

It was the first week of October 2013, I was working in the garden of my cottage on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds near the coast. I hate gardening, always have done, but after last winter when potatoes reached £120 a pound on the black market, I decided that turning the garden, and a bit of the field behind the garden, with the agreement of the farmer who owned it, into a large vegetable patch was prudent.

I was lifting the last of my potato crop and storing them for use during the winter. I had the advice of my neighbour, Phil, who lived over the road. He was in his eighties and couldn't help as much as he would like but I needed his advice as he was a keen gardener. The farmer was his cousin, which helped set that deal up. Phil's advice meant that I had something to store. I enjoyed his company, I had known him since I moved here with my wife 30 years ago. I enjoyed listening to his stories of the miners strike in the 1980's, which he was involved in. In return for his advice he was getting 10% of everything I harvested, this would go a long way to feeding him during the coming winter.

Theft was a constant problem. I set up a series of booby traps based on shotgun cartridges and trip wires to protect the crop and store. There were displaced people from the cities roaming the countryside trying to feed themselves. So far they were not organised and if they banded together the army would break them up. Each village, ours included, had set up a neighbourhood watch scheme. This was based on the old ones but with much sharper teeth, if you know what I mean. Again the older people were invaluable, they could keep watch.

I had been instrumental in setting up a simple alarm system after the village was raided by a group of displaced people last winter. There was a large klaxon on the village green and alarm buttons in each house. The code was simple; one short blast, a stranger on the road; a continuous blast, a group of people, possibly threatening.

It was dusk and there was a single short blast on the klaxon. This happened several times each day. The noise, implying 'We know you are there', discouraged most displaced people from hanging around and thieving. I looked out of the window but couldn't see anyone. A few seconds later there was the noise of shotgun cartridges going off. Someone was in my back garden. I went out with my shotgun to investigate.

I found a girl, early twenties, plump, with a younger girl, maybe six at her side, grubbing for potatoes in the ground with her hands. I let off one barrel into the air to get her attention. She turned round, looked at me, and said, "Shoot me, I don't care, but if you do shoot my daughter as well."

Even I couldn't bring myself to do anything so cruel with her daughter stood there. "Take what you have and go," I said, "and don't let me see you here again."

"Thank you. We haven't eaten properly for two days. I'd do anything for a meal for me and my daughter."

Many women were now selling themselves to live and it soon became one of those little language changes, to do 'anything' meant sexual favours. OK, I suppose to a point it always had, but now the word was rarely used in any other context.

She was walking past the back door, felt the warmth, and said "You have heating?"

"Yes, I have an Aga in the kitchen."

Her daughter then made me realise just how bad things had got. "Mummy is only trying to feed us."

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at the mother, she smiled and I said, "OK, come in."

The girl walked into kitchen and sat at the table with her daughter on her lap. Something about the pair made me more compassionate than usual.

"I'm Mark, and no you don't have to do 'anything', the least I can do is give you a meal, and you can tell me your story."

"I'm Kelly, and this is Kirsty," she said cuddling her daughter.

"Look, I'm not going to have sex with you," I repeated, "I know things are bad and I'm interested in your story. Since news broadcasts are censored we know of nothing beyond our own area."

While I prepared a stew of carrots, potatoes, turnips, onions and lamb Kelly explained what had happened.

She had left Bradford in Spring when there was little food in the shops. The various drug dealing gangs were now selling food and law and order had broken down. Whole areas had become no-go areas for the few remaining police. Occasional forays by the army to break up some of the lawlessness drove the gang members to ground for a few days but when the army moved on they came back out of the woodwork. As a single female with a kid you joined the gang, and had sex with the male gang members or you went hungry, or worse. Kelly and Kirsty left their council flat with their belongings in a push chair. During the summer it hadn't been too bad, she had managed to get various farm labouring jobs in return for food and lodging, but with winter approaching it was getting harder to find even casual work. She admitted she had fucked her way to more than a few meals. By her own admission she enjoyed sex, and most of the time it wasn't too bad. She was plump and she said sometimes men would abuse her once they saw her naked, but she said she then just switched off.

She then asked how come the kitchen was so warm and I showed her the Aga. It was very old and had been converted to run on oil in place of coal many years ago. I had now converted it again to run on solid fuel, mainly wood, as that was all that was available now. I explained how it heated the water, along with radiators in the bedroom and bathroom as well as using it for cooking. The only downside for cooking was that it needed constant attention to maintain an even temperature.

She said that gas to the flats went off last January after thieves tried to remove some of the pipe work and in the winter the toilet froze over. The water and electric were unreliable, as they were everywhere nowadays, but living in a tower block it must be worse.

I said the meal would be a couple of hours. Kelly said, "Can I pay for the meal, then I wouldn't feel bad about calling in if I come back this way again."

"Yes, but not in the way you think. Can you sew?"

"I could when I was in school. I was quite good actually."

I went and fetched two laundry baskets from the front room, one had clothes in that needed to be repaired and one had stuff that was beyond repair but could be used to patch and mend the salvageable stuff. New clothes were now a luxury I could not afford.

"While the stew cooks would you do some mending?" I said as I put the baskets on the table.

"I'll have a go."

I showed her where Sally used to keep all the needles and threads then said, "I'm going out to split some more logs."

As I popped in and out to keep an eye on the Aga Kelly was working her way down the mending pile and Kirsty was 'helping' by salvaging buttons off the no-good stuff.

The meal was eventually cooked and we sat down to lamb stew. Kelly and Kirsty both ate as if they hadn't seen decent food for a week but even after seconds all round there was still enough left for my tea the following few days.

The phone rang. The phone system, like all the other utilities, was now unreliable but local calls would usually get through. I hadn't made a successful long distance call for six months. It was Margaret, my girlfriend, and she was coming over with her two boys. That meant the power was off in Bridlington again, probably another cable fault.

"I'll be going then," said Kelly.

"Where are you headed?"

"Into Bridlington to see if there's any work. I'll try and find a B&B, I still have a few pounds left."

I thought about it, and said, "Why don't I see if Phil can put you up. You did well with the mending and if you finish it I'll make you another meal tomorrow."

Kelly looked relieved as I went out to Phil's house. I spoke to him and he was happy to put them up for the night. "It's not often you lighten up," he said. "I'm surprised you didn't flog her and send her on her way."

"Normally I would have but her daughter was standing next to her looking so solemn, and I couldn't be cruel."

Kelly & Kirsty went over and I wondered if she would try and fuck him, and if they did, would either of them tell. Kelly was easy on the eye, in spite of being plump. She had a nice face and pretty eyes, her hair was messy but I knew with a wash it would look good.

As I thought about it two things happened, the power went off and Margaret and her two boys arrived on their bikes.

I had a load of car batteries rigged up for lighting and a small diesel genny to back those up. I didn't want to start the genny unless the power was off all night as getting more fuel would mean hours of queuing when some was available. I had about 20 gallons of gas oil buried in a tank in the garden but that was reserved for if the situation got worse. I then had two jerry cans, one was full and the other was now only half full. The other way to get more would be to barter for it with one of the farmers but they were short and would only deal if they were desperate.

Margaret gave me a peck on the cheek and the two boys rushed in and sat at the kitchen table. "The power went off this morning," she said, "and it was still off when I got home from the hospital, so I thought we would come and see you."

Margaret was a tall attractive woman, she had shoulder length blonde hair, blue eyes, and a nice figure. Two kids had not affected her tits, they were still perky, with no sag. She was forty one and had lost her husband to the flu, I had asked her to move in, but she 'wanted her independence', and so we saw each other a couple of times a week. She worked as a nurse at the local hospital. One perk was that she got her meals there and the boys got fed at school. The schools were running out of supplies quickly but even so she was not under as much pressure as the rest of us to find food.

I enjoyed her company but the sex was not up to much, in fact we argued about it more than once. She accused me of having a 'one track mind' and I called her frigid. However, I think we leant on each other after our earlier losses. Sally, my wife, was always up for it and in the thirty years we were together we tried just about everything once, and most of the things more than once, so I missed the sex.

I fed Margaret and the boys the remains of the stew, the boys actually liked it. As it was the warmest room, we sat in the kitchen and the two boys were playing on a handheld computer game. She got them to have a bath and then she went for a bath. When Margaret returned to the kitchen table I told her of Kelly's visit and of her success with the mending. I suppose I was trying to point out gently to Margaret that she really contributed nothing. She turned up and expected to be fed and use the hot water. She never brought food with her and always expected me to eat before I went to see her. At that point it started to go downhill.

Margaret said, in a flat tone, "Come upstairs with me for a bit."

I thought we were going to have a bit of private time, how wrong could I be. As soon as we got into the bedroom she screeched, "Did you have sex with her?"

I was gobsmacked! I had always respected Margaret, and since we had been going out I had never been with anyone else, however tempted I had been.

I reacted badly and said. "No I didn't, but judging by your reaction I might just as well have done."

She stood there, hands on hips, and said, "You think of nothing else!"

"Maybe that's because I'm going short!"

The row continued in that vein for a few more minutes and in the end Margaret said. "I don't think we want the same things." With that she stormed downstairs in a temper and called James and Daniel to get their stuff together. "We are going back tonight."

I could tell they were upset and James, the oldest, looked at me and said, "But I wanted to go lamping with you in the morning". I always took him out when I went rabbiting and I had showed him how to pick the rabbits off with a powerful air rifle. We would then skin them and have baked rabbit the next day.

"I think it's best if you do as your mum says. Your mum and I have had a rough year and I don't think we are going to see each other any more."

Margaret tried to continue the argument as she almost dragged the two boys outside with her. "Why does everything come back to sex with you," she said as she unlocked their bikes and looked for the lights.

"Look, I'm not arguing with you in front of the boys, or in the lane where everyone can hear. Just go and try not to be bitter. We have both suffered losses this year, probably everyone lost someone in their family, but life goes on."

The youngest, Paul, now started crying, saying, "I don't want to go, why are you making us go Mum?"

Margaret lost it at this point and screamed at him, "Get on that bike and follow me you little bastard, do as you are fucking well told."

I just looked on, not knowing what to do. I didn't approve of the way she was behaving, and the curtains at Phil's were already twitching.

As she rode off into the night with the two boys following I felt really sorry for the two lads, she had lost her temper with them but it wasn't their fault.

I went inside and shut the door. I sat at the table, buried my face in my hands and cried. I wasn't upset about Margaret although her attitude stank, I missed Sally and with all the problems I suppose I had never had time to grieve. Life was now one long slog to keep one's head above water and doing it on my own was harder than with a partner.

A few seconds later there was a knock on the door. I shouted, "Come in." I expected to see Phil but it was Kelly and Kirsty.

Kirsty ran to me, put her arms round me and said, "It will be OK. Mummy always says that and mummies are always right."

"I take it Margaret has left," said Kelly as she sat at the table. "I hope I'm not to blame."

"No you weren't, I think we were at the end of our relationship. It's just that she jumped to conclusions about you being here this afternoon. Don't worry, if you being here hadn't started the break-up her attitude would have done. She couldn't accept that I could sit with a woman without having sex with her."

"Don't get upset," said Kelly. "Margaret is just selfish, I saw how horrible she was to her boys when they left. They obviously enjoy spending time with you."

"I'm not upset about Margaret."

"You miss your wife, don't you?"

"Yes I do. The trouble is I haven't had time to grieve. Anyway I'm off for a shower."

Kelly just sat there but as I left the room she said, "I'm not leaving you in this state. You can choose, either Phil keeps an eye on you or I do, and I mean all night. Now, I know you two love chatting about old times but I don't think you'd want to share a bed with him so I think you may prefer me as a bed mate. Kirsty will be fine in the spare room."

I turned to look at her and she carried on, "I mean it. Phil sent me over, he's a good man and so are you, and I intend to take your mind off things."

"I'm off for that shower now."

"Kirsty, time for your bed as well. Go to the toilet, wash your hands, and I'll come up and settle you into the spare room. Say good night to Mark."

Kirsty said goodnight and went upstairs to the bathroom, I heard the tap run, and then she called out that she was ready for bed. We both went upstairs, I went to the bedroom to have a quick tidy up while Kelly put Kirsty to bed. Kelly came in after Kirsty was settled and said, "Come on, let's shower together." She went back in to Kirsty and said good night while I found some clean dry towels, Margaret and the boys had used all clean towels in bathroom.

Kelly joined me in the bathroom and started taking her clothes off. I liked what I saw, I was already down to pants, and my dick was standing to attention in about ten seconds. Kelly was about 5' 4", yes she was plump, but she had a large pair of breasts with thick nipples and large, dark areola. I don't know the cup size but they were much, much, more than a handful! She had long brown hair which reached nearly to her bottom and nice clear skin with that slightly olive complexion. I would describe her as Rubensesque When she took her bra off my eyes latched on to her boobs and would not move no matter what the rest of my brain said. I have to be honest, I found her extremely attractive. The baggy, worn, outdoor clothes hid a gem. How a man could not be turned on by her I don't know.

Kelly looked at me and said, "This is going to be easier than I thought." She was staring at my dick and shimmying out of her knickers, revealing a patch of brown hair between her legs.

I laughed and said, "What do you mean?"

"Taking your mind off things, judging by the shape of your underpants. Anyway, let's get a shower, I haven't washed for three days and I want you to do things to me that will be much nicer if we have washed."

I got out of my underpants, and noticed Kelly looking at my hard on.

I ran the shower to get the hot water through, nothing! Fucking hell! Margaret and the kids used all the hot water taking their baths.

"It's a cold shower or no shower," I said. "They used all the hot water. It will take the Aga at least an hour to reheat it, and the electric is still off."

"But I must stink!"

"I expect I do as well, but we'll never get dry if we have a cold shower."

With that we both ran to the bedroom and were under the covers in seconds, it had turned cold during the evening.

Kelly moved over on top of me, started kissing me and said, "When did you last have a really good shag?"