“It’s just. Well, I heard about what you did for Adam and I…”
“How much do you need?” Mike asked.
There wasn’t any malice in Mike’s words, no sense of mockery or “I told you so,” just a genuine concern. Nelson kept his head down.
“Just a few days’ worth. You know until all this blows over.”
“Is Sean allergic to anything?” Anne asked.
“No, but he doesn’t like Brussels sprouts,” he answered.
“Who does?” she smiled.
“Come on in,” Mike said.
Mike and Nelson sat on the couch while Anne put together a package downstairs. Mike unhooked his tool belt to get a little more comfortable and laid it next to the plywood on the floor.
“Been busy today?” Nelson asked pointing at the plywood.
“A little,” Mike said.
“You know if you’re working on any projects around the house I’d be happy to help. It’s the least I could do. I used to be a foreman before I met Katie—”
Nelson’s throat caught at the sound of his wife’s name.
“Sorry,” he said.
“How long were you a foreman?” Mike asked.
“Five years, but I was doing construction since I was eighteen. Never really thought I was the college type, so I got the first job I could after high school and just worked my way up.”
“I had no idea.”
“Most people don’t. I miss it some days, but most days I don’t. Seeing you covered from head to toe in sweat and sawdust doesn’t bring back any fond memories.”
“Yeah, I’d love to take a shower.”
“No water pressure?”
“Not anymore.”
“I might be able to help with that.”
Mike took him downstairs to the water heater and they located the water pressure regulator. Nelson took a look at the configuration of pipes, gauges, and valves spread around the basement.
“The water pressure coming into the house from outside is more powerful than most homes need, so contractors use a pressure valve to decrease the water flow coming through the pipes. If I open up the pressure on the house’s end it should squeeze out more pressure for another shower or two.”
Nelson opened the valve up and the pipes hissed and rattled from the water rushing through.
“That should give you a little modern comfort. For a while at least,” Nelson said.
“Thanks, Nelson.”
Anne met them back upstairs with a bag of canned goods: corn, peaches, green beans, and beef.
“I can’t thank you two enough,” Nelson said.
“It’s our pleasure,” Anne said.
Nelson left and Mike headed upstairs. He knocked on Kalen’s door. She cracked it open.
“What?” she asked.
“Oh, nothing. I just wanted to see if you should take the first shower, but if you’re busy…”
The door flew open and she nearly knocked him down on her way to the bathroom.
“Are you serious?” she screamed.
“Hold on. Make sure you have everything ready before you turn it on. And be quick. I’m not sure how long it’s going to last.”
“Dad, you’re amazing.”
She ran back over to him and wrapped her arms around him. When she dug her face into his chest she pulled back.
“And you smell terrible.”
“I know, so make it quick, huh? I’d like to take one too,”
“You can have my shower time, Dad!” Freddy screamed from his bedroom across the hall.
“Thanks, buddy,” Mike called.
Day Five
At least ten families crammed into the living room. Most of them stood, while a few others sat stiffly on couches and chairs. Ted Beachum stood at the front of the living room. He paced back and forth in front of his audience rubbing his hands together, searching for words.
“I think it’s safe to say that the power’s not coming back on, and nobody’s coming to help. It’s time we get organized,” Ted said.
Heads nodded in agreement with the exception of one. Ray Gears stood silent in the back corner.
“We need to pull everyone’s resources on the block and see who has what to offer. From there we’ll divide it up based on the size of each family and their needs,” Ted said.
Bessie Beachum, Ted’s wife, came up behind him. She placed her hand on his back. She was a woman who was always well groomed, meticulous about her entire appearance, but the past five days had left stray hairs sticking out and old makeup flaking off her cheeks. The tired bags under her eyes aged her and the attempt to re-apply the blush in her cheeks was the equivalent of trying to hide an ugly picture in a beautiful frame.
“There are some people in this neighborhood that had no idea that this could happen. How were we supposed to prepare for something like this? How were we supposed to know this would happen?” she asked.
“Nobody could have known,” a woman cried.
“Exactly. These are circumstances that are beyond our control, so the only way to survive now is by whatever means are necessary,” Bessie said.
“And who will decide what means to use on whom?” Ray asked.
Everyone in the room turned to look at Ray, who was leaning against the back wall of the living room with his hands in his pockets.
“The neighborhood will,” Bessie replied.
“The neighborhood?” Ray asked.
“It’s the only way we’ll survive this, Ray,” Ted said.
Ray rocked his chin in his hand, mulling the response over.
“Well, if it’s the neighborhood that’s deciding, I think we’re missing a few members aren’t we?” Ray asked.
Most of the neighbor’s faces wore looks of surprise and innocent ignorance, but out of all the faces Ray watched Bessie’s was the one that frightened him most.
“We extended the invitation for everyone to come. I can’t force everyone to be a part of this,” Bessie said.
“You can’t force people to be a part of your community of help and survival, but you can force people to give you the supplies to keep it going?” Ray asked.
The heads in the room were swiveling back and forth from Ray to Bessie. Even Ted’s face went back and forth. They were all searching for some unnamed enemy to point their fingers at, but the real enemy was their own ignorance. And they knew it.
“I’m sure that those who see someone in need will be more than willing to participate if they’re able to,” Bessie replied.
“Just like any good Samaritan would,” Ray said.
“Now, why don’t we start with everyone that’s already here?” Ted asked. “Bessie and I will head over to everyone’s house for an inventory check and see what we have, and then divide it up amongst ourselves. Then we can spread out to the other houses and see if they want to join in. Tim, we’ll start with your place.”
The crowd dispersed and headed back to their homes. Ray was the only one that didn’t go home. His feet took him to Mike’s house.
Mike smacked the last nail in place for the upstairs bedroom window. He brushed some of the plaster off the bed that had fallen from the wall and stood back to examine his work. He worried that the nails wouldn’t be strong enough to hold the plywood in place covering the windows if someone wanted to force their way in, but he did the best he could. At the very least it would give him and his family time to escape.
He gathered up his nails when he heard muffled voices coming from downstairs. When Mike walked over to the stairs, he saw Ray and Anne in the foyer below.
“It happened today? Bessie told me that it was tomorrow,” Anne said.
“Mike, we need to talk,” Ray said.
The three of them sat in the living room and were joined by Ulysses. Ray recounted what had happened at the meeting at the Beachums’.
“So, what? They’re going to try and steal our supplies if we don’t hand them over?” Anne asked.