Another 20 Miles Page 5

  "You're pulling, Cam. It's not a pull. It's a squeeze." Elliott put a hand around each teat and deftly milked them into the bucket. Flossy continued to eat her grain nonplussed, now that the assault on her body had stopped. "You wrap your thumb and forefinger around the top close to the bag to trap the milk. Then squeeze it with the other fingers to bring the milk out. Like this." He leaned back so Cameron could see the form used. Cameron watched intently, brow furrowed in concentration.

  "Okay, let me try again, Pap," he said with determination. He started toward the table but Flossy remembered him as the bringer of pain and started dancing around nervously. Elliott patted her side and spoke softly to her.

  "Go slow, Cam. Until she knows you know what you're doing, she's going to be a little antsy. Talk softly to her and pet her first." Elliott said this in a soft even tone as he continued to gently rub her side. "It doesn't matter what you say, as long as you use her name and this kind of tone."

  Cameron nodded as he slowly approached. "Hey there, Flossy girl. Don't be a hater goat now. It's just you and me and your udders here, nothing to get excited about." He tried to match his grandfather's tone, and it seemed to be working. The goat was visibly calmer, though the other three men were snickering and snorting to hide their laughter. Cameron ignored them and continued talking nonsense as he inched closer to her. He ran his hand slowly down her side like he had watched Elliott do. When she stuck her head back in the feed trough, Cameron grinned. He sat down, took a deep breath, and placed his hand the way his grandfather had. When he squeezed, a stream of milk hit the bucket.

  "Woohoo!" he yelled, which spooked Flossy, who started dancing again. In a quieter voice, he said, "Oops. Sorry, Flossy girl. It's okay, eat your hay, we're gonna get you milked today. Hey, I'm a poet and I know it, and now I gotta show it." He said the last part in rhythm to the milking motion he had established. He continued enthusiastically for a couple of minutes then started slowing down. Suddenly, he cried out, "Ow! Cramp! Cramp in my hand!" which got Aaron and Ethan laughing again. Elliott gave them the stink eye and they quieted down.

  "You can get over here and take your turn now, Aaron. You need to learn, too." He went to Cameron and said, "Great job, Cam. It will take a few days for your hands to get used to the positions. Just stretch your fingers out straight as wide as you can and hold your hand that way until the cramps go away."

  Both boys did as they were told. Aaron's first few botched attempts had Flossy fussing again. He pulled the bucket out from under her a second before she could stick her foot in it. The milk inside sloshed a bit with the sudden movement; some landed on the ground, some on Aaron's pants.

  "Oh, man! It spilled on my jeans! How am I gonna wash them? Milk smells terrible when it gets left out of the fridge, but the washing machine won't work." He was using his coat sleeve to try to wipe the milk off his leg. Now it was Cameron's turn to laugh.

  "Ha! Not so easy, is it? At least I didn't make a mess."

  Elliott handed Aaron an old towel that was hanging on the wall. "We'll work on the laundry later. Right now, wipe it off your coat and let's get finished. Watch me again."

  It took them close to an hour to finally get the goat milked, which didn't set well with Flossy at all. When she was finally released from the stanchion, she bleated loudly, pooped at their feet, and walked off. They watched as she went to her stall.

  "I think we were just dissed by a goat," Ethan commented. They all snickered, including Aaron. Elliott picked up the bucket and handed it to his son.

  "Don't think you're getting out of all the work because you're sick. Let's get this milk to the house and get it strained. Seems our next lesson for today is going to be how to wash clothes by hand." He started toward the house.

  Following behind his grandfather, Cameron said, "Nope, not fun at all."

  Chapter 7

  The knocking on the front door woke Joel and Carly. Will was still dead to the world, having gone about forty hours without sleep. Carly sat up, wrapped the blanket around her, and was headed for the door when Joel called out softly to her.

  "See who it is before you open the door," he said. She nodded as she padded across the floor in her sock feet.

  She looked out the peep hole and turned back to her father. She mouthed, "Beth," and rolled her eyes skyward. Joel shook his head.

  "Not surprised. Let me get it, honey. I'm sure she wants help with something. Again." He stood up, slipped his house shoes on, and joined her at the door. He opened it and peered out at his needy neighbor in the dawning light. She had a winter coat pulled as tightly as she could around her and was still shivering. She looked very disheveled and like she hadn't slept. Her eyes grew wide at the sound of the door opening.

  "Oh, Joel, good morning. Did I wake you? I'm sorry to come over so early; it's just so cold in my house. I never did get out to look for limbs in the yard, and the fire went out last night. Could I come in and warm up for a minute?" Joel hesitated, but Lauri was coming around the corner from her bedroom just then.

  "I thought I heard someone at the door. Joel, please show Beth in. I'll have some coffee made in just a few minutes." She proceeded to the kitchen where she turned the faucet on to get water for the coffee. Nothing happened.

  "Joel, honey, the water isn't working," she called out. "Do you think the pipes are frozen since it's been so cold and we haven't been able to heat the house?"

  Joel closed the door behind Beth. Upon hearing what his wife had just told him, he hung his head and said, "No, I think the water is gone now, too."

  Beth's eyes grew wide. "What? The power and the water don't work? The water was working fine. Has something else happened that broke the water?" They could hear the fear in her raised voice, which woke Will up. He sat up and looked around bleary-eyed.

  "What's going on? Is it morning already? I feel like I just laid down." He rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair, which was sticking up all over his head. Carly barked out a laugh at him.

  "Your hair looks like you stuck your finger in a light socket. Well, not a present-day light socket. But definitely a day-before-yesterday light socket. You might want to take a look at that before Amanda gets up and sees your morning do."

  As if on cue, they heard from the hallway, "Too late! I can't wait to see this." She hurried into the living room, took one look at Will, and started giggling. Will covered his head with the blanket.

  "Oh god — you're a morning person, aren't you?"

  With a grin she replied, "Yep. It is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the day. Everything is just waking up, it's bright and fresh …" Her voice trailed off, as if she were imagining the scene and enjoying it in her mind.

  Will groaned. "Great. I work nights and don't usually get to bed until four or five in the morning. Well, I used to do that. I guess I'll be getting into a new routine now." He stood up and saw Beth standing there staring at him. He didn't know why until he realized he was clad only in his thermal underwear. He snatched the blanket up and wrapped it around him. "Sorry, I didn't know there was anyone else here. Excuse me." As he started down the hall, Joel called out to him.

  "If you're going to pee, don't flush. No water."

  Beth gasped. "That's a bit crude, Joel. There are ladies present."

  Joel laughed sarcastically. "If the worst thing you had to deal with going forward is the word 'pee', Beth, life would be great. That will probably be the least offensive thing."

  Lauri came in with the coffee pot and set it on the camp stove still sitting on the hearth. Once she had it heating, she turned to Carly.

  "Carly, let's fold these blankets up so we can use the sofa. Beth, give us just a sec and then we'll sit down here in front of the fire. The coffee will be ready in a few minutes." Carly helped her mother fold the bedding and set it in the corner. When they were done, Lauri motioned for Beth to join them. Beth hurried in and stood in front of the fire for a bit before sitting down. The coffee was bubbling into the percolator top, so Lauri turne
d it down a bit before sitting, herself. Turning to her neighbor, she said, "Feeling better? Getting warm?"

  Beth nodded and smiled. "Yes, thank you, Lauri. I must admit, I'm envious of how well you all are handling this crisis. I can't do anything at my house. I was able to boil a can of soup on my grill last night. But I have no heat, now no water, and almost no food. I … I don't know what I'm going to do."

  Beth started sobbing. Lauri wrapped an arm around her and held her while she cried. She spied Joel behind them, motioning for her to come with him. She patted Beth on the shoulder and said, "There, there now. You just sit here and relax. I'm going to go get some cups and things for the coffee. I'll be back in a minute."

  Lauri went to the kitchen where her husband was waiting for her. He took her by the hand and led her out to the garage. Closing the door behind them, he looked at her and said, "Lauri, we can't take her in."

  "I wasn't thinking that. I was just —"

  "Don't try to deny it. I can tell by the look on your face that's exactly what you were trying to work out in your head. We can't help everybody."

  Lauri put her hands on her hips. "So, we don't help anybody? That's not the kind of person I am, Joel, and you know it. I can't sit by and watch our neighbors freeze or starve. We have room. We have food. We should help others if we can."

  "Then will we be taking Chris and Julie in tomorrow? How about if Jack and Margie and their kids show up the day after that? Or would we draw the line at Chris and Julie and turn down a family with little kids and tell them 'Sorry, the others were here first' and send them away? Because we absolutely do not have room for all of them. Is Beth more deserving of our help than innocent children? You'll have to decide where you will draw the line, Lauri, because there will have to be one drawn."

  Lauri had wrapped her arms around herself as much for warmth as comfort. She looked pleadingly at her husband. "Then what do we do, Joel? We can't just selfishly lock ourselves in here with supplies that could help others while they starve or freeze to death right outside our door. What kind of person would do that?"

  Joel looked at her solemnly. "A survivor."

  She opened her mouth to say something then shut it. Finally, she said, "Fine, I won't invite her to stay, but I am giving her some food, and you need to show her how to purify water from the pond. Oh, and get her a new fire going. That's helping her, and I guess I'll have to settle for that at the moment."

  Joel leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You're a good woman, Lauri Chambers, and that sounds like a good plan, one we can use for all the neighbors. Maybe they'll be able to last a while after we're gone."

  Wide-eyed, Lauri replied, "Have you figured out a way to get us to Elliott and the boys?"

  "Not yet, but I will."

  Lauri grabbed mugs, sugar, and creamer and headed back to the living room. There seemed to be an awkward silence in the room, possibly caused by Beth being there. Will was stoking the fire, having tamed his locks in the bathroom, as the girls sat quietly watching. Lauri walked in and set the cups and condiments on the coffee table. She turned off the camp stove and picked up the pot.

  "Who wants coffee? Grab a mug." Everyone reached for a cup and held it up. Once they had their coffee, Joel addressed the group, particularly Beth.

  "We need to help our neighbors the best we can in this crisis." Lauri smiled at him. Beth beamed.

  "Oh, that's so awesome of you, Joel, Lauri. Really, I mean if we all work together, pool our resources, open our homes —"

  Joel interrupted her. "Let me finish. We're going to help you by giving you some of our home-canned goods. I think we can spare a few eggs. I'll get you another fire going, but you have to keep it fed. I'll also teach you how to make water from the pond down the road safe to drink. I'll teach you how to fish if you want to try that for a food source. That's what we can do to help you, Beth. We'll offer the same to our other neighbors."

  Beth looked shocked. "I don't understand. Are you saying you're sending me away? Surely you have room for one more here. I'm all alone at my house. There's no one to share the workload. I'd have to do everything by myself. How can I do all those things with no help?"

  "Have you met Chris and Julie Jackson across the street? There's just two of them. Maybe y'all could get together and work something out."

  "But I don't know them," Beth said in a whiny voice. "I know you all. I'd be more comfortable here, with you."

  Joel shook his head. "We aren't inviting you here, Beth. We already have a houseful. I'd suggest you go introduce yourself to them and start getting to know them. You're right, you probably can't do this alone. Joining forces with another couple is a good place to begin your new existence."

  She turned to Lauri, a pleading look on her face and tone in her voice. "Lauri, please, please don't turn me away. What if I died from exposure or starvation? You wouldn't want that on your conscience, would you?"

  Lauri started to speak, but Amanda blurted out, "How dare you! How dare you try to guilt this woman into doing something that is not in the best interest of her family just to serve your selfish desires. They've offered to help you in multiple ways. I'd think you'd be grateful for any help you could get at the moment."

  Beth stared at her. "Who are you? Why are you here? You aren't a part of this family. It looks like they've taken you in though. How fortunate for you. Easy to judge other people when you're warm and fed." She all but spat the words at Amanda.

  "Now wait just a damn minute!" Will stood up and started toward Beth. Joel stepped between them.

  "Beth, Amanda is a friend of Will's and, yes, we've invited her into our home. Honestly, it's none of your business who we have here. Now, do you want the help we're offering or not?"

  Beth opened her mouth to respond when there was a knock at the door. Carly stood up.

  "Wow, we are popular this morning. Wonder who it is this time?" she said as she headed for the door. Looking through the peep hole, she turned and said, "Speak of the devils. It's Chris and Julie. I think we may have a meet and greet now!" With a flourish, she opened the door. "Good morning! We assume you are looking for help of some kind. Please, come in."

  The Jacksons hesitated a moment at her flamboyant antics, then stepped through the door. They looked around the room as Carly closed the door behind them. Stepping around them, she motioned for them to follow her with a wave of her hand. "C'mon, don't be shy. Mom, is there more coffee?"

  Staying by the door, Chris said, "Um, hey, sorry if we're interrupting … we were just wondering if the offer was still open for the use of the chainsaw. Oh, and the lessons on how to use it."

  Joel raised an eyebrow at them. "I take it you decided those trees in your yard would better serve you as heat than landscaping then."

  Julie replied sheepishly, "We talked about it last night and we can see how this isn't just a regular power outage. Now the water is off, too. There's been no sign of any government or police. We could really use any assistance you could give us in what to do next."

  Lauri went to them and ushered them into the living room. "Come in, have a seat. Would you like some coffee?"

  "Oh my, yes," Julie said. "We only have our coffeemaker, you know, the kind that takes the cups. We haven't had coffee since Saturday."

  Lauri went to the kitchen and came back with two more cups. After filling them, she handed them to Chris and Julie. "Cream and sugar are there on the coffee table. I need to get another pot brewing. Be back in a sec."

  Julie called after her, "Is your water working?"

  Lauri stopped and turned around. "No, we have some we collected yesterday. Every available pot and jug in the kitchen are full." She smiled and continued on.

  "Wow. I wish we'd thought of that," Julie said quietly.

  Chris replied in a defensive tone, "Who knew this would happen? If we'd had some warning, maybe we could have planned for it. I mean, how could they not know something like this could happen? Then when it did, no one shows up to tell us what's going on and what
we should do now!"

  "Because they don't know either," Joel answered. "They never believed it could or would happen. Now that it has, they have no idea how they are going to fix it or how they are going to assist the three hundred million people in this country who now have no power, no water, and very soon, no food. I doubt there's going to be anyone showing up to help any time soon. We're going to have to help ourselves. First, I'd like to introduce everyone to each other."

  Joel introduced his family and Amanda. He saved Beth for last. "This is Beth Browning. She lives next door. Beth, this is Chris and Julie Jackson from across the street, the ones I was telling you about."

  They tentatively shook hands, then Chris looked at Joel. "What were you saying about us, Joel? Nothing bad I hope."

  "Not at all. I was saying that Beth should introduce herself to you two and possibly do some collaborating on resources and even living space. It would only take half as much wood to heat one place as it does for two." Joel watched and waited for their responses. Julie replied first.

  "You're suggesting we move in with a total stranger, or that she move in with us? No offense, Beth, but we don't know you or anything about you. I'm not sure that is an option."

  Beth nodded. "I agree and as much as told Joel that. I had hoped I might be able to stay here with them, but it seems they have a full house now." She gave Amanda a dirty look, who gave her a big toothy grin in response. Beth went on. "I'm by myself, and I don't really have much in the way of food and only a few bottles of water. I have no idea how I'm going to get through this. According to Carly over there, I'm going to die."