The Gatherings by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

Snowed in

Winter is here in full force. This is the time that all outside our family must fend for themselves. The wood will last but the just in case extras are in the smoke house. The meat that was in there is in the storage area.

The wonderful thing about our home is that once the rock is warmed, it does not need that much to keep it warm in here.

Sharon is much better and she really is fitting in. It turns out that she likes to sew. Her sewing machine was part of what came back to here along with most of the bolts of cloth. She has taken most of those airline comfort blankets and made each of us warm pajamas. Her reasoning is that we can really use them under our clothes as extra insulation when we go out into the cold.

There has been no hint of hostility from her for shooting her husband or the stir I caused in retrieving her things. Speaking of that, is seems that her husband did get boxes of thirty six bars of soap but it appears that the ones he removed, he was going to sell in the spring as loose bars.

He was not the brightest bulb in the box. After cheating in the fall, wouldn’t you realize you would be exposed in the spring?

I digress, those extras are now in our inventory. Sharon has been offered and has accepted our offer to permanently stay here so she told us that what was brought back was in the family inventory. That really was a boost. It more than made up for the addition of an extra person.

We had made her a walled off bedroom abutting Chelsea’s room. I looked at Korry and we both realized that he and I know where we sit in the bedroom ranks. It was then that I really got a brilliant idea. What happens to heat?

I was looking up and saw all that wasted space above us. We have all the lumber that was stored. With Sharons new room being one end support, we made another end support. I have the rafters that were salvaged from my cabin and more plywood that I had for projects I was going to build in the future. There is now a sleeping loft in this portion of the cavern. Our sleeping pods were taken apart and used up there. There was a partition so, in effect we now had our own rooms. They were almost too warm but we loved it.

Sure enough, others wanted to move to the warmer climate but the two of us stood our ground. Chelsea was again the one to make simple things complicated. Usually that would be the other way around but.

She casually said that Sharon and I could have her room. Korry could have Sharons room and Chelsea would graciously suffer in the loft. Three times the room, wait Sharon and I? I could see Sharon looking both embarrassed and cross at the same time. I think she said something that Chelsea was not supposed to mention.

I do see a look on Chelsea’s face and her mother giving her that look that is telling her to get her ass down here. There now is an emergency women’s meeting. I feel that she spilled the beans but I will play the thick headed male. They will buy that because I am a thick headed male.

I do find Sharon a very attractive woman but I never figured that I could approach. After all, I am the one that executed her husband. She said that they grew up together. I ended that. I now must come to grips that I may need to sit down with her in private and have an in depth discussion between the widow and the executioner.

Almost a week has gone by since the inadvertent slip of the tongue. The three women are now just making pleasant talk in my presence. Not really looking at me direct. There is only so much I can take of this before I go stir crazy. I need to act.

I look out the sky light opening and see that it is clear out. I stick my head out the door and find that it is not that cold. I would guestimate it to be in the midthirties Fahrenheit so I decide that this needs to end.

“Sharon, put on your coat and let’s take a walk. We need to talk.” I start for the door as if it was the order that it was. I wait outside but only for a minute or two then she comes out. I start down the hill but she is following behind.

“Please, lets walk side by side. We need to talk, or should I say, I need to talk and you need to listen. Then I’ll listen to you.”

She knows and she comes beside me as we walk. I am silent until we reach the field where the gathering took place.

“I need to tell you that I do see you as a very attractive woman. Pleasant to talk with until Chelsea said what she said. Until then, I never entertained anything but the cordial relationship we had.

As you know, I am the one who made the final judgment on your husband. I was the one that executed him. I was the one that went to your home and confronted those men who cast you out to die. I am the one responsible for one that has a limp and one with half a leg.

With that, I never thought I could be a real part of your life. I did what I had to do in both cases. I do not have any remorse in either case. I do have deep down feelings for you but this is the baggage I carry. I am not heartless but I will do what I need to do. I did not have Jonus or Korry do those punishments because I will bear the responsibility because this is my land.”

She is silent. For a moment I think that I may have over stepped the boundaries. Opened wounds and poured salt in them. Then she looked at me directly in my eyes.

“I do not hold you responsible for my husband’s death. As far as I am concerned, he committed suicide. He knew what the risk was but he had done the same thing before the world went to hell. On line shopping, he would sell things that he knew were stolen. Take the soap shortage. On line he would picture those thirty six bars but in the area of the page towards the bottom in small print, he would state twelve bars for the price. People would complain but it would be shown the ad does say twelve. That is the man he turned into when he was fired from his job for skipping work too often. I loved him, still do in a way but that is the childhood sweet heart that I love. He was a cheat and a crook. As far as those who drove me out, they really were in on it with him. They saw an opportunity with him being shot to take what he had. When I would not play the whore for them, they took all and left me to die in the wilderness.

What I need to tell you and myself is that was then and this is a very new chance for the both of us to live again. Hector, I do love you and see us being together. Could we take it a step at a time? A step away from those pasts we have.

I understand that you may need to make decisions that effect this community but I do see you as fair. Do what you need to do and I will do what I need to do.”

She grabs me, kisses me then runs back to the home. She is inside before I take a step. That is how long it took me to realize that I was just kissed. It took the start of the new snow to start me walking back up the hill.

Now in the home, Susan is nowhere to be seen. I suppose that she is in her room. Mother and daughter do not know what was said but evidently they could read Sharon’s face. It was not so much red from the cold but it was like a school girl that just was told something very good.

Sharon came out for a meal but would not meet my eyes. This time it was Calest that talked but not in words but she had the book I showed them after the first couple of days. That book about native American Indian’s way of life.

Now she speaks. “This new world does not have the same rules that the old one had. I declare that you two will be mates. Now work at it or you both will be in more trouble with the two other women in this cave!” Jonus and Korry only do a cave man grunt then ran.

I think that it was planned because now Sharon and I are alone while we hear them being chased in the other cavern. “Since we have been declared mates, I need to say I welcome you as my mate but would you mind that we just talk at first, then as private as a cave full of peoples can do, really get to know each other.”

“So you would like to take this slow but in a positive way like I said to you in our talk?”

“Exactly, I don’t want a night of passion and then find that this is all we have. You are not too far off being made a widow of your childhood life. You yourself said that. I want to get to know you for you and you need to see me more to see if this is just a rebound. I do feel that this is right because I do think that we could have a very good relation. We need to take it slow.”

“Any slower and you would be passed by a snail.” We hear coming from the other cavern. Then we heard.

“Chelsea, eaves dropping is not right” Calest tells her.

I tell both women to come out then add, “Jonus and Korry, I know that you also are there. You are setting a bad example for all of us. Come on in here and face us. Tell us what you think we need to do. Meddling is not a punishable crime, yet.”

The four come out and we explain that we need to find out for ourselves what we truly feel. Sharon asks Jonus and Calest about how long from the time they met until they got married.

Jonus said that they officially started dating when he was a month away from graduating high school. He went into the service that fall. Got engaged after boot camp and they were married in the next summer.

Sharon then said, “Can you let us have until spring? We will set the time at the spring gathering. Even if no one comes, we will make sure that you will know first.”

Reluctantly they agree.

Jonus tossed out something. “What are you going to tell the group if you decide to marry?”

“I will tell them directly that this has nothing to do with the last gathering and the town incident. If they need to know, Sharon did nothing except try to live in the wilderness and we found each other.”

Why do the three women look like they are having a good dream or reading a romantic passage in a book? All I said was the truth. Jonus and Korry are just looking at me. I’m not a sage you know. I just said what is the truth. Wait, thinking about it. Oh shit. I am on the hook and being landed. Not that I mind.

The winter was a little less than previous winters. That may be because of the fact that we were comfortable in our rock home. Maybe it was because Sharon and I have really gotten to know each other. Cave courting seems to have its effect on us.

We are not quite at the point of sharing a room but I do feel that the spring gathering will be that moment in time that feels right. I can tell the Sharon feels the same.

Sharon has really fitted right in with our family. Always helping, we can tell the she still has some down times where she is struggling. After all, spring is on its way. It has been only a few months ago that she became a widow at my hands.

That feeling that I have on that may never go away but it is forced to live in the backwater area of my mind.

It is warmer outside so we have opened the smoke vent back to the look out and the door is opened every good day. This home needs to air out. The stream and our bodies create a very damp feeling when it is closed up.

That is something that has been discussed this winter. Jonus has an idea on how to remedy that. He does have enough good seasons to work on that.

It was what should be mid April. We had almost given up on the spring gathering when a group show up at our door. This time they actually come up to us without waiting to be invited.

As always, not a single person steps outside that door without a side arm strapped to their body. These people coming up seem to have deliberately left theirs somewhere below.

We greet them cordially. Then they talk.

“Since the incident in early winter, we have had discussions. There have been losses over the winter. The man, who’s leg was amputated took his own life midwinter. Others died from the elements.

We were wondering if you were going to host the spring gathering or did those men sour our chances. Spring is here and we all need things especially some of the ribs and such from that plane, That is to be able to do some plowing to plant gardens. We do have those IOU’s to honor.”

I stop him there. “As far as the spring gathering, the field is still a little spongy. It should be ready in a few weeks. Let’s say in two weeks. As far as the plane, to tell the truth, we are tired of seeing it. You can have at it free of trade. Call it a community donation that will help with the payment of the IOU’s.”

They never expected that. The way they asked showed that they knew that those three may have ruined a good thing.

I need to say one thing. “The same rule applies about those lapses in common sense. I do not think that I have to elaborate. There will be a new rule. No sealed box trades. Quantity stated and verified.”

Now for what they do not expect. This will be what shows that we are still fair. “How are your people fairing? Are there some families that seem to be on starvation rations?”

They tell me that only the wife of the one that committed suicide is like that. “We have been helping her as much as we can but we are low also.”

I have mine get some meat and such. They come out with four loaded boxes of everything. Korry gives them the sleds to be able to drag the boxes back. We tell them to make sure that she gets enough to help her.

“Please have her help in your fields for the part of the crop. If you do that, the IOU’s have been redeemed. This food is a gift to your community. A recompense for the kindness you have shown to her.”

They do not know what to say other than it will be done. Just thanks. They leave telling us that they will be back with a crew to dismantle the rest of the plane.

After they have left, we talked about the woman. It was a mutual decision the she needed to be supported by that group. We have enough room for us and that store room. Anymore and we would be crowded.

I look at the two now fully adults by the new standards and tell them that we may need to probe that crack at the back of the second cavern. “Who knows, this may just be a cave system. That would allow a few more people here. If there is not, we will need to scavenge more lumber and make a full second floor in both caverns.”

That sparked an interest in both Korry and Chelsea. Jonus and I had discussed that very thing. We decided to find a few homes that had no one in the neighborhood. They would be dismantled for the good wood to make second floors here.

Sharon and I now are together. We have decided that we will say nothing to the gathering but will wait until it is over. Then, despite the edict that Calest declared, we will openly state to the four that we now are mates and I will move into her room.

I did decide that Chelsea would have my portion of the loft. I may want to knock a hole between her rock room and the constructed one. Maybe we will do like Jonus and Calest. Only on that new second floor. Let the potential new young couples sleep in the first cavern.

We hunted for more deer meat but this time of year, the doe are not hunted. Only bucks and then not the ones that were harem masters. Some of the young bucks will do. Again we smoke but last minute kills for those who want fresh.

This year, Korry has made live traps. He now has a lot of rabbits and game birds for our trade. The biggest thing is that he has four turkeys. Only three will be for trade. The other has met his fate and is in the freezer for a spring dinner date on a warm day. Slow roasting over an open fire.

This time all know. The word has spread. No closed boxes. We patrol the venders. A few did not get the word but as soon as they set up, the ones on their sides told them of the rule and what happened last fall.

When I walked the area, I did see boxes but they were empty beside the trade items. I will say that I did trade for a box of fantasy books. There were twenty paperbacks in very good condition. I was more than happy to trade four pounds of meat.

Korry made a killing. The turkeys went to one person and we were delighted. He got two hens and a rooster from that one as trade. All of age to start laying. I would have traded all we had for more but that one was quickly sold out.

We will have eggs. One laid a day, two hens, it will be hard not to cook but the bigger thing is that we need to let them reproduce. Forfeit a few eggs now and have a flock later . Then there will be more eggs then we can eat.

It is the consensus that we will offer sets to the locals as a gesture of good will. Only after we have enough layers. I wonder if we could make a good breakfast sausage from deer meat. We need to try this over the summer. If they work out, an item for that fall gathering.

The gathering went well. We made it known that this will be regular now. The same approximate times in the spring and fall. A summer may be possible but people will be busy making ready for winter.

Now all know that spring summer and fall are all to get ready for winter.

Korry is now very handy with his side talents. He surprised us when he had made a checker board set out of scrap wood that was left of the cabin. Those pieces that were smashed, he was able to make pieces and the board.

He is going to make as many as he can in his spare time to trade in the fall. We help him when we went out to tear down some of the abandoned houses. We scavenged every item that was good for trade but for Korry, we took every wooden pole we found in the houses. There were a lot of wooden TV trays brought back. Easy to make the boards. Collapsible for storage.

We have now more than enough to make that second floor in the second cavern. Josh and Calest want to move up there also. Why not. Sharon and I are going to move up there.

That will be a relief to Chelsea. She will not hear us, that much.