In the Midst of Tribulation (24 page)

Heading into the house, Jay and Susan discussed different methods of cooking. Frankie led the others over to several of the slower moving goats whose udders were hanging low. The lessons were smelly and hilarious but in the end, they had two buckets of milk.
Cody and Carol carried the buckets into the kitchen. "How do you make cheese?"
"It's pretty easy," said Jay as she put a cooking pot on the stove and then bent down to stir the embers to life. Walking over to the kitchen door she pulled out a couple of pieces of firewood off the stack and slid them into the firebox. She opened up the baffles, so there was a lot of air movement to help the fire build.
"Pour the milk into the pot," she directed. "We're going to heat the milk until it almost boils. This pasteurization will make sure that the finished cheese won't kill us." Handing over a wooden spoon, she told Carol to stir. "Keep stirring. Once it comes close to bubbles, we need to take it off the fire."
"Cody, there's a bottle of vinegar in the pantry. Please get it."
He walked in and then leaned back out the door. "White or apple cider?"
"The white is fine."
"What do you need that for?"
"We need to curdle the milk. The chemical reaction will cause the milk to separate into curds and whey."
"Like the rhyme?"
"Unlike Little Miss Moppet, we don't eat the whey. We'll pour it into a strainer to drain it really well. Then we'll have to squeeze it to make sure all the liquid is gone."
"Then we can eat it?"
"Well, it needs to sit for a few days to age but then, yes, it's cheese."
"What do you do with the liquid?"
"I pour the whey over the dog's food. It's high in protein and good for them."
"I think the goats are cute," Eva announced. "Can we keep a couple?"
"It's not that easy." Jay stirred the mixture. "Right now, Frankie comes when we need him. If we had the goats, he'd be out of job. We'd also have to maintain them-they can forage but we'd have to keep them away from all the herbs and plants we want to eat."
Susan leaned against the counter. "I think we should get some kind of domesticated animal."
"As long as I don't have to take care of them. I hate milking anything."
"Don't worry, Jay. We'll do the hard stuff."
"So, what are our choices?" asked Piper.
"Chickens, pigs, goats…" Martha ticked them off on her fingers. "Any suggestions?"
"Didn't we discuss this before?" She sighed. "You should probably start easy with chickens and work your way up the food chain. You've got to remember that what ever we raise, we have to feed, too."
Jay turned the stirring over to Cody. "Consider what kind of roost or living arrangement you want to set up and we can bring down a couple of more trees. We could build what we needed after winter and then go down to the city at the next Trade festival and see what we can find."
"Cool," the three teenagers enthused.
"Yeah, you say that now," she grumbled.
"Jay, don't be such a stick in the mud." Susan said as she began to set up the kitchen for fixing dinner. "We already agreed that we'd take care of the extra work. Now, I need someone to go and get me some lemons."
Eva and Carol got the task and they left Cody to watch over the pot of curdling milk. He was looking rather queasy from the smell by the time the mixture was ready for cooling.
The group gathered for dinner on the patio. Piper and Martha had made a long table and two benches from one of the trees they had brought down. Now, there was room for everyone and all the food around the table.
The cedar plank with the fish took the center place. There was a large bowl of rice and steamed carrots. For a change of pace, Jay had made cornbread. Conversation flowed with the light, white wine and mint tea.
Frankie shared the stories of the other families on his route around the valley. It was good to hear that there were others who had been able to carve out a living out of the post apocalypse world.
The group also learned that there was a plan afoot to create a school for all the children in the several square miles that make up their area. While the kids were not too happy with the news, Susan was especially pleased. She wanted her remaining daughter and son to grow up with some semblance of normalcy.
"I think it's a great idea. You'll be able to interact with people your own age."
"We're doing fine. The three of us are plenty."
"But you need more than what we can give you." Susan looked meaningfully at Martha. When her partner did not respond, she kicked her."
Grimacing, Martha agreed. "There is also stuff you need to learn that we can't teach you."
"Like what?" Cody challenged. "I bet you guys know everything."
"Flattering but no." Piper laid her hands flat on the table. "If we are to rebuild the world, we can't afford to lose any knowledge. There are many subjects I'm not familiar with. Biology, genetics, physics. Frankly, most of the sciences are beyond me. So many revolutionary discoveries have happened to increase our knowledge of the world we live within. To lose that knowledge would be a greatest loss the planet could endure."
Susan squeezed Piper's hand. "I have to agree. I reiterate that we should each write down what we can offer." She looked at Frankie. "Would you be willing to take the list with you and give it to those organizing the school?"
"Not a problem. I'm glad to see that you are taking an interest outside your clan." He pointed at Jay. "I know you and Harmony did a lot for the others. I'm pleased that those you've vouched for are like you."
"God forbid they be too much like me."
"Yes," he laughed. "That would be a problem only a god could solve." He pushed back his plate. "That was a delicious meal. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Susan answered.
Martha asked, "What are you doing next?"
"Well, I'm going to finish this mountain. I'll be seeing your neighbors next and should be ready to head back home very soon."
"Where do you live," Eva asked.
"Just across the valley. From your mountain top, you can sometimes see the evening campfires." He looked around at the cohesive unit and grimaced ruefully. "Seeing all your smiling faces lets me know that it is past time for me to see my wife again."
"Why doesn't she travel with you?"
"Because she and the rest of my clan work have to get ready for winter." He waved his hand around the grounds. "Firewood to be cut, food to set up for winter, everything that you've been doing."
"But aren't you lonely?"
"Not with my goats."
Jay laughed. "That's way more information that I wanted to know about you."
"Get you mind out of the garden. Those wee beasties are my friends."
"Friends?"
"Yeah. They've got personalities."
"But they can't be good conversationalists."
"Well, maybe not. However, they lack the capacity to lie and on that note alone I'd rather have them then most of the folks I've ever met."
Piper raised her glass. "Hear, hear."
"Present company excluded, of course."
Jay inclined her head in acknowledgement. "I'm sure that we take no offense. Now, did you want to clean up before heading to bed?"
Piper nodded enthusiastically. She knew that she would be sharing the living room that evening.
Laughing, Frankie agreed. "I'd be a fool not to take advantage of the hot water I know you have."
That night, he unrolled his sleeping bag in the living room to sleep inside for the first time in a week. He usually preferred to sleep outside with his goats. He trusted Jay's dogs enough to watch over the small herd.
His sleep left him in a good mood. Jay noticed and led the negotiation for one of the elder goats that was too old to make the trek back across the valley or through another winter. Parting with several quarts of honey, some dried fish and some of the nails that Josh had given them, they received in return a change to their diet.
He packed everything carefully in his cart and harnessed two of the goats to pull. He rang his bell to signal the herd that it was time to move along. "You need to tie that one up or Sammy will find a way to follow." He dashed a tear from his eye. He hated when it was time to part with any member of his herd but the barter was too good to pass up.
Cody tied their new goat to one of the trees. The old male bleated plaintive for several hours after all of his fellows left him behind. They endured two days of this before Piper announced that it was time to silence it forever.
The teenagers and Susan were in tears at the thought of butchering the animal.
"I told you all not to make a pet of it."
"But he's so cute." Carol batted her eyes at her stepmother. "Please, can't we keep him?"
"No. We got him for food and food it what he'll be." Piper was adamant.
Jay glanced at Martha. "Look, raised voices and tempers aren't going to solve anything. It's past time we went foraging for mushrooms. How about we make a trek up the mountain today and things might look better afterwards." She winked at Piper.
Swiping a finger across her nose, Piper agreed. "Why don't you all go? I've got some clothes to repair and I could use the break."
"If you're sure you'll be fine here alone?" Martha smiled and grabbed up a couple of wicker baskets. "That's settled then. Shall we take off?"
"Don't we need to pack a snack or anything?" asked Susan.
"We just need a distraction. We won't be out that long." Saying this, Jay and Martha led the small group up the path to the best fungus foraging area.
The distraction was not the solution that she had anticipated. The returning fungus hunters all screamed when they returned to see the corpse hanging from a tree. Stripped of its hide, it hung in an inverted Y from its hind legs.
Piper raised her arms in confusion in the face of the hysteria. "What? What did I do wrong?"
No one would speak to her as they walked past her into the house.
Martha clapped her sympathetically on the shoulder. "Sorry, buddy."
"You knew this was going to happen?"
"I was afraid that whoever did the deed would be in the dog house. I'm sorry I was right but I'm not sorry that it's not me getting the silent treatment."
"Great." Piper crossed her arms. "So, what do I do now?"
"Nothing. Just wait it out."
Jay agreed. "Yeah. They'll grow of it eventually."
"This is perfect. I'm destined to be the group pariah."
"Probably only until we roast that baby and serve him. Satisfied stomachs will go a long way toward forgiveness." Martha grinned at Jay and walked into the house with her, leaving Piper to sulk alone in the yard with her kill.
Chapter Twenty One - Follow On
Down in the valley with my Savior I would go,
Where the storms are sweeping and the dark waters flow;
With His hand to lead me I will never, never fear,
Danger cannot fright me if my Lord is near.
Words: William O. Cushing, 1878. Music: Robert Lowry, 1880
Almost two weeks from the day he left, Josh returned. Eva kept looking down the driveway to see if her mother had changed her mind and returned. When he gave her a small box, she burst into tears.
The rest of the group gathered around the cartload of supplies and helped to unload. Near the bottom, was a large envelope for Jay. While the rest of the household acted like children on Christmas morning, Jay walked away to open her mail in private.
She turned the brown paper wrapped package with her name and Trinity Mountain written on it over in her hands. Almost reluctantly, she opened it to find a notebook and two letters. She recognized the handwriting immediately. With her heart in her mouth, she walked to the small pond's dock and started to read. Just seeing the handwriting, made her feel faint. Sitting in a patch of sunlight, she read what Harmony had written:
Sweetheart,
You won't believe it but I made it. The trip was even worse than we'd feared. It took me forever to get down here-the Bay Area is bad but the whole area from San Jose to Santa Barbara is a wasteland. They've never recovered from the fires. I had a bit of trouble when I passed through Bakersfield but it turned out for the best-some guys who came to my aid told me about a whole bunch of UCLA folk that have set up a campus in Ventura. They've basically taken over the city and it's the first place I've been that has any real community feeling. It is a brave new world-sort of a mix of Plato's Republic and Walden 2. Take heart, my darling, the commune is alive and well in southern Cali. When I get back, I'd like to discuss starting our own.
I've been here a month and finally found friends that knew Tim. Last they knew he was heading south to San Diego to try to cross over to Mexico. Rumors are rife down here that Mexico is reopening the border for Californians. I'm going to follow this trail. I know I've been gone a while now but I'm so close. I can't stop now.
I see you in my dreams and can't wait until I can hold you again in my arms.
Your loving wife,
Harmony
Jay finished reading the letter and held it to her nose. She couldn't smell anything on it and she set it down and removed the second letter from the package. Carefully folding the letter from Harmony, she turned her attention to the other and read:
Jay,
You don't know me and I don't know what to say. I found this letter and diary in Harmony's stuff. She left it here when she went on to find Tim. I've giving it to a friend who's heading for Canada. I hope it reaches you.
I heard from a reliable source that she never made it through Los Angeles. We told her about the gangs but this is a bad time to try and make it the long way round. With no rain since January, there isn't any water. She didn't suffer, if that's what you're thinking. She went in a convoy that was hit by the Bloods. A stinger took out the bus near Compton. There were no survivors.
She spoke of you often and of how much she missed the mountain. I'm sending you the notebook; it seems to have been written for you. I hope you don't mind but I'm leaving the rest of her stuff in case Tim ever comes back. I figure her brother should inherit something.
Mark
Her eyes burned as she finished. Gripping the notebook so tightly that her fingers ached, she tried to remember how to breathe. In a despair so deep she could hardly see, Jay stumbled back to the house.
She made her way to the spiral staircase without running into anything. Suddenly dizzy, she gripped the railing tightly with both hands and doubled over.
"You okay?"
Turning towards Piper's voice, her eyes passed unseeing over the other woman. Unable to speak, she hung on, just staring blankly.
Piper and Eva looked at her and at one another. "Any ideas?" she asked the teenager. At the full body shrug, Piper got to her feet and moved closer to Jay. "What's happening?"