The Last Tribe (15 page)

The far room was carpeted and had several
sectional couches.  There was a large television mounted on a wall.  The
sectionals faced the television in a “U” formation.

“I bet this is an entertaining
floor, and that is not the main kitchen.  They must have parties on the back
porch and in the yard, and they use this entire basement as indoor party prep
and hosting.”  Rebecca concluded.  “Other than the wood room, this floor is
useless to us.  No fireplaces, no way to heat it.  It will be nice and cool in
the summer, but impossible to work with in the winter.”

“Okay, let’s move upstairs.”  Greg
responded.  He agreed with her assessment.  This floor was not suitable for
their needs.  He wondered if the entire house was too big for them.  It would
take too much wood to heat, and appeared to be built for entertaining more than
living through a tough winter without electricity and gas.

A set of stairs led to the main
level.  A window at the top led their way up and around a corner.  There was a
door at the top the stairs allowing the basement to be closed off from the rest
of the house.  On the other side of the door was a small landing with a half
bath.  Another four stairs led to the main foyer.  It was a large room at the
center of the house, similar to the large empty room in the basement.  The
entry room was designed for entertaining more than living.  Straight in front
of them was the front door.  Rebecca unlocked the door as Greg opened a door to
a small room on the right.  It was a study or den.  The small room had a
fireplace. 

An open arch to the right led into
a formal living room.  A similar archway on the left displayed the dining room
with table and chairs.  An open swinging door showed the main kitchen. 

Greg pointed down the formal living
room, “there is a fireplace, but it’s not useful.   The room is too big.”  The
first floor was bright from windows.  “The windows probably lose a lot of heat. 
This house is old, but I don’t think it was pre-coal furnace.  They obviously
didn’t rely on fireplaces to keep warm.”

Rebecca nodded in agreement.  She
walked through the living room to a door she noticed in the far corner.  It led
to the sunroom visible from the back yard.  Rebecca did not open the door, but
noticed a woodstove.

“It’s like this house has elements
of what we need, but its size disqualifies it.  There’s a woodstove, but it’s
outside, or basically outside.  We can’t waste wood to cook on it.”

She looked at the sun through a
large bay window in the living room.  “We don’t have much daylight.  This is our
house for now.  We make it work until we find something better.  We can put the
chickens in the garage, leave the cages for them to sleep in with hay, water,
whatever.  Let’s get a fire going in the little room, plan on sleeping in there
tonight.  We will use the fireplace cooking tools.”

“There has to be something
better.”  Greg told her.

“Well it’s after one thirty, Greg. 
We have a couple of hours of work no matter what house we find, and I don’t
want to work in the dark.  We have to get the chickens settled, a fire started,
food cooked, beds made.  One night or a week here won’t kill us.”  She stood at
the doorway to the study.

“Let’s move the furniture out, the
study furniture anyway, the desk, cabinets, etc…  We can leave the chairs.  I’m
going upstairs to find twin mattresses we can pull in for the evening.  I don’t
mind sleeping on the rug for one night, but I’d prefer a mattress or a couch. 
I doubt two couches will fit in here.  We can lean the mattresses against the
wall during the day.”

Rebecca worked the equation in her
mind.  They could make the house and room livable.  They had to for at least
one night.

“I vote to keep looking for a
different house.  We should stay near the pond.  We’ll give the chickens air
while we walk around to see if we can find a smaller home.”

Rebecca moved books and papers off
the desk into a chair, placing a desk lamp on top. She rolled the desk chair
passed him. 

“I know you’re disappointed.  I
know you want to look, but today is done.  I’m exhausted from driving.  We’ve
already lost a chicken.  We can’t risk getting caught in the dark without a
fire, beds, and food.  This will be fine if we move things out and find
mattresses.”  She left the chair in the dining room across the foyer.  “Can you
check the garage?  Maybe grab some wood from the basement?  I want this room
toasty, and I want the chickens out of the cages.”

Greg did not move.

Rebecca walked through the foyer to
a large set of stairs leading to the second floor.

“Hey, let’s move.”  She clapped her
hands.  “Grab me a power bar or pop tart or something too.  I’m starved.  We
have plenty of time to get our work done, but not if you are going to stand
there.”  She went up the stairs.

Greg nodded absently.  “This house
sucks.”  He said under his breath.  “I brought Rebecca up here for nothing.  My
family is dead.  We are further north.  Damn it.”

He heard a commotion before a
mattress appeared out of nowhere and landed at the bottom of the stairs. 
Rebecca threw a twin mattress over the top railing of the stairs.

“Grab that, will you?”  She yelled
from the second floor.  She paused.  “Greg?”

“Yeah, I got it.  And then I’ll be
outside with the chickens.” 

Greg pulled the mattress off the
stairs and into the study.  He moped out the front door towards the van and
chickens.  This was not how he envisioned his arrival in Hanover.  He expected
to find his family.  He expected the house to be perfect for surviving a New
England winter.  None of his hopes were becoming a reality.  “And I brought
Rebecca up here.”  He kept muttering.

Greg focused on his work.  He broke
into the locked garage by kicking the flimsy door.  It made him feel better to
kick and break something.  A sedan was parked in one side of the garage, but the
other side was an open bay and gave the chickens plenty of space.  He donned
his oven mitts and carried the chickens to their temporary home.  He spread
feed on the ground, filled their water dish, gave them freshly shredded paper,
and shut the broken door.

Rebecca packed several ‘day bags’ as
she called them.  She had a grocery bag with three days of food and essential
items like a pot, paper plates, plastic ware, soups, crackers, and tea bags. 
She did not want to waste precious time searching for things they needed the
first night.  She packed a quick bag of clothes, sleeping essentials, and additional
snacks.  Greg grabbed the overnight supplies, fatwood kindling to start a fire,
and walked back towards the front door. 

Rebecca pulled the desk a few
inches at a time out of the study and towards the dining room.  There was a
second mattress at the bottom of the stairs.

“Did you get the wood?”  She asked.

“Geesh, give me a minute.  I’ve
done everything else.”  He set the bags on the ground and helped her with the
desk.

At 4:30 the sun was behind the
mountains surrounding Hanover, and daylight was fading. The temporary study was
set up.  The fire cast warmth and light throughout the small room.  Unlike the
Concord house, where the living room was too large to adequately heat with a
single fireplace, the small study was toasty.

“I like it in here.”  Rebecca
said.  “It’s not perfect, but it’s cozy.”  She sat in one of the lounge chairs
they placed next to the fire.  A warm mug of soup rested between her hands. 
She sipped the broth before eating the noodles, chicken, and vegetables.

“I’m sorry I brought you up here.” 
Greg told her.  “This was a mistake.  I don’t know why I thought they were
alive.  You’re right, I’m being stupid, and I’m taking risks with both of our
lives.”

“Alive or not, I did not expect
your family to be here.  Your younger brother?” 

“Craig.”

“This may sound harsh, but your
father can’t risk his own life, your older brother’s life, and the life of a
young boy.  Coming up here for the winter?  Getting stuck in a snow storm in
New York or Boston?  It’s too risky.  He told you he’d be up in the spring
because it’s the safest time to travel.  Sit tight, Greg Dixon.  We’ll figure
out where to live.  Keep believing in your family, and I’ll keep us alive.”

“I believe you.”  Greg said softly.

“You believe they’re alive?”  She
asked.

“No.  I believe you can keep me
alive.”  He reached out and touched her hand.  “Thank you.” 

Rebecca felt her face grow hot as
she held Greg’s hand.  She hoped her palm was not too sweaty.  They sat by the
fire silently until she let go of his hand and went to her mattress to go to
sleep.

“What’s a coach house?” Rebecca
asked.  “Is that another made up Greg expression like catty corner?”

“No, Ms. ‘I grew up in a
subdivision.’  A coach house is a small house behind a larger residence, used
for servants or guests.  I bet we can find one around here that has a fireplace
or even a woodstove.  Coach houses are one room with maybe a separate bedroom. 
It would be tiny.  We could heat it with fire.”

“Lead the way.”  Rebecca said.

“Should we call this day one or day
two in Hanover?  I feel like this is day two, but we started in Concord
yesterday.”  Greg made idle chatter as they walked down Choate road towards the
pond at the end of the street.

“Day two, definitely day two.”  She
told him.  “I hope our chickens make it to day three.”  She found two more dead
chickens when she tried to collect eggs that morning.  Her coop of ten was down
to seven.  She consoled Greg by telling him she expected the chickens to die
during the winter anyway.  It was a white lie.  Greg was depressed enough about
not finding his family and the failed house.  He did not need to feel
responsible for dead chickens. 

They stood at the end of the street
and looked towards both sides of the water.  There were houses on the right
side of the pond but none on the left.  Houses on the left side were across a
street and up a hill.  It was a large pond, probably 300 or 400 yards from top
to bottom and 150 yards across. 

“I want to live on the water if
possible, not across the street.”  Greg pointed right and they walked towards the
homes with direct pond access.

They arrived at the previously
discussed catty corner.  Town was to the right, the medical school was in front
of them, and a road named “Rope Ferry,” stretched off to their left.  Greg and
Rebecca turned left and walked towards the first house. 

The first two homes they entered
were remodeled with large rooms, high ceilings, and open concepts.  The houses
were not designed for life without central heating or electricity. 

“I doubt any of these houses are
going to work.  That last one had gas fireplaces.”  Rebecca was not worried,
but three houses into their search, she was frustrated.

Each house took them a little over
a half hour to search.  They had to find a way into the house, check for a
corpse smell, walk around and talk about the positives and negatives.  Rebecca
searched the kitchens for food, placing supplies in boxes or bags at the now
unlocked doors for retrieval later in the week or month. 

The experience might have been
enjoyable were it not a search for life and death accommodations.

“We have to keep looking. Are you
warm enough?  Do you want to stop and rest?”  Greg pulled a cereal bar from his
pocket.  One of many they found in the last home.

“I’m fine.”  She told him.  “Let’s
push forward.”

At 3:00pm they were back in the
Choate road study holding their hands by the fire trying to gain feeling back
in their fingers and toes.

“Maybe we should take a break
tomorrow.  Check out the town for supplies.  See if there is food.”  Rebecca
did not want to discuss their failed day.

“I need to focus on the
positives.”  Greg told her.  “We are safe and warm.  We found another few
months of food.  You found that couch.”

“That couch is awesome.”  Rebecca
agreed.

“We can survive in here, store food
in the living room, thaw snow for water.  If we need it to, this study will
keep us alive.  I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I’ll admit it was more
than this tiny room.”

“I wasn’t.”  She told him.  “Did
you see where I was living in Concord?  This is a step up, not because it is
nicer, but because it is smaller and will heat from the single fireplace.  It’s
going to get cold in here, but we can keep it above freezing, maybe keep it in
the 60’s with the fire.  You’re right, the rest of the house is useless for
living, but it’s great storage.  We can put wood in the dining room or
downstairs, out of the snow and wind.  We can live through the winter here,
but,” she smiled.  “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to upgrade.”

“I feel like I should keep
apologizing to you.  The chickens are dying.  We are further north and a few
degrees colder.  I really screwed up.”

“Stop it.  Just stop it, Greg.” 
Rebecca’s voice was stern.  “Let’s get one thing straight.  I don’t do anything
I don’t want to do.  I made the decision to leave Concord and come to Hanover. 
I know we will make it through the winter.  We will see if your family is
alive, and we’ll make decisions based on that information.  You did not bring
me up here against my will.  We are a team.  Do not apologize to me again.”

“It’s just, you had…”

“I had what?  A house I couldn’t
heat?  I was alone?  I ate soup and cereal?  We’re fine, and we’ll make
whatever we need to work.  I’m done talking about coming to Hanover as a
mistake. Stop apologizing and stop whining.”

Greg cracked a smile.  “I didn’t
think I was whining.”

“Well you are.  Whining does us no
good.  If there is one thing I hate more than anything, it’s whining.  Tomorrow
we walk into town, we go to the local real estate offices and look for a house
that will work for us.  We look for listing with woodstoves.  We look for green
homes with solar power.  We take control.”  She finished her soup with a
slurp.  “I’m tired.  I’m going to bed.  When you wake up tomorrow, I want you
ready to work and with a better attitude, Greg Dixon.”

“Yes, ma’am.”  Greg replied. 
“I’m,” he stopped himself and lowered his head, still smiling.  “Rebecca, it’s
three in the afternoon.”  Greg began to laugh.  “It’s a little early to call it
a night.”