The Last Tribe (41 page)

The kids were inside eating breakfast
when the church van rolled to a stop next to the RV.  Todd, Emily, Melanie,
Peter, and Solange stood at the front door of the RV, drinking coffee and
eating French toast out of a pan.  The van door slid open, and the three
youngest jumped out with Avery and Meredith. 

“Good morning!”  Emily said
enthusiastically, over emphasizing her excitement to see the group of kids. 
“How is everyone this morning?”

Kelly slipped out of the passenger
side with a smile.  “We are well.  I hope we’re not intruding.”

“Not at all,” Emily continued. 
“Kids, take the rest of this French toast, and you can join our crew in the
RV.  It’s warmer inside.”  She handed Meredith the tray filled with Todd’s
cinnamon goodness. 

Peter stepped forward to assist
Bernie and Jamie out of the van.  He was already talking to Jamie, taking
advantage of meeting someone his own age. 

“Is it a dumb question to ask if
you already ate?”  Todd asked Kelly.

“We have not.”  She replied,
hanging her head, knowing she was asking for a handout.

“Alright, but no freeloading this
morning.  Kelly, you come with me to help make the eggs, and the rest of you
are on cleanup duty after breakfast.  We share the food, and we share the
work.  Sound good?”

“I’d love to help make breakfast.” 
Ahmed said, stepping out of the van after the two women.  “I put myself through
college as a short order cook.  I can fry a mean egg.” 

Todd turned to Kelly, “I guess that
means you’re on cleanup.  Grab some coffee, and we’ll be out in a few.  Em’? 
Can you take orders?  We have twenty eggs left.  I can do two any style or we
can scramble them all. Let me know if there is a consensus.   Ahmed and I will
go to work on the hash browns and sausage.”  Todd motioned his new co-chef into
the RV.  “So, you were a cook, that’s great.  Funny, that’s a better skill than
anything else you learned in college, huh?”

Emily assumed hostess duties,
pouring cups of coffee and offering people their selection of eggs.  To make
sure everyone ate expediently, the order for ‘all scrambled’ was sent into the
kitchen.  Avery came outside to talk to the adults.

“Did Matt leave?  I don’t see him
here.”  Avery turned to Melanie.   “I’m sorry, I don’t think I met you last
night.  My name is Avery.”

Melanie shook her hand, “Matt left
this morning with his father and younger brother.  They went ahead to New
Hampshire to find Matt’s other brother.  My name is Melanie.  I joined the
group in D.C. via Baltimore.  Very nice to meet you, Avery.”  She went on to
explain that Casey, Jaclyn, and Jacob were under her care.  Melanie turned to
meet Bernie and Jamie.

“Is there someone still in the
van?”  Melanie asked.  She saw a solitary figure in the back row, knit cap on,
leaning against the window.

“That is Antonio.  He wanted to
come, but has decided to stay in the van.  I think he is afraid of being alone
if Sal returns to the seminary, but he doesn’t want to mingle either.”  Jamie
liked Antonio.  She defended him often.  “He’s a good kid.  He has a good
heart, he’s just a little mixed up.  I don’t know how he grew up, but it wasn’t
good.  I know his family was nice, but his neighborhood was not.  He’ll work it
out.”  Jamie smiled politely.  “So you’re from Baltimore?  I used to date an
old Baltimore Orioles pitcher back in the day.  He grew up outside of New York,
and we went to high school together.  He and I stayed a couple for a little
while, but the distance was too much.  Back then you had to take the train to
and from New York, and it was just too much.”

Emily walked to the church van and
opened the sliding door.  “Antonio, would you like some coffee?”  He did not
reply.  “We’ll have breakfast ready in a minute.  Are you going to join us?” 
She heard music coming from the headphones dangling from his ears.  “Well, if
you would like some food, it’s here, fresh eggs, hash browns and sausage.  It’s
not real sausage.  It’s these little Vienna sausages from a can, but they still
taste great with eggs.  Anyway, it’s out here.”  She slid the door shut and
left him alone. 

Emily made her way through the people,
talking and getting acquainted.  The kids were eating and socializing at the
table in the RV.  Todd placed warm sausages in front of them.  Casey was in a
deep discussion with the three young newcomers about her role in the group. 
Meredith was joking with Jackie and Jacob.  Everyone appeared to be getting
along as they drank Tang and told stories.

Ahmed and Todd discussed New York
restaurants.  Emily put her hand on Todd’s back.  “About how long?” 

“We’re good.  Ahmed knows how to
sling the hash.  Do we want to set up on plates and have you walk it out to
people?”  He turned to his cooking partner.  “Ahmed, please, grab a plate and
eat.  I had some toast before you came.” 

The thin man accepted happily.  “I
was hoping you’d say that.  Standing over fresh eggs?  I’m starved.  I’ll take
a plate out with me when I go.”  He spooned eggs, potatoes, and sausage on two
plates, and headed  towards the door.  “Jamie?  Come and grab this plate and
eat the eggs fast, before they get cold.” 

Todd served the food, and Emily
walked two at a time out to the adults.  There was a mountain of eggs, and once
the adults were eating, Todd offered seconds to the children.  The new kids
raised their hands.

“Don’t be shy, come over, we have
plenty.”  He handed them new plates with the fresh food.  Todd made a small
plate for himself and went to talk to the group.  He saw the adults standing in
a circle, eating and talking.  Antonio sat in the open van door with his feet
on the ground.  He ate his food in silence.  Todd walked over and asked if he
could sit down.

“Whatever.”  The young man replied,
not moving to give him space.  Antonio muttered something under his breath in
Spanish. 

Solange walked over to the van. 

She stared at Antonio before
turning to Todd.  “Bernie is having second thoughts about leaving tomorrow. 
She would like to stay until Easter Sunday next week.”

“That crazy bitch won’t learn.” 
Antonio muttered.

“Excuse me?”  Todd asked, annoyed
at his tone and word choice.

“You know why we got stuck in New
York City?  You know why we almost starved?  She won’t leave her seminary.  I
said to all of them, we have to leave, we have to go to Queens or Connecticut
or someplace with houses, find another church, we can’t stay.  Crazy reverend
Bernie wouldn’t leave, came up with every excuse to stay in her chapel.  ‘We
have heat here’ or ‘we know the area’ or ‘someone will be coming for us in New
York.’  Always the same shit.”  Antonio did not lower his voice, he spoke loud
enough for everyone to hear.  The adults were quiet, looking at Antonio or the
ground uncomfortably.  Bernie hung her head.

“I think she’s waiting for Jesus to
come riding through on a horse and take her to Candyland or something.” 
Antonio laughed.

“That’s enough.”  Todd said quietly
to him.  “We get the point.”

The young man stood and faced
Todd.  “Did you just tell me to shut up?”

“No, I asked you to stop talking
about Bernie.  We understand, you made your point, saying any more would be
mean, and I know you aren’t trying to be mean.”  Todd stood his ground, though
he was not comfortable with the confrontation. 

Antonio muttered something in
Spanish under his breath, smiling to himself as he did it.  Solange stepped
between the two men.  She slapped Antonio hard across the face.

“What the hell, bitch?”  The boy
screamed, rubbing his cheek.

Solange slapped him again.  “If you
are a man, say what you said to his face in English.”  Antonio looked at Todd and
then to the other adults.  He lowered his face in shame.

“The breakfast that we made for you
is still on your breath, it is still hot in your belly, and you disrespect him
and us like that?”  She was inches from his face.

“If you are a man, do what you
said.  Walk.  Survive on your own.  We do not need another mouth to feed, and
we will not feed a disrespectful child like you.  If I ever hear you speaking
Spanish again, you will wish all I do is slap you across the face.”  Solange
reached out and put her hand under his chin.  She lifted his face to meet hers.

“Whatever you did before el
encantado, it’s over.  You are not a punk anymore.  Be a man.  Step up and help
us.  Do not disrespect people by speaking insults in another language.  Be a
role model to the kids we know you love.  Grow up.”  She squinted her eyes to
look deep into Antonio’s face, trying to read his thoughts.  A tear rolled down
his cheek.

“Do not be a boy.  If you do not
want to come with us, walk away.  That is a choice, but acting like you are is
not an option.”

Antonio sniffed as more tears rolled
down his face.  He nodded.  He pulled the blue banana off his head.

“I am sorry, sir.  It will not
happen again.”  He said to Todd.  “Thank you for the food.”

Solange put her arm around him and
whispered Spanish in his ear.  Antonio chuckled.

Todd was interested in what she
said, but Solange let him know it was her secret.  “I can speak Spanish as much
as I want.  I have earned it.”  She patted Antonio on the head, and walked back
to the breakfast table.

“Well, that was exciting.”  Jamie
blurted out.  “You grew up more in those 30 seconds than you have your entire
life kid.”  The older woman said encouragingly to Antonio.  “And Bernie?”  She
turned to her friend. “The kid’s right.  We have to leave, and we have to leave
tomorrow.  I love you, and I hope you make the right decision for yourself, but
I’m leaving with these people.  Your selfishness, your need to stay in that
chapel, has already separated three of them from the big group.  If anything
happens to them while they are alone, I hope your conscience can handle it. 
Take your last service, pray on what you want to do, but I’m out.” 

Jamie walked to Antonio and put her
hand on his shoulder.  He sat back down on the van’s floor, wiping his tears
away.  “You spoke the truth, Antonio, as mean as it sounds to the new people,
you spoke the truth.  Now, I have a little surprise for you all.  Antonio?”  He
picked his head up to look at her when she said his name, “his father was a
ferry boat operator.  He knows how to pilot and more importantly fix most of
the boats down in the harbor.  He’s your ticket to Ellis Island.” 

“Huh?”  Antonio said, confused by
the request.

Emily clapped her hands and jumped
up and down in excitement.  “Incredible, I knew we could find someone to get us
over there.”  She walked to the van and sat next to Antonio, explaining their
plans for the day, the Statue of Liberty tour and the Ellis Island visit.

“Yeah, uh, I can do that, if we can
find a boat that I can get to work.  They’ve been sitting in water for a long
time.”  Antonio looked at Emily as if she was crazy.  “I guess we can try.”

“Great!”  Emily said back, rubbing
his shoulders.  “Thank you!” 

Antonio scrunched his shoulders,
twisting uncomfortably at her touch.  He was not used to so much physical
contact or gestures of kindness.  “Yeah, uh, can I ask a favor too?”

A stunned Emily managed to reply. 
“What may I do for you?” 

“Can I pet your dog?  I really love
dogs, and I miss mine.  Do you mind?”  Antonio stood in hopes she would say yes,
and he could find and pet Hubba.

“You don’t have to ask again,
please, pet away.  Take him for a walk if you can.  Please, Antonio, consider
him your dog too.  I’d love the help taking care of him, if you decide to stay
with us.”

“Cool.”  He said back, in a
somewhat return to his stoic and distant mannerisms.  He thought about his
reply for a second and continued.  “Thank you, that’s real cool of you, I’d
like that a lot.”  He strode past the group, stopping to give Jamie a high
five.  “You got fire, Jamie.  You got fire.”  Antonio slipped inside the RV to
find the dog.

Kelly stood next to Bernie.  The
reverend looked sad and distant.   Kelly turned to her.  “I’m going too. 
Avery, Meredith, and the kids will come with me.  We can’t stay here, Bernie. 
It’s over.  This place is dead, and if we stay, we’ll all die too.  The kids
need you as their mother, but not if you want to stay in New York.  I won’t let
you do that to them.”

“I know.”  Bernie replied, her
voice hollow.  “I know.  I’ll decide tomorrow.”  Her head dropped.  “I’ll know
what to do tomorrow.”

“Did everyone get enough?”  Ahmed, uncomfortable
with the conversation, changed the subject and mood of the group.  “Is there
anything left, Todd?”

“Absolutely, please don’t let it go
to waste.  Everyone should eat more if they can.”  Todd turned to go into the
RV.  “I’ll bring the rest out so people can take what they would like.”  He
went inside and saw the kids playing nicely.  Jackie and Jacob had Legos out
for the little kids.  Meredith and the twins were helping them make things.  
Antonio sat on the floor next to Hubba’s bed.  Jay sat on the opposite side of
the bed, talking nonstop to the older boy.  Antonio looked at Jay, nodding and
maintaining respectful eye contact.  Antonio looked at Todd when he walked into
the trailer, flipping his head up with a ‘hey’ gesture.

“We’re going to the Statue of
Liberty in about an hour.  If you want anymore breakfast, now is the time to
get it.”

Cameron stood.  He held an airplane
made from a multitude of red, blue, yellow, white, and black legos.  “May I
have some more potatoes and sausage, please?”  He was a cute kid, thin and tiny
from a winter with no food.  Todd got him a new plate and spooned more
breakfast for him.

“Here you go, champ.” 

Before he could ask, Todd put more
food on a plate and gave it to Antonio.  “Jay will talk to you all day.  Let me
know if you need a break.”