Chapter Six Humanity Found

The following morning James awake to a roaring headache, he was feverish, and he found himself in a soft down feather bed with an ivy stuck in his arm. From his point of view he saw himself on the second floor of some sort of structure similar to a modern home. He was to delirious to determine how and who brought him here. But on the bright side James was not shackled to a wall or tucked away in a basement with Andrew Skelton. Besides the bed to his embarrassment were his clothes repaired, washed, and folded. He was wearing some traditional male pajamas with white back ground and blue stripes. His gear was right next to his clothes and from what he can tell was repacked and odor of clean soap radiated from the contents.

Outside a rooster cock coo doodled to bring on the day but it was already midday. An old hand crank clock sat by his night stand telling the time around eleven forty-seven am. The sun hurt his eyes as he returned his focused outside to what look a yard filled with chickens running around, with a dog barking and chasing a cat, several cows could be seen from a pasture; he was on a farm of some kind. A knock on the door startled him from his observation. An old woman came in, oh good you are awake, we were beginning to worry about you, said the old woman. James had not realized that in his confusion with the delirium that he was standing and that his ankle was in fresh gauze wrap and the pain was there but not excruciating when he had passed out on the road. My husband used to be a doctor and he had to cut out some of the infection, and you’ve been in and out of consciousness for over a week, explained the woman. My name is Martha and if you see my husband his name is Nathaniel, Martha said. A week? James exclaimed!  But it feels like yesterday that I was on the highway trying to get to Colorado Springs, James carried on, and I was trying to get away from a nut case who held me captive. I only escaped due a drone crashing in the building I was being held and I was chased for two days from the mad man, plus chased an additional three days by another drone. I thought that all technology was destroyed or wiped out from the attacks, James asked.

Oh no, it was Martha answered, this entire farm is ran by wind, solar, and hydro power. We do occasionally use candles now and then to conceal ourselves from other people or when Nathaniel gets romantic. James blushed to hear the comment, but the blush went away with the question. Wait, there are other people, James interrupted Martha, Where they from, do you know who are they? The excitement and the energy rushed towards James head, Martha saw James stagger and came to his aide. You are lucky that I was nurse when I met my husband, hell you are lucky we even found you on the side of the road when we did; another two or three days your internal organs would have shut down. Your infection was turning gang green and whatever you were doing was not correct or strong enough to stave off infection; Martha said. Well we are glad to have you young man it has been so long since we had company and you remind us of our son who died over in Iraq, Martha become teary eyed in mentioning her son. So many people lost their lives for that war, for what politicians to argue and give it away, my boy died for nothing! Or the fact they created the terrorist, they paid them, they trained them, they kept us in a state of fear all these years up till the nukes fell. Martha was full blown crying at this point, she sniffled, I’m sorry I get so angry from all these years when Nathaniel and I retired we took all of our money and developed this land. We did not really want to retire and so we farmed and sold all our goods at farmers markets, we made a good living off it. Nathaniel is a bit of tinkerer and he set up the power grid for us and kept us self-contained. Nathaniel even found crude oil near by and learned how to process it to make gasoline, but any ways I changed the subject to distract myself and now I find that I am bragging, Martha finished.

Well thank you mam’, it was a God sent you found me, James replied. Martha smiled and James smiled back, it was pleasant moment that James had not shared in years. Well your ivy looks about done, I will take it off but when that is done please come down stairs and have lunch with us, Martha asked nicely.She opened the door and reached around the door frame and pulled out a used pair of crutches for James. James looks at the old woman and the crutches only to begin to tear up from gesture. Thank you, sniffling James replied. Martha smiles at James and leaves the room. Now with fresh clothes James struggled to put on a pair of pants from his rucksack. Also he found a clean polo shirt given to him by Nathanial. He slowly fumbles out the door, the crutches slow his movement. He remembered the last time he had use crutches when he broke his leg in 2009. James was training for a triathlon and was riding his road bike when all of a sudden he lost control landing on his left side. Without a cell phone or any other medical attention he rode with one good leg all the way to the hospital. While there the doctors diagnosed him with a broken leg and lectured him on his stubbornness for making the trek there on the bicycle. James had to receive a leg cast then that turned into a leg brace all the time using crutches the whole time.

James struggled for twenty minutes making his way the stairs and as soon he was on the last step the smell of food hit him like a ton of bricks. You know it the smell of a pot roast and deserts baking, jus the smell alone made him feel like he was in heaven. You know living on your own and catching you kill or dig up from the ground tends to get old. All the times when James starved he would remember all the things he missed like; Burger King, Jack and the Box, Dunkin Donuts, Crispy Cream, he was not a big fast food fan but when you have nothing but a rat on a stick those places sound like a five star restaurant. The talk with Martha and trying to get ready, plus trying to get down stairs felt like eternity and the time showed it on the grandfather clock in the living room saying it was three forty-seven in the afternoon.

James made his way what he assumed was the way to the dining room, the smell was directing his movements, and sure enough there on the dining room table was beef pot roast, potatoes, carrots, and apple pie! The smell was overwhelming his senses and James felt like he began to gravitate to the open seat left towards him. Martha and Nathanial were already flipping there napkins and placing them on their laps. James followed their lead and did the same thing. Nathanial reached out in open hands and did the same to James. He was about to give prayer for the meal and James was astounded by the gesture. When the world came to the end James cursed out to God, why would you, let such a thing happen to this beautiful world. Now he sits with two complete strangers and as if were like being in church James sought for forgiveness.

       

Nathanial cleared his throat, Lord thank you for bringing this man to us, we heard your call and we answered. We are thankful for bringing him into our household and are grateful to open our hearts to him. We would also want to thank you Lord for this meal we about to receive for the nourishment and the strength it will give to us, Amen.

Everyone said amen and dinner was served, James humbled by the experience opened up to both Nathanial and Martha. During dinner Martha disappeared and went into the kitchen and brought out and old bottle of wine. The dust showed that wine had been sitting for a long time and the red label somewhat faded in time. The red wax was cracked and Martha handed the bottle to Nathanial to open. Martha disappeared again with several wine glasses and a bottle opener. With the bottled open the three of them ate and drank till the night had firmly set hold. James was officially drunk off wine and with no tolerance the wine hit harder than any shot he consumed when he was younger and more reckless. Nathanial noticed the alcohol setting him and helped him up the stairs to the bedroom where he awoke this morning. Nathanial sat James down on the bed only for James to fall down flat on his back to the bed. Nathanial grabbed James’s ankle and with a fluid motion tossed the remainder of his body into bed. James mumbles to him, thanks dad, only to pass out snoring. Nathanial smiles and walks out of the room. While walking down the stairs the snoring gets louder from James’s room and he just laughs some more and sheds a tear for the poor boy and how remind James reminds him of his son.

The following morning James woke up from a raging headache from the wine from the night before. On the bright side he had something else to worry about other than his ankle throbbing less and the hang over was the perfect distraction from the pain itself. When he awoke James was still in the clothes from the night before so the right thing to do was change in fresh clothes. When he looked at this gear it would appear the old couple had thought the same thing and left clothes with a note saying, these clothes belonged to our son, we hope that they fit. So James tried on an old pair of wrangler jeans plus he found a t-shirt with Tim McGraw on the front which must of have been an old concert t-shirt. Laid besides his gear was an old pair boots about a size eleven and a half from the tag inside and on top of the boots was a tan stihl ball cap. Putting on the clothes felt like more and more like home but James hope that this couple was not trying to replace their son with him; he had a mission and needed to get to Colorado Springs. He would stay long enough to heal and be on his way.

With the pain in ankle lessened James tried on the boots after the jeans slid on like a pair he would wear in the past but as of late the only thing he would wear would be combat fatigues that he was issued from the Marines. Wearing civilian clothing was foreign to him; it did not feel the same as the fatigues. But in the here and now James accepted his new clothes and made his way down the stairs. In the kitchen Martha was humming an old tune and turned to see James, well good morning sunshine, how are you feeling? Martha asked. James embarrassed, I am better thank you for asking, but my head is not, James replied. Martha laughed and turned to the kitchen counter to retrieve a plate, here you go I hope you like scrambled eggs I threw on some cheese we made last month, everything you see here is made fresh, Martha continued, Nathanial and I have become real excellent at farming over the past years. James hungry and eager sat down to the fresh plate of eggs and Martha came over with homemade toast and milk in a glass. Thank you Martha you don’t have to do this all for me, James spoke with his full mouth. Martha blew him off, Honey you look like you needed more than medical attention and food is the next best thing that we could give you and besides while you are here healing you will work to pay us back.

Within minutes the eggs, the toast, and milk were all gone so James offered to help clean up but Martha kicked him outside to meet Nathanial instead. Out in the fields Nathanial was plugging along in a 1940’s John Deer tractor coming in as he saw James. Good morning, Nathanial said, how did you sleep, when I last left you, you were sawing some pretty good size logs. James laughed, I have not drunk like that in ages and my head is feeling the repercussions from it, so thank you for putting me into bed. Both men smiled and James followed Nathanial to the barn where he would park the tracker. Nathanial jumps down, I got this old thing running after the nukes fell. I only drive it when I need to due to their being no parts for it now a days. Martha prefers the horse drawn buggy; it makes her feel like a pioneer like they did the old days. I have an old an old pick-up truck under this tarp but it has not ran in ages. It would appear that the engine over heats. Nathanial finished talking.

Under the tarp James started to drool at a 1933 Chevy Apache still with its original two tone paint color and as he walked around it he could see a wooden bed still riveted in place. James was a car buff and could not get enough of classic cars when the world was still around and now he stood to see another classic right in front of him. In his free time James would volunteer at a nearby hot rod restoration shop so he knew a thing or two about cars. This Apache would probably be an easy fix, Nathanial walked over to James, do you like it, I had it rebuilt from the ground up back in the day and paid a pretty penny for it. I do miss how she runs, would you know anything about working on cars, Nathanial asked. James was still drooling could only squeeze out a nod yes.