CHAPTER 3 SETTLING IN
"Whatcha gonna to do with that big old black pot?" Sol asked.
"Put my stuff in it to carry up the hill. Mom can cook in it over the fire," retorted Rooster. "I don't care if it‘s heavy."
"Well she won't do much cooking without any food," Sol noted.
Dad had let us go downhill to explore and look for our neighbors. I nearly felt sick when we found no sign of their houses or cars. Our little country road had nearly disappeared under the acres of mud. Now we could realize that it was good that Granny Hill had died already. There was nothing left of her home.
It was awesome to poke around where our own house had stood. Everything man-made was swept clean, but there stood the little apple tree that Sol and Rooster had bought with their own money and planted for Mom on Mother's Day last year.
The chain for the goat was still hanging on the sugar maple. We took it, glad that Namia had gone camping with us. There were rat tracks everywhere on the sandy river banks. Ugh!
"The Swiss Family Robinson got lots of stuff from their shipwreck to help them out," Scopi reminded us. "Maybe we can find the remains of ours."
We picked our way downstream, searching the debris for anything that looked like ours. When we had covered the familiar mile toward our old school, there was our house, slammed up against the old bridge abutment, smashed flat.
Dad had built it himself. It was a big two-story country house with a windowsill for Mom‘s African violets and secret hideouts and passageways for us. The garage was tailor-made for the work truck and our two nice cars. Over that had been a huge playroom for rainy days.
It was the funniest thing, but on the way back we found Mom‘s red bathrobe hanging up in a tree. Why that, and only that? There were plenty of muddy garbage bags, plastic jugs, and wet paper diapers clinging to the trees. Pieces of lumber and broken furniture littered the sandy banks.
What we didn't find was food. Our camping meals were all gone. These people who want to live off the land better not try it in April. We didn't know anything about digging roots, and there were no berries, or gardens, or fruits hanging on trees at that time of year.
As we sat around the campfire that night we had a round of confessions and apologies. Our family had never been on a total fast before. I felt spacey, maybe even spiritual.
Dad asked JohnB and Scopi to go across the river the next day and find out about the other people and what was going on. He and Mom both had terrible sick headaches from no coffee. He asked if I would supervise Sol and Rooster in getting our new home tidy.
It was early morning when the big boys set out. They would have to pull off their pants and shoes to wade across the river. We watched wistfully as they waved good-bye.
First, Mom asked us to go hunting for a spring for clean drinking water. Water? Why, it would take a whole waterfall for JohnB. Since he discovered girls, he took a shower every day, just for the fun of it! I could see that Scopi was headed in the same direction.
Rooster and Sol thought it was fun, tramping around in the woods, circling our cabin site, kicking up leaves. We were all wondering how to find a spring.
"JG, could you be our Scoutmaster? Can we have a troop of just two? You could teach us everything," they begged.
Maybe this new life was going to be better than I thought. I was flattered and comforted. Little brothers were really special. I was glad the new rules hadn’t gotten them.
We found purple blooms up in one big bush. They smelled wonderful. When we took some to Mom, she told us that they were lilacs and a sure sign that a woman had lived up here in the past, planting this bush at the comer of her cabin.
Violets were everywhere -- - purple, white, and yellow. There were dark red trilliums and Jack-in- the-pulpits. It was fun to explore our "yard" and "farm."
We thought that we might have discovered old, worn-out apple trees. There were no leaves yet, but lots of tiny buds. Maybe the same lady who planted the lilac had set out those fruit trees and also the daffodils that were blooming up there, all alone, waiting to be admired.
"Look over there, JG," called Rooster. "See those birds? See how they dip their beaks and then look up at the sky like our chickens did when they were drinking water?"
What a break! Some little banty chicks were making their own living up there in the woods, drinking from a leaf-covered pool. I could actually see water bubbling from the ground, and a steady trickle running down through the rocks toward the creek. Not only did we have at spring near our cabin, but we had friendly feathered neighbors.
Sol ran back to camp to get some tin cans for digging, and we had fun scooping out a water hole about as big as a sink.
"Let’s make a rock wall around the rim," suggested Rooster. "We don't want any crawly things to get in our cups."
Mom was happily surprised when we brought the big black pot full of clean water for her "kitchen." "Don't we need something like a garbage pit, too?" Sol asked.
"Good thinking, Sol," she agreed. "Wait until we get a shovel for that project and some real garbage."
What we needed the most was an outhouse, but bushes would have to do. I learned something new: never use poison ivy for toilet paper!
Mom got us to put up a clothesline to dry out our sleeping bags. Then she wanted the goat moved away from the clothesline. Did you know that goats don't like grass? We chained her near some honeysuckle vines that were turning green. She was the only one with a nice, full tummy. Mom was eager to give us fresh milk after Narnia's baby was born, but some of us were not too excited by the idea.
Dad was as hungry as we were, but he distracted himself by working with his saw. His favorite hobby was making firewood. We offered to help, but he thanked us and let us go down to the river to wait. The water was clear and almost pretty. Rooster looked along the edge for a good fishing hole and nearly fell in when he slithered across a big slick of mud.
"Let's slide!" he challenged. He was smart enough to take off his pants. He started further uphill and had a great trip -- - right into the river. Sol spotted an old plastic bucket and brought up water to pour onto the mud to make it even more slippery
We were sliding and hollering and pouring on water like hoodlums when we suddenly spotted our big brothers, staring at us from the other side of the river.
"Boys!" yelled JohnB. "That looks like fun."
He jerked off his pants and shoes, put a big bundle on his head, and sloshed across to join us. Here came Scopi, holding a box, not a bit sure of this ridiculous sport, but it did look tantalizing.
"Did you all get some food?" we begged. "Food, you know, food!"
"We‘d better get out of here and get these army rations up to Mom and Dad. Hurry, JG! Get a move on!"
But I never could find my pants and my only underwear was in shreds. I wrapped long grasses around my waist and tied it with a piece of electric cord that was hung in the weeds. I probably looked like a hula girl.
We had a happy reunion.
JohnB gave the report, "Dad, our Scouthouse is far enough up the highway that it didn't get wet, and it‘s been turned into the post office. The mail lady was nice to us. She nearly cried as she took our names off the Missing list that was tacked to the front door. She had piles of mail all over the floor. I don't know how she` found ours, but she handed it to us with a smile. She said, ‘I’m so glad to know that your family is safe.’”
"Dad, lots of our school friends are gone and some of your men. It's awful. There are over a hundred names. The kids that are dead are our friends who were really the true Christians. Why would God let that happen?”
Then she pointed to the poster on the wall about the Red Cross trailer at the new Methodist Church. She told us, 'There have been so many disasters that the Red Cross is only giving out Army survival packs. There are no pillows, or sheets, or blankets. No typhoid shots -- not this time. There just aren't any supplies or health care workers.’"
Dad listened with tears, and, looking at Mom, he began digging in his po
cket for a handkerchief. Then he nervously opened his letters. We boys looked over the junk mail. Those bright photos of things to buy seemed to come from another planet.
"Children," he said in a low, kind voice. "Do you remember how we told God last night that we loved Him and were sorry for our sins and how we needed His help? Do you know how hungry we've been? This letter here in my hand shows that the help that we were praying for was already on the way. One of my biggest customers has paid. Here is the credit slip for thousands of dollars. We do have the money to build a home. It's got to be a miracle! I’m so grateful. Why would God want to be so good to us?"
"But, Mom, listen to this: this is even better! It's from the Superintendent of Schools: ‘Dear New World Citizen, if the recent flooding has made it impossible for your children to attend school, they will be excused without penalty until other arrangements can be made.’”
"Yes, double yes!" some yelled, but JohnB and I were a little more restrained. We weren't completely sure.
"JG, could I use some of your paper and your pencil. Let's start making a list. On Monday, it will be my turn to go across the river," Dad announced.
It was just like Christmas, our getting into those Army meals. We didn't even need a cooking fire. Somehow, you just rigged up the package of food and put it in the plastic bag with a little water and, whammo, it made heat. There were candy bars, chewing-gum, and drink mixes, crackers and grape jelly, matches, wet towelettes, and spoons. Our parents were more than thrilled to have the tiny pouches of coffee powder and creamers. But, maybe the best find was toilet paper!
It was a joyful time. Our list used both sides of the paper. We sang a few hymns and fell into bed. I could hear both of my parents whispering late into the night, while I kept trying to count enough sheep to fall asleep.
The List: mattresses; one double and five or six single thin foam pads with cloth, zippers, and thread for sturdy covers.
Ten or more thermal blankets to add to sleeping bags, washable in case of "accidents," and light enough for summer. More pillows and pillowcases. About two dozen bath towels and dish towels with washcloths for both. Soaps and shampoos.
Eight metal water buckets for hauling water. Plastic no good. Eight metal garbage cans with lids for catching rain water. Eight plastic garbage cans for storage of out of season clothes.
Four wash tubs, old-fashioned wringer, clothespins, lots of soap, old washboard, more clothesline.
At feed store 50 lb. sacks of seed corn and wheat. Hand grinder that will hold up to hard use.
Books, deodorants, seeds, building supplies, ETC.