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By the Creator of Expensive Diary: It’s Me, Jessica
Discover the earlier chapter right here.
Expensive Diary,
It’s me, Jessica.
It was a day later that we received phrase from Metropolis HAM Man to our HAM Man that the Nomads had been on the transfer and heading East, our manner. We mobilized and deployed each our neighborhood and 4 Corners militias to the barricade on the bridge. The Nomads might have been on horseback, however with their flocks of livestock and wagons, they might be transferring at a strolling tempo. I guessed they might be at 4 Corners within the late afternoon or early night. And never on the prepared for a struggle. That steered a non-confrontational assembly. Or so I hoped. Demise and destruction are issues I’ve come to deplore. If they are often prevented, it’s for the betterment of our little communities.
I used to be proper about when the Nomads would arrive within the late afternoon of the day. By means of Jack’s monocular, mendacity atop the Chute, I may see they had been organising their camp on the far aspect of the bridge from 4 Corners. Tents, livestock paddocks arrange, cooking fires going. A small group of women and men slaughtered and butchered a few of their livestock for that night’s meal. It was all carried out shortly and effectively. Jack would have been impressed. I do know I used to be.
Then three riders slowly got here throughout the bridge on horseback, two males flanking a lady within the center. The lads had semi-automatic rifles, the lady had a pistol on her hip.
I may hear others on prime of the Western barrier quietly cross phrase to these beneath of the riders approaching. Everybody received prepared.
They stopped simply wanting the chute, and the lady referred to as out,
“Aye!”
She had the identical heavy Irish accent Sean had.
“With whom might I communicate?”
Sean, mendacity subsequent to me, appeared stunned with raised eyebrows. He then received as much as his toes and referred to as right down to her.
“Aye! Be down in a second!”
To the remainder of us atop the barricade, he mentioned quietly,
“Maintain a watch out however stay calm.”
A number of moments later, Sean walked by way of the Chute and as much as the riders. The girl dismounted from her horse, handed the reins to one of many males, and walked as much as Sean.
She wore a white cowboy hat. Had braided vivid pink hair over one shoulder. A light-weight blue long-sleeved shirt, the sleeves rolled partway up, leather-based chaps, cowboy boots. She eliminated her leather-based gloves and provided her hand to Sean. The lads had totally different coloured cowboy hats and their shirts had been totally different colours however in any other case had been dressed the identical.
Based mostly on all of Jack’s directions on watching folks, all of them appeared relaxed. She nodded and smiled a number of occasions. Sean even laughed as soon as. After a number of extra minutes, she smiled once more and so they shook palms once more. She received again on her horse, and the three of them trotted again to the opposite aspect of the bridge.
Sean turned and appeared up,
“All clear! No worries!”
All of us climbed down from the barricade as Sean emerged from the Chute as everybody gathered round to listen to him.
“It was like Jamal mentioned, they’re Nomads, simply passing by way of and seeking to commerce. Whereas I really feel we will belief them, we’ll nonetheless submit guards in a single day. Three shifts, like traditional.”
A sigh of reduction went by way of the gang as the concept of one other struggle appeared to have been prevented.
Diary, I shared with them in that reduction.
Entry two
When Jack heard the information, he did his traditional considering eyes, then nodded at Sean’s studying of the scenario and plan to submit guards in a single day. Jack guessed they might arrange guards in a single day. However as Nomads, that could possibly be the pure lifestyle for them. He appeared higher, However nonetheless less than getting off the bed.
I volunteered for the final shift simply earlier than daybreak. As I took my submit atop the barricade, daybreak was nonetheless an excellent hour or so away, however pre-dawn twilight would begin in about half an hour. I listened to the sound of the river dashing beneath. Crickets within the evening. Behind me, in his shack, I assumed I may hear Sean loud night breathing each from time to time.
The sky to the East started to brighten. After one other fifteen minutes or so, I may clearly make out the bridge and even some components of the opposite aspect.
The folks of 4 Corners started to stir and awaken. Cooking fires had been being lit, and others had been organising for the day’s enterprise.
On the opposite aspect of the bridge, I may see the Nomads had been beginning their very own cooking fires and transferring round. It struck me as humorous how they, too, had an identical routine like 4 Corners. I puzzled if it was like that in different communities. Those that remained.
The overcast sky made it tough to inform when the solar had first damaged the horizon to the East, signaling the top of our guard shift. We gave it a number of extra minutes until we may clearly see every little thing round us. As I climbed down, Sean was leaving his shack with a picket bucket and ladle he would use to scrub up with water he would get from the boat launch down Previous River Street South. He mentioned I may use a few of the water for me to scrub up and to maintain look ahead to him whereas he was gone, nodding over to the opposite aspect of the bridge.
“If they’re something like us, they are going to be over shortly and able to commerce.”
“I may see them transferring about and getting their cooking fires lit.”
“Aye. Properly, you’re the welcoming committee in the event that they do.”
Sean was proper. Not 5 minutes after he left to get water, the decision went out that somebody was coming throughout the bridge. I went by way of the Chute to fulfill them.
The red-headed man with the cowboy hat on foot was within the lead of a few dozen others, small pulling carts with small livestock in cages produced from wooden and hen wire, and a few shepherding medium-sized livestock.
“Good morning. I’m Katie,” she mentioned, providing her hand because the group stopped earlier than me.
“Good morning. I’m Jessica,” I took her hand. “Sean is out and appointed me to welcome you to 4 Corners.” Katie had vivid inexperienced eyes and truthful pores and skin with freckles. It was exhausting to inform her age, however she may have handed as Sean’s youthful sister.
Katie thanked me as I lead them by way of the Chute. She nonetheless had the handgun on her hip, however that was common in 4 Corners. Almost everybody was armed simply out of behavior. I used to be to the purpose that if I didn’t have my rifle over my shoulder, I felt like I used to be lacking a shoe or a sock.
As we walked, Katie described what they had been seeking to commerce for. Most of what they had been on the lookout for was to the South, however they had been additionally seeking to diversify the bloodlines of a few of their livestock. Because the others moved off to commerce, I led Katie and some of the others with the livestock to the 4 Corners pens by the East gate.
“How did you turn out to be Nomads?”
“Most of us had been on a ranch to the Northwest. When the facility went out, a bunch of the ranch palms introduced their households to the ranch. I used to be the ranch supervisor. Bought a knack for administration and logistics. For the primary yr, issues had been okay. Then, the drought set in. After months of no rain, wells started to dry up. I needed to decide. So, we took what we may, did our greatest with what we had, and began Eastward. Been on the street, residing out of a saddle for, oh, occurring eight months now.”
“Did you personal the ranch?”
“No. Sadly, Chris and his spouse, Susan, had been on a Mediterranean cruise when the facility went out. I feared the worst for them. They had been good folks, however as a health care provider and a lawyer, they’d smooth palms when you take my that means.”
“I used to be as soon as that manner myself. Until the facility went out.”
We arrived on the East gate pens. I made introductions, and Katie’s group engaged with the members of 4 Corners, who maintained the pens, and so they talked about buying and selling and bloodlines.
From their posts, Tom and Collins watched the exercise behind them. With no apparent risk coming from outdoors the East gate, they hopped down and walked as much as us. Simply earlier than they received inside earshot, I whispered, “Katie, I’m so sorry.”
Katie appeared puzzled, then Tom began in his terrible faux English accent,
“The hero of 4 Corners graces us along with her ever-so-lovely presence! And lo! Whom has she introduced us? An ever so truthful maiden!” Tom whipped off his ball cap and did one among his flourishing bows.
Collins and I really rolled our eyes at one another.
Katie laughed. Then she performed into it however along with her deep Irish accent, “Aye!”
Despite the fact that she was not carrying a costume, she curtsied as if she had been and bowed her head.
“I thank thee, good sir, in your most gracious welcome! You honor me and the hero of 4 Corners together with your ever-so-kind gesture!”
“Is that this actually occurring?” Collins deadpanned me.
“Collins, hen and biscuits make it cease. Drive sizzling metallic skewers into my ears! Please!”
For the following 5 minutes, Collins, these round us, and I needed to endure Katie and Tom attempting to one-up one another with flowery speech, flourishing bows and curtsies, and over-the-top compliments.
Diary . . . hen and biscuits!
Entry three
The primary day’s buying and selling went nicely, Katie and Tom’s cringeworthy trade apart.
The Nomads had a younger lady who was very near her due date and misplaced her mucus plug. Daniel and Savannah went to their camp to guage and monitor the scenario. Not having anybody who had been formally educated in something medical outdoors of CPR, Katie made the choice to remain camped throughout from 4 Corners till the infant could possibly be delivered and so they could possibly be assured each mom and baby had been nicely.
The poor lady was in labor for eighteen hours! And with one thing referred to as “again labor.” I do not know what that’s, regardless of Savannah attempting to clarify it to me, nevertheless it sounded painful, and I all the time received the urge to cross my legs after I heard it. That they had the pregnant mom stroll round to attempt to velocity up the labor course of, nevertheless it didn’t work. They even joked about having her do leaping jacks to get the infant out. (Creator’s notice: That was the precise delivery of my daughter, eighteen hours of again labor, the strolling, the leaping jack jokes, and all! That’s proper, kiddo, I’m taking a look at you!)
As soon as the mom was dilated and able to push, Daniel had Savannah carry out the supply from begin to finish, after which instructed her on easy methods to do postpartum care. He needed Savannah to have as a lot real-world expertise as she may get.
As they waited for the infant to be delivered, 4 Corners and the Nomads did lots of buying and selling.
On the morning the infant was lastly delivered, we had one thing of a celebration dinner for each 4 Corners and the Nomads. Katie, Sean, Rae, and I had been sitting round a fireplace, chatting, when Rae steered Katie and her Nomads may settle simply outdoors of our neighborhood.
Katie mentioned she would contemplate it.
Half 4
The subsequent morning, Katie and two males got here throughout the bridge on horseback, main a string of two horses every. Like with the livestock, they needed to diversify their horse bloodlines. I informed them concerning the Millers who may be prepared to commerce to diversify their very own bloodlines. If not them, a few of the farms additional out may be prepared to commerce. I provided to make them the Millers, however would wish a horse to experience. Katie agreed, despatched one of many males again to get a saddled horse for me. Whereas we had been ready, I went to search out Rae to inform her the place I’d be. Rae was visiting Jack with Samson and the puppies. Rae needed to preserve the canine from leaping up on Jack; they had been so excited to see him. He tried to not chuckle, because it harm, however couldn’t assist a number of chuckles. I informed them of the commerce with Katie and the Millers when Rae talked about that she steered to Katie the opportunity of the Nomads settling close to our neighborhood. Together with his considering eyes, Jack mentioned, “This could possibly be an excellent factor for not solely us however them.”
Diary, I believe Jack is correct.
About 1stMarineJarHead
1stMarineJarHead shouldn’t be solely a former Marine, but in addition a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter.
He at the moment resides within the nice white (i.e. snowy) Northeast together with his spouse and canine. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, sometimes hogs, cows and typically geese. He grows varied veggies and has a bizarre fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys studying, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, goal capturing, and is at the moment increasing his woodworking expertise.
