Jacqueline Druga-Marchetti - Dust

Until day seventy-seven AB. Nearly three months after the bombs, the radio crackled, and a man identified as General Edmunds gave orders to Tanner. I thought it was some sort of militia joke, but Tanner knew Edmunds well.

I was frightened; I thought Tanner was leaving me. But he wasn’t. Four remaining leaders of the United States military had initiated seventeen major ‘hubs’. Pittsburgh was one of them. The hubs would be main stations and distribution centers. A place where the lone survivor, or family could go and find out where the nearest functioning community was located. There was no promise that the reorganization would last, but they were giving it a shot. Basically, the new government wasn’t setting out to establish camps, but rather aid and assist those civilizations already in existence.

I was in luck. We were in luck. Tanner informed them of Redman, and the government informed Tanner assistance would be given. Tanner had to go to Pittsburgh first.

“Jo, no.” Tanner shook his head as he got into the jeep. “I won’t be gone long. I have to check in, give statistics and I’ll be right back.”

“Please?”

“No.” he darted a quick kiss to me and turned the ignition on the jeep. “Stay here.”

“I want to go.”

“The last time I took you in this jeep, you bitched the entire time that my driving made you sick.”

I mustered up the most pitiful face I could. “Tanner?” I spoke softy. “Please.”

“Why? Tell me why this is so important to you?”

It was going to sound stupid and I knew it. I debated for a moment, tapping my hands on his door. “OK, this general guy told you that they plan to bulldoze the entire area around the old rescue station, right?”

“Yes. So.”

“So that’s my old house, Tanner. Let me go back and see it one more time. Let me just check to see if there are pictures I want to grab. Things I may have left there. I also think I’m ready to get my notebook back. I want it back. Please?”

Tanner huffed out. “Fine. Get in.”

“Yes.” I did a little jump of excitement and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. This is why I love you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He shook his head.

I slid in the jeep.

“You better tell Burke you’re leaving.”

“I already did.”

“Christ. I’m such a sucker.” He shifted the gear into reverse and backed up. We were on our way.

“What’s going on?” I asked, as we pulled closer to my street. A military truck blocked the entrance.

“We’ll find out.” Tanner drove the jeep to the truck and stopped. “Gentlemen.” He called to the soldiers. “What’s going on?”

After a salute, the one soldier walked to the jeep. “Morning, Sir. We’re just blocking the street as a precaution. Trucks have been transporting people in from other cities, and we don’t want to take a chance they’ll settle here. This street is slated for clearing day after tomorrow.”

I nudged Tanner. “See, just in time.”

Tanner ignored me. “Can she go through? She used to live here, and wants to see her house while I head to the station. I’ll vouch for her.”

The soldier shrugged. “Sure.”

“Thanks.” I smiled, and started to get out.

Tanner grabbed my hand and stopped me. “I won’t be long. Neither should you. If you run into problems, scream. They’ll hear you.”

“Got it.”

“And get what you need. See what you have to, and come back to these guys. OK?”

“But… can’t you just come down and get me when you’re done?”

“Jo.” Tanner whispered. “Come on, I don’t want to take a chance. What if I get delayed? I don’t want you by yourself. Please?”

“All right. I’ll be fast.” I stepped from the jeep. “Tanner? Thank you.”

Tanner smiled and winked. He gave a nod of acknowledgement to the soldiers as he drove away. Then I began my journey.

“Ma’am.” The soldier called to me. “Would you like me to go with you?”

“No. I’m fine. I’m a few houses down.” I pointed. “Just keep an ear out for me.” I gave a wave and continued walking. My house wasn’t far. It amazed me that I wasn’t upset when I saw my street again. I knew I had really put it behind me when the site of the remaining destruction barely fazed me. My home, Mark’s home, they were my past.

Without a doubt, just to do it, I was going to stop and see Mark’s basement. After all we had lived there and it was our saving grace. In fact, it was going to be my first stop, until I saw my front door was open.

I had put a lot of closure into my last day at my home, so I distinctively remembered closing the front door. It didn’t dawn on me that anyone was in my house; it never even crossed my mind until I stepped on my porch.

Through my open front door I could see into my dining room, and I spotted what looked to be a man, wearing a green military jacket and bandana, seated at the table. My heart jumped to my throat, and I debated on running and getting one of the soldiers. But as I looked again, I saw him slowly flipping pages. Pages to the notebook I left on the table. Enraged by the invasion of my privacy, I didn’t pause to think of the consequences, and I grabbed a board that lay on my porch.

Holding it like a bat, I stepped quietly into my house. The floorboards creaked, but the man didn’t budge. He was smaller, and that eased any worry I had. Another step, and I stopped again when I caught glimpse of the left side of his face. His ear was gone, his cheek heavily scarred from burns.

He turned another page and chuckled.

How dare him?

“Get…” I graveled my voice and raised the board. “Out of my house!” I charged his way, readied to swing, and then he jolted around to face me.

Inches from connection, I froze. The board toppled from my hand, fell to the ground and I trembled out of control.

Mona stood up. “You got the story a little wrong,” she said. “I was eight miles outside of Tulsa.”

I was silent. I couldn’t speak, move, I don’t even think I took a breath.

“I was able to get below. But still…” She pointed to her face. “Jo? Jo, say something.”

“Oh, my God.” I whispered, slowly my hand reached out, almost as if I was afraid to touch her.

“I’m sorry it took so long. But I’m here now. Thank you.” Mona grabbed my hand. “Thank you for never giving up on me.”

The moment she touched me was the moment I knew it was real. Emotionally, and long, I gasped out the breath that I held, and then I grabbed on to Mona. The tears at that moment were unimaginable; the embrace kept us both from losing our balance. We held on, and we cried, right there in my dining room for the longest of time. No words. Just holding on to a piece of life we both thought was gone.

My plan was to go back to my home to say a final goodbye. To go full circle, retrieve my notebook, and really add a sense of closure to it all. I did. Mona returned. My list was finally complete. There truly was nothing left to do… but go on.

Copyright 2003 by Jacqueline Druga.

Published by GreatoneAS

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.