Stan Morris - Surviving the Fog

“Is she causing a problem on the crew?”

“Uh, no, not exactly.”

“So, it’s because she has the hots for you,” Mike guessed.

Hectors jaw dropped. “What did you say?”

“Gee, Hector,” said Mike in an exasperated tone of voice. “I’m about the most clueless guy here when it comes to the girls, and even I knew that Kathy wants to be your girlfriend.” John and Desi broke into laughter.

“Oh,” Hector said, feeling very foolish and somewhat disgruntled.

“Talk to her, Hector,” Desi suggested.

“Yeah, dude,” said John. “Women are hard enough to figure out when they do talk to you. When they don’t, well, guys can’t figure out shit.”

“No kidding,” agreed Mike. Desi just laughed.

Hector started to leave.

“Hector, it’s okay to be her boyfriend, but don’t forget the rules,” Mike warned him.

“She’s a kid, Chief,” Hector growled. “I wouldn’t touch her.”

Hector went back to the job site. He didn’t know what to say to Kathy. The other kids left. He and Kathy were alone.

Abruptly he said, “I’m too old for you, Kat.”

Kathy stopped what she was doing. She turned to look at Hector. She had a serious look on her face, and she didn’t pretend to misunderstand what he was speaking about.

“I know that would be true in the old world, Hector,” said Kathy. “But I don’t think that’s true in this world.”

“But…” He tried to think of something to say, but it seemed like his brain had ceased to function.

“I’m sorry if I make you feel bad, Hector,” she said mournfully.

“Jeez.” He put one arm around her neck, and he drew her close to him. “Kat, I just worry that it would be better for you to have someone closer to your own age.”

She put her arms around him, and she leaned her head against his chest. For a minute they stood there, and then Kathy said, “Hector?”

“Yes, Kat?”

“Can I wear your cap?” she asked softly.

She held her breath. After a moment, Hector sighed, took his cap off, and placed it on Kathy’s head. Grinning, she stepped back and reversed the brim.

“Can I tell the other girls that you’re my boyfriend? Please! Please!” she begged. “They’ll be so jealous.”

He smiled an exasperated smile. “Okay, go ahead.”

“Yes!” she squealed, and she threw herself back into his arms. They stood like that for a few minutes enjoying the feel of each other, and then, linking their arms, they started walking down to the dining hall.

“So, do you prefer me in jeans or in skirts?” Kathy asked mischievously.

“If I see you working in that skirt again, I’m gonna smack your butt,” Hector warned her.

“Yes, sir,” Kathy responded demurely.

“And don’t think we’re going to do anything more than hold hands,” Hector grumbled.

“I know the rules,” responded Kathy . I can’t wait to get a taste of your tongue , she thought mischievously. I hope you like mine.

For the most part, the kids took the news of Hector and Kathy good naturedly. Of course, being teenagers they had to razz them. Late the next day, Erin and her friends were sitting in their favorite spot under the wall.

“That Kathy,” a girl grumbled. “I said I wanted him first.”

“No, you didn’t,” another girl reminded her. “You just said that he was cute. I’m the one who said that I wanted him for my boyfriend.”

“No, you said ‘maybe’ you wanted him for your boyfriend.”

“Erin, why do you think that Kathy wants Hector for her boyfriend?” a girl asked. “He doesn’t seem like he would be her type. She always seemed to be afraid of all guys, and Hector is a lot older.”

Erin thought about it. “Maybe fear is the reason,” she answered. “It’s hard not to be scared when we stop and think about our situation.” The other girls nodded. “Maybe she feels safer when he’s around.”

“That Kathy,” grumbled the first girl again.

Erin smiled. “Don’t blame Kathy because she took a chance. We know what a chicken she used to be. She decided to be brave for once.” Way to go, Kathy, she said to herself.

When the first row of rooms was finished, Hector used the forklift to move the next group of floors up to the second level. This meant that both boys and girls were sleeping in the dining hall. It was very crowded, and they had very little privacy. Most of the girls had pajamas that covered them, but some had to borrow heavy shirts from the boys to be decent. Mike kicked the girls out of Chief’s Headquarters, and he reclaimed his space for the first time in weeks.

Once the second group of floors was installed, Mike allowed the girls to occupy the first floor. There was still very little privacy, but at least there were no boys around, except for John who was living with Desi in the alcove cave. The one safety rule that Mike required was that anyone not working on the lodge had to stay out of the construction area during the day.

By the end of the first week of September, the rooms were completed. Hector had built a parapet with rails along the edge of the upper rooms, and he built a ladder that the kids would use to access the second floor. Hector used the cabin canvas tops to screen the individual rooms. Now they had to build a roof.

Hector had already vetoed the idea of laying the logs from the front of the rooms to the ground above the cave. Instead he used a scissors machine to raise four combinations of three logs tied together to be columns that ran from the floor of the cave to the ceiling of the cave. The middle log was a little shorter than the others, so that a space was created between the outer logs. Then a log was run between the spaces, so that it became a beam. Once Hector was satisfied that the columns and beams were stable, he used a block and tackle to position logs from the top of the rooms to the top of the beam. He covered these logs with black plastic, and then he laid a layer of smaller logs over it. It was certainly not airtight, and there was a large gap between the beams and the ceiling of the cave so that smoke could escape, but it was close enough to retain most of the heat from a central fire. Hector was worried that there would be too much smoke in the lodge, but by using only old wood they kept it manageable. Hector used the rest of the black plastic roll to insulate the outer walls of the cabins as best he could.

“Will it leak?” Mike asked, as he dubiously studied the roof.

“Hell, yes, it will leak,” answered Hector. “But it will get us by for the winter. Next year I’ll make wood shingles. That should stop most of the leaks.”

Jacob had gone hunting, and he killed a deer at the beginning of September. Mike found a jig saw in his tool chest, and they used it to cut the deer into pieces that they could store in the freezer. Some of the kids were reluctant to eat the venison, but most of them were glad to have the meat once they had a taste of it.

Mike wanted to save the canned food for as long as possible, so he sent out parties to hunt for rabbits, to catch birds, and to look for eggs in their nests. He allowed them to use the bows and arrows and their spears but not the firearms. He usually sent them in teams of four. In late September, Mike sent Howard on a hunting trip. With Howard were Ahmad, and the twins, Kevin and Nathan.

“Go east along the river for a day and a half,” ordered Mike. “Then spend the rest of the day, and until noon of the next day, hunting. Then start back. Look around. See what the area is like.”

Mike was not hoping for a lot of success. His real purpose was for the members of the hunting party to get acclimated to the wild. He believed that they needed kids other than Jacob to be comfortable in the mountains and in the forest. Once the hunting party had left, Mike went to talk to Hector.