| General Fiction posted March 1, 2014 | Chapters: |
2 3 -4- 5... 
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Meeting the survivors some known some new to the group
A chapter in the book Yosemite
Old Friends and New
by michaelcahill
| Background A catastrophe has thrown people together who now must attempt to learn to get along and survive. Much is unknown and yet to be discovered. |
We left the last installment with the group discussing the catastrophe that as befallen them and possible plans of survival that might be pursued. Jennifer and Mike have spoken privately as they realize that much of the leadership responsibility may well fall on their shoulders. Mike has noticed a disheveled and distraught Jennifer returning from a nearby stream. We pick up the story now as Mike addresses her.
“Are you okay?”
“No” her one word response.
However, that response tells me everything I need to know. She has lost the baby. I also sense that this is not the time for discussion.
“I’m sorry” is all I have to say for now, and no doubt all she wants to hear, if even that. We would talk when she wanted to talk. It had always been that way with us. I knew things usually before she told me. She knew that I knew before she told me as well. I knew that she was pregnant before she told me. I knew who the father was and she hadn't told me, yet. I wondered if she would now or if it even needed to be acknowledged anymore. There was a time when the married boss getting the hired help pregnant would've made for quite the scandal. It didn't seem to be the problem it once was.
In a practical sense, it does alleviate many potential problems and surely potential drama. Raising a baby under these circumstances would no doubt be a demanding task. The question of paternity has now been reduced to an idle speculation for those that think that it matters. It will certainly add a sense of sadness to a world that is already sad by nature.
I hope she will be okay. Not just as an asset to our survival but as a friend. I imagine that it will be a relief to Carlos. He isn't one that masks worry well. But, he worries a lot and the source of his worry is sometimes difficult to determine.
Is he concerned about his wife and two young children? Is he concerned about his mistress here and her condition? I suspect his worry centers around his current predicament. In a selfish way, I find that an asset to our survival. I'm not one to judge other matters though, of course, I do anyway.
I don't think he knows that Jennifer was pregnant to begin with. She told me, but I don't think she told him. Carlos would be considered handsome by the opposite sex I imagine. That is the reaction he seems to receive from them.
Jennifer has a different appeal. Her willingness to make fun of me I find endearing. I do have a sharp tongue that most are afraid to engage in a war of words. She is not, I like that.
She is still somewhat overweight but well within the boundaries of attractive especially when combined with an interesting personality and intellect. I know that her abilities as an artist do obscure my perception of age and beauty as they apply to my mindset.
I know she was shockingly overweight at one point in her life. She has even shown me pictures in a matter of fact way. I do wonder how that comes to play in her new and improved self. Well, just musing as I have a predilection to do.
As I said, there are 13 of us in our little group, eight woman and five men. You’ve met Jennifer and to some degree myself. They call me ‘Johnny’. I don’t know how it is that I become Johnny as opposed to John or Johnathon. Yet, that is the case. I would never allow Mr. Jefferson or Sir not that I think it ever occurs to anyone. So Johnny it is. For all I know I am the oldest Johnny in the world. Lord, what an awful thought.
So, eight woman and five men. I like that. One might assume that at my advanced or at least advancing age that I won’t factor in. Be advised, I always factor in. I don’t believe in the rules and seldom follow them. I don’t truly understand why but, rest assured I am always a factor. That aside, I will try to explain some of the dynamic of our group.
There are four strangers. By that, I mean that there are four individuals unknown to the rest of the group until the events that have unfolded, three women and one man. First there is Christine who is somewhere in the vicinity of 30 years old. She is voluptuous to say the least and every man here and a few of the girls as well are drooling over her.
She is freakishly strong and it takes everything I have to hold my own arm wrestling with her. Of course, she is just playing while I am fighting to the death to hold on to my diminishing manhood. I suspect that if she had ill will towards me that she could easily rip my arm off and pat me on the head with it. Despite her strength, she is very feminine and enticing. She is totally non-judgmental and easy to engage in conversation. Without meaning to, she encourages every wild scenario that occurs to us and there is many a sleepless though pleasant night daydreaming about her.
She is not at all a leader though she is incredibly intelligent and insightful. Her opinion matters and is considered in every instance. She is also the defacto entertainment director. It is hilarious to see the silly games she can get full-grown adults, myself included, to participate in. She is "totally festive gay" she has told me, as I am the person to whom one could reveal a secret. So, unbeknownst to the boys jumping through hoops for her, they don’t have a chance. But, know this dear Christine; I am not one of them, and I do have experience.
I will say this; it would be very tedious being in this situation if not for her. She keeps the dialogue and entertainment going even if it is just us listening to her every word. Somehow, she just has a way of making people feel good about themselves. It truly is a wonderful gift especially for us, especially under the circumstances.
The other two women consist of a very young beauty named Lacci and a 40 something gal named Judy who I suppose is our mother figure of sorts. She is not unattractive at all but, seems somehow born to motherhood. For the time being, it removes her from most of the men’s list of pursuable women. But, as always, there is always something underlying a cursory perception.
The man is named Joe. In my head, I call him “Average Joe”. He seems a decent sort. He is fit and is friendly enough. I have little regard for men. So, I’ll leave it to the ladies to fit him in somewhere.
Finally, there are the nine of us that are fully acquainted. There are Jennifer and myself. There is Carlos, suspected father and former boss. There is Linda who is a caregiver like myself but, new to the company. Then there are five clients or I should say in reality former clients. We were all part of a board and care facility dealing with mentally and physically disabled people. There remains that delineation between staff and client.
However, the former staff hierarchy has mostly vanished. The so-called challenged for the most part still embrace the call of the cared for as though it were a birthright. It is a thinking that I have little resentment for yet find reprehensible within myself. For me it is the ultimate revocation of humanity to seek care. And be advised that I consider help and care to be very different things.
The hand I raise from the abyss is the same hand I would plunge into it if I am to be human, as I believe it to be at its finest. Well, just my little rant as I am the writer and am given to self-indulgence on a regular basis.
“Are you okay?”
“No” her one word response.
However, that response tells me everything I need to know. She has lost the baby. I also sense that this is not the time for discussion.
“I’m sorry” is all I have to say for now, and no doubt all she wants to hear, if even that. We would talk when she wanted to talk. It had always been that way with us. I knew things usually before she told me. She knew that I knew before she told me as well. I knew that she was pregnant before she told me. I knew who the father was and she hadn't told me, yet. I wondered if she would now or if it even needed to be acknowledged anymore. There was a time when the married boss getting the hired help pregnant would've made for quite the scandal. It didn't seem to be the problem it once was.
In a practical sense, it does alleviate many potential problems and surely potential drama. Raising a baby under these circumstances would no doubt be a demanding task. The question of paternity has now been reduced to an idle speculation for those that think that it matters. It will certainly add a sense of sadness to a world that is already sad by nature.
I hope she will be okay. Not just as an asset to our survival but as a friend. I imagine that it will be a relief to Carlos. He isn't one that masks worry well. But, he worries a lot and the source of his worry is sometimes difficult to determine.
Is he concerned about his wife and two young children? Is he concerned about his mistress here and her condition? I suspect his worry centers around his current predicament. In a selfish way, I find that an asset to our survival. I'm not one to judge other matters though, of course, I do anyway.
I don't think he knows that Jennifer was pregnant to begin with. She told me, but I don't think she told him. Carlos would be considered handsome by the opposite sex I imagine. That is the reaction he seems to receive from them.
Jennifer has a different appeal. Her willingness to make fun of me I find endearing. I do have a sharp tongue that most are afraid to engage in a war of words. She is not, I like that.
She is still somewhat overweight but well within the boundaries of attractive especially when combined with an interesting personality and intellect. I know that her abilities as an artist do obscure my perception of age and beauty as they apply to my mindset.
I know she was shockingly overweight at one point in her life. She has even shown me pictures in a matter of fact way. I do wonder how that comes to play in her new and improved self. Well, just musing as I have a predilection to do.
As I said, there are 13 of us in our little group, eight woman and five men. You’ve met Jennifer and to some degree myself. They call me ‘Johnny’. I don’t know how it is that I become Johnny as opposed to John or Johnathon. Yet, that is the case. I would never allow Mr. Jefferson or Sir not that I think it ever occurs to anyone. So Johnny it is. For all I know I am the oldest Johnny in the world. Lord, what an awful thought.
So, eight woman and five men. I like that. One might assume that at my advanced or at least advancing age that I won’t factor in. Be advised, I always factor in. I don’t believe in the rules and seldom follow them. I don’t truly understand why but, rest assured I am always a factor. That aside, I will try to explain some of the dynamic of our group.
There are four strangers. By that, I mean that there are four individuals unknown to the rest of the group until the events that have unfolded, three women and one man. First there is Christine who is somewhere in the vicinity of 30 years old. She is voluptuous to say the least and every man here and a few of the girls as well are drooling over her.
She is freakishly strong and it takes everything I have to hold my own arm wrestling with her. Of course, she is just playing while I am fighting to the death to hold on to my diminishing manhood. I suspect that if she had ill will towards me that she could easily rip my arm off and pat me on the head with it. Despite her strength, she is very feminine and enticing. She is totally non-judgmental and easy to engage in conversation. Without meaning to, she encourages every wild scenario that occurs to us and there is many a sleepless though pleasant night daydreaming about her.
She is not at all a leader though she is incredibly intelligent and insightful. Her opinion matters and is considered in every instance. She is also the defacto entertainment director. It is hilarious to see the silly games she can get full-grown adults, myself included, to participate in. She is "totally festive gay" she has told me, as I am the person to whom one could reveal a secret. So, unbeknownst to the boys jumping through hoops for her, they don’t have a chance. But, know this dear Christine; I am not one of them, and I do have experience.
I will say this; it would be very tedious being in this situation if not for her. She keeps the dialogue and entertainment going even if it is just us listening to her every word. Somehow, she just has a way of making people feel good about themselves. It truly is a wonderful gift especially for us, especially under the circumstances.
The other two women consist of a very young beauty named Lacci and a 40 something gal named Judy who I suppose is our mother figure of sorts. She is not unattractive at all but, seems somehow born to motherhood. For the time being, it removes her from most of the men’s list of pursuable women. But, as always, there is always something underlying a cursory perception.
The man is named Joe. In my head, I call him “Average Joe”. He seems a decent sort. He is fit and is friendly enough. I have little regard for men. So, I’ll leave it to the ladies to fit him in somewhere.
Finally, there are the nine of us that are fully acquainted. There are Jennifer and myself. There is Carlos, suspected father and former boss. There is Linda who is a caregiver like myself but, new to the company. Then there are five clients or I should say in reality former clients. We were all part of a board and care facility dealing with mentally and physically disabled people. There remains that delineation between staff and client.
However, the former staff hierarchy has mostly vanished. The so-called challenged for the most part still embrace the call of the cared for as though it were a birthright. It is a thinking that I have little resentment for yet find reprehensible within myself. For me it is the ultimate revocation of humanity to seek care. And be advised that I consider help and care to be very different things.
The hand I raise from the abyss is the same hand I would plunge into it if I am to be human, as I believe it to be at its finest. Well, just my little rant as I am the writer and am given to self-indulgence on a regular basis.
 Recognized |
Moving forward with a lot of advice and excellent suggestions in mind. Please keep the ideas coming. Much of the input is things I haven't considered. So, it is much appreciated. Thank you for your support. At some point I have to introduce the characters in the story and sooner is better than later in this case. So, I am doing it now. It eliminates the problem in the future.
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