Odd Billy Todd (58 page)

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

For three long months, the snow would come and go. Winter was one long blizzard it seemed, with short periods where the temperature would be milder, sometimes even into the fifties.

But those short periods never lasted. Three days, five, once an entire week. But always the milder, drier weather gave way to more freezing temperatures, and more snow. Much more.

The short periods of thaw were used to work around the farms. There was no visiting, no socializing. Time was too precious to waste. The group had lost cattle, pigs, and even three older horses to the cold, wet weather. The losses were bearable, but they were losses.

Hay was used much faster than anticipated. There was no grass, anywhere, that remained viable. Most of the times it was simply unreachable. The decision was made in early February to cut back on haying, to ensure that there was enough to get the herd through. The cattle would lose weight, but they would regain it once spring and the grass returned. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it would work.

During the days, and sometimes weeks of snow and bitter cold, plans were made. Each house was determined to be better prepared for the next winter. A year ago, this would have made everyone laugh, to be worrying over next winter while in the middle of a blizzard. Not anymore.

Everyone was realizing that the non-winter months would now become a race to prepare for the the coming winter. Nothing else would matter. Crops would have to be put in, and harvested. They would need much more hay for the cattle. And at least one new hay barn.

Roof structures would have to be checked, and any with signs of weakness repaired or strengthened. The weight of two or three feet of snow could collapse a roof. The homes were all sturdily built, but neither their designers nor their builders had ever anticipated this kind of weather. Adjustments were planned for spring time.

Horses in their barns stomped and kicked, built up energy making them restless. They were allowed to run during the brief thaws, possibly all that kept them sane and manageable. Barely.

Every single thing they could squeeze into the thaws was done. If there was thirty minutes left, they were used for something. For some, the need to simply get out of the house was often overwhelming. For others, the need to get work done was the main factor. For all, the winter was wearing.

Day after day of heavy gray clouds. Driving snow and sleet. Drizzling freezing rain. The sound of trees falling around them became common place, as those over whelmed by ice finally gave in to gravity.

There would be plenty of downed trees to cut for firewood come spring time.

Billy figured there would also be a lack of wild game. In these conditions, game animals would be hard pressed to survive. Many would leave, he figured, moving further south in hopes of finding better ground. Perhaps they would return with the spring.

Perhaps not. He didn’t know. No one else did either, he guessed.

He had never seen a winter this savage. Knowing it was possible, even expecting it, had not prepared him to see it. There were days when he looked outside that he wondered about his sanity. Everywhere you looked, there was nothing but white.

The others weren’t dealing with it any better. Many refused to look outside anymore. They ignored the white. They read, they wrote, they slept. They worked on indoor projects. They dressed in sweats, and covered themselves with blankets to accommodate the colder temperatures. Fires and furnaces were kept low, to preserve fuel.

Mealtimes were boring. There were only so many ways to prepare the same foods. There was no where to ‘eat-out’ anymore. There were no social gatherings. No cook-outs, no ‘visiting’. Movement was difficult when the snow was upon them. When it wasn’t, no time could be wasted ‘socializing’.

The radio told a sad tale of it’s own, as signal after signal stopped transmitting. People they had heard on the HAM frequencies since civilization had died went silent. More and more isolated, everyone began to draw more into themselves.

It was a harsh and rugged world they now lived in. One where a simple mistake could lead to death. No more hospitals. No more doctor’s clinics. No EMS ambulances. Nothing.

For the first time, the residents of the farm community realized they were well and truly on their own. There was no one else. No one to come riding to the rescue if something happened. No one to lean on, depend upon, but themselves.

Not one of them had ever considered the mental issues that this realization could cause. It hadn’t seemed important. They had survived, and would continue to do so. That should be all there was to it.

But it wasn’t. Week after week of continued confinement, worry, and fear increased stress levels to the breaking point. Nerves were in tatters from the forced isolation. Tempers flared and snapped. Even couples tended to drift apart, looking to isolate themselves from one another. Books were read, read again, then traded to others for still more books that had already been read.

Video games that had initially occupied the attention of children became boring, and then disgusting. Movies that had been seen five times over and were once favorites became hated. Music that once had soothed the soul now jarred already fractured nerves.

It seemed there was no end in sight. Many bundled up and ventured outside just to relieve the boredom, only to be driven inside within minutes by biting winds and wet clothing.

By March, it would have been difficult to find anyone who wasn’t near the end of their rope.

But some had used the time to prepare for things other than the next crop. The next need.

And they were just as ready for the thaw as anyone else.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

It was late into March when the first long break of good weather seemed to stick around. Good was relative, of course, with temperatures in the fifties and strong winds. Still, it beat being buried in snow.

As the small community began to dig out, they surveyed the damage. Thankfully none of their own homes or buildings were damaged. Their perimeter system had suffered, and Howie took this long period of good weather to start working on that. It took him almost a week, but the alarms and cameras were finally all running again.

Billy and Danny spent three days working on the Todd farm to get everything back to battery. Once that was done, Billy told Danny he trusted him to look after the animals from now on, but to call if he needed any help at all. Danny took this trusted post with a swelled chest, proud that Billy would trust him so.

Billy then disappeared into his ‘shop’.

He had work to do.

*****

Billy was sitting outside studying a map when Pete rode into the yard.

“Hey, Pete!” Billy grinned. “How ya doin’?”

“Passin’ fair,” Pete nodded, grinning in return as he stepped down off his horse. “You guys about caught up?”

“Have been a couple days,” Billy assured him. “Got lucky this go ‘round.”

“I think we all did,” Pete nodded. “Was headed over to see Michelle, thought I’d stop in and say hello.”

“Guess it was a long winter for ya, huh?” Billy grinned.

“Made some snowshoes,” Pete chuckled. “Spent a lot o’ time at the Silvers’ place.”

“That’s the way to plan,” Billy laughed.

“What you doin’, anyway,” Pete asked, his head nodding at the map.

“Ah, just lookin’ at stuff,” Billy replied vaguely.

“What kind of ‘stuff’?”

“Railroad trestles and such,” Billy told him, his voice low.

“So that’s your idea,” Pete said, comprehension dawning. “How you plan on going about it?” he asked, interested.

“Ain’t made up my mind just yet,” Billy admitted. “Still studyin’ the layout so to speak. And a lot depends on what they do.”

“Well, I’m in, whatever it is,” Pete grinned suddenly. Billy looked at him for a long minute, then nodded firmly.

“Works for me.”

*****

“Jerry, reckon you’re the one knows what’s best, here,” Billy mentioned. “Reckon you oughta start us off.” Everyone who would be part of the communal work on the farms was gathered for a meeting. They all realized that there was no time to waste. They needed to get crops in the ground, and other work started. Sooner would be much better than later.

“Well, we got to get as much land broke up and fit to plant as we can manage, o’ course,” Jerry told them. “And some o’ that’s gonna depend on fuel and manpower. But we got to decide what we aim to plant, and make sure we got seed enough to do it.”

“We need plenty of rapeseed, for the bio fuel,” Ralph spoke up. George nodded his agreement.

“And we need a lot o' corn for the hogs,” Billy added, brow furrowed.

“And we got to have more hay,” Jon Kelvey spoke up. “Ran way too low, this time.”

“Now you’re startin’ to see the problem,” Jerry sighed. “Can’t just throw some seed at the ground, and that’s it. Takes plannin’, and good management. Gotta plant so that everything don’t come ready at once, or you loose some of it. Not to mention, we need a place to store the grains. Ain’t got near enough o’ that, right now.”

“So we get the crops in, and then start working on the storage?” Terry Blaine asked. “I can see that working. And it’s a good management of our time, seems like. We don’t have to be ready at planting time. Just at harvest.”

“That’s simplified, but mostly right,” Jerry agreed. “Thing is, if we make a mistake, we may not have enough time to fix it. And we don’t want everything in one place, neither. We need to spread everything around some.”

“Okay, so all we’re gonna plant is corn, rapeseed, and hay?” George asked. “And none o’ that is for us, right?”

“Right,” Jerry nodded. “Everybody will need to get gardens in, and grow their own. We’ll plant some wheat, though, and make sure everybody gets flour. And we’ll set aside some corn for meal, too.”

“Sounds like a long summer to me,” Toby sighed. He wasn’t really surprised. This wasn’t anything different from the way the Silvers’ had lived all his life.

“Well, we can get the breaking done right off, I should think, we got plenty o’ tools, and drivers.”

“Well, then, let’s get down to the bones o’ this plannin’, and we’ll start plowin’ tomorrow, right?”

*****

The work was hard, but not especially difficult. After a few trial runs, the consensus was that Jon Kelvey and Jerry Silvers would be the drivers. Both men were much better than the others handling the tractors and equipment needed to get ready for planting.

There were issues. The noise of the equipment would attract anyone in the area to come take a look. It was agreed that the security shack would be manned around the clock starting immediately. Everyone was given a weapons refresher, and those who didn’t have sidearms were issued them, and told to wear them at all times, or keep them near when sleeping, bathing, and so forth.

Spotters would also accompany Jon and Jerry as they worked to prepare various fields for planting. Their attention would of necessity be focused on operating the tractors. Someone would need to watch their backs.

After three weeks of pleasant weather, it was decided to go ahead and start the gardens. There were several plants that could be planted early, that a frost wouldn’t hamper. In three days time a decent greenhouse was started on the Todd farm, and several of the women gathered to get starter plants going inside. When the weather permitted additional planting, they’d be prepared.

By mid-April, the gardens were planted, as were the fields. It had been hard work, and almost everyone was tired. After months of enforced inactivity, the sudden spurt of hard work had everyone tired and sore. It was decided by the women that a social gathering was indicated.

The outing would take place at the Todd household this time. Billy, Danny, Toby and Pete left early one morning in two trucks, returning in the afternoon with various playground equipment. They worked the rest of the day setting everything up temporarily the Todd farm, with plans to relocate most of it to the Clifton Home once the gathering was passed. Kids needed playtime, Billy had decreed.

One of the fatter calves, and two goats were slaughtered and cooked over open fires for most of a night, to be ready for serving on the next day. As usual the men folk gathered around these fires and performed manly bonding rituals.

Pete volunteered to man the security systems, and Michelle Silvers, unsurprisingly, offered to help. Billy joined the ‘circle’, but he and Toby remained completely sober, just in case. There was no getting around the fact that these were dangerous times.

The day of the ‘social’ as it was being called was a full day of food, games, talking an playing. Everyone had a good time, with the men taking turns on watch. Every two hours, two of them would saddle horses and ride the perimeter of the farms, as the two currently on watch would return to the gathering. The same schedule was used for the security shack, making sure that everything was safe while everyone got a chance to let their hair down and recover from the long winter.

Debby Purdy joined the party too. It was the first time she’d been away from the house since her problems had come to a head. She was shy at first, uneasy as to how people would take her being there. But Amy had explained to everyone what had happened, and the fact that Debby wasn’t truly to blame for what had happened to her, and the others were willing to let it go.

As the day wore on, and Debby realized that everyone was glad to see her back on her feet, she relaxed, and began to enjoy herself.

All in all, it was a very good day for the little community, and one that was long overdue. Tomorrow would bring a new round of chores for everyone, and the work would start early. But today, everyone just enjoyed the company.