Resurrection (8 page)

He lay down on the bunk and stared up at the ceiling as the voices outside the bunkhouse melded into one singular voice. He crossed his legs and reflected on all that had happened to him, everything was so nuts, so upside down and crazy and he felt that none of what he had experienced could actually be real.

Chapter 19

“Hello, hey you missed the bell for supper, hey wake up.”

Mark awoke with a start. “What, what is it?”

Through bleary eyes he saw a young woman sitting on his bunk. “You missed supper, I brought you something, I thought you’d be hungry, “she said.

He sat up and put his feet on the floor, the girl did not move but handed him a plate of food. The girl was blessed with wavy and fiery red locks which reached all the way down to her waist and piercing icy–blue eyes.

“There’s smoked pig and baked beans and potato salad, I hope you like potato salad I made it myself and some sweet tea of course.”

He took the plate and the jar of tea and sat it them on the floor in front of him.

“Thank you,” he said.” I’m sorry I missed supper and made you walk all the way out here.”

“Oh that’s okay I figured you could use some sleep and lord knows I need the exercise.”

“Well,” she said standing.” I better get back, enjoy your meal, I hope to see you around.”

He watched the girl as she walked away and then picked up the meal and began eating. Later, he took a stroll around the camp and saw a large group of people gathered around a bonfire. He approached and saw Tom with his arms around a young woman and two children playing around his feet.

Tom looked over at him and smiled and nodded and then kissed the woman on the cheek. Mark watched intently as the group laughed and sang songs and a sense of calm came over him. Calm he had not felt since before the Landry’s disappeared from the store in Louisiana.

The next morning came early four a.m. and everyone in the bunkhouse was scrambling to get ready for the day. There were four wash basins in the restroom and four toilets and every man took their turn.

Mark washed his face and brushed his teeth and then dressed and followed everyone up to the front of the main house where breakfast was being served. He got in line with all of the others.

He took a seat at one of the long wooden tables placed in the yard of the main house and looked around at all of the men, women and children who were sitting there.

Tom wandered over after filling his plate.

“Mind if I sit here,” he said.

“No not at all.”

“How is breakfast?”

“Good, really good; it’s been quite a while since I’ve had two hot meals in row.”

“Well we try to keep everyone fed as best we can you know what they say about an army running on its stomach.”

“An army, is that what this is?”

“You know I really can’t get over that Cajun accent of yours, But to answer your question we happen to be part of the Texas Republic Militia, Black Springs unit. We formed soon after the plague began and joined up with the Republic later. We’re the law in this area, we keep it safe for us and our children and any other citizen who may still be alive although other than those you see around you there aren’t many left.

“We patrol the highways and the backroads of this county and the towns around the area and dispose of Wasters when we find them. If someone has a loved one who dies we allow them time to grieve by having a funeral before disposing of the body in the specified manner, in a dignified way of course.”

Mark was silent, listening to Tom’s words as he ate his breakfast. Soon the red–haired girl who had brought him supper the previous night came by.

“Would you like some more coffee?” She said.

Mark pushed his cup toward her. “Yes please,” he said.

She smiled at him and he smiled back. Tom observed the interaction between the two and rubbed his chin

“Nice girl,” he said after she had moved on. “Young and pretty; we call her The Red Angel.”

“Well that’s a fitting name for her because she brought me a plate of food last night otherwise I would have gone hungry.

“That not the reason she is called that, it’s because she’s a seer.”

“A what?” Mark stuttered.

What are your intentions Mark?”

The question took him aback.

“What are my intentions? What are you talking about Tom?”

“You see Mark we’d like you to join up with us, we’re always looking for able bodied volunteers to work the farm and become part of the thin line of sanity.”

“Join up, you mean stay here. I don’t know I kind of had my sights on…”

“New Mexico, I know,” Tom interrupted.  “All you’re gonna find out there is desert and more desert.”

“Maybe that’s what I’m looking for, Just maybe I want to get out in the middle of nowhere and hide out in some secluded canyon or mountaintop.”

“Maybe that’s so, but I’m offering you a purpose, a life with some kind of meaning not just disappearing into the landscape like a ghost.”

What Mark saw around him was by far better than from where he had come and surviving on the road had become more of a chore than he had first imagined. He pulled at the edges of the thought of remaining where he was and putting Resurrection on the back burner for now.

“You know what Tom, I believe I’ll give it a go with the understanding that if I decide different later I am free to go.”

“Sounds fair enough but once you get settled in here you won’t want to leave. Good tomorrow morning you start training”

“Training?” Mark said.

“Well you can’t very well be in the Texas Militia without training. We train five days a week and afterwards we work the farm so it’s a pretty long day; won’t be much time for socializing if you know what I mean Mark. We’ll talk about those weapons in your truck later.

“How many men are in this unit?” Mark said.

“About two hundred and fifty in this outfit and that includes many of the woman; not all but many of the ladies can carry their own weight and yours if need be when it comes down to it.

“Not all of them can fight nor do we expect them to, some see to the needs of the camp by being caretakers of the children, cooking and making certain no one goes hungry. Their contribution is no less a necessity than being able to go on patrol and keep the camp safe. Our sister unit in Jimenez has about four-hundred so altogether we are about six-hundred fifty souls.”

Mark saw Isabel walking toward him followed by her two children.

“Good Sunday morning Tom and how are you Mark, You slept well I trust.” She said.

Tom and Mark both stood “Yes ma’am very well thank you,” he said.

“Such manners, I like that in a man. Mark I want you to meet my children, this is Luz and I believe you have already met Rafael.”

“Good to meet you Luz and Rafael.”

Isabel and Luz were both dressed in matching yellow sundresses which was in striking contrast to the military style she was wearing when Mark had first met her. Isabel’s hair was down and her wavy black locks framed her face accentuating her features and her dark eyes.

Mark could barely take his eyes off of her, her dark hair shimmered in the early morning sunlight and he was enchanted by her. He had scarcely noticed her the day before but now he had to look away so she would not notice him staring.

“Church begins in forty-five minutes, hope to see the both of you there,” Isabel said.

“We’ll be there,” Tom said speaking for the both of them.

“Bueno, we’ll see you there then. Come along now Niño’s.” She said.

“I hope you don’t mind me speaking for you but attending church services on a regular basis is pretty much a requirement around here what with the world gone to hell we need all the help we can get,” Tom said.

“Its okay I attended services in Louisiana,” Mark said.

Good, you can go as you are we’re very informal but you may dress up if you wish.

Mark emptied his tray and brought it to be washed and waited for Tom.

“Come on Mark, this way,” Tom called out.

They started up the dirt road and soon Mark saw the chapel sitting in a grove of oak trees on top of a small knoll. It was quite a beautiful structure, white clapboard with two Roman columns at the front entrance with a tall steeple topped with a cross. It looks as if it was a picture in a book the perfect example of a church building if ever he saw one.

“We moved the Chapel from Becker; we tore it down in sections and then rebuilt it here. There wasn’t anyone left in Becker after the first year of the infection so we figured it would be put to good use here,” Tom said.

After services Mark returned to his bunk and fell asleep. When he awakened a heavy rain had set in. He lay back down and reflected on the day’s events and then Isabel entered the door of his mind.

How beautiful she was today and yet he needed to expel her from his thoughts as she was as unattainable to him as she was lovely. He lay in his bunk listening to the rain as it hammered on the rooftop the sound of rain rolling over the shingles and dripping from the eaves collecting in pools on the ground below and the chorus of croaking toads and frogs brought him back to a time before his baptism by fire, before when his heart was cold and his mind numb.

His mother’s death and resurrection were symbolic of his own life. His mother died physically while his death was a spiritual one. She returned from the grave and he immersed her in fire christening her and washing himself clean in the process.

He turned his sights on the coming days with this group of people he now found himself with. He believed all things happen for a reason and if one looks one can find the purpose in it. He would have to put off his arrival in Resurrection for now; just for now.

Chapter 20

Summer heat gave way to the cooler days of fall as the months passed and with the passing of time Mark’s body became stronger and his pasty complexion became ruddy from time spent outside. By the end of October he would have been almost unrecognizable to anyone who had known him in the past.

The training and hard work had seasoned his mind and spirit and he came to understand the meaning of community and brotherhood. Once he had finished his initial training he was partnered with Nigel who he found out later left England and much like himself had become unattached from his life and had left home in an attempt to find himself. He arrived in America with a temporary visa planning to tour the U.S. before returning to Britain. Before the plague had begun he had travelled across several states before arriving in Texas.

His parents were wealthy aristocrats and he had received regular checks from them. But as he told Mark the checks suddenly stopped and he found himself unable to get in touch with his parents.

He told Mark that he had basically stumbled into Black Springs broke and hungry and had found employment at a local convenience store just before the rains began and by the time the first Wasters appeared he joined up with the unit and had been here for the last year and a half.

He never discovered the fate of his parents back home in England but he presumed that they had become victims of the pandemic. He hoped one day to return home, maybe after sanity is restored he would say if ever that day comes of course.

“Mark can you pour me some coffee out of the thermos there,” Nigel said.

Mark poured the coffee and handed it to Nigel.

“Want me to drive for a while Nigel?” Mark said.