By the author of Dear Diary: It’s Me, Jessica; The Second Year
In case you missed the last chapter, you can find it here.
Dear Diary,
It’s me, Jessica.
School would be resuming in another week. I was reviewing books to read for the next semester.
On one hand, I wanted something uplifting. The ability of the human spirit to overcome great adversity.
Project Hail Mary, while I only had one book, I thought was a good fit. It was exciting and had a good dose of humor in it, although I might have to explain some of the humor. Maybe even some of the science. Might have to bring HAM Guy in for some parts.
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Jack, with his own library of historical war books, recommended a book on how, during World War II, the Allies took down Hitler’s heavy water plans in Norway to stop his pursuit of a nuclear bomb. He was even willing to give the class, mixing both history and reading the book, to the students. It was an interesting idea, but I was still unsure.
Then HAM Guy made a suggestion.
HAM Guy had his own library of science fiction and fantasy books. He gave me two different series of books about young people coming of age in lands of magic, dragons, demons, elves, armies, and talismans.
Between helping Mom can and ferment things from the garden for the winter, I read the first book in both series.
I decided on the one book and was explaining my reasoning to Rae, the principal of our school, while shucking peas when I noticed Rae looking at me in a weird way.
“Rae, what is it?”
She crossed her arms and smiled. “You do realize in either of those books, that could have been you?”
“What?”
“Think about it, Jessica. You – you went from a pre-power-out teenager who was worried about her clothes, if a boy liked you, the number of likes you got. Now, you are the Hero of Four Corners. You have been shot at and blown up. You have shot and killed more than a few people and yet you keep fighting. And now you, by your own decisions and actions, disrupted an would be invading military by cutting their rope. But here is the thing, Jessica. These kids, these children, they are going to have to do the same as you. Even before the power went out, the world was not a safe place. Now, not better. They need not just inspiration from books but from you.”
Diary, I am not sure how I feel about that.
Entry two
“You are a good man, Carlos,” Jack grinned as he took Carlos’s hand.
“Thank you, Jack. That means a lot to me, coming from you.”
“Carlos, you take care, you and Kyrie,” Rae said and gave him a hug and a big kiss on the cheek.
“Will do, Rae.” He kissed Rae back on the cheek.
Now that Carlos had spent some time at Four Corners and helped sabotage the drones and the main base in the city, he was ready to continue his journey back to his family in the South. For his part in the defense of Four Corners, people gave as much as he could carry. It might be only a week or so of food, but he and Kyrie would not go hungry or have to hunt or forage.
Carlos offered me his hand.
“Oh, stop,” I declared and gave him a hug. Yellow tooth Bob said he was Jack’s younger brother which made him my brother.
Besides, we accomplished two missions together.
“You and Kyrie take care and stay safe,” I said.
“We will.” He broke the hug, looked around at all those who had gathered to see him off. “Thank you. Thank you all.”
He slung his pack over his back and tightened up the shoulder and waist straps,
“Okay, Kyrie. Let’s go home.”
Carlos and Kyrie set out through the South gate and for home.
Entry three
“Dad! Where did you get this?” I asked after my first bite, relishing the taste.
“The Millers made soy sauce. They grew soybeans last year, saved five bushels. In late winter, they boiled the soybeans. Added roasted wheat and lightly crushed it. Brewed it in a brine. Pressed it. Boiled it again. Then put it into old wooden wine bottles to age for a few months. I traded them for a bottle. They also made egg rolls, with their own cabbage, pork, sprouts, carrots, and mushrooms.”
Diary, until Dad got promoted to his management job at the plant, we could not afford Chinese carryout. It was something totally alien to me. Once Dad got his promotion and we moved to our new home, about once a month, Dad would bring home Chinese carryout on Fridays. At first I was totally skeptical about even eating it. After the third or fourth Friday, I would dig right in! Egg rolls, lo mein, and chicken or beef with snow peas were my favorites. Now, with the Millers’ soy sauce, their egg rolls, and the veggies from our own garden, we could make our own Chinese dinner!
“Too bad they could not grow shrimp,” I said as I took another bite of the chicken, noodles, and vegetables with the soy sauce.
“Actually, the Millers think they can raise crayfish in one of their ponds away from the livestock fields.”
“What is a ‘crayfish,’” I asked.
“They are freshwater-looking shrimp. But much smaller, claws and all. The real meat is in the tail. Very sweet,” Mom answered. “I had them when I went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans when I was young and foolish.”
“You never told me you went to New Orleans or Mardi Gras,” Dad exclaimed with wide eyes.
“Yeah, there are a few things you don’t know about me,” she said with a smirk.
“I feel I did,” he said, looking slightly hurt.
“Oh, dear, that was years before we met. Besides, what is important is what is sitting before us,” and she looked directly at me.
“That, I have to agree with. But still, I cannot imagine you at Mardi Gras.”
“You didn’t miss anything.” And she patted his face. “Well, if Mr. Miller can raise them, they make for great crayfish and grits along with most things to replace for shrimp. The heads make good stock.”
“Heads,” I asked, looking slightly disgusted.
“Oh, stop, Jessica. You have been eating rabbit, grilled chicken liver, duck pate, pork liver mixed with pork loin meatloaf for the past year, if not longer. You dig right into it!”
“Yeah, you’re right, Mom.”
About 1stMarineJarHead
1stMarineJarHead is not only a former Marine but also a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter.
He currently resides in the great white (i.e. snowy) Northeast with his wife and dogs. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, occasionally hogs, cows and sometimes ducks. He grows various veggies and has a weird fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys reading, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, target shooting, and is currently expanding his woodworking skills.
