“Hey everyone, this is Wallace,” Jesse announced to the crowd of people around the campfire who were eating rice and beans. “He caught the fish that is part of your dinner.”
It was dark outside but everyone could see Wallace in the light from the campfire. Wallace, now clean-shaven, wore his green camouflage clothes and hat as before and carried his black backpack, rifle and machete.
“Hi everyone,” Wallace said. Scattered “Hi Wallace” greetings could be heard from the crowd.
“Hi Wallace, I’m Kathy,” Kathy walked forward and gave Wallace a bowl of rice and beans.
“Oh thanks,” Jesse said as he laid down his backpack, rifle and machete on to the ground and accepted the bowl from Kathy.
“Here’s a spork,” Kathy said, handing Wallace a spork.
“Oh, that’s nice,” Wallace said, taking a bite. “Hey, what’s that? Spices?”
“Yes, we mixed in some creole spices with your fish. We always try to make things taste a little different.”
“This is incredible. Creole spices. I love it! It’s been a long time since I have had anything with spices.”
“Yes, without spices, we’d probably notice that we’re pretty much eating the same thing every day,” Kathy joked.
Wallace nodded and smiled.
“So Wallace, how have you been surviving out there? Word has it you have been lurking around in the countryside for weeks, eating wild honey and locusts or something.”
“Ha!” Wallace laughed. “I stocked up a bunch of food of my own, and I made a bunch of energy bars to carry with me.”
“Energy bars?” Kathy smiled. “That’s pretty smart.”
“Oh, not really. A few years ago I read a book on the subject and started stocking up.”
“Just what is your history, Wallace?” Kathy looked Wallace up and down. “Are you married or something? I don’t see a wedding ring. What about kids?”
“Well, I --”
“And then you come wondering in here with a bunch of fish. Pretty bizarre,” Kathy kidded.
“So what’s your story, Kathy? I think I saw you around church a couple times. You’re in real estate or something, right? Well, used to be, before all this started.”
“Oh, I was a bottom-feeder,” Kathy looked into the distance, a bit bored describing her former occupation. “Businesses that were about to go under would give me a call and I would check out their numbers. If I saw anything worth saving I would try and work something out. It was a good gig.” She looked back at Wallace. “Nothing as exciting as what you used to do, I’m sure.”
“I was a specialty home-builder.”
“Specialty?”
“One at a time. For a while I built homes for the tract-home builders, then I started on my own home-building business. I would build houses one at a time. Five bedrooms on up, game rooms, wine cellars, in-law apartments, whatever. I have worked with some of the guys here.” Wallace looked into the crowd. “Like Mike over there. He did some drywall for me.”
“A mansion-builder. See, that’s what I’m talking about,” Kathy smiled. “Let’s face it, your life sounds pretty exciting.”
“Yep, that’s me alright,” Wallace smiled.
“A real man of adventure. And I’ll bet your houses were all made of brick and steel.”
Peter walked towards Wallace and Kathy, holding his bowl and spork. “Hi, Wallace, I guess you met Kathy here.” Peter looked serious.
“Oh yes,” Wallace smiled and looked at Kathy. “She’s has been very impressed with my line of work. Very impressed.”
“He’s a pretty exciting guy, let’s face it,” Kathy kidded.
“Oh, right,” Wallace laughed.
Peter was still serious. “Kathy helped me retrieve Kirk’s body. She was a big help.”
Kathy’s expression turned from friendly to serious. She looked at Wallace. “I heard Wallace had a run-in with one of the types of guys who killed Kirk.”
“Yes,” Wallace answered. “That was my last time in town. Two weeks ago.”
“And it didn’t end well for the other guy,” Kathy said. “You killed the guy, right?”
“Yeah. Well, he was trying to kill me. I guess I just fought back and he didn’t expect it.”
“Yes,” Kathy looked at Wallace and got serious. “We definitely need to talk.”
*****
Peter felt his side. “Excuse me, I need to go sit down.”
Kathy looked concerned. “Peter, anything I can do?”
“No, thanks, I’ll be OK. I just need to go and lay down for a while. Maybe I’ll just go to bed now.” Peter walked away.
Kathy turned to Wallace and whispered “Peter might have something, a medical issue. Pretty sad.”
“Oh, what is it? What’s wrong?” Wallace said, keeping his voice low, looking in Peter’s direction.
“I don’t know. But he has a good attitude about it.”
Mary approached Kathy and Wallace. “Hi Wallace, I’m Mary.” She held out her hand to shake Wallace’s hand.
“Oh, sorry,” Wallace put his spork in his bowl and shook Mary’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Mary turned to Kathy. “And how are you doing, Kathy? Are you OK from what you went through earlier?”
“Oh, you mean getting Kirk’s body?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, I’m fine. Not exactly something I thought I would be doing. But Peter got the body and put it into a big bag. I just accompanied him.”
“Oh, OK.”
“You knew Kirk, right?” Wallace asked Kathy, as he resumed eating.
“Well, yes,” Kathy said. “We used to go out.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Wallace said in between bites of beans, rice and fish. “Everyone here seems to have liked him.”
“Not everyone really knew him. Peter and I were probably his closest friends here.”
Mary asked Wallace, “Wallace, have you picked out a place to set down for the night? I noticed you have a pup tent tied to your backpack.”
“Yeah, I figured on that patch of ground right over there,” Wallace pointed nearby a big tent.
“That’s my tent,” Kathy said. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”
“In fact, I think I should start setting up,” Wallace finished his meal and looked for somewhere to put his empty bowl and spork.
“I can take that,” Mary said. “We also have some filtered water over there.” Mary pointed to the other side of the campfire, near a cluster of people talking.
“Thanks Mary. I think I’ll go get some water then set up for the night.” Wallace handed his bowl to Mary and walked away.
Kathy watched Wallace as he walked away. “I sure love a man in uniform,” she said to Mary.
“That’s not exactly a uniform.”
“Close enough.”
Wallace approached the crowd near the water filter, met and shook hands with a few of the people there, and drank a cup of water. He then retuned next to Kathy’s tent and began unpacking and setting up his tent for the night.
****