Chapter 2: Making Camp

Georgi looked back through the window to see Rosemarie keeping up with them. Streams of cars were heading towards Mississippi and she wondered if they were doing the right thing.

“They think they'll be safer there,” Randy grumbled under his breath.

Maybe they would have been better off not leaving with Randy. She was having second thoughts, just like she did when she married him. He had asked her to marry him while he was drunk. Despite a little voice warning her not to, said yes. She'd even thought of running off right before the wedding, but she didn't.

Now every time he went into paranoid pack-rat mode or a drinking binge she’d think back to the moment she missed. And like then she wasn’t listening to the warning.

They say love is blind. Love might be a little stupid, she thought.

As they drove on, things began to look a little more awful. The area looked as if panicked people were running amok and the police were to busy trying deal with it. The stores they passed were being looted. People were running away with armloads or filling their cars to the brim with stolen items.

Ahead there were a few pillars of smoke. The acrid smell of something burning assaulted their noses.

“Road block up ahead,” said Randy.

Swinging her eyes away from the smoke to peer at the road, Georgi saw what looked like a military blockade. A couple of hummers and various military personnel stood behind bright orange traffic barrels. The soldiers were making cars turn around.

“Maybe the Army can tell us what is going on,” she said.

The men in fatigues waved them to a stop and walked up to the driver side door of the car. Randy rolled down the window enough so that he could hear.

“Sir you need to turn your car around and go back the way you came.” the soldier ordered.

“Why is it off limits?” asked Randy.

“A big windstorm knocked some trees and debris across the highway,” the man replied.

“Trees...right.” Randy narrows his eyes.

“Sir, turn your car around or we will have to take you into custody.” The man moved the tip of his rifle a hair.

Randy nodded his head, rolled up the window and turned the car around. Georgi waved at Rosemarie to follow them.

“That’s complete is bullshit,” mumbled Randy.

Georgi pulled out the map out of the glove compartment and started looking for alternate routes to Blue Creek. She found what she was looking for and started to fold the map smaller.

“Can I make a suggestion?” said Randy.

She sighed and replied through clenched teeth, “Yes.”

“You could fold the map smaller,” he said.

“Good idea. Turn right at the next road,” she instructed.

She hoped that this was going to be just like all their camping trips in the past. He usually would go off somewhere to smoke pot and leave her alone for many blissful hours. She feared she hoped in vain.

He was on high alert. He’d been like this before when they came home to find the front door open. He drew his gun, went into the house, and searched all the rooms. Finding nothing, he shrugged it off. Truth be told, he was most likely the one who'd left it open.

Georgi directed Randy through the back-roads towards the property on Blue Creek. As they drove farther away from Tuscaloosa, the world seemed to go back to normal. It was almost like they were going on a normal outing. 
The day was bright and hot. It looked like the kind of day that was perfect for a lazy picnic under a shade tree.

As they drove past the blooming dogwoods, she remembered spending summers with her aunt when she was a young girl. She had little to worry about and no husband to annoy her. But she didn’t have the joy and company of her daughter.

She knew her aunt would worry about them, so she tried to call her again. But she got the automated female voice telling her that all circuits were busy.

If she couldn’t get in touch with her aunt she could at least check on her great uncle.

“We should check on Uncle Levi before we head to the cabin,” she blurted out.

“No. We are setting up camp first,” growled Randy.

“I would feel better if I knew he was okay.”

“Camp first, uncle later,” said Randy with a finality that churned her stomach.

She turned away from him and stared at the passing trees. She wanted him gone.

Back | Next