defense, we all got it. People had shown up at fish camps for the past few years, the handler receiving their body weight in supplies. And as crafty people do, they’d stay a week or two and then sneak off, back to the family member or village mates who had dropped them off. Several weeks passed and the same shell game was performed at the next fish camp up the road. And on and on and on.
It took a year or two, but the camps wised up to the ploy. Unfortunately, we paid the price.
“How much did we get?” Lettie inquired, peeking at the back of the cart.
“Fifty-four pounds total,” Wilson answered automatically.
That meant kind-hearted Marge weighed a little less than 110 pounds when she arrived in Ontonagon. It seemed a little low to me, but I’m sure the scales worked in the favor of their masters.
Pushing to my knees, I rose and tore the tarp away from the cart. Fifty-four pounds of staples sure didn’t look like much. But it was what we got. Lettie appeared next to me.
“Is this enough to last until nearly winter?” I asked, searching her face.
“It’ll have to be,” she answered, poking at a bag of flour…or sugar…or something. “It’s what we got.”
“And there’s more to talk about,” I added, leaning over the cart.
She nodded. “I heard. How about I make some flapjacks for dinner and we talk about it afterwards?”
I wasn’t very hungry. Nevertheless, flapjacks did sound good. Even though yet another thing had turned to crap.
Day 1,025 - continued
“It’s mid-June, best anyone can tell,” Violet began, licking the last of her treat from the brown plate. She poked her head up and looked at the stove. “Is there anymore cobbler, Lettie?”
With what I figured were limited ingredients, Lettie had whipped up an awfully good treat. The berries she used were hard and small, but the concoction did not lack taste.
“Mid-June,” I repeated, picking up on Violet’s lead. “And the time to strike is now, not next year at this time.”
Daisy sighed loudly before looking up. “But they might be up in Covington,” she said, licking her fork. “If you go now, you may come back empty-handed. That is a possibility, right?”
Against every belief I held dear to me, I nodded, but only slightly.
“And Mr. Wilson has people who can tell him what’s going on,” Daisy continued. “And he’ll let you know when the time may be right.”
Yes, yes, and again, yes. But time was wasting…at least in my mind.
She smiled and rubbed my hand lovingly. “Then you wait. Until at least you know what you’re up against. It’s safer that way. And you’ll know if their numbers have increased.” She smiled at our tablemates. “I think this is all for the best, don’t you all?”
Lettie nodded. Violet gave me the stink eye.
“Damn straight,” the girl answered. “This way we know where you are and know that you’re safe.”
Oh sure, they all had this figured out. Or so they thought. Time to get some fresh air out of the room.
“And what if they amass a larger army and attack while we’re sitting around with our thumbs up our asses?” I asked, using the bitterest tone I could muster with this group. We did all have to live together…for a while at least.
That got them to shut up. And it wiped those smug looks off their face.
“Tomorrow you start on Plan B,” Lettie stated, pushing way from the table to serve us all seconds.
I had a hard time not laughing at her. “And what, may I ask, is Plan B?”
Winking at me first, she hoisted a double piece of cobbler onto my plate. “Starting tomorrow you’ll figure that out, won’t you?”
They all shared a good chuckle. Why would they care about Plan B? They were just happy Plan A was grounded for now.
Day 1,030
I wasted five days wallowing in my own pity. Four actually. Fixing holes in the roof took up the middle day. My female cabin friends pointed out their approximate locations. And oh were they happy.
I wanted
It took a year or two, but the camps wised up to the ploy. Unfortunately, we paid the price.
“How much did we get?” Lettie inquired, peeking at the back of the cart.
“Fifty-four pounds total,” Wilson answered automatically.
That meant kind-hearted Marge weighed a little less than 110 pounds when she arrived in Ontonagon. It seemed a little low to me, but I’m sure the scales worked in the favor of their masters.
Pushing to my knees, I rose and tore the tarp away from the cart. Fifty-four pounds of staples sure didn’t look like much. But it was what we got. Lettie appeared next to me.
“Is this enough to last until nearly winter?” I asked, searching her face.
“It’ll have to be,” she answered, poking at a bag of flour…or sugar…or something. “It’s what we got.”
“And there’s more to talk about,” I added, leaning over the cart.
She nodded. “I heard. How about I make some flapjacks for dinner and we talk about it afterwards?”
I wasn’t very hungry. Nevertheless, flapjacks did sound good. Even though yet another thing had turned to crap.
Day 1,025 - continued
“It’s mid-June, best anyone can tell,” Violet began, licking the last of her treat from the brown plate. She poked her head up and looked at the stove. “Is there anymore cobbler, Lettie?”
With what I figured were limited ingredients, Lettie had whipped up an awfully good treat. The berries she used were hard and small, but the concoction did not lack taste.
“Mid-June,” I repeated, picking up on Violet’s lead. “And the time to strike is now, not next year at this time.”
Daisy sighed loudly before looking up. “But they might be up in Covington,” she said, licking her fork. “If you go now, you may come back empty-handed. That is a possibility, right?”
Against every belief I held dear to me, I nodded, but only slightly.
“And Mr. Wilson has people who can tell him what’s going on,” Daisy continued. “And he’ll let you know when the time may be right.”
Yes, yes, and again, yes. But time was wasting…at least in my mind.
She smiled and rubbed my hand lovingly. “Then you wait. Until at least you know what you’re up against. It’s safer that way. And you’ll know if their numbers have increased.” She smiled at our tablemates. “I think this is all for the best, don’t you all?”
Lettie nodded. Violet gave me the stink eye.
“Damn straight,” the girl answered. “This way we know where you are and know that you’re safe.”
Oh sure, they all had this figured out. Or so they thought. Time to get some fresh air out of the room.
“And what if they amass a larger army and attack while we’re sitting around with our thumbs up our asses?” I asked, using the bitterest tone I could muster with this group. We did all have to live together…for a while at least.
That got them to shut up. And it wiped those smug looks off their face.
“Tomorrow you start on Plan B,” Lettie stated, pushing way from the table to serve us all seconds.
I had a hard time not laughing at her. “And what, may I ask, is Plan B?”
Winking at me first, she hoisted a double piece of cobbler onto my plate. “Starting tomorrow you’ll figure that out, won’t you?”
They all shared a good chuckle. Why would they care about Plan B? They were just happy Plan A was grounded for now.
Day 1,030
I wasted five days wallowing in my own pity. Four actually. Fixing holes in the roof took up the middle day. My female cabin friends pointed out their approximate locations. And oh were they happy.
I wanted
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