Home Coming (The Survivalist Book 10) by A. American (best business books of all time .TXT) 📗

house was getting packed. I was sitting on the front porch with Dad and Sarge. They were trying to see who could drink their coffee the fastest I think. I sipped on some tea and listened.

There were voices everywhere. I could hear people on the back porch and the kids were running laps around the house in an unending game of tag. Kay came out of the house and refreshed the coffee. It made me so happy. To be sitting on the porch with Dad on what seemed like an ordinary day in an ordinary life.

Mel and Kay had prepared a massive pot of beef stew, the last of the cow we’d found on the road. I guess the arrival of the heifers was a sign that it wasn’t to be the last beef we’d ever eat, and it was put to good use. It was paired with fresh biscuits and everyone enjoyed the meal and the company.

I was getting up to carry my plate into the house when a Hummer drove down the road. I stopped to see who it was and was surprised to see Scott step out. As he came up to the house, I asked, “What’s up? Something wrong?”

“No, no, nothing is wrong. I just need to talk to Danny and Thad.”

“They’re on the back porch,” I said, curious what he needed.

He went into the house and I followed him in. When Kay saw him, she immediately thrust a bowl into one hand and a biscuit into another. Scott pretended to protest, but not very hard or convincingly.

“Thank you, Miss Kay,” he said as he stuffed half a biscuit in his mouth.

“You just eat all you want. Now go out back and sit down. I’ll bring more biscuits.”

He went out the back door and I stepped into the kitchen and rinsed my bowl and put it in the sink. By the time I went out the back door, Scott’s bowl sat empty on the table and he, Thad and Danny were walking around the side of the house.

“Where are they going?” I asked Mary.

She shrugged, “I don’t know. Scott said he needed their help for a minute.”

I walked around the porch, trying to catch up with them. By the time I got out front they were already in the truck and backing out.

“What the hell are they up to?” I asked no one in particular.

“Sit down, Morgan,” Sarge said. “He needed a hand for a minute. Your mom and dad are here tonight, let them handle it.”

“Whatever. Would just like to know what’s going on,” I replied as I dropped back into my rocking chair.

“This is real nice,” Dad said looking out over the yard.

“You get enough to eat?” I asked.

He patted his belly; I could see it under his shirt. “I sure did. First time I’ve actually said that in nearly a year.”

“Told you it was better here.”

He looked over at me. “It is. But Linus has been telling me some of what you all have gone through. It took a lot to make this happen.”

I nodded. “A lot of work. A lot of lives too. All we can do is stay at it. No one is going to do it for us.”

“Well, you’ve done a hell of a job, son.”

“It wasn’t just me. I just did my part. Everyone here did theirs. That’s why we’re all here.”

“Told ya,” Sarge said and Dad smiled.

“What?” I asked.

“He said you wouldn’t take any credit. But that everyone is here because of you.”

I shrugged. “I don’t see it that way.”

“Morgan,” Sarge started, “you may not see it. But you have, like a gravitational pull that draws people together. Name one person here that you didn’t bring here. Everyone here owes all of this to you.”

“Not true,” I replied. “Danny was here.”

Sarge’s face contorted, “Would you quit being an asshole and just take the compliment!” Then he looked at Dad. “Don’t know how you did it. I could only imagine what a pain in the ass he was when he was young.”

Dad smiled, “He wasn’t that bad. And he’s really making up for it now.”

“Ha! There!” I shouted back at Sarge. He shook his head and Dad and I started to laugh. We got to the old man and he soon joined us.

It was dark when we saw the lights of the Hummer coming back down the road. “About time they got back,” I said. But it stopped and turned into my driveway. “What the hell are they doing?” I asked as I got to my feet. As I started to step off the porch, the lights started moving again and the Hummer pulled back into the yard.

Scott, Thad and Danny all got out of the truck and walked towards the porch. They all had grins on their faces and I looked them over and said, “You’re all grinning like an ass eating briars. What’s up?”

Danny didn’t respond; instead, he walked past us and disappeared around the corner of the porch. When the lights went out, I looked over my shoulder and said, “Shit, now what?”

As I turned to go see what was wrong, Scott grabbed my arm. “Hang on a sec there, boss.” He raised a radio and called, “Go ahead and close it”

“Close what?” I asked.

It’s closed. Came the reply. Danny had appeared at the corner of the porch and Scott looked at him and nodded. He disappeared again, and the lights suddenly came back on. As well as another sound, it was loud and obnoxious. But a cheer erupted from inside.

“What the hell is that?” I asked.

Danny came around the side of the house. He was grinning from ear to ear. “It’s the AC. It’s on.”

“What? How?” I asked, then I looked at Scott. He was almost vibrating with excitement.

“We got the line back up out here. And we powered up the Kangaroo store in Altoona on our way out, the lights are on there too.” I looked over at my house; it was dark. “Come