#319
Clora got her mid morning coffee, got herself and Mark moved into the big house with their so few belongings, and she was working on their bounty of hog meat. A small rack of ribs was roasting in the oven, it's good aroma drawing Mark in from his study.
"I would have come help," he tried to say calmly, "I didn't realize Toby had brought over meat."
"Oh, but your just in time to turn the crank, I was looking for a strong, handsome man to operate the hand grinder," Clora teased, giving Mark her special 'look'.
"And you saved that especially for me, huh?" Mark teased right back, and Clora nearly slipped with the boning knife, she was so astonished. "Yes, I did;" she managed to say, and was rewarded with one of Mark's supremely satisfied looking 'looks'.
"See, we've almost forgotten how to tease and be loving towards one another, we've got a awful lot of stressful living under our belts and it's time to ease up. What did Tess say?" Mark washed his hands and started powering the grinder.
"She didn't want to expose the boys, in case there are lingering problems from the basement air. Dory looked like she was interested in coming here, but I watched Tess poke her in the ribs, and she backed down and said nothing." Clora smiled at the reaction Mark had.
"Good," he spoke as forcefully as Clora had about her coffee.
It had been a magical time of re-connection for the two of them this morning; holding hands and talking as they sipped the hot brew. Mark had been fretting about the impending attack; and Clora shook her head no. "There are only two left, and they went back towards the coast. What an unusual alliance of soldiers; I wish I could get a visual of what's happening out in the world, but it's closed to me."
"What does Tess see?" Mark was interested in all the information he could get.
"Wyatt," Clora said with a laugh. "He, Chuck, Jerry, Abby and Donny have joined up and are making their way here. Gary is almost back from his jaunt, and the surprise is Bruce, Pricilla and a lady named Tilly. They are trying to find a way across the Mississippi on their way here."
"More mouths' to feed," Mark grumbled, "although if Bruce is still alive, that surprises me. I expected him to be one of the first to die, the way he was promoting his delicate and sickened condition."
"Pricilla isn't cutting him any slack, she's making him doctor for food and coin to help their situtation. Would you be interested in knowing that Tilly and her soon to be husband are going to be our new cook and handy man?"
"Really, well that makes me happy for sure. I suppose we'll have to put up with Chuck, I don't know what I'll have to do to get that man to move on. He just rubs me the wrong way." Mark confessed.
"Maybe it won't be so bad," Clora comforted, she had an idea of what might happen, but the situtation was muddied in her mind. It was best to wait and tell Mark when she was more sure of the outcome.
"What I can't get over, is the fact that there might be parts of the world that haven't experienced the regression into pioneer times, as we have done here in the states."
"The prince obviously got here on a plane; he was way too autocratic and important to spend the travel time coming by boat." Mark was thinking as he refilled their coffee. "My nose is wanting to twitch and my chin itches, all signs that there is a big mystery and I'd like to know what's happening."
"I'm afraid it's closed to me, I'm not getting any clues. I don't believe Tess is either, or she would have said something." Clora lightly squeezed Mark's hand. "I guess we'll know when it's time for us to know."
"That's not quick enough for me," Mark complained, "but what can I do about it. Any solution I can figure out, involves me leaving and traveling to 'somewhere else' and frankly I'm not interested in doing that."
"Clora, is it alright to be tired of our hectic life? I'm here, I don't want to be called out into the great unknown. I want to sit and drink coffee with my wife in our warm kitchen and rest." Mark tried to sound pathetic, and almost got there.
"I think that's a good beginning," Clora laughed softly. She knew Mark would answer any call to uphold right and justice, he was just wired that way; but for now, all was good.