After
Chapter 1
NEW PLANS
They walked out through the main door, blinking happily in the bright sunlight, rejoining the surface world and facing the new reality with hope for their futures and those of their children and children's children.
They toured the barn and walked around the outside of the guesthouses. Aside from the sick looking trees and the general appearance of abandonment, there was nothing out of place. After about an hour, the doctors said they'd had enough sun for their first exposure, even with the precautions they'd taken. Ellie told Tim the sunshine on her skin felt glorious and he agreed. He'd never been a 'sun bunny' but going without even seeing daylight was difficult. This time they went in through the house. A few people stayed there while the rest continued to the basement and tunnel.
Later that afternoon the Tim Gibbses, Palmers, and Hubbards sat at one of the dining tables discussing the kids' schooling, as Albuquerque schools would reopen soon. During a lull in the conversation, Barbara nudged George and he cleared his throat, grinning, "Ellie, Tim, if it's all right with you and the rest of the clan, we Bishops would like to stay through Christmas. We'll be sending our kids to school with yours for a few months. Who knows, we might not be able to return home before then anyway. We took a family vote and want to be here for Tim and Brynie's birthdays, little Mac's arrival and of course Christmas. We don't have any livestock to care for, Cousin Ben is still caretaking although he's living in the basement and Roger Ortiz says they won't bring the horses back for at least another month. Tell you more about that later."
That made everyone happy, especially the Gibbses. Tim was happy for himself, for his kids and particularly for Ellie.
Jethro and Tim later pulled George aside to ask him about the Ortizes.
"It's something all the cattle and horse ranchers will have to do. Roger said they will have to test the grasses the horses graze on and bring in uncontaminated feed. Their livestock is in Arizona; their grazing areas here will have to be tested before they can come home. We'll have to do the same before we purchase new livestock, test the grazing areas for them and our horses."
He looked at Tim, "Any chance Ellie will want to keep Acorn here?"
Tim thought about it before nodding. "We'll need a new barn or shelter and she probably won't ride for several weeks after she has the baby, but that's a great idea, George!"
Jethro nodded, "We could build a little barn on the south side of the creek, put up a fence, make a paddock."
"Not too little. If Ellie has her horse here, I'd like to buy Vámonos from the Ortizes and Ty and Brynie are sure to want their own trusty steeds once they can ride alone. Ty's old enough now but Brynie has another year to go. Still…"
George was amused at the look on his brother-in-law's face, "What else are you thinking?"
Tim had mixed feelings but knew others in the clan had the same thought. "That we're going to need more dwellings. And I'm wondering if that 200-acre parcel we decided not to purchase is still available."
His father tilted his head, "I'd like to know that too as well as how you leapt from horses and barns to houses."
"We made the decision early on that we didn't need the additional acreage for a place that would only be a vacation spot for us. We bought this place and renovated it to be an occasional home. For that reason, we also decided not to acquire any animals. Especially with the Ortizes right next door. All we wanted was a place where the entire family or parts of the family could visit, relax, have fun and be comfortable. And would be easier and faster to get to than the Blue Ridge cabin. When we bought the ranch, we only had 4 kids in the family, Victoria, Teddy, Tyler and Bryn. We decided that the Bishop kids would be able to squeeze in and still be comfortable. And sure, we hoped there would be more children but we never planned this place to be a full-time residence for the entire family. Who could have foreseen a nuclear attack three years ago? We would have just brushed aside the idea as another rumor."
Tim paused, "Things have changed drastically and I think we'll need to do more to accommodate everyone. We now have four babies on the way, which will mean five families with children in the immediate family. In addition, Jim and Claire, Dave and Liz might decide to stay too. That's a firm 5 with possibly 7 families with children."
His dad nodded, "I see your point. Vacation versus real life."
"Yes. The Chalmers, DiNozzos, Perrys, Palmers, Rob, Kelly, Ellie and I have our own rooms in the ranch house, as do all the grandparents and great-grandparents. But the children don't and living in a dorm is fine for vacations and was bearable during the emergency. Long term they're going to need their own rooms or at least share with fewer kids. The nursery isn't quite the same situation although it's going to be chaotic when all four babies are on the outside. Then they'll grow up and need their own spaces too."
"So, additional houses or do we renovate the ranch house again?"
The question, which came from his father, was followed by a collective groan. Tim smiled when he noticed his mother, Jimmy, Breena, most of the siblings and Jared had joined them.
"Don't know, maybe both? We need a family meeting to discuss and plan."
Jared, who'd been listening, added: "And an architect!"
"Of course, Jared! We had one help us with the original renovations; if we all agree we can bring her in again."
Laughing, George said, "Don't forget the new barn!"
Geordie looked thoughtful, "If we're building a village and still want the pool, new barn, and corral, etc., should we look into that extra parcel?"
Shannon whistled, "We're missing a few owners and family members. Let's hold off until we're all together. Someone needs to write down what's already been said. The classroom's empty, that's the only place we all fit."
Tim called Kelly and Rob while Geordie called Ducky, Sarah, and Bob. The Hubbards and Cranes joined them, along with Tobias and most of the Bishops. Lara and Kayla looked in and then joined them. This was a family discussion and at this point, everyone was extended family. When they were all seated, Shannon stood up.
"We called this meeting to start planning what changes are needed on the ranch to accommodate full-time residents."
Tim raised his hand and she nodded, "Go ahead, son."
"Before we start planning for us, Tyler asked if this means we won't be offering shelter to other evacuees. That's not my intent and I don't think anyone else's. We'll continue to offer the barn and guesthouses. I have an additional idea, but it can wait."
Kayla was heard to give a small cheer. Although she trusted the Gibbses, she'd been a tiny bit concerned.
When nobody had questions or comments about the evacuee shelters, Shannon continued.
"We have 12 bedrooms in the big house. In addition, there's the nursery and two dormitory-style rooms for the children so let's call that 15 bedrooms. As Tim said earlier, that was fine for vacations but not for long term. As it stands now, the Gibbs children, their spouses and the Palmers have their own rooms, as do Barb and Jerry, the Mallards, Grandpa Mac, the Colonel, Tobias, Jethro and I. Maisie's room will now go to Mel. We have a large kitchen and dining room, playroom, family room, smallish living room and plenty of bathrooms.
"However, what sounds like fun for a week or two at a time, living in one house and the kids in dorm rooms, will be a problem in the long run. We all love each other but we've just spent 14 weeks living communally and we know it's been challenging. We managed all right but we also knew it wasn't forever.
"The questions that have been asked are, do we pursue purchasing the 200 acres of land we decided not to buy when we bought the ranch and do we renovate again or build new homes or a combination of the two? I'll add another question, if we build new homes, who stays in the house?"
Geordie raised his hand and she motioned to him, "Geordie?"
"While we were gathering, I found that parcel number and looked it up on the county website. It's still listed under the same owner, Zeb Adams, and marked for sale. Just thought I should throw that in before we start planning."
"Thanks, Major! Are we serious enough about the extra land to take a vote or do we need more discussion?" Geordie grinned at his mother's affectionate use of his Marine rank; like Tim and their other siblings, he loved having a mother. Kelly thought it was funny but then admitted she loved having a father again.
Fornell raised his hand, standing when Shannon nodded to him. "I've seen that parcel. You, Jethro and I rode around over there when we first looked at this place. It's a rectangular plot, be easy enough to mark off boundaries, the Environmental Protection Act report is already done, there's no problem there although I suppose that might need to be revisited. Power will have to be brought in but the lot runs parallel to this one so it has road frontage, shouldn't be a problem or we could put solar in, excuse me, Tim could put solar in." He paused at the chuckles. "There are a lot of trees and shrubs but as I remember, we thought we could save many of the trees, plan buildings more or less around them - and the parcel has good drainage.
"What if we put the evacuees' dwellings over there and keep the family homes closer to the ranch house? That would give the returnees a little more privacy, a sense of having their own community and keep the family more or less together."
Bob commented, "That's a good idea, Tobias. We probably wouldn't need more than 50 - 60 acres for all of us, including the pool, new barn and corral. That would leave plenty of room."
Tim stood, "Seems like there's a fair amount of overlap between the family expansion and our plans for the evacuees. I'll throw out my idea, that we start buying shipping containers, have them moved here and start converting them now rather than waiting for the government."
Geordie called out, "Grass roots, way to go, Timmo!"
"Is that contingent upon the purchase of the 200 acres?"
Tim shrugged, "Doesn't have to be, but I really like Fornell's idea of giving those folks their own space."
"A village?"
"Sure, why not? We'll have one, why shouldn't they?"
Jethro jumped up and whistled. When it was quiet, he spoke, "These are great ideas but let's focus on the acreage first. Do we want to pursue buying it? Think we need a show of hands and anyone who wants to buy in gets a vote."
Shannon stood up again, "Ok but before we get too much further, we need to decide what's going where."
Ellie stood, "I move we pursue buying the Adams' parcel, reserve a portion of it for family and extended family and the bulk of it for the evacuees."
Jethro seconded and then Shannon stopped the proceedings.
"Before we take a vote, let's see who wants in on the Adams' parcel. Show of hands, please for those who wanted to buy in for the 200 acres."
Then she smiled when Tyler and Kayla both raised their hands, waving them. "Ty, Kayla, do you have questions?"
Not wanting to discourage her young friend, Kayla nodded to Ty to go first. He stood, "Nonny, how much does it cost to help buy the land? Brynie and I have some money saved that we want to use."
Kayla nodded, standing, "That's part of my question too. My brother and I have money and might want to buy in, but is there a minimum?"
Bill Colter, Geordie's former tent mate and Steve Ortiz's future framer, raised his hand, waiting for Shannon's nod before he stood, "I'd like to buy in but I can't do it right away. I need to work and save for a few weeks. And I'd also like to know the minimum amount, if there is one."
Shannon saw several nods of agreement and asked for a show of hands of those who wanted to purchase a share but at a future date. Kelly and Rob quickly wrote down the names, including Ty and Kayla. Following a quick break for some necessary discussions, Shannon called the meeting to order. Geordie made a formal proposal to allow share purchases after the land was acquired and Grandpa Mac seconded the motion. A show of hands carried the motion. Next step would be to discuss a minimum amount for a buy-in but that could wait until the final purchase price of the land was determined.
Finally, they were ready for what had been the original proposal, those who wanted to buy-in. Shannon asked the children not to raise their hands unless they planned to use their own money, cautioning them the minimum would be at least $100, probably more.
Kayla thought about it, she and Jared had money in trust from their mother's estate. She didn't know where she'd be working once she finished college; however, she knew her brother wanted to help the returnees as much as she did so she kept her hand raised. The two of them could decide how much to spend later.
Tyler also kept his hand raised. He knew he and Brynie had some money from their first mothers and he wanted to do this. When Brynie asked him if she should raise her hand too, he nodded. Both children felt good when their parents smiled proudly at them.
This time Tobias and Mel took notes, quickly jotting down the names. All the adult Gibbses, the senior Bishops, the Mallards, the Palmers, Mac, Tobias, the Colonel, Aunt Mel, Ali and Trish Bishop, Haley Chalmers, Lu, the Hubbards, Cranes, Slaters, Carters, Ned Dorneget, Barry, Freddie, Jose, the Fullers and the Vances. Kayla and Jared, Tyler and Bryn's names were written separately.
The Fullers weren't staying, Mindy wanted to live in town and they'd told Jethro they would start looking for housing as soon as their vehicle was operable. The Slaters' plans were already known. Freddie and Jose also felt they should live in town to establish a customer base. Bill would prefer the ranch but decided to go with the guys for now. He knew Steve's crew usually worked on residential buildings, which meant town. Barry also wanted to live in town; if he got a job with the Albuquerque Police Department then it would be easier to live close in.
As fond as he was of the Gibbses, Ned Dorneget also wanted to live in Albuquerque. For one thing, he and Barry now had a close friendship that would be easier to develop, if it was destined to grow, if they both lived in town. Additionally, he didn't yet have a car and taxis, buses even Uber around town would be much less expensive than a 30-minute fare out to the ranch. Truthfully, he wanted to be more centralized, have some nightlife, stores, and restaurants around.
Ellie was very happy as she listened to the suggestions and saw the hands raised. She, Tim, and the kids would have their own house, the Palmers would be close by so the kids would have other kids to play with, they'd be close to the rest of the family, her horse could live here and they'd be able to offer more housing to the returnees. She raised her hand and Shannon gestured to her.
"It sounds like many of us will have our own dwellings. In that case, I propose the big house as the residence for all the grandparents, great-grandparents and visitors. That way it's a full-time residence and a vacation home. Maybe the only renovation we need to make to the house is to enlarge the dining room so we'll have one spot for family gatherings."
They liked that idea and voted to pursue it once the rest of it had been settled. In the meantime, Geordie left the room to contact the real estate agent who'd worked with them when they bought the ranch. She pulled up the information on the Adams' parcel and reminded him of the sales price, which hadn't changed. Telling her that he'd be back in touch, Geo returned to the classroom with the update.
Those who'd lived in the DC Metro area for any length of time were shocked. For that price, they would not have been able to buy much more than a closet or a slice of driveway within 50 miles of the capital. Leon nearly swallowed his tongue, having purchased a home first in trendy, expensive San Diego and later in the even more expensive DC metro area. No wonder the Gibbses bought here after their stint in WITSEC!
They voted to make a full price offer, but decided everyone should see the property before they made the bid. The National Guard would be on site again tomorrow morning to remove the contaminated covers from their vehicles and test the vehicles for fallout seepage. Once that was done, provided the vehicles passed, they could get them going and have a driving tour of the new parcel.
Tim made a note to ask if the land had been inspected for fallout and radioactivity. During a discussion about prices and vehicles, he slipped out to call the county. He was smiling when he returned, telling the others, "Mr. Adams pays property taxes so yes, the parcel was tested and it has the same numbers we do. We should let the real estate agent know if we want to drive or walk around over there."
Geordie tapped him on the shoulder, "I'll send her a text, Timmo." He did that while the discussion moved on.
Jacob and Elaine hadn't joined them because they knew they weren't staying, planning to leave in a couple of days. Pete hadn't joined because he planned to move home. However, he was curious about the discussion. When he poked his head in, Shannon pointed to a chair. The more he listened the more he realized he didn't want to live in his house, the house he'd shared with Toni for more than 20 years. It wasn't home anymore, Toni wasn't there, he didn't know if she ever would be and he was still struggling with what she'd done. On top of that he was quickly reaching the annual limit of what his health insurance would pay for Toni's continued hospitalization, he had about a month of funding left and no way to pay for more. That helped him make a decision.
He raised his hand, "I need funds for Toni's continued care. Figuring I'll either sell or rent out the house to do that, I don't want to live there anyway. I won't be able to buy into the 200 acres until I start working again but would I be able to rent a room here between runs?"
He smiled as everyone nodded, even those who weren't owners. "Ok, then I'm staying, thanks. Won't need much."
Jimmy raised his hand, "Pete, would you rather sell or rent your house? I'm asking because Breena's parents and sisters will be looking for homes." In the back of the room, Ed smiled.
"Think I'd prefer to rent it for now. It'll need to be cleaned and fixed up first."
Jethro and Tobias raised their hands, "Pete, we're your crew for that. Why don't we get started on Friday after we've had our trek to the Adams' parcel?"
"That'd be good."
Bill raised his hand, "I'll help too, until Steve has work for me."
Elaine poked her head in, "Mind if we join you on your land tour? We're not leaving until early Saturday morning."
"Of course we don't mind, wondered where you were! Come with us and see how surprised you'll be when you come back for a visit."
She smiled, "We've come close to letting the house go and staying here with all of you."
Her eyes got teary when their friends called out, 'Stay, Stay!'
"No, no, thanks though. Our kids have their hearts set on us being out there closer to them. We'll be fine once we're settled. Meet new people, join the community."
Shannon took her hand, "As long as you know you and Jacob will always have a home here too. Come sit with us if you'd like, we always welcome your thoughts."
Pete smiled at her, "Where will you be in Oregon? My daughter's in Washington, maybe when I visit the three of us can get together. Halfway or shoot, I'll rent a car and come for a visit. I do move jobs out there; guess I could even drive the cab to see you."
"Oh, that would be wonderful, Pete! We'll be in Springfield, about midway between California and Washington."
"Great! We'll keep in touch then."
That generated smiles and then they resumed talking about new dwellings for those with children and those who were moving to town left the classroom. When the Cranes liked the idea of living on the ranch with their boys, the count for new homes was confirmed at 7 dwellings.
Remembering what the architect had them do for the ranch house, they split up to make their wish lists. That ended the meeting although there was much discussion over dinner and in the common area that evening. Tim noticed no one, not even the kids, was watching TV and the daily Disney movie was postponed for the first time since the shelter doors had been sealed nearly 15 weeks ago.
Note: Before I forget (again), the 'NoAgua' lotion with which the shelter folks bathed is a real product although I changed the name. The real product is called DryBath® and was developed by a teenager in South Africa. He's now a grown man and has a company called Headboy Industries Inc., which markets his DryBath® products. For the millions who live without running water, this must be a godsend.