Episode 2: A New Day

Heather woke up to the sound of the rooster crowing and gently untangled herself from her husband's arms. Kurt was still asleep lying like he usually did with his legs bent at the knees. Heather gently covered her husband back up and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. When she got out, she headed back into her bedroom and sat down on her bed. Kurt was still asleep on the bed and snoring loudly. Heather dressed in her work clothes and than woke up Kurt. She helped him get in his wheelchair and get into the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for the day. Heather made their bed and put their pajamas away. She organized their small room and sat out their bibles to do their morning devotionals.

Kurt came back out when he finished his shower and got dressed. Heather sat down at the chair next to him. She opened their bibles to the book of Joshua, which they were studying. Heather smiled at her husband as he prayed before they started reading together.

After they did their devotionals, they headed out to the kitchen for breakfast. The tribe was sitting down to breakfast just as they entered. Heather pushed Kurt up to one table next to Greg. They were having eggs and fried potatoes for breakfast. Heather sat down beside Kurt at the table.

After breakfast the whole tribe headed off to their daily work. Misty headed off to the community school cause she worked there as a teacher. She taught grades 7th and 8th, which was the highest the school went to. The school was held in the old social science building. Misty headed upstairs to the second floor and set her books on the table that served as her desk. Kristen taught grades 5th and 6th that meet across the hall from her class, but since she was on her honeymoon Misty would take the 6th graders for this week. Misty put the spelling words for the week on the board and wrote the opening assignment up too. Her students would be there at 8 o'clock sharp. Her and Kristen's classes got out at 3 in order to help out with chores and other duties at home. The younger grades stayed until 4 when the market closed for the day.

Misty heard her students coming up the stairs noisily as she was just finishing writing the opening assignment on the board. Misty sat down at her desk as her students entered together. The class sat by grade with 7th grade in the front and 8th grade in the back. Extra desks had been squeezed in for the 6th graders around the edges and in the front. Misty's class was about 25 students and Kristen had 13 6th graders. The 5th graders had been placed in the 3rd and 4th grade class for the week. Misty smiled at the large class it was a little crowded but they all fit. Misty stood up and said, "Welcome to a new week students. As you notice the 6th graders have joined us for the week since their teacher is on her honeymoon. The opening assignment is on the board please begin it while I take role and than I will start calling you up to listen to your homework recitations.

Kristen woke up next to her husband on the second day after their wedding. She smiled at TJ as she leaned over and kissed his bare shoulder were it was near her. TJ opened his eyes and smiled at her. He said, "hey sweetie. This has been a great honeymoon so far hasn't it."

Kristen sat up and said, "yeah I wonder how Misty is doing with my 6th graders today they can be a handful on Mondays."

TJ put his arms around his wife and said, "Misty is great with kids don't worry about it its our honeymoon." Kristen turned and smiled at him and nodded as she lay back down beside him.

Sherry was helping out in the market that day selling the wooden carvings that the men of their tribe made. Their tribe had 3 stalls set up together in a corner of the market. The stall next to her sold vegetables that they grew on in their garden behind their dorm. It was nearing the end of winter now and they were selling the extra vegetables they had not used that winter. Kurt and Greg were working at that stall. Lindsey was working at the third stall selling baked goods.

She looked up as a customer came to the stall and looked at the different carvings. The men made different things from wood like toys and utensils. The customer was her friend Jennifer who was from the Watson Tribe. She was looking at the carved men and said, "hey Sherry. I'm looking for a toy for Josh its his birthday tomorrow."

Sherry nodded and said, "Well we got these wooden soldiers and a wooden boat here."

Jennifer chose a wooden boat for her little brother and headed on down the market aisle to do the grocery shopping for her tribe. Sherry looked around the market as she waited for another customer. It was a busy morning in the market as every Monday morning was. The nearby farm tribes came in on Monday to sell their extra crops and other things that they made. Some of the nearby farms raised sheep and made cloth for clothing and sold it in the market. Sherry remembered that she needed to go by one of those stalls to purchase some material to make her a maternity dress to wear when she started showing. She also needed to make Mitch a new Sunday shirt for his old work shirt was getting beyond patching and his current Sunday shirt could replace his old work shirt.

April looked around her large room at the campus daycare. She and Melissa kept the 3 year olds. The daycare was for ages newborn to 3 years after 3 years the children started going to the school. Their kids were eating a snack of chopped carrot pieces. April was setting up for an art activity at another table while Melissa finished up the kids' snack. Their class had about 40 kids in it. April said, "Alright kids its art time. We are finger painting today."

The daycare was held in the old college daycare so there were toys and other things for them to play with. April quickly set all the kids around the art tables as she and Melissa set paper in front of them.

Misty heard the lunch bell ring in the market and said, "alright everybody its time to go home for lunch. I expect you back at 1 o'clock sharp."

Everybody closed their books and headed out the door. Misty grabbed her jacket and headed out and toward her tribe's home in the corner of the campus. She meet up with Sherry, Lindsey, Kurt, and Greg coming back from the market. She took over pushing Kurt and they got to their tribal home just in time to wash up for lunch. Heather was just putting lunch on the table when Misty entered the kitchen. She had made beans, fried potatoes, and bread for lunch.

After lunch, Heather and Kurt washed the dishes together and than straightened up the kitchen. Kurt worked mornings at the market and than helped Heather out around the house in the afternoon. Heather smiled at her husband as she cleaned the tables and put a pot of beans on for supper. Kurt was at one of the tables rolling dough for bread to sell in the market the next day. Heather sat in a chair next to him and took up a rolling pin to roll dough for bread. Heather and Kurt enjoyed their afternoons while the rest of the tribe was working outside their home. After Heather put the bread in the oven to bake, she and Kurt clean up from where they had kneaded the bread.

After they finished cleaning the kitchen, Heather and Kurt waited for Misty to get back from school. After Misty got back they went to their room so that Kurt could get out of his wheelchair for a little while. Heather helped him move over to their bed and she got out the book they were reading together.

Misty finished up dinner while Heather and Kurt went to rest. She fried potatoes and sliced bread for dinner. The bell rang for the close of the market just as Misty was setting the table. She knew that meant the tribe would be home in about half an hour. They would eat and than spend the evening together doing their normal evening activities. The men usually worked on whittling different things of wood to sell at the market. The women worked on their sewing or knitting. The girls had all learned to knit together. Misty was working on making a new shirt for Greg.

Lindsey was glad when it was finally time to close up for the day. She had sold all the bread and other baked goods that had been at her stall that day. Greg was now working with Derek at the vegetable stall cause Kurt worked only mornings. Lindsey helped Greg and Derek box up the rest of the vegetables from their stall and head back to the tribe's home. Joseph who was on the police force had to help close up the market and than would be on his way with the other men to eat dinner. Lindsey carried the empty breadbox and the vegetable box. Sherry was carrying the other empty bread box and vegetable box.

Holly was on her way back from the farm that she worked at during the day. She and Jonathon worked at the Vaxson Tribe's farm helping them prepare for planting. The Vaxson tribe grew wheat and corn. There were only 10 people in the tribe so they hired people from the college campus to help out with planting and harvesting seasons. Holly and Jonathon got to their home just as Misty was putting supper on the table.

After supper, everyone settled down around the kitchen for a restful night at home. Lindsey and Joseph were doing the dishes while everyone else pulled out their sewing or carving. Misty was grading papers at one of the tables while Cal was counting up the money that the tribe had made in the market that day. The money from the stalls went into to the tribe's collective money. Each person gave 50 of his or her weekly pay over too. The money in the collection went to buy food and other supplies the tribe needed. The tribe talked about their days and plans for tomorrow as they did their night work.

When the clock read 10 o'clock, Cal stood up and said, "alright everyone bedtime."

Misty went to her room and put away her sewing. She lit her candle and sat down on her bed. It had been a long day and tomorrow would be the same way. She took a picture from her bedside table and looked at it. It was a picture of her family about a year before the virus struck. It was taken as her family dropped her off at the University to enter the Advanced Academy.

Misty stood up and changed into her pajamas and blew out her candle. She turned over toward the wall and said her prayers. She was thinking of her family as she fell asleep.

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