Two Close: a story of survival -
Book 2
Scene: At home in Solers' cellar Time: Immediately following a nuclear meltdown
Lenore left to get a change of
clothes for each of the boys.
“Sneakers, too, into the bag.
When you’ve showered and dressed, find something else for your feet. Then
everybody downstairs. If you have any special toy you want to bring with you,
take it when you go. You won’t be up for three days.
Done. No ifs, buts, ands, or
ors.”
Even Stephen put aside his want
of food.
After the boys . . . under
Carlos’s supervision in the main bathroom . . . and Lenore and then Carlos
had showered . . . in the one off their bedroom, and they all had changed their
clothes—including their shoes, the boys and Lenore headed for the basement
while Carlos collected his family’s castoff clothes and any food sitting
around. Walking under his golf umbrella, Carlos then transported everything to
the large plastic trash bins. When Carlos came back inside, as he passed the
threshold of the door, he tossed the flip-flops he had been wearing off the
side of the steps and stood the golf umbrella just outside the door. Then he
joined the rest of his family downstairs for what was to be the longest three
days of their lives.
Lenore brought down with her
bread and cold cuts from the refrigerator and a carton of milk. They opened and
sat on the sleeping bags there and shared the picnic lunch makings and talked.
“So, Dad, how long do we have to
stay down here?” It was Ricky. He was twelve and generally quiet, but he had a
way of getting to the facts fast.
“Seventy-two hours.”
“Will we have to stay after dark,
too?” asked five-year-old Stephen.
“We’ll be sleeping here for three
nights. So, you might as well settle in for the long haul,” answered Carlos.
“But why, Dad?”