Sound of Silence, two

Below is part two of Sound of Silence, one man, one dog, one virus.

If you haven't seen the first part, just scroll down....it will find you!

The conclusion will be posted here by the weekend...stay well

out there and think warmer weather! SS

  Part two…..encountering others.

     Jacob stood over his bike, pondering the next course of action. Well,

maybe I’ll ride up Maple street and see if I discover anyone out and

about. As he aimed his bike back out into the street, he noticed a

vehicle coming his way from probably one hundred yards out.

He pulled to the side of the road and dismounted, waiting for the car to

get to him. Jacob quickly recognized the vehicle that Harley Canfield

was driving. The late 1960 Chevy had been with Harley for years

now. The lightly peeling blue paint and some rust around the

wheel wells were testament to its’ age…but the car was reliable

transportation and Harley would always brag about it to whom

ever would listen.

At the car approached he could see Harley was alone…their eyes met as

Harley pulled up, stopped and turned the motor off.

Jacob was within five feet of Harley, but Harley stuck his arm out and

said, “Better stop right there Jacob…they say this sickness is pretty contagious,

 I don’t want to get near you and you be the same with me. Damn shame

what’s going on right now.” Harley was wearing his worn out Yankees cap,

it looked as old as Harley himself with the front brim all frayed and the

Yankee emblem hardly recognizable. His heavy facial hair suggested to

Jacob that he hadn’t been out and about as Harley was usually pretty

particular about his looks.  His two tone blue checked summer shirt looked

quite pristine so Jacob concluded that he was at least keeping up with

his laundry.

    “Harley, I can’t believe what’s going on here….people sick, people

dying…..I saw the seven new graves on the way in a short time ago.

Is it this bad everywhere else?”

“Worse” replied Harley. “Some of the big cities have hundreds and

hundreds of deaths with no relief in sight. Governments said it could be

weeks or months before things get stable. You and your dog doing o.k.

out there?”

“Considering all things, I guess Rufus and I are pretty lucky to this point.

where you headed?”

“Well, Pauline Mitchell out on McCambrey road says she could use a little

help…says her kitchen sink is backed up…so I’ve got my ole pipe wrench

with me, thought I’d go out and see if I could get her back in business…

not supposed to be out and about, but she’s pretty much alone like

yourself so I agreed to go out right away and get her fixed up.”

And with that Harley turned over the engine and started out down

Main St.  giving  Jacob a little wave as he pulled away.

   Jacob watched intently as Harley pointed the old Chevy down main

St. and towards the Mitchell house.  What a nice favor indeed, Harley

going out to help the widow and her sink problem.  They didn’t make

neighbors like Harley anymore…always ready to step up in a time

of need or crisis. Jacob recalled a tragedy decades ago when another

neighbor’s house had caught fire, and Harley, being  volunteer at the

local fire dept. had gone through a downstairs window, pushing his

way through heavy smoke and flames and saving an older man from

sure death. Jacob recalled that Harley had been given the citizen of

the year award after the event.

    So here was Jacob, on Main Street, pondering his next move in

a day of circumstance that he could never have predicted, let alone

even thought of. 

   Jacob biked down to the four corners on Main street. It was the

‘hub’ of town if you could call it that. Post office on one corner,

filling station on the opposite side, the general store  and

hardware store completing the grouping. Turning up High Up

street Jacob started to push the bike upward. It was pretty steep,

probably a thirty five degree angle or better and it would require

all of Jacob’s tawny leg muscles to complete the task. Going

from side to side as he ascended the street, he looked ahead to

see if he could discover man or beast that might be out and

about. How strange thought Jacob. A beautiful spring day and

and even no movement in the air around him. It all reminded

him of when he was a kid in school, reading about a story about a

pandemic that took out populations of country after country,

leaving just flocks of birds and a few categories of four legged

animals to take over the planet.  Was he now actually living

in such a horrific time and place…the present circumstances

mirroring the story he had read as a kid?  Jacob continued his 

side to side ascent up High Street, looking from side to side as

he meandered his way up past a dozen older homes. Most people

tried to keep their properties looking halfway decent, but there

were few younger folks in town, mostly were elderly or nearing

that first social security check. The only bikes you would see running

around town on a summer day would be grand or great- grand kids

in town visiting.

     Jacob had traveled half way up High Street when a movement

to his left caught his attention. The movement was on the front porch

of what he thought was Ben Shanks’ house. Ben had lost a leg in the

Vietnam war, and after being a local mechanic for the town he had

retired in the house his mom and dad had built. The house was starting

to show a lot of signs of age, as had most houses in the town. Peeling

paint, a loose board here and there, and some missing shingles were

evidence of little maintenance provided over the years.

    Just as Jacob arrived at the house, the figure in jeans and a sweater

turned his way and sat on the three steps facing the street.

“You finally heard what was goin’ on uh Jacob?” uttered Ben as he

realigned his fishing cap over a very weathered face.

“Well, my radio has been down a couple of weeks, and I was just coming

into town for a few things…when I went by the cemetery, I about had

a heart attack seeing those new graves.”

“Pretty sad” replied Ben. “Council president Baker figures there’s going

to be more…everyone’s been told to stay home…no mingling, no

nothin’.” Jacob replied with “Yeah, Bill Larson told me from the

window over his store what a mess we’re in.”

“You and your dog are more than welcome to come into town if

you like and stay with me if you like…I’ve got lots of room and two

spare bedrooms upstairs.”

“Mighty neighborly of you Ben, thanks. I think Rufus and I will just

stick it out at the house..we have lots to keep us occupied..but my

radio’s been out a couple of weeks.”

Ben rose from his front steps, raising a hand saying “Hang on just

a minute..be right back.” Jacob watched as Ben entered the front

door, watching the screen as it tried to rush the old guy along.

Jacob continued looking up the street to the three or four

remaining houses, but there was no movement…just the now-

piercing sunshine bouncing off dust covered windows.

Within a minute or two, Ben exited the house with a heavy paper

bag…walked it down the broken sidewalk and placed it within

ten feet of Jacob’s bike.

“This is another old radio of mine, works good..it’s Western Auto I

think. Dad had it forever on the window sill out back… he’d sit

there and listen to Yankees games most very day. Take it home

and plug ‘er in…at least you’ll be back into the mix of things.”

Jacob, eyes starting to well up saying “Thanks much Ben…appreciate

it very much…it does get a bit lonely out there. Thank goodness I

have Rufus to keep me straight.” “Well there’s nothing better for

company than a good loyal dog....I miss mine…had a couple of

good ones over the years” responded Ben.

Jacob moved the bike closer, reached over for the radio and put it

in the transport bag which had attached earlier to the front handle

bar. “Well, guess maybe I’ll mosey homeward. Thanks so much for

use of the radio, I’ll take good care of it for you Ben.”

“Hope I don’t hear of any wild parties out to your place now”

Ben replied as he slapped his right knee in synche with a hearty

belly laugh.

“See you” Jacob exclaimed as he turned the bike down hill and

started his return trip to Rufus, who was surely now waiting for

Jacobs’ entry into the drive way.

At the bottom of High Street he took a quick right for home, scanning

the road at the intersection for anything coming his way.

He didn’t see the pothole directly in front of him that he had not

been aware of just ten minutes before.  Striking the hole with good

force, Jacob found his front wheel being jarred from his hand, and

he quickly wrapped both arms around the radio in the bag, not

wanting anything to damage it. The bike went down, throwing Jacob

and his now protected bag with it’s precious cargo. Jacob was alright…

just startled..it had been a long time since he had taken a spill. Jacob

brushed off the dust…placed the radio down and picked up the bike.

 It all looked intact…except for the

large dent in the rear fender…a mark caused no doubt by a good

size rock that had settled a couple of feet away. Jacob inspected

the deep mark with its paint now missing. Oh well thought Jacob…

it’s only paint…. no harm, no foul. He reached for his right

elbow, which had taken most of the brunt of his sudden landing.

He retrieved a few drops of blood and wiped them on his

jean side pocket…there were bandages at home…and he knew

Rufus would want to inspect him for more injuries.

Coming up, part three, the conclusion and confusion.