Dear Diary, It’s Me, Jessica: Part 5

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Expensive Diary,

It’s me, Jessica.

I went to the market right now!  

Nicely, Dad, Mr. Miller, Jack, Rae, and I went to the market right now.  

It was so completely different and loopy!

Mr. Miller wished to construct a small windmill to energy a pump for each the home and the livestock. Mr. Miller and Dad labored up plans for one, however they wanted some elements. Dad requested Jack if he thought the market would have a few of the elements Mr. Miller wanted. Jack thought so, so long as that they had issues to commerce the elements for.  

I requested to go together with them!

Dad regarded unsure at first, trying to Jack for recommendation.  

Jack mentioned since Andy was gone, the folks on the market had ‘elected’ a retired sherif with two deputies.  The remainder of the neighborhood would again him up.  There was a fundamental algorithm, however they had been ‘extra like tips. There have been nonetheless some shady folks round, however it was comparatively protected so long as we stayed vigilant.  ‘Purchaser beware,’ no matter meaning.  

Rae heard of the plan to go to the market and mentioned she was in.  She had issues to commerce.  Then, each Dad and Jack had been okay with me going.  I used to be a bit aggravated that they appeared to suppose I used to be naive.  Diary, they had been proper.  I’m glad Rae was there.

Everybody met at our dwelling within the early morning.  Jack and Rae had breakfast with us.  Mr. Miller declined as he ate earlier than he made the hump to our place.  He did have a cup of espresso, although.  

I requested him the place Billy was.  Mr. Miller merely mentioned, “He’s guarding the farm.”

Over espresso, Jack mentioned nobody was to go off on their very own.  We’d all keep collectively.  Everybody was to maintain their eyes out for something that appeared off.  

Mr. Miller introduced 5lbs of maple cured and smoked bacon, maple syrup, and honey to commerce for elements.   

Rae had half a dozen quart-sized jars packed filled with canned seasoned venison with onions, potatoes, and rutabaga—a ready-cooked meal in a jar. One jar might simply feed two folks.

We left for the market to reach by noon when the variety of folks prepared to commerce could be at its peak.  

Earlier than the ability went out, I by no means considered how hills, even low ones, might make strolling tougher. Now, I used to be feeling it—feeling it in my ft and legs. And that was simply on the way in which to the market!

The market simply appeared to pop up alongside the highway.  It was an absolute ‘chaos’ of slapped-together wooden shacks, damaged down vehicles, cargo vans, different automobiles, and even two tractor-trailers.  It centered on a small clearing on the crossroads of the county highway resulting in the bridge and the Outdated River Street.  The river to the West and the closely wooded and hilly terrain prevented something a lot bigger.  Individuals milled about totally on foot, however some pushing bicycles.  I noticed a number of folks on horses.  A number of fires had been going to assist folks hold heat, and some people had been cooking one thing.  Despite the fact that I ate breakfast, after I smelled the new meals, I used to be instantly hungry.

Individuals had been speaking, some laughing, others haggling over an merchandise for commerce.  Winter hats, coats, and boots of all types and colours, from orange blaze to hunter camouflage to navy blue.  Almost everybody was carrying some form of rifle, shotgun, or a drop-leg holster like Jack wore.  Jack mentioned if somebody tried to ‘begin’ one thing, they might rapidly discover themselves surrounded til the sheriff and his deputies might arrive to type issues out.  For the reason that new association after Andy and his deputies had been gone, issues had been a lot better. And no taxes.

As we walked via the market, a number of folks known as out to Jack. He then took their arms and warmly greeted them, asking how they and their households had been doing. It was a aspect of Jack I had by no means seen. Rae mentioned he was ‘taking part in’ the gang.

Simply off the 4 corners, sitting on an enormous log in entrance of a small hearth, was an previous man with an extended beard, a weathered leather-based hat, and an equally weathered leather-based lengthy coat, plucking a banjo. Seeing Jack, he stopped to shake Jack’s hand in greeting.  

“Good to see you, Jack,” he mentioned with a heavy Irish accent.

“Good to see you, Sean.” 

Jack reached out to shake his hand however handed one thing to Sean, who rapidly slipped no matter it was into his lengthy coat.  Jack then requested the place the elements Mr. Miller was searching for might be discovered.  With out hesitation, he nodded over Jack’s shoulder.  

“North Outdated River Street, proper aspect, you’re searching for Nate.  Humorous inexperienced hat, huge man with a pink beard and mustache.”

He then checked out me and requested what my identify was. After I replied, “Jessica,” he started plucking the banjo at a speedy tempo, sometimes utilizing his thumb to thump the banjo cowl like a mini-drum. He sang a tune a few girl named Jessica, whom an Irish sailor longed to see once more. When he completed, a number of individuals who stopped to pay attention round us started to applaud vigorously. Rae did, too.  

Jack went at hand him one thing else, however he held up his hand and, in his sturdy Irish accent, merely mentioned, “The inspiration was value it,” giving me a wink and a smile. 

Jack mentioned to Sean, “softy,” with a smile.

I blushed.

Dad didn’t look thrilled.  

Jack then turned and led us throughout to North Outdated River Street.  He defined Sean and several other others had been the unofficial organizers of the market.  They stored the highway clear, made positive folks used the outhouses, and utilized do-it-yourself lye to them as wanted.  If somebody was cooking one thing for commerce, it needed to be moderately sanitary, and the meals needed to be actual.  No pointless ‘fillers,’ no matter these are.  They had been additionally the one ones who might push again in opposition to Andy and his deputies once they had been round.  Sean was the ‘info desk’ regardless that there was no desk.  He knew nearly everybody available in the market, who had what to commerce and the place they might be discovered.  For commerce for info to make navigation of the market quicker, a bit right here or a bit there and the occasional tune, he ate properly or might commerce for one thing else of ‘worth.’

We had been making our manner via the market when some unkept, greasy-looking man observing me smiled with yellow tooth and known as out, “Hey, little lady!  How a lot?”

Rae put her arm round my shoulder and responded, “She is just not !”

“How about you,” he requested Rae, grinning even greater.  

“I’m not both!”

Diary, I’ve by no means seen my Dad even trace at taking a violent motion in my life, however the look in Dad’s eyes, I believe he was about to make use of his rifle on the yellow tooth man when Jack stopped and circled.  The person noticed we had been with Jack, his eyes went large, his yellow smile gone.

“Whoa! Jack,” he held up his arms, empty. Hey man, no hurt, no foul. Simply asking!”

Jack paused for a second, then nodded and mentioned, “Proper, Bob. No hurt, no foul.” Jack glanced at Dad and gave a single nod, as if to say every part was okay and to depart it.

“What did that man imply?” I requested Rae.  She mentioned she would clarify later as we continued on our manner.

We pressed on into the market until Jack discovered an enormous man with a inexperienced beret and pink beard.  

As they shook arms, Jack launched himself.  Nate mentioned he had heard about Jack and he was reliable.  Jack merely shrugged however then turned to Mr. Miller and Dad and mentioned, “These are the boys you may be buying and selling with.  I’ll vouch for them.”

Nate nodded understanding after which requested what they had been searching for.  Mr. Miller gave Nate the fundamentals.  Nate thought for a second and steered a number of elements when Dad interjected with specifics.  Nate gave a broad smile and mentioned, “You’re an engineer.”  It was a press release, not a query.  Dad nodded.  Nate gave a chuckle, supplied his hand to Dad, and mentioned, “Good to satisfy a fellow engineer!”

Then, for the subsequent half hour, the three of them completely geeked out about Mr. Miller’s windmill. 

Jack and Rae each turned and watched the folks strolling about.  Jack motioned for me to come back nearer and whispered into my ear,

“The group.  Watch them.  Not solely the look of their eyes however their physique language.  Observe in your thoughts’s eye how they carry themselves.  Are they nervous?  Are they relaxed?  Are they hostile?  Are they pleasant?  Who’re they speaking with?  Watch them, too.  Rae is doing the identical factor.”

Whereas each Jack and Rae appeared relaxed, they held their rifles in a way that regarded comfy and relaxed however might simply be used if wanted. I took an analogous stance with my rifle, watching the gang as Jack instructed and making psychological notes.  

Once we had been ‘humping’ it to the market, Jack mentioned haggling on the market was the norm.  Haggling was extra an artwork kind than a science.  Should you haggled poorly, that was on you.  Nonetheless, if somebody cheated and didn’t ship what was agreed upon, phrase would get out.  Nobody would commerce with somebody like that.  On the market, identify and fame had been gold.  

Mr. Miller mentioned he was okay with haggling.  He had been to a whole bunch of county festivals and livestock auctions.  Mr. Miller traded all of the maple syrup, all of the honey, and three of the 5 kilos of cured bacon for the elements he wanted.  

As soon as they shook on the deal, the gadgets had been exchanged, and we left and made our manner again to the 4 corners.  

Sean greeted us warmly within the afternoon mild.  

Jack advised him of the remaining bacon Mr. Miller had and Rae’s canned venison to commerce.

With out hesitation, Sean hooked his thumb behind him and mentioned, “See Anne.”  

Jack nodded and led us away to South Outdated River Street. 

We moved previous a lot of the market, and Jack took us on a path main into the woods.  

The woods opened to a good-sized meadow with three buses within the center. The rear ends of the buses had been backed up to one another, with a clearing within the center and a big hearth pit. Every of the buses’ sides was buried with a deep earthen berm and topped with thick uncooked logs just under the bus home windows.  

Jack mentioned that about two weeks after issues went ‘sideways,’ Sean and his buddies drove the transformed buses right here, stole a again hoe, and constructed up the berms across the buses. He additionally mentioned to not ‘stray’ off the trail, otherwise you would possibly lose a leg or extra, and to maintain our arms within the open, off our rifles.  

He stopped a very good fifty ft away and known as out, 

“Anne!  Sean despatched us!”

The again of one of many buses opened, and a lady older than Rae however youthful than Joanna hopped down the steps.  She smiled broadly and exclaimed in an accent just like Sean’s, “Jack!  Good to see you lad!” She then shouted over her shoulder, “The soup is scorching!”

I noticed motion contained in the buses, however nobody else got here out.

Jack later defined that “the soup is scorching!” was a passphrase for “all clear.” Had Anne mentioned, “The soup is chilly!” we might have been shot proper then, proper there.  

Diary, I practically peed myself on the considered folks aiming at me with loaded rifles and safeties off at that very second.  

For Mr. Miller’s bacon, Anne traded animal dewormer. For all six of Rae’s meals in a jar, she traded quite a lot of seeds in packets marked “heirloom” and two dozen column-like bee wax candles.  

Anne supplied to host us for dinner, however Jack mentioned we would have liked to get going to get again dwelling earlier than darkish. I used to be so hungry. I wished to remain for dinner. However I didn’t say something.

On our manner out of the market, Rae pulled out a worn wax paper bag and supplied it to me. I pulled out a bacon and inexperienced onion biscuit. The highest had been rolled in warmed bacon grease. Rae mentioned it was hardy and calorie-dense.

It was a bit dry however so good on the identical time.

Diary, I ate two.

About 1stMarineJarHead

1stMarineJarHead is just not solely a former Marine, but in addition a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter.

He presently resides within the nice white (i.e. snowy) Northeast along with his spouse and canine. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, sometimes hogs, cows and generally geese. He grows varied veggies and has a bizarre fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys studying, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, goal taking pictures, and is presently increasing his woodworking abilities.