Wandering around the aftermath of things

You couldn’t function without one…a pass.. that little card to swipe somewhere or to swipe to access something…I miss the old way of life.

No need for a pass now…everything has gone to hell. The economy has disappeared and everything else mostly followed. Most of the city is abandoned. The devastation is heartbreaking. Some are still clinging to the last remnants of a once vibrant metropolis. My journey begins when I started to explore this empty shell of a place. I have few possessions and one of these is a locket shaped like a heart. It reminds me of the love that I once enjoyed and the love that will hopefully return to me. The remainder of my possessions include a knife a flashlight , an ancient but working cellphone, a map of a nearby city, and some MRE’s or Meals, Ready- to -Eat. I’m about a few miles into the city now and I’ve barely seen anyone around besides an elderly person walking in the opposite direction near the outskirts of the city. The streets are mostly empty as we walk through this devastated landscape. ‘We’ as in me and my trusted partner a sandy colored retriever named Bud. Slowly walking past some buildings I’m reminded about the simple times of spending time with family, friends and going to a boring job. I continue down the long street with abandoned buildings and vehicles along both sides of the street. The heat of late summer was draining so I decided to take a break. I positioned myself near a building to take advantage of the shade. “Hear you go Bud,” as I gave him some water and a snack. I took a few sips from my canteen as I contemplated my next move. Find some shelter or find another nomad like myself to trade with are my main options. I hear a rumble in the distance. Storm approaching?

Finding shelter sounds like a smart choice for now. “Come on Bud,” as we started off deeper into the city. More of the same awaited us as we trekked towards what remained of downtown. Buildings with no occupants, cars with no drivers, streets littered with trash, and people were nonexistent.

I spotted a nearby parking garage beneath what used to be a condominium. A rumble of thunder sounded off closer as we entered the garage. This will do for tonight. Beans again for dinner, I can’t complain better than nothing. As me and Bud enjoyed our meal I watched as lightning flashed illuminating the silhouette of buildings nearby. The rain came but didn’t last long, typical summer storm I guess. After dinner a couple of old books and magazines keeps me entertained. The last remaining light from the day is almost gone so I read what I can so as to not use up the battery on my flashlight as much at night. Sleep is a different story. Laying back on my sleeping bag my mind drifts between the past and what lies ahead of me. Going out on dates, trips to never before visited places, and long hang out sessions crosses my mind as well as my next options for finding food, who will I encounter along the way, and where will this journey take me. Dosing off eventually my dreams led me to an imagined encounter . Me and Bud are not far from the parking garage when we hear something. Sounds like somebody throwing stuff out. I turn the corner and it’s a young woman about my age I think. I ask what’s your name and she said I need help with this. She was scavenging through a dumpster looking for electronic parts to make a radio. I help out and then she exclaimed, “found the part that I need!”Asking for her name again and she smiles then I hear a rumble of thunder. I look up and as rain begins to fall I suddenly awake to Bud licking me in the face. Wow some dream I thought. I check the time and it’s a little after 5am. The morning sky has a tinge of blue as the sunrise approaches. Jerky for a light breakfast and then onward towards the unknown. A couple of miles in after leaving the garage as we moved about the city a sound stopped us in our tracks. Bud starts barking and then another crashing sound.

What is that I wonder. Knife in hand I approach slowly and place myself against a building. Slowly peeking around the corner I see that it’s a young woman and her dog. I study her for a few moments trying to see what she was doing. Her every move was methodical and with purpose. She had placed in front of her a long table, normally used for outdoor events, set up with various items that were mostly electronic placed sporadically along the entire length of it. What is she building I wonder. Suddenly Bud darts around the corner and focuses his attention on the young woman’s dog. Quickly I give chase and grabs him before any harm is done. Hey I was nearby and heard some noises, sorry about my dog. I’m BJ and this is my dog Bud. “Can you hand me that thing on the end of the table,” she says. I grab the item and hand it to her. They call me Lou and this is my dog Baby. What are you making I ask. “It’s a radio, “she says, “I’m trying to establish some kind of communication with anyone out here.” Just anything music, news, a message perhaps. I’m just wandering the city with Bud, I haven’t seen many people around. “There,”she says, “the last piece installed.” Now to try and find a frequency. As the dogs sniff and get to know each other I move closer to the table to watch Lou work her magic and find a frequency on her makeshift radio. “Wait,” she blurts out, “it’s coming in very faintly.” The static from the radio finally clears and the sound becomes clear and audible. Oh wow it’s telling us the time, date, and weather. “It’s a start,” Lou says. We have some sort of communication. And it’s two days past my birthday she says. Oh wait, I pull out the locket and I hand it to her. It’s not much but happy belated birthday. I can’t take that it must be special to you she says. Well it doesn’t have any sentimental value to me. It’s something I found along my path and would like to pass it to someone who will appreciate its beauty. “Thank you” she says. “What’s your next move now,” I ask. We can try and communicate to find others and maintain our survival. Hopefully we can be successful in this endeavor.