The Traveler

A purple bumblebee and a Monarch butterfly share a flower and wondering what is being said, turns to look towards the roadside café. Under new management is displayed on the marque and thinking this oddly funny, once through the doorway there comes a raspy voice. “You there, two pennies gets you a bowl of soup and hunk of bread.”

News appreciated; he removes from around his neck a cord fastened to a small pouch. Untying the knot, shakes free what is needed and after the proper amount of coin is handed over, the one in charge says to him, “Here’s your ticket (which is really a piece of paper) It’s going to be just a moment longer before the bread is done baking. In the meantime, help yourself to a seat. Oh, just one more thing. There is no smoking as we got kids around.” That said, the woman slips away to her duties.

All that is left for him to do is to pull the door open and after entering the dining hall, all at once arms and elbows move off tabletops as hopeful faces look in his direction. Hope fades to discouragement after seeing that he is just another strangler.

Making his way down the center aisle, finds an open spot to his liking and no sooner is the bedroll off his back, a kid in need of a haircut approaches him. “Mom wants to know if you are the Traveler.” A glance around the room tells him that everyone else wants to know as well. Dropping his weight upon the bench, he places his elbows on the tabletop before he leans towards the boy, “Tell your mom that she is more than welcome to join me if that is what she wants.” Wide eyed, the kid nods his head before leaving him and thinking it won’t be long, here comes the kid with his mother.

Sitting opposite him, every scar is studied before she says to him, “It has been two days since I have held her. Two days, Traveler.” The emotional surge has him promising nothing, but it must have been enough as she and child leave him be.

After the humble meal of vegetable soup and fresh baked bread has been eaten, he gets halfway across the foyer when the woman in charge walks towards him all the while talking in that raspy voice. “A rough looking bunch they were, and right away I felt something wasn’t right. But it was too late. As for fighting them off, you saw for yourself that most folk around here are barely alive since...anyways, they’re heading south.” That said, the crunchy looking woman goes back to her counter and he off to following the posted signs making it easy to find the southbound ramp to the I-5 corridor.

Staying along the fog line, the main drag is filled with every make and model and paying little attention to the relics of yesterday, moves his eyes off the highway towards the steep embankment running alongside. Further up is cyclone fencing that is supposed to keep pedestrians away from the danger of walking along this once busy road. Now it is covered in thick ivy and overgrown brush. Thinking that this is what happens when ninety-nine percent of the world’s population disappears, he remembers the day when he is summoned to the great room.

Izzo is walking with him, her arm curled around his waist as she keeps saying smalls things that he will hold onto forever when she holds his face in her hands before they kiss. Prepped him, she did, with all of those little things. He doesn’t mind as he walks along being fully aware that he is wearing a goofy smile that disappears when he focuses on Preacher Tom building up quite an army. The council of twelve, well, they thought enough is enough so here he is finding the world looking like a ghost town and being oddly fascinating, on the other hand, he is certain Preacher Tom is aware of his arrival and with that in mind, steady is his footfall as each step brings him a bit closer in coming home to Izzo.

Over time, the highway takes on a new look of being a two-lane thoroughfare that ropes its way over fields of tall yellow grass waving gently in a soft breeze. Taking it all in, and with miles yet to go, by the looks of things he has an hour or so before the sun will force him to look about for suitable lodging for the night. Letting go of the chore lying ahead of him, what slips around in working its way to the front is the earlier scene of the woman seated across from him.

Three men, she said. Brutal in their want, he is left wondering how many other mothers share the same sorrow which sets a fire and though Izzo told him to behave himself, he thinks if she were here, Izzo would understand.

Clearing his mind of this distraction, after a long while of staring at nothing out of the ordinary, the road dips into a curve and coming around the bend, he is met with an official looking sign warning of the reduced speed ahead. What is even more interesting is that there is a scruffy looking female looking at him, and thinking it is too early for the weirdoes to be out scavenging, he is left with an open box of curiosity and thinking it might be best to walk right on by, and after doing just this, a voice calls after, “Please tell me you are him; I mean, if you are the Traveler.” Just as he has imagined, word of his appearance has reached far. Turning to her, gives a slight bow and once upright, says to the person with kid features, “A thousand years is as long as the tick of a secondhand.”

She looks away then and coming back around, folds her arms across her chest and then takes a step forward before she looks up to him, “What does that even mean, a thousand years and whatever else you said.”

 

Full of spirit this one, and keeping his eyes steady with hers, makes mention of, “Tis a formal introduction.”

 

“Oh, so you are him. Okay, cool. Listen, you don’t have to do anything, but three dudes took off with my mule the day before yesterday. Said they needed my mule more than I did and ever since, I have been following after them. Anyways, seeing that we are going the same way, I was hoping I could walk along with you till we part ways, if that’s alright.”

 

Crashing in is Izzo telling him to do better while he is away from home. A kept promise has him adjusting his gaze to the day melting into night before he looks her in the eyes and says, “It’s alright.” That said, being that his stride twice hers, after covering a healthy chunk of asphalt, his ears go to missing the sound of the kid.

 

Twice now is the thought of being nice that has him simmering in the thought of sharing a campfire with a budding teenager who he thinks will be full of questions. Once again falls Izzo’s face in his mind’s eye. Guiding him she is, and though the reason has not caught up to him yet, casually looks over his shoulder to see a faded silhouette breathing hard jogging towards him.

 

Giving the kid a minute to her catch her breath, he asks, “Are you thirsty?” She rubs the back of her hand against her lips before she nods yes. Going about filling a cup, hands it over to her.

Thirsty she is, and after cup handed back, he slows her down by handing her a portion of smoked salmon. During the exchange, he asks, “You got a name.”

 

“Lilly.” Told, she gets to chewing on the smoked fish that gets him taking in how frail she is, and how her apparel of ill-fitting boots and worn jeans topped with a long sleave does nothing to hide this. The only good seen is the knapsack slung around her shoulder and outside of that tidbit, even though the last ray of sunlight is not quite ready to say goodbye, he says to her with lowkey authority. “We need to get off this highway.” Walking over to, points beyond the cement guardrail. “Over there looks good.”

Lending a hand in helping Lilly over the guardrail, once the two on somewhat level ground, he says to her, “I am going to walk out there and see what is for dinner. You can either come with or stay here and build a fire.”

“I’ll stay here.”

“Alright then.” Dropping the water bag by her side, adds, “I won’t be long.”

 

The earth provides, after picking a few dandelion, and once up and moving, nasty looking clouds go to blocking what is left of the sunlight that has his eyes adjusting when he spots a bush completely loaded. Having himself a berry or two, for a moment, he is lost in that backspin that has him looking through the pages of time to where he and Izzo are walking to the great room. It is here that she spoke of those little things, the special ones that are woven in memory. Like the taste of wild berry.

Walking up to the fire, Lilly first looks to his hands then up to his face that prompts him to say to the kid. “Hope you are hungry.” Her response is a sheepish grin that is followed with Lilly mumbling, “A little bit.”

“Let’s fix that.”

Shrugging off pack and bedroll, gives the sky a brief look before sitting the container of luscious berry within easy reach of Lilly who helps herself as he goes to ripping the dandelion stalk and flower to little pieces. With the last bit of stalk taking a dip in the warming water, slips his hand inside a breast pocket that has him pulling forth a silver tin.

Uncapped, picks out a thin, green leaf that sparkles in the firelight.

“What’s that,” asks Lilly.

“Nothing more but a tea leaf brought from home.” Leaning over in letting the leaf fall from his fingertips into the warming water, Lilly picks up a stick then, and after poking the far end into the coals, she looks his way. “I was with my friends waiting on the school bus when everyone disappeared. Scared, I ran home all to ready to tell Mom all about what happened and after bursting through the front door, right away I know something is wrong. The smell of coffee is in the air but the tv is dark and Mom is no where to found even though her car is in the driveway. Nothing is making sense and growing tired of figuring out too much all at once, I hid under the covers doing what I can in trying to figure out what has happened when I awoke to feeling hungry. None of lights work and the toilet doesn’t flush either. Lucky for me is that there are three cans of pork and beans on the pantry shelf. I ate a can and with the other two in my knapsack, the need has me taking moms can opener and a spoon before I left what I used to call home. Anyways, I traded the can opener for a mule and for what it is worth, I thought you should know this.” That said to him, she removes the stick from the coals and then goes to writing in the sky.