Chapter Eighteen

This chapter may not make too much sense; this was written prior to 2020 while Trump was in office. I have been doing a great deal of editing to provide a setting for the future.

Chapter Eighteen

     Olive didn’t know how she did it. She had made it this far since she lost everything fifteen years ago. It was the fifteen year anniversary of the bomb and it felt like it happened not too long ago.

     She remembered it like yesterday when she up under the rubble. She felt sad as she thought about that fateful Black Friday. Olive was the surviving member of her family. She watched as her mother, brother, and grandparents pass away slowly after the nuclear attack.

    Life seemed to fly by in fifteen years. During this time, she met other families who went through what she did. She made new friends as she recovered. Olive had a new job, new home, and new life.

     She remembered that shortly after the attack, Canada sent support. Canadian rescuers trickled down with medical supplies and water. They even offered a home in their country for survivors to take refuge. Mexico offered assistance, but quickly had a change of heart.

     Somehow, President Wolfe managed to survive the awful attack. Everyone assumed that he ran for cover somewhere. After all of this time, Wolfe was still around somewhere. Washington DC was gone and nobody has returned to rebuild.

     Very few people have been able to move back to the east and west coast, but they could visit for a short amount of time. People wanted to return for their belongings, but this was too dangerous because their possessions were radioactive.

     Where would everyone reside for the rest of their life? People had to live in the Midwest. Would the nation’s capital ever be rebuilt? Where would it be built?

     As Wolfe's’ presidency supposedly came to an end, rumors arose that the capitol was established in a new discreet location. Some people said that the capitol was in Dallas, Texas and some said it was in Switzerland. Where ever he was, he continued to post his arrogance online for the world to see.

     “I survived!” he said online. “You may have got my country, but you never got me!”

     As days passed, electricity and Internet was restored. As soon as everything was restored, everyone could view information that was posted online and all of the videos that caught every action. America became enraged at the president’s folly. It went on and on and as people learned of what he was posting online the nation was more enraged.

     “My troops are coming to get you,” he posted online.

     Then he posted shortly after, “We lost very good troops. We will rebuild and we will fight back and win!”

     Everyone in America wanted answers. Where did the president vanish to? How can he still be getting away with putting the lives of America at stake with something as little as social media?

     How could arrogant and antagonistic online interactions cause something so horrific? Two maniacs had caused grief to Americans. One morally corrupt maniac antagonized a notorious maniac. Regular people take heed to warnings about bullying others, but the commander in chief was somehow exempt.

     Because there was the government was barely present and due to illness from nuclear warfare there hasn’t been an election in years. Somehow Wolfe was still dictating the country and possibly from afar. Worse yet nothing had been rebuilt and recovery was a slow process.

     Olive stood over stove stirring gravy, “Wolfe is a lunatic.”

     “He’s such a good president,” her friend Leslie said.

     “Are you stupid?” Olive looked at her.

     “He eliminated the ridiculous laws that all of the other presidents forced on us,” Leslie argued. “He never had a scandal like anyone else.”

     “Are you blind?” Olive asked. “The bombs were a result of what Wolfe posted online.”

     “How did he bomb us from online?” asked Leslie.

     Olive rolled her eyes, “Hello? He antagonized Joowon Yoon from online.”

     Leslie rolled her eyes and continued cutting salad. The radio was playing Christmas music already. Olive reached over and turned it off. Christmas was not the same nor could she remember the last time she celebrated.

     Leslie looked over at her surprised. Olive checked the turkey and wondered why she was celebrating Thanksgiving. Her boyfriend longed for a traditional turkey dinner.

     Olive celebrated Thanksgiving the years following the nuclear attack. As more friends and family died she didn’t do anything for the holiday. Black Friday turned into Dark Friday as less people went shopping for Christmas presents.

     Instead, people traveled to spend time with what families they had left. People went to care for anyone who was less fortunate. People attended church services.

     People gathered each Dark Friday to hold a vigil instead of standing in line to shop. Most people like Olive wanted no sympathy. Olive spent more time caring for those around her and rebuilding her life.

     As dark thoughts clouded her mind about her past there was a knock on the door. Her boyfriend arrived with a young teen girl who wasn’t alive to experience the horror.

     “Hello, Corby,” Olive kissed her boyfriend and lead them inside. “Food is almost ready.”

     “Smells like home,” he sniffed and smiled. “Oh, and this is Angeline. She’s my niece. She’s never had a Thanksgiving dinner before.”

     “Nice to meet you, Angeline,” Olive took her jacket. “We scrounged up everything that we could for the best meal ever.”

     “No football and no music,” said Leslie.

     Corby shrugged, “I don’t want to remember people getting amped up for Christmas. That stuff is for December.”

     “And not for Halloween or Thanksgiving,” Olive then pointed at Leslie. “I don’t want to hear about politics either.”

     “What else are we going to talk about?” Leslie grumbled.

     “We can talk about the future?” Corby suggested.

     “Can’t discuss that without mentioning politics,” said Leslie.

     “I think the turkey is ready,” Olive interjected. “Who wants to eat?”

     Olive took the turkey out of the oven. It was as golden as she remembered. Corby helped her carve the turkey. Leslie and Angeline set the table.

     Everyone sat at the table. Their eyes took in the feast before them. Instead of a prayer, they sat in silence holding each other’s hand around the table. Then they began to eat.

     “We have some board games that we can play after this,” said Olive.

     “I like board games,” said Angeline.

     “What games do you have?” asked Corby.

     “I’ve got Sorry, Monopoly, and Life,” she said. “I also have Risk, but I’m not sure if I feel like playing it.”

     “You have some old school games,” he smiled.

     “Yep, that’s what I could find at the goodwill places,” she said.

     “Nice, you have a good eye for finding stuff,” he said.

     “Thanks,” Olive smiled. “I like anything that makes me feel like a kid again.”

     It was silent as they enjoyed their feast. Olive missed her family a great deal. She felt that she was too young to be mourning the loss of her family. She sighed and looked at her boyfriend feeling happy that she at least had people to live the rest of her life with.

     They finished eating and cleared the table. Leslie and Olive rinsed off the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. They joined their guests in the living room to rest.

     It was a quiet holiday without football, parades, Christmas films, or a dog show. It was a dark feeling knowing that the parade was once broadcast from the very place that was bombed.

     They felt the temptation to turn on the television, but there was a lingering fear of footage of the attack on the news. Would they dare play it? They decided to leave the television off.

     “Is anyone ready for desert?” Leslie asked. “I made some pecan pie.”

     “God, that sounds good,” said Corby. “I don’t know if I can eat anymore.”

     “I’d like some,” Angeline chimed in.

     “I also made some coffee,” Leslie sang as she went into the kitchen.

     Corby sat up, “I think I can have some pie.”

     “Me to,” said Olive. “Do you need some help?”

     “No, I got it,” Leslie began taking plates and mugs from the cupboard.

     “Are you going to stay tonight?” Olive asked Corby.

     He looked at Angeline, “Do you want to stay?” She nodded and he tossed her his keys. “Go get your bag.”

     Angeline danced out the front door jingling the keys in her hand. Leslie came out with a pie and a hot mug of coffee and gave it to Corby. She returned to the kitchen and brought out more treats for everyone.

     Angeline returned with her backpack and sleeping bag. She dropped them into a chair. She sat on the floor next to the coffee table and at her piece of pie.

     Olive finally turned on the television and slid a DVD into the DVD player. Rudolph Valentino appeared on the screen dressed as a matador and organ music played softly on the speakers. Olive sat down on the couch with Corby.

     The silent movie caught Angeline’s attention, “What is this?”

     “It’s Blood and Sand with Valentino,” said Olive.

     “I never heard of Valentino,” she watched the screen in awe.

     “I used to have all of his movies,” Olive sighed. “But, I am slowly recovering my collection. Thank God for goodwill stores.”

     “You hang out at those stores enough, you will have them all soon,” Corby said.

     “I’ll ask Santa,” said Olive. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

     “Normally, I am attending memorial services,” he said. “This year I have to go to the doctor for my prescription booklet.”

     Olive looked at him puzzled, “A prescription booklet?”

     “You don’t already know?” Corby gave her the same puzzled look. “God, I know that you are some sort of treatment.”

     “I haven’t had any refills lately,” she said. “I normally get things in the mail to avoid the pharmacist’s politics.”

     “Good point,” he nodded. “What are you going to be doing tomorrow?”

     “I normally go to my hometown early in the morning of Dark Friday, but I’m up later than normal tonight,” she said.

     “Do you want to come with me?” he asked. “Then we can go to your home and you can do what you need to do?”

     “Is it safe for you to do? There is still a considerable amount of radiation,” she said. Corby nodded. “Okay, let’s spend Dark Friday together.”

     The movie continued to play. Everyone fell asleep in the living room. It was the best holiday in a long time.