Free Second Chances by Chris Hechtl Page A

nodded. “But another problem is food. When winter hits, we're in for it. The plants will mostly dry up. It'll be like the Donner expedition all over again. I'm not interested in eating someone thank you. Though a few people who get too fat might need to watch out if it comes to that...”
    The kid stared at him. “I...”
    “It's life kid. You have to live. When you are desperate enough, it will hit you like a hammer, and you'll either break and give up or resolve to do anything to survive. Me, I'm going to keep fighting.”
    The teen nodded and moved away slowly. John shook his head. “Hey, I was kidding about the whole Donner thing,” he said. The teen nodded warily. “FYI, I'm covered. But I don't spread that around.”
    John had a stockpile of pet food, dried and canned goods plus MREs he'd bought off the Internet. Bert and Heather also had MREs and other goods; he'd seen the two picking at them at meal time. John had calculated he had enough food for himself for two years if he rationed it carefully. But at the rate he was burning calories, it might last a year, even with what meat he was bringing in to supplement it. Whatever the local year was, he thought wryly, they still didn't even know that. Or how long the seasons would last.
    John had a quiet can-do attitude. If he had an idea, he blocked it out and dived in, with or without help. Sometimes it wouldn't work the first time, but he persisted until he got what he had in mind done. Others in the community sometimes pitched in when they figured out what he was up to. A few like Rick and Gerald admired and followed example. Rick took heart and worked with John whenever he could spare the time from his own projects or his two kids.
    John did go to loggerheads with Trisha and Adam though over plowing of the field for the first test farm. They had a community discussion by the evening bonfire and of course nominated him and his dozer to do the plowing. He was annoyed. He'd done his bit plowing around the perimeter for drainage, even piling the dirt up on the inside berm to help further protect the field. It wouldn't do much against something determined or long legged, but it was a start. But he'd used over a hundred gallons of fuel for each of the three fields, something that worried him immensely. He pointed out that the fuel expenditure was high, and the blade was designed to dig deep and rip, not plow. “We have animals, use them,” he said. “You have a plow; I've seen it,” he said, turning to Adam.
    “Not going to happen,” Adam said, shaking his head vehemently no.
    “Why? Afraid to risk your life or your horses but it's okay to risk mine ?” John said, eyes flashing. “You want me to use my stuff, use my fuel, while you sit on your ass safe and happy. Well, back at you pal, ain't going to happen,” John said, tired and frustrated by the attitude. “ I've gone the extra mile, I'm doing my part. It's time for others to man up and contribute too.”
    Trisha rested a hand on her husband's arm. “I'll do it,” she said as he looked at her. “I'll take Dalkey and Jaspers, both need a workout,” she said. “I'll trade them off around lunch time and keep doing it until we're done,” she said.
    “But...” Adam looked at her steel resolution then sighed. “Fine, but I'll do it,” he said, then turned a fulminating look on John.
    “No, we'll have you two train someone who will do it. We need you smithing,” Eric said. Adam hesitated but then saw his wife nod. He nodded too after a moment.
    “I don't see you volunteering your dogs,” Adam growled to John.
    John cocked his head thoughtfully. “You know, they could use a workout,” he said slowly. “I've never tried them plowing, but I suppose we could do it or have them haul goods around the area. They love that. I've got a summer sled we can use. If the trails aren't too rough, they could handle it,” he said.
    Adam stared at him for a moment and then nodded grudgingly. John nodded