The Wastelands

Chapter 11

Bacon sizzled in a frying pan on the stove. The odor was intoxicating. Warm bread cooked evenly in a white toaster by the sink on a black granite countertop. Frank flipped the eggs, careful not to break the yolk. The smell drifted through the kitchen, covering every corner of the home in a delicious aroma. Something Blue hadn't experienced in years.

She sat at the table, nervous and excited as she scoped out the kitchen. It was nicer than the one in the house she grew up in. There were no nicks in the cupboards or dents in the appliances. The refrigerator hummed quietly in the corner with an ice maker that actually worked. The ceiling fan above her spun slowly to whisk away the steam rising from the bacon. Everything down to the ceramic tile was more than she expected to see inside a house in the Wastelands.

He hadn't yet shown her around the rest of the place, but she caught a glimpse down the hallway into the living room. Framed photos hung on the right side of the hall with a bookcase flowing the length of the wall beneath them. It had been overloaded with books of various genres and ages. Not a speck of dust to be seen on any of them. The stairs were at the other end of the hallway by the front door. He stated the bedrooms were on the second floor and he'd show her around later on.

The toast popped and he quickly plucked four slices of browned bread and set them on a glass plate. He scooped them each two eggs and a few strips of bacon, then carried the plates to the table. He went to the fridge and poured two glasses of ice, cold milk, then sat across from her to enjoy breakfast.

"Thanks." She said, waiting for him to start eating first.

He shrugged, "It's the least I can do for scaring the shit out of you in the barn."

"I wasn't that scared." She lied.

"Sure you weren't." he grinned.

Her eyes danced through the kitchen once more, then she said, "I never would've expected this much out here. We were always taught that people of the Wastelands lived in tents or shantytowns with no electricity. This is amazing."

He took a bite of the eggs, then said when his mouth was empty, "The solar panels on the roof help tremendously with the power. Hatfeld is one of the more sociable towns out here and many of the people are into nice things and modern technology. We don't have phones or computers like the Metropolis, but we get by."

"That's awesome. It's better than I ever thought it was." She said, then made herself an egg sandwich out of the toast.

"I'm glad you didn't come all the way out here to be disappointed." Frank added.

She shrugged, "I was going to come here regardless what I found. It only makes it better that people have been thriving instead of just making it through things."

"Well, I never expected a kid to be so impressed with how we live."

"I'm twenty. That hardly makes me a kid." She replied.

"Close enough."

They both smiled at each other, then finished their breakfast in silence. Frank sipped at the glass of fresh milk while Blue drank hers in a single gulp. She wasn't used to unprocessed meals or dairy that tasted so creamy and delicious. Her father grew corn and wheat; never dabbling in poultry or livestock. Any meals they had were small and from a corner grocery store where most things were nearing their expiration date.

I can get used to this. She thought quietly, quickly believing she could trust the man.

When they finished, she volunteered to clear the table, while Frank went to fetch something from the living room. She rinsed the dishes and set them carefully in the stainless sink. She joined him at the table again and he set her bag on the chair between them. He plopped the envelope on the table and stared at his name in black ink.