Valli : Personal Journal of Valli Pillay, a Living Dead Pandemic Survivor

Entry 25

What I'm going to write today fills me with dread. I have to write it, though it drags up something buried deep down in the depths of my mind. I'm writing it because I need to get it out, because the events that took place really brought home that life was no longer "normal," whatever that used to be. I'm not the only one who went through this. Millions went through worse.

A faulty solar panel on top of our hut kicked off the chain of events. The panels charged a battery which in turn allowed us to get electricity. This was nowhere close to the solar panels we're using now, which are much more efficient, but the principle was the same. The problem, Dad found out, was that a rat or mouse had chewed one of the cables. We were living in a semi-natural state; we didn't have a proper way of disposing of our garbage. Dad thought about burning it, but we didn't want to take any chances attracting the living dead. Empty tins and plastic didn't burn very well either. We ended up throwing them into this empty garbage can next to the house, which ended up attracting rodents.

This continues to be a problem around the world. The Global Council encourages us to keep cats. I have two—Rooney and Mimi—one named after one of Dad's favourite Manchester United players, Wayne Rooney, and the other I named using the common Creole name for a cat.

We didn't have any cats at the plantation. Dad thought about getting one. But the immediate issue was that we needed electrical cables. Unfortunately, when Dad had brought supplies, he didn't include cables.

"I'm going to have to go to Ramsurrun's Hardware Store in New Grove, Val," he said. "We don't have a choice. Without the electricity, how are we going to cook?"

"We'll use the gas or wood." I didn't want him to go. "It's dangerous out there, remember? We don't know what's going on."

"We don't have a choice," he said. "I have to go. We need to save the gas for worst case scenarios."

He was right. We didn't have a choice.

"I'll get some more stuff from the supermarket too, like water."

"What if those things are in the supermarket?" I asked.

"I'll be careful," he said. "No matter what happens you stay here. You have enough to survive for a long time. And don't come looking for me if I don't return."

I started to cry.

"Don't cry, Val." He hugged me. "Nothing is going to happen. I promise."

Dad took his small axe and his diving knife, and drove away. I closed the gate behind him and went to sit at the table to wait. It was early morning when he left. We had talked about going at night, but Dad did not want to run into one of the fiends in the dark and they were attracted to lights, even torch lights.

After an eternity and when the sun was already starting to go down, his truck came down the road. I checked to make sure the coast was clear before opening the gate. Inside the truck with Dad were three men.

Dad introduced them as Som and his friends Boum and Nav. They had saved Dad from the living dead in the supermarket. To me they did not look like the type of people you would invite into your home. They looked feral. That was the word that came to my head. Feral and disgusting, like rats. But Dad said the least we could do was to offer them a meal.

Som, who seemed to be the leader, said, "We're moving northeast towards Flacq. We have family there." He walked around, inspecting the hut and the grounds. "Nice place you have here, Mani."

"Yeah, it's kept us safe so far," Dad said. "Would you guys like a cup of tea, with milk?"

"Sure!" Nav said. "Do you have sugar?"