The Oblivious

Chapter Eight: Moving Forward

        The brothers came in carrying the mining gear from Uncle Harken’s cellar.  Rufus picked up a helmet and tried it on, and then asked, “What’s this for?”

        “I’m hoping Vivian can tell us that,” said Nathan.

        “What?  Why me?” replied Vivian.

        “Vivian, you know this area better than any of us,” said Peter.  “I know there’s an abandoned mineshaft nearby.  Can you tell us how to get there?”

        “But that’s where the kids from town go to smoke and do drugs.”

        “You’re not gonna get in trouble, Vivian,” said Nathan.  “We just wanna travel through it to get away from the ash.”

        “I know where it is, but my parents said it’s very dangerous.  They said that kids die there all the time.”

        “They just told you that to scare you away,” said Harold.

        “Don’t worry Vivian,” said Nathan.  “We’re all gonna stick together and keep each other safe, just like we have been this entire time.  Do you think you can lead us there?”

        Vivian flipped on one of the lights attached to the hard hat.  “Yeah, but we’re definitely gonna need these.”

        Peter told them that they didn’t need the padded suits to travel.  He showed them how to wrap their ankles and pad their shoes.  “You don’t need to make goggles either.  For some reason, there’s no wind blowing out there.  But everybody make sure that you have something to cover your nose and mouth.  Take a helmet and make sure the flashlight works on it.  We all need to pack a week’s worth of food, because we don’t know how long we’ll be traveling.  And let’s take as much of these seeds as possible.  We might be able to use them to trade for stuff later.”  Peter gave specific assignments to a few of them.  “Nathan, you carry the duct tape and road flares.  Eli and Rufus will have to take turns carrying the rope.  And Sara will hang onto the medical gear.”

        Harold watched them with contempt as he packed his own bag.  “How come no one ever asks me to help?  I can do things too.”

        “It’s because you’re lazy and selfish,” blurted out Vivian.

        Sara heard the comment and snapped at Vivian.  “Don’t say stuff like that!”

        “What?” said Vivian shrugging her shoulders.  “He asked, so he obviously doesn’t know.”

        “Know what?” asked Harold.  “Tell me, how am I lazy and selfish?”

        “Harold, you don’t need to do this,” said Sara.  “Peter is just doing what needs to be done for our safety.  You don’t need to take it as a personal insult if he doesn’t ask you to help.  But if you really want to help ... then you should just help.”

        “What’s that supposed to mean: ‘...just help’?  I do help around here.”

        “You help yourself, but you could do a better job about thinking of the rest of us too,” said Sara

        “Oh yeah?”  Harold raised his voice.  “Well, how are you any more helpful than I am?”

        Sara spent the last few weeks passively watching Harold be the first to eat, the first to bathe, and the first to go to sleep.  He was quick to speak up when he was being treated unfairly, but managed to have the least amount of chores in the bunker.  All of that culminated toward this confrontation.  “What’s your question gonna prove?” Sara raised her voice as well.  “Do you want me to admit that I’m lazy and selfish too?  Even if I am, how does that change who you are?  Let’s just say that everyone in here is lazier than you are.  Then does that make it okay for you to NOT help anyone else?  Only selfish people complain about equality and fairness.  The world is unfair, Harold.  That’s why you should go out of your way to do more than what’s expected from you.”  The two of them now had everyone’s attention in the bunker.  Sara stared Harold down waiting for an answer.