Mostly, I enjoy strumming chords and singing. I’ve learned a lot of Beatles songs from a songbook I found. Those songs are fun to play because the chords are easy.
I strum the intro chords to “In My Life”,which is one of my favorites.
Singing is one of my joys in life. It’s one thing I can say I’m truly talented at. When the first verse starts, my voice is clear and bright. This gets Aiden’s attention, and he cracks a smile. Near the end of the first verse, he joins in and does the harmony.He has a wonderful voice too. We finish the rest of the song together, each with a big smile on our faces.
“I’m glad you don’t think singing at a campfire is too cheesy,” I say.
“Are you kidding? I was a camp counselor for years. Playing guitar and singing campfire songs wererequirements.”
“You play?” I hand the guitar Aiden’s way.
“It’s been a while.” He does a few strums to check the tune. Then, what comes out of the guitar is nothing short of magical. It’s the complex and haunting introduction to “Blackbird,” one of my favorite Beatles songs, and difficult to play. I know this from my own failed attempts. He sings the melody, and I join in with harmony. It’s pure bliss being lost in the notes and hearing the luscious resonating chords. When we’re done, I give Aiden a round of applause.
“You’re amazing. I’m kinda ashamed of my playing now.”
“You played wonderfully, Zach. Nothing to be ashamed of. But that voice. You’ve got me beat hands down there.”
My cheeks are warming, so I change topics to get away from the embarrassing compliments. “Oh, looks like the rabbit is getting close to done.”
I get some canned veggies from the vault and heat them with some olive oil and herbs from the garden. Oil gets used sparingly. Once it’s used up, it’s gone. But if everything goes according to plan, I’ll leave all this behind and head to Seattle with Aiden. So I’m pulling out all the stops.
But as we eat, Aiden clams up again.
“How’s your dinner?” I ask, trying to get the conversation going.
“Oh,” he answers, but his mind is in another place. “It’s good. Thanks.”
This is going nowhere. The direct approach is my only option. “Back in a sec,” I say.
He mumbles an acknowledgment, barely hearing me.
I come back with a backpack full of supplies. I packed it for him earlier in the day. In my last gesture of goodwill, I hand him the pack. “This should last you about a week.”
Aiden sees the backpack, and his eyes come back into focus. He’s present again, as if waking from a dream. “Wow. This is great.” He looks truly sincere. “This means so much to me. You’re one of a kind, Zach.”
“So, when do you think you’ll head out?”
“Well, that kinda depends on you. I could leave as early as tomorrow. But this is a lot, and I want to be sure we’re settled up.”
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that. I was wondering if maybe—um—for final payment—” I’m trembling. I barely get the words out. Here goes. “You could take me with you. To Seattle.”
Aiden looks down at the ground, takes a deep breath, then looks into my eyes. “No. I’m sorry. That’s out of the question.”
“Oh.” The directness of his rejection hits me like a punch in the gut. I hoped he would say yes and might even like the idea. We were forming a bond. Or so I thought.
My disappointment must be transparent. Aiden tries to console me. “Why would you want to leave this? You seem to have a good setup here.”
“This shithole?” I snap more forcefully than intended. “Are you kidding? I’ve hated every moment of being here. I have to get away.”
Aiden keeps this infuriatingly calm tone. “Then why haven’t you headed out on your own?”
“I’ve tried. But it’s dangerous. I don’t think I could make it out there on my own.” Emotions are welling up inside me—emotions I’ve bottled up for months.
“Zach, you don’t know how dangerous it would be to gowithme. Look, I haven’t told you everything, but those people that ambushed me? They wanted to kill me. They’re probably still after me.”
“And you don’t know how dangerous it ishere. I have to deal with looters and thugs all the time. Just the other night, I was almost killed by a man sick from the disease. It’s only a matter of time before my luck runs out.”
Aiden looks at me with tight lips and then down at the ground. He says nothing.
