The Orphans in the Woods

Gertrude was sitting on the couch watching her brother sort through tools and place items in bags and clothes in his suitcase. She was trying to see what he was packing so that she could pack properly also. She started drifting off to sleep feeling exhausted, and finally she passed out on the couch. When Rohan noticed that she had fallen asleep, he stopped packing and went to her, nudging her gently.

"C'mon Sis, get up and go to bed. I'll tuck you in. You might as well sleep in your bed while you still can. The bed at the cabin isn't as comfortable," he explained and helped her stand up.

She heard him speaking but was still half asleep and leaning on him as he walked her to her bedroom. She dreamily climbed into her bed as he held her blanket up and set it softly over her body still in the school clothes she'd worn all day. He looked over his sister lovingly, feeling protective and proud to be her brother. He felt sad for both of them. Everything they had been and been able to enjoy for their young lives had changed. Though he felt ready to go on, he was worried about Gertrude not having a mother to grow up with. He knew lots of boy and man stuff from Dad and school and Boy Scouts, but he didn't know anything about girls and women. All he knew was that his mother was the best mother in the world and now she was gone. Rohan set Gertrude's favorite teddy bear next to her in her bed, then he walked out of her room leaving her door wide open.

Rohan went to the bathroom. After he flushed the toilet, he stood in front of the sink and mirror and brushed his teeth. He had all of his adult teeth and they were healthy and white. He recalled his one trip to the dentist and all that he had listened to about taking care of his teeth. He stared into the mirror. He wondered if the world perceived him to be a handsome boy. He had grayish eyes and long eyelashes. His skin was pale, like his sister's, but he was much taller than the average 9 year old, standing over 5 feet. He wasn't pudgy or skinny, he was thick like he always ate and stayed active. He considered himself very healthy looking, but he didn't know what else could be said about him. His hair was a blend of light brown and golden strands and usually it was cut short. It was a little bit longer than usual because Mom was waiting for his birthday to have it cut again. Rohan washed his face, then went back to the living room and finished packing.

He looked at what he had packed up so far - a suitcase with his clothes and shoes, a duffle bag of random camping supplies, a large tool bag, and there was a medium sized bag that was yet to be filled. He recalled the route his father had taken him on to get to the cabin. He remembered the week last summer when Rohan and Stefan had camped in the cabin together.

"Dad, why do we have to park the car so far from the cabin?" Rohan griped as they carried their gear from the car to the cabin.

"Gotta be careful with the tires Ro," Stefan explained. "It's better for the car to leave it on the gravel. It could get stuck in mud or a ditch."

Then at the Cabin, Stefan had shown him how to use the fireplace.

"We're lucky we're here in the summer," Stefan told his son, "This fire keeps this area of the cabin a bit warm, but in the winter time, the fireplace doesn't do much for keeping the whole cabin warm."

Stefan had shown Rohan the woodburning stove in the kitchen area and taught Rohan how to use that also.

"There's no electricity here kiddo," Stefan said laughing, "No TV, no phone, no refrigerator."

"This is ok for a little while," Rohan shrugged, "But our home is way better. I like TV and the refrigerator."

Stefan laughed again and added, "What about the toilet?"

"What? No toilet?" Rohan asked surprised. Stefan had shown him the "Water Closet" also referred to by some as the "Outhouse". It was set up with a raincatcher shower and slotted wood boards to stand on.

"On a cold night we use a bucket for a toilet, kept in the cabin," Stefan explained. "No one wants to go through the snow in the middle of the night to take a leak."

"So this is where you and your buddies go hunting?" Rohan asked.

"Yeah, sometimes deer, sometimes pheasant. We don't do much hunting though. We don't really like it. The river is great for fishing though. We do more fishing than hunting," Stefan told his son and then he showed Rohan the hidden closet, under the cabin.

"It's not a basement like at home, but in there is all the fishing and hunting gear."

"This place is kinda cool Dad," Rohan said, "I'm glad you brought me here."

"It's ours," Stefan said. "Me and my friends built this cabin with our own hands. They mostly moved on and away and they don't care about it anymore. So it's for me and you and your mom and your sister now."

"I seriously doubt Mom or Gretch would want to hang out here," Rohan said laughing.

"You might be right kiddo, but this place is a lot cheaper than our house in Branchville."

"What do you mean?" Rohan asked curiously, "I thought you owned our house in Branchville."

"I do," Stefan explained, "But there's taxes every year, there's the monthly electric and phone bill, there's lots of maintenance for the heater and the a/c units and the fridge and the oven and the washer and dryer. Why do you think I'm always working. I gotta pay for all that. If it was all free, I'd be with you more and we'd been fishing on the lake or playing in the snow. The comforts of the home we know are not cheap. But this cabin is self-sufficient. No electric bill, no phone bill, and easy maintenance."

"Wow, I never really thought about all that Dad. I'm sorry you have to work all the time," Rohan said.

"Don't be sorry," Stefan told him, "I'm proud of my work and my family. I love you, your sister, and your mother more than you'll ever know."

Rohan snapped out of his memory. He thought about batteries and flashlights and candles and began to look around the house to fill the empty bag with such.