been open with you about Mom and what happened to us.”
“It’s not just about Mom. It’s where all your fear comes from, Dad.”
Jake furrowed his brow. His son was making as much sense as he’d expect from someone who had decided to stop prepping for the inevitable.
“Sorry, I’m not following.”
“Think about it,” Andy said. “One minute your life is headed in one direction and then it takes a U-turn, but not to backtrack. Instead, you’re on these unfamiliar roads, navigating in the dark. Everything that was secure to you is suddenly insecure. In Freudian psychology, it’s known as the displacement theory. It’s the unconscious redirecting of emotions from one thing to another. You lost your sense of security, so you replaced it with prepping. Now you feel secure again. It’s pretty simple when you think about it.”
And Jake did think. He thought a lot, falling silent, gazing out the window, but not really seeing the traffic. Everything Andy had just said hit him square in the heart—right where it counted.
“They taught you all that at school?” Jake said.
“And some.”
“We’re sure getting our money’s worth.”
“It’s free tuition, Dad.”
“Well, aren’t we lucky, then?” Jake held a serious expression, but soon it slipped into a wry grin. Andy relaxed enough to allow the corner of his mouth to lift a little as well. When it did, Jake slugged Andy’s shoulder in a loving, guylike way.
“Why are you telling me this now?”
Andy started to laugh. “Dad, I’ve been trying to tell you this for ages. You just haven’t been listening.”
“That’s not true. I listen to everything you say.”
“No, Dad, you want just to teach me about communication equipment, gardening, and self-defense—which, by the way, is the only thing I really like.”
“It’s not just about what you like to do,” Jake said. “It’s about having the skill set you need to survive.”
“You see? You see? You’re doing it again! You’re not hearing me.”
Jake held up his hands to show he wasn’t going to be defensive. “I’m hearing you! I’m hearing you! So you don’t want to drill anymore?”
“That’s right. No more three A.M . wake-up calls. It’s affecting me in a negative way.”
“Did you learn that in Professor Cooper’s psych class as well?”
Andy chuckled. “No, that’s my own personal observation. If you love me, and I know you do, we’re going to stop being preppers.”
“What do you mean ‘we’?”
“I want you to dismantle the bug-out location,” Andy said.
The mood turned sour in the time it took Jake to change lanes. Jake fell silent for several miles, and Andy let him think.
“You may want to hamper our ability to get out of Dodge, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do the same. Stop the drills if that’s your desire, but the BOL stays. And I’m not going to stop doing what I have to do to protect us.”
Andy pondered the offer; then he extended his hand. “Yeah, I guess it’s a deal, Dad.”
Jake shook on it.
“But I want you to do something for me,” Andy said.
“Anything, but what I said I wouldn’t do.”
“I want you to think about dismantling the bug-out location. I’m not asking you to do it. I’m just asking you to give it some real serious consideration.”
“It’s not happening, son.”
“Just think about it, Dad. That’s all I’m asking.”
Jake gazed out the window and said nothing. Andy gripped his father’s arm.
He’s trying to reach you. . . . Listen to him. . . .
“Please,” Andy pleaded.
Jake saw the desperation in his son’s eyes.
“Yeah, buddy,” he said. “I’ll think it over. Promise.”
The rest of the drive back to Winston was uneventful. They stopped at McDonald’s for a couple of shakes and some burgers, and made excellent time the rest of the way home. Jake kept the conversation light. They talked about music and TV shows, Andy’s classes and college, and Vines that his son
“It’s not just about Mom. It’s where all your fear comes from, Dad.”
Jake furrowed his brow. His son was making as much sense as he’d expect from someone who had decided to stop prepping for the inevitable.
“Sorry, I’m not following.”
“Think about it,” Andy said. “One minute your life is headed in one direction and then it takes a U-turn, but not to backtrack. Instead, you’re on these unfamiliar roads, navigating in the dark. Everything that was secure to you is suddenly insecure. In Freudian psychology, it’s known as the displacement theory. It’s the unconscious redirecting of emotions from one thing to another. You lost your sense of security, so you replaced it with prepping. Now you feel secure again. It’s pretty simple when you think about it.”
And Jake did think. He thought a lot, falling silent, gazing out the window, but not really seeing the traffic. Everything Andy had just said hit him square in the heart—right where it counted.
“They taught you all that at school?” Jake said.
“And some.”
“We’re sure getting our money’s worth.”
“It’s free tuition, Dad.”
“Well, aren’t we lucky, then?” Jake held a serious expression, but soon it slipped into a wry grin. Andy relaxed enough to allow the corner of his mouth to lift a little as well. When it did, Jake slugged Andy’s shoulder in a loving, guylike way.
“Why are you telling me this now?”
Andy started to laugh. “Dad, I’ve been trying to tell you this for ages. You just haven’t been listening.”
“That’s not true. I listen to everything you say.”
“No, Dad, you want just to teach me about communication equipment, gardening, and self-defense—which, by the way, is the only thing I really like.”
“It’s not just about what you like to do,” Jake said. “It’s about having the skill set you need to survive.”
“You see? You see? You’re doing it again! You’re not hearing me.”
Jake held up his hands to show he wasn’t going to be defensive. “I’m hearing you! I’m hearing you! So you don’t want to drill anymore?”
“That’s right. No more three A.M . wake-up calls. It’s affecting me in a negative way.”
“Did you learn that in Professor Cooper’s psych class as well?”
Andy chuckled. “No, that’s my own personal observation. If you love me, and I know you do, we’re going to stop being preppers.”
“What do you mean ‘we’?”
“I want you to dismantle the bug-out location,” Andy said.
The mood turned sour in the time it took Jake to change lanes. Jake fell silent for several miles, and Andy let him think.
“You may want to hamper our ability to get out of Dodge, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do the same. Stop the drills if that’s your desire, but the BOL stays. And I’m not going to stop doing what I have to do to protect us.”
Andy pondered the offer; then he extended his hand. “Yeah, I guess it’s a deal, Dad.”
Jake shook on it.
“But I want you to do something for me,” Andy said.
“Anything, but what I said I wouldn’t do.”
“I want you to think about dismantling the bug-out location. I’m not asking you to do it. I’m just asking you to give it some real serious consideration.”
“It’s not happening, son.”
“Just think about it, Dad. That’s all I’m asking.”
Jake gazed out the window and said nothing. Andy gripped his father’s arm.
He’s trying to reach you. . . . Listen to him. . . .
“Please,” Andy pleaded.
Jake saw the desperation in his son’s eyes.
“Yeah, buddy,” he said. “I’ll think it over. Promise.”
The rest of the drive back to Winston was uneventful. They stopped at McDonald’s for a couple of shakes and some burgers, and made excellent time the rest of the way home. Jake kept the conversation light. They talked about music and TV shows, Andy’s classes and college, and Vines that his son
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