This World We Live In (The Last Survivors, Book 3) by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Book: This World We Live In (The Last Survivors, Book 3) by Susan Beth Pfeffer
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Authors: Susan Beth Pfeffer
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maybe he's just as desperate
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for someone his age as I was. He and Julie always seem to be sitting next to each other and talking, even playing chess. I guess Alex approves of Jon and Mom approves of Julie. I know Mom approves of Alex, who stands up every time Mom enters a room and says please and thank you and may I help you. He's definitely Mom's dream of a teenage boy.
With al this happiness going on, you'd think I'd be happy, too. Or at least not as obsessed with how long the fish is going to last.
Except we al are. Nobody says so, because that would be rude. But today, instead of fish and a quarter can of vegetables each (except for Lisa, who gets double portions of everything), we had fish and a whiff of vegetables.
It's amazing. I never used to like red cabbage, but now when I get only a teaspoon of it, it's al I can think about. How lovely. How tasty. How not fish it is.
Pretty soon the fish is going to be not fish also.
Charlie eats the least of us, and I have to admit I thought he was sneaking into the garage and stealing shad until he told us a bit about himself.
"I used to weigh three hundred and seventy pounds," he told us over a quarter teaspoon of red cabbage. "I was scheduled for weight loss surgery on May twenty-third. Instead I went on a starvation diet, with lots of walking and biking for exercise." He laughed. "This is the best shape I've ever been in."
"It's an il wind that doesn't blow anybody some good," Syl said, and we al stared at her.
"My grandmother used to say that," she said.
That got us laughing, and then we came up with clichés that used to mean something. The early bird catches the worm. Big fish in a smal pond.
111
The best one was half a loaf is better than none at al . I thought we'd never stop laughing after Dad came up with that.
But then Gabriel started yowling, and Lisa nursed him for the 87th time that day and that quieted al of us.
"I've been thinking," Dad said. "It's been wonderful staying here, and Laura, you have no idea how grateful we are, but this house was never meant for ten people."
"I think we al know that," Mom said.
"Julie and I won't be staying much longer," Alex said. "We shouldn't have stayed as long as we have, but she needed the rest."
"You did, too," Julie said. "You're the one who col apsed last week."
"Julie," Alex said.
"We al needed the rest," Charlie said. "Laura, you-- wel , al of you have saved our lives."
"Alex and Julie have places to go to," Dad said.
"But now that I have my children back, including Syl, who I didn't even know about before, I don't ever intend to leave you."
It's funny how relieved I felt when Dad said that. I'd been trying not to think of his going away again.
Even though I'd know he and Lisa and Gabriel were alive, it would stil be awful not to have them with me.
"The problem is we can't be sure you'l get any food," Matt said. "It took a fair amount of convincing before they'd give Syl any."
Dad nodded. "That's been my concern, too. We can't keep eating your food, and we can't be sure they'l give us some."
"But you're our father," I said. "That should count."
"Maybe for me," Dad said. "But there's Lisa to consider
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and Charlie, and Alex and Julie for as long as we can get them to stay. I do have an idea, though, that might solve a lot of problems."
"Go on," Mom said.
"Mrs. Nesbitt's house is empty," Dad said. "But if her son came back, his family should be entitled to food. What was his name again?"
"Bobby," Mom said. "He lived in San Diego. Mrs.
Nesbitt never heard from him ..." She didn't finish the sentence. We never do. Some sentences don't need to be finished.
"Then no one knows if he's stil alive," Dad said.
"I'l go into town on Monday and say I'm Bob Nesbitt, that I brought my family back to see how Mom was doing, and we'l be moving into her house. Which we'l do anyway, since that way we won't be underfoot. It's me and my wife, what was her name?
"
"Sal y," Mom said.
"Me and Sal y and
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for someone his age as I was. He and Julie always seem to be sitting next to each other and talking, even playing chess. I guess Alex approves of Jon and Mom approves of Julie. I know Mom approves of Alex, who stands up every time Mom enters a room and says please and thank you and may I help you. He's definitely Mom's dream of a teenage boy.
With al this happiness going on, you'd think I'd be happy, too. Or at least not as obsessed with how long the fish is going to last.
Except we al are. Nobody says so, because that would be rude. But today, instead of fish and a quarter can of vegetables each (except for Lisa, who gets double portions of everything), we had fish and a whiff of vegetables.
It's amazing. I never used to like red cabbage, but now when I get only a teaspoon of it, it's al I can think about. How lovely. How tasty. How not fish it is.
Pretty soon the fish is going to be not fish also.
Charlie eats the least of us, and I have to admit I thought he was sneaking into the garage and stealing shad until he told us a bit about himself.
"I used to weigh three hundred and seventy pounds," he told us over a quarter teaspoon of red cabbage. "I was scheduled for weight loss surgery on May twenty-third. Instead I went on a starvation diet, with lots of walking and biking for exercise." He laughed. "This is the best shape I've ever been in."
"It's an il wind that doesn't blow anybody some good," Syl said, and we al stared at her.
"My grandmother used to say that," she said.
That got us laughing, and then we came up with clichés that used to mean something. The early bird catches the worm. Big fish in a smal pond.
111
The best one was half a loaf is better than none at al . I thought we'd never stop laughing after Dad came up with that.
But then Gabriel started yowling, and Lisa nursed him for the 87th time that day and that quieted al of us.
"I've been thinking," Dad said. "It's been wonderful staying here, and Laura, you have no idea how grateful we are, but this house was never meant for ten people."
"I think we al know that," Mom said.
"Julie and I won't be staying much longer," Alex said. "We shouldn't have stayed as long as we have, but she needed the rest."
"You did, too," Julie said. "You're the one who col apsed last week."
"Julie," Alex said.
"We al needed the rest," Charlie said. "Laura, you-- wel , al of you have saved our lives."
"Alex and Julie have places to go to," Dad said.
"But now that I have my children back, including Syl, who I didn't even know about before, I don't ever intend to leave you."
It's funny how relieved I felt when Dad said that. I'd been trying not to think of his going away again.
Even though I'd know he and Lisa and Gabriel were alive, it would stil be awful not to have them with me.
"The problem is we can't be sure you'l get any food," Matt said. "It took a fair amount of convincing before they'd give Syl any."
Dad nodded. "That's been my concern, too. We can't keep eating your food, and we can't be sure they'l give us some."
"But you're our father," I said. "That should count."
"Maybe for me," Dad said. "But there's Lisa to consider
112
and Charlie, and Alex and Julie for as long as we can get them to stay. I do have an idea, though, that might solve a lot of problems."
"Go on," Mom said.
"Mrs. Nesbitt's house is empty," Dad said. "But if her son came back, his family should be entitled to food. What was his name again?"
"Bobby," Mom said. "He lived in San Diego. Mrs.
Nesbitt never heard from him ..." She didn't finish the sentence. We never do. Some sentences don't need to be finished.
"Then no one knows if he's stil alive," Dad said.
"I'l go into town on Monday and say I'm Bob Nesbitt, that I brought my family back to see how Mom was doing, and we'l be moving into her house. Which we'l do anyway, since that way we won't be underfoot. It's me and my wife, what was her name?
"
"Sal y," Mom said.
"Me and Sal y and
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