08:10 Day 5
Copyright, Icarry2, WDY Media
You sit at the desk writing out a message for the group explaining that you will do a more thorough search, inventory and recon of Mr Koontz’s house, buildings and property.
Then, a knock at the door. Everyone freezes in the home. Again, a knock at the door. You quietly get up, motion to everyone to stay quiet and out of sight.
You duck under the inner curtain and pull the corner of the outer curtain back so that you can see who it is knocking. As you get a look they knock again, it somewhat startles you. They step back and you see that it is Gary Lewis from across the street, the North of the two who were arguing over the gas can right after all this started.
You have everyone stay back and you grab your coat and open the door and walk outside as if your checking the vehicles.
Mr. Lewis steps back as you walk out the door. He is not dressed warmly and his teeth are chattering as he is holding a small one gallon gas can with his weak hand in his jeans pocket.
Being ready to run means that your coat is hanging over your insulated slip on water proof heavy soled trail boots which makes it real easy to get out quick.
Since your coat was hanging over an outer parka with outer insulated gloves and a spare skull cap hat in the over size pockets ready and the Eskimo hood with the fur ring on it kept things warm enough and warding off the cold was good to about -20..
“Can I help you Mr Lewis?” As you stand there watching the man do a very difficult thing that comes easy to way too many. He is about to ask for something he can not repay at the moment. He stands on your porch begging you for just one gallon of gas for his generator. You watch him dance because of improper thinking the cold pertaining to his attire. You sit and hear how the baby needs to stay warm, etc. You stop all the groveling and exscuses and ask simply one easy to answer question.
“what do you have to trade?” As he stops short in the sentence he was spitting out beggin for fuel and pauses, sort of give you that dumbfounded head cock that dogs do to tell you they do not understand your command. You can tell, he never thought about trading… Everyone had pushed the system to where the primary sign of capitalism is a possibly worthless piece of paper called a dollar bill. Something that is debatably worth the sweat it wipes up.. Gary asks “What do you want Mr. Jones?” and follows it up with “Are we bartering?” So you take the opportunity to explain to the man a few things, call it the price of consideration.
You explain, “Well Mr Lewis, I have lived across from you for how long now?” he stops to think, you answer him to the month to make a point. "You have never introduced yourself to me or my family. You automatically go to calling me by my first name having never been formally introduced to me. You don't wait until I express to you to call me Trey which to me shows a complete lack of respect." On a couple of occasions my son has seen you watching my house with binoculars, more so my bedroom window, probably trying to get a look at my wife while she changes or walks out of the shower, even though we have blinds, curtains and shades pulled on every window during such times."
You continue as the man is now standing as still as he can looking at your feet. “You speak to my wife by her first name and since we have never been introduced you show even more disrespect of her then me. You cause commotion on this block on the average of once a month during the summer, especially when your off work milking a hand injury and staying up all hours of the night drinking and carrying on and frankly disturbing the peace of our quiet neighborhood." As you continue your seeing the man melt into his tennis shoes. "You refuse to take part in any of the neighborhood watch programs or even take a shift while people entrust their property to the neighborhood to keep an eye on are away, be it they are out of town on business or for a family function or funeral. You seem to be ok with your daughter’s boy friend coming over at all hours of the night and know he rolls in with his loud exhaust and very, very loud sound system which had to cost thousands even though the boy doesn’t have a job, work that you know of or go to school but leaches off you and your family to get by.. This is how you come to me asking for a gallon of fuel because you were not prepared to care for your family? Do you want me to be responsible for your family?” “Uh,, No sir” he responds, “Not at all Mr. Jones, No sir, uh, I apologize, I mean no disrespect, I never have.”
He stands there for a few seconds as if waiting for you to say it is ok, call me Trey, which you may never do. Finally he says “I can see what I have to trade for some fuel, can you give me an idea of what I may have of value?” Since you have no idea what skills the man has you are left to barter for tangible goods. You ask him, “do you have any charcoal? Firewood?” He responds that he thinks he has some charcoal in the back shed. You explain that for a 5 gallon bucket of charcoal you will give him one gallon of gasoline for his generator.
He nods, goes to walk away, stops, steps back in front of you extends his hand, looks you straight in the eye and says “I will go check Mr Jones, I will have to see if I have a bucket.” You pull your glove off and shake the man’s freezing cold hand and explain that anything close to that amount, say a 10 pound bag or so. Just bring what you have and you will fill his can accordingly. He nods yes and scurries off.
As you walk back in the living room your wife is giving you the stare of daggers, “we can afford to give him a gallon of gas can’t we?” you stand there opening your coat so you don’t get too warm.
You start to explain to everyone who has now come out of hiding and is standing in ear shot of you. Your oldest and your wife still holding on to their shot guns. You explain that you can not afford to give away anything, nothing at all. No charity. If the word gets out that we are giving things away people will come take it.
You explain that everyone must run any and all bartering agreements through you before the transaction is agreed to. “We have to conserve what we have, we don’t know how long this situation will last, and the man needed a lesson in humility and manners…”
Your oldest interrupts to express that the man gives her the willies the way he looks at her and her sister and “especially Mom, he creeps me out!”
Copyright, Icarry2, WDY Media
You sit at the desk writing out a message for the group explaining that you will do a more thorough search, inventory and recon of Mr Koontz’s house, buildings and property.
Then, a knock at the door. Everyone freezes in the home. Again, a knock at the door. You quietly get up, motion to everyone to stay quiet and out of sight.
You duck under the inner curtain and pull the corner of the outer curtain back so that you can see who it is knocking. As you get a look they knock again, it somewhat startles you. They step back and you see that it is Gary Lewis from across the street, the North of the two who were arguing over the gas can right after all this started.
You have everyone stay back and you grab your coat and open the door and walk outside as if your checking the vehicles.
Mr. Lewis steps back as you walk out the door. He is not dressed warmly and his teeth are chattering as he is holding a small one gallon gas can with his weak hand in his jeans pocket.
Being ready to run means that your coat is hanging over your insulated slip on water proof heavy soled trail boots which makes it real easy to get out quick.
Since your coat was hanging over an outer parka with outer insulated gloves and a spare skull cap hat in the over size pockets ready and the Eskimo hood with the fur ring on it kept things warm enough and warding off the cold was good to about -20..
“Can I help you Mr Lewis?” As you stand there watching the man do a very difficult thing that comes easy to way too many. He is about to ask for something he can not repay at the moment. He stands on your porch begging you for just one gallon of gas for his generator. You watch him dance because of improper thinking the cold pertaining to his attire. You sit and hear how the baby needs to stay warm, etc. You stop all the groveling and exscuses and ask simply one easy to answer question.
“what do you have to trade?” As he stops short in the sentence he was spitting out beggin for fuel and pauses, sort of give you that dumbfounded head cock that dogs do to tell you they do not understand your command. You can tell, he never thought about trading… Everyone had pushed the system to where the primary sign of capitalism is a possibly worthless piece of paper called a dollar bill. Something that is debatably worth the sweat it wipes up.. Gary asks “What do you want Mr. Jones?” and follows it up with “Are we bartering?” So you take the opportunity to explain to the man a few things, call it the price of consideration.
You explain, “Well Mr Lewis, I have lived across from you for how long now?” he stops to think, you answer him to the month to make a point. "You have never introduced yourself to me or my family. You automatically go to calling me by my first name having never been formally introduced to me. You don't wait until I express to you to call me Trey which to me shows a complete lack of respect." On a couple of occasions my son has seen you watching my house with binoculars, more so my bedroom window, probably trying to get a look at my wife while she changes or walks out of the shower, even though we have blinds, curtains and shades pulled on every window during such times."
You continue as the man is now standing as still as he can looking at your feet. “You speak to my wife by her first name and since we have never been introduced you show even more disrespect of her then me. You cause commotion on this block on the average of once a month during the summer, especially when your off work milking a hand injury and staying up all hours of the night drinking and carrying on and frankly disturbing the peace of our quiet neighborhood." As you continue your seeing the man melt into his tennis shoes. "You refuse to take part in any of the neighborhood watch programs or even take a shift while people entrust their property to the neighborhood to keep an eye on are away, be it they are out of town on business or for a family function or funeral. You seem to be ok with your daughter’s boy friend coming over at all hours of the night and know he rolls in with his loud exhaust and very, very loud sound system which had to cost thousands even though the boy doesn’t have a job, work that you know of or go to school but leaches off you and your family to get by.. This is how you come to me asking for a gallon of fuel because you were not prepared to care for your family? Do you want me to be responsible for your family?” “Uh,, No sir” he responds, “Not at all Mr. Jones, No sir, uh, I apologize, I mean no disrespect, I never have.”
He stands there for a few seconds as if waiting for you to say it is ok, call me Trey, which you may never do. Finally he says “I can see what I have to trade for some fuel, can you give me an idea of what I may have of value?” Since you have no idea what skills the man has you are left to barter for tangible goods. You ask him, “do you have any charcoal? Firewood?” He responds that he thinks he has some charcoal in the back shed. You explain that for a 5 gallon bucket of charcoal you will give him one gallon of gasoline for his generator.
He nods, goes to walk away, stops, steps back in front of you extends his hand, looks you straight in the eye and says “I will go check Mr Jones, I will have to see if I have a bucket.” You pull your glove off and shake the man’s freezing cold hand and explain that anything close to that amount, say a 10 pound bag or so. Just bring what you have and you will fill his can accordingly. He nods yes and scurries off.
As you walk back in the living room your wife is giving you the stare of daggers, “we can afford to give him a gallon of gas can’t we?” you stand there opening your coat so you don’t get too warm.
You start to explain to everyone who has now come out of hiding and is standing in ear shot of you. Your oldest and your wife still holding on to their shot guns. You explain that you can not afford to give away anything, nothing at all. No charity. If the word gets out that we are giving things away people will come take it.
You explain that everyone must run any and all bartering agreements through you before the transaction is agreed to. “We have to conserve what we have, we don’t know how long this situation will last, and the man needed a lesson in humility and manners…”
Your oldest interrupts to express that the man gives her the willies the way he looks at her and her sister and “especially Mom, he creeps me out!”
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