New Happiness, Begins
The Part 24

"Booker," murmured Kendall, pointing at the painted-out mailbox at the end of a former pebbled car lane, which is now almost mostly overgrown with tendrils and reeds. He looked at the area where the concrete foundation of the house that David's father had built with his own hands. He looked at David. "Is this where you grew up?"

David nodded, his chest claustrophobic by longing and memories. "Funny. The windstorm flattened our house and brought everything inside, but when it passed, the mailbox was still standing."

Kendall put down her helmet and walked to what was once the front yard, then turned around and looked back towards the valley. Expressions change. "The view is amazing."

David turned his head to enjoy the sight, so familiar at once different. Some areas have developed in the past ten years, while others still show traces of storms that have shaken trees like giant chainsaws. However, the view remains stunning, the valley surrounded by evergreen trees and storied hardwood, bounded by mountain peaks, is bright orange red due to clay.

"That's why my father built a house here. He was a soldier and never really had a home. When he met my mother, they often went around and looked for a place to form a family. My dad said he knew right away this was the place they saw it."

"I can see why." Kendall pointed at the land. You guys keep it clean. Do you have any plans to build here?"

"One day," David admitted. "I have so many wonderful memories here."

"Surely" said Kendall, then he looked at the outline of the house. "It must be sad to see everything swept away. Where were you when the storm hit?"

"Here" answered David. "It's just me and Mom. Harry is abroad. I was on leave from the Army for a few days with a friend. I'm helping Mom pick peas for dinner." He pointed to the vine-covered garden on the right. "Our garden is over there and the result is enough to feed an army. But instead of reducing the number of plants given the age of growing older, every year my mother was thinking about what to add. He distributed the excess results to neighbors and friends."

David smiled in memory and frowned and trudged to the storm bunker door built into the side of the grass-covered mound. "I saw the whirlwind coming, then heard the siren." He knocked on the door of the basement with the tip of a crutch. "We took refuge in the bunker. The ground shook and it sounded like a train passing over us. It feels like centuries."

"You scared?" ask Kendall lirih.

David looked. No one ever asked that question. The fur on its nape stood up when it remembered the disaster of the day. "Yeah, I'm so scared" he said, surprised to hear his own words. "Before my father died, we all promised him we'd take care of Mom. All I could think of was that as we huddled in the bunker, I felt like I had failed to keep my promise to my father and my mother. By then I was sure we'd be sucked out of there and thrown into Atlanta."

Kendall's expression softened. "But no, right?"

"yeah. When the storm was over, I climbed outside, not knowing what to do. I don't believe what I see. Our house, just vanished. Our vehicle was thrown into the hillside. I forbid Mom to come out. I'm afraid he can't accept the truth."

Kendall smiled. "But he can."

"You still have each other." Kendall.

"true." David's chest tight. He can't imagine being alone in a world like Kendall. The woman looked so small and fragile, her pigtails sagged a little because it was helmeted and her cheeks reddened because she was not used to the sun. Suddenly David was overcome with the urge to embrace her.

Fortunately, he was on crutches, holding back the urge.

"Does this land still belong to your family?"

David reminded himself. "yeah. The integrated city limits have been determined, but the land outside the boundaries still belongs to families whose names are recorded in the deed as long as the taxes are still paid. My brother and I found a family that owned plots of land around our land and made an attractive offer to buy their land. My family now owns about 140 acres of land."

"Good," said Kendall with a glaring look. "It must be nice to know where you really are."

David's neck was stuck so he did not dare to answer.

"What's the color of your house?" ask Kendall. "How's it formed?"

David gripped the crutches and swung the body forward. "Let's go in, I'll take you around."

Kendall squinted, but followed David who was walking towards something that was once the front of the house. "My father wanted a wooden house, but Mom always wanted a whitewashed house, so they discussed and Dad followed Mom's wishes."

Kendall laughs. His voice turned out to be very contagious, to the point of messing with David's mind.

"It looks like they're a compatible couple" Kendall said.

"Indeed," David admitted. "My father was loud and rough, but when Mom walked into the room, Dad's eyes would follow her everywhere." David rebuked himself, why did he tell that? And why did he have trouble taking his eyes off Little Doctor Ma'am?

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