Okefenokee

Rob, “We have to get tough fast if we are going to survive. We have to survive for our baby. We will get wedding rings at that place just off base near the diner where all the soldiers went. They have a lot of business from the base so a large inventory.”

“Do you want to invite anyone from the base to our wedding?”

“Nah, none of my closes friends from my platoon are stationed here.”

The week passed. They looked at rings in the jewelers. She really liked one but said, “You pick them? We don’t have enough money for the nice ones. It’s not the most important thing on our minds right now anyway.” She went to work leaving him alone in the store

Rob was happy about her attitude. He bought the one she liked. He put it on a credit card. This is one bill he hoped he would get to pay back. Paying it off would mean things returned to normal.

On the wedding day he pulled out the rings and she was shocked. He laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I will sell my house.” She laughed and was so happy.

They exchanged vows and rings in front of a small group of family and friends. Rob kissed her and exited the church. There was nothing to stop them now. The pickup truck was loaded with supplies and the boat trailer attached. The few guests thought they were just going on a fishing honeymoon.

They pulled away waving to Ida and the small group of friends assembled. While driving south on I-95 Cyndi tuned in the news on the radio.

There was a news flash about riots breaking out in Atlanta and other big cities as supplies ceased arriving. Anarchy took hold. The killer virus was spreading from the large cities with more international travelers to smaller towns. Death was reported as common everywhere. There was very low traffic conditions on the road as scared people were sheltering in place hoping for it to be over soon. But the radio said that Europeans countries had gone dark with little information as panic and mayhem traveled swiftly.

Atlanta was the only badly affected place in Georgia to date.

Cyndi turned it off visibly upset, “Rob, we are going to have to return right away after unloading our goods I’m afraid. Things are quickening.”

“I know.” They drove on. “It’s about an hour and a half drive. We can unload are goods at the house, park the boat filled with tools and other handy things at a place I know where we can hide it. We will be able to launch it by hand manually into the black swamp from there. Then we will head back. Call your Mom and tell her our plans and have her pack the things she will need. We will check the news and stay the night or if conditions warrant it, leave right away.”

Cyndi started crying and got her phone out, “Let me recover before calling her.” She cuddled along side him while he drove.

“Don’t worry. We were on this from the start. My feeling is we are ready due to our prep work and everything is going to be OK, tough but OK.” They continued along the eerie highway seeing almost no other cars. There seemed to be gas available still. He had all the vehicles filled before the wedding. “You have to wonder at this point why anything is still open for business. Don’t people know what’s coming our way?” He pulled in and topped off the tank thinking it might be last time gas will be available.

Cyndi went inside the market and bought up all the made sandwiches available even after the attendant told her they were a couple of days old. The attendant said we were the only customers that day.

With food and a full tank they headed to Rob’s family home nearby. At his partially furnished home they unloaded some of the supplies into the single car garage. It was empty except two bicycles the previous renters must have left. There wasn’t any activity on the rough road where his home was located on an acre just outside the city limits.

Cyndi, “There were a few cars around until we reached here. Its dead here. I guess that’s good, right?”

“You guessed it. We would rather nobody was thinking about this house until are plans are complete. I think we got everything. I’m going to lie down, take a nap.”

“OK,” she called her Mom. “Hi, are you aware how bad things are getting up in Atlanta?”

“I know it’s OK there for now but it’s going to arrive soon. We are coming back to get you and the RV. Rob knows the Okefenokee like the back of his hand and says we can go and camp there until this blows over.”

“I want you to pack a bag now because we may have to leave before tomorrow. Hopefully not but be ready OK. I love you to. See you in a couple of hours. Were going to rest up before driving back. Bye.”

She crawled into bed with Rob and cuddled next to him. “She sounds reluctant to go. What are we going to do?”

“We will see when we get there. We can’t do anything at the moment,” always steady with his replies. They both nodded off.

They woke and drove the boat over to a barely visible path at the swamp and went back about a mile hitting some shallow water areas on the way. “This is why people don’t come here. There are much better, but busier places to launch a boat. It will be safe here. Even more so if people are quarantining in their homes.” He backed in between some trees and brush and removed the trailer hitch to his pickup. “Remember where I put it OK?”

“Yeah right, I have no idea where we are,” laughing and feeling better knowing they were taking huge precautions about everything as far as the pestilence went but she was not fooling herself.

A call came over Rob’s cell as they transitioned from the back highway onto the I-95. It was Rick his boss. “Yeah Rick, what’s up.” He answered it with speakerphone enabled.

Rick, “I know you are on your honeymoon but I wanted to let you know not to hurry back. I am shutting down temporarily because of the emergency order from the Governor’s office.”

“OK, what did it say. I am unaware of it?”

“It said that law and order are no more in Northwestern Georgia. It’s not safe to be out anywhere near there. To be on the safe side because it will more then likely affect all areas eventually. It said to shelter in place and wait until help arrives.”

“OK, thanks for the heads up. I will see you on the other side of all this.”

Rick hung up. He thought, what a time to be getting married and honeymooning. He had no idea that Rob was not planning on returning to work.

Cyndi, “Where the heck does the governor think help will be coming from. He is off his rocker.”

“It’s probably standard operating procedure. It’s on auto pilot. There might not be anyone in control anymore. He could be dead, who knows.”

“I am scared,” Cyndi replied.

Rob patted her leg, “We have to remain focused when the seams are coming apart all around us.”

She nodded back at him with a worried look.