Chapter 18
Dr. Aliyah Williams lived in their house alone now that Henry Miller had passed and Elijah was gone. Henry bought the house with the money that he and Elijah had earned.
The house had no fireplace, but on a normally cold winter night, she could bundle up in heavy clothes and blankets and end up being quite cozy. On colder nights, it was a real struggle to keep warm.
Aliyah missed having Henry around. There was no limit to the amount of suspicious characters who might try to invade her home. At times, Aliyah worried about Kevin and Todd, who lived in the William's old non-functioning van in their driveway. At best they were unscrupulous and unpredictable.
Colonel Jayden Phipps gave Aliyah Henry Miller's 9mm pistol for protection, but kept Henry's valuable automatic rifle for the Guard. Aliyah knew that her shooting skills were below weak, but she felt she could always "spray and pray".
She heard the door rattle. Her heart pounded. She couldn't find the pistol! She scrambled.
There were voices. . .The door opened!
"'Liyah."
"Oh my God! 'Lijah!" Only Elijah called her "'Liyah".
Elijah rushed to her in the bed. "I'm back 'Liyah."
They held each other tight.
Aliyah said, "I didn't think you would ever come back. I was so worried. Who else is with you, Rene? Rene? Is that. . ."
"It's not Rene, baby. . .Rene. . .and Matt. They didn't make it."
"Oh no, 'Lijah. Not our baby. Why? Damn it all."
She cried for several minutes. It's sad, but I ain't got no more tears. I guess all my hope was already gone. I knew it already. You should have listened."
"Hush now." Elijah held Aliyah close. He hated bringing her the bad news. "We got some friends here. Can we put on the candle?
"There's a lighter on the stand next to the candle. Go ahead."
Elijah flicked on the lighter for a moment and started the large candle.
"You got some friends here?"
Elijah introduced Terri, the young woman abandoned at the Confederation Guard Post. Then he introduced Raymond, Mitch, and Katy.
"You sure make a lot of friends."
Elijah rolled up the black suitcase on its two wheels.
"You can unpack tomorrow. . ."
Elijah started unzipping the zipper, which was partway open.
Then he pulled back the blanket revealing the precious cargo in the suitcase. "I want to show you something." He unzipped the bag just enough to reveal Mitchell Ray's face.
"Ohhhhhhh!, that's not something, that's someone. it's a little one, Aliyah asked Terri, "Is this your baby?"
"No."
Elijah pulled out the baby. "Meet your Grandson, Aliyah."
"What?!"
Elijah nodded yes. He had a big smile on his face.
"No!?"
"Yes!"
"Oh you can't be serious! Oh my God! He looks like Rene! He is! 'Lijah you get him out of there and give me my child right now!" Aliyah took the Baby and snuggled in the covers with him.
"'Liyah, these young people saved Mitchell's life. I named him after Mitch and Ray. Katy here and Terri also helped. They saved his life 'Liyah."
"God bless you all . That was. . .was a miracle. I can't thank you enough. I want you all to stay here as long as you want."
Elijah said, "Where shall we put them up?"
"Sorry, 'Lijah, but Henry has passed on."
"What?!"
"He got killed in a fight with a clan."
"I can't believe it. How could they let that happen?"
"I know. It was a real shock. These days we are all getting all kinds of shocks. Guess we have to appreciate when something goes right." She couldn't take her eyes off of Mitchell. "So some of our guests can stay in Henry's room, or wherever else they can find a place. Thank you all. God bless your hearts. I'm sorry now it is not a good time for us to chat. Tomorrow will be better. Elijah, Mitchell Ray needs some solid food right now. Go start a fire so we can get some soybeans started for him." She gave a half-hearted smile at the entourage.
Elijah started a fire outside to cook the beans. Cooking the hard beans was a long process. He took the beans in to Aliyah to feed Mitchell Ray with.
Then after the fire burned down, he shoveled hot embers into a metal garbage can. He brought the can into the small bathroom to warm a smaller amount of air for Mitchell Raymond. Aliyah and Mitchell Raymond made a bed in the bathtub. It was cozy warm in the room. Aliyah invited Terri and Katy to sleep in the bathroom.
Elijah realized his home was completely different now.