The two of them sat quietly and finally Elizabeth looked at Kurt and said slowly, “It had been quite a time, I was teaching in Brazil. My brothers and my sister began to leave for Wales in 2038, but my father and mother refused to leave. I came back three years ago when they both got sick. Within six months of my return, they’d both died. At least I had time with them. I swear my mom died more of anguish than illness. It was a real sad time, dismal, in fact.” She paused and looked away from him.
“I’m sorry about that. In the thirties my parents moved to North Florida. After five years there, they went to Scotland with my sister. I think they went back to die. I saw them both just before they left the U.S., which was a blessing.” He paused and looked at his drink, swishing it around. “So here we are in 2050 having thirty year old Scotch in an alien country, our own alien country. Strange isn’t it! By the way, I’m curious about your personal life during all this, if you don’t mind my asking.”
“I don’t mind, but what about it? And why would you be interested in my personal life?”
“Well, I was just thinking when you were fixing the drinks, how brief life is. I was thinking how wrapped up I can get in human historical change, as if that will have any lasting effect on this earth. No matter what we go throughI, it’s all a blinking of an eye.”
“What’s that got to do with me?” she quietly said.
“I’m a bit in awe of your courage. Living here all by your self when the rest of the world is in revolution and massive change. You’ve talked of school, family, this house, but why have you stayed out here by yourself.”
Elizabeth smiled and began, “Kurt, after my parents died, I didn’t have a clue what to do. I was also scared.
They had been my bedrock. So I decided to make this my cocoon. I know this place. No surprises. I feel safe in this house, plus I had no place to go. It is peaceful. Except for two visits from the Administration’s real estate people last month, I’ve had no visitors in the past year,” she said, paused, and went on, “This place is all I know and as I’ve said, I haven’t a clue what I’m going to do. But this day has been a bit of eye opener. It has been great talking with you.” She paused again and added, “I suggest that you should take advantage of this respite here, before you shove off to wherever. Relax a bit. Take a little break from running away from those Security guys. You can’t know how beneficial it is for me to just talk about what has happened over the past years. I still get the world news of the world from the dish out back, but it’s someone else’s usually biased perspective or the worse things that are going on in the world. I never see anything positive.”
“That is the way the media has always been, believe me,” Kurt said.
“I know. Talking with you today has given me a chance to express some experiences and opinions. It’s been a while since I have had that opportunity. Over the past year I’ve been thinking a lot about the battles, the struggles in the world. It looks to me like they boil down to ethnic, economic, or environmental disputes. The
“E” factor, you might say.”
“That’s about right,” Kurt responded.
Elizabeth continued, “Look at what we have today after all the reshuffling of populations, we have a world divided into religious, secular, ethnic, or cultural countries. Even what was the U.S. is now five countries based on the a segregated premise. As Anglos, what are our choices, if we didn’t go overseas. We could move to America, Columbia, Independence or even Canada. None of them appeal to me. America is very strict,
religious, and white. Independence is libertarian to the nth degree. Columbia’s close, but from what I hear, it’s a quasi-military state. So what’s left? Canada? Maybe, but for me, its too cold and completely socialistic. So I guess overseas, say Europe, might be the best thing. But another aspect of all that has happened, which is a good thing with all the polarization of countries, is that there is no real war threats anymore, anywhere. There are non-combative disputes. Now that is an improvement in world affairs.”
“That’s a good point. However, as I mentioned before, Atlantica may be in the center of just such a potential problem that could become combative. That pertains to the distribution of water. Most countries have allowed the UN to monitor and enforce water disputes. That has worked so far, but lack of water in this hemisphere could create here in Atlantica, the ultimate test for the UN,” Kurt said.
“What exactly do you mean?” Elizabeth asked.
“East of here, Columbia has to import about everything, including water from America, which is by far the largest country on the continent. The problem is that America itself is having trouble supplying water to its own population, let alone exporting water to Columbia. They’ve said soon they will have to ration water for their own people and stop supplying Columbia. Out west, Independence and Pacifica are in fair shape, but Columbia and America are strapped for water. Even Canada, who annexed many U.S. border states is having difficulty with their water supply. Atlantica sits on the greatest water resource in the hemisphere and engineers from France and Brazil will have the Aquifer completed by the first of the year. Three quarters of the hemisphere’s population needs water and the Aquifer which was designed by the U.S. for that purpose is controlled by Atlantica. The story in Pittsburgh is that Atlantica plans to leverage the Aquifer in order to gain trade and economic credits from the UN. Back to your earlier point, this may be the first potential for war. People can’t survive without water, it’s that simple,” Kurt said.
“I’m aware of the Aquifer, but hadn’t paid much attention lately to its development. That would be unfortunate, especially as it affects this area. ” Wouldn’t it be awful if Atlantica, by not sharing the water supply, caused a war that could destroy all they have gained.“
“That’s my fear, but you make a good point.” Kurt stretched and continued, “You’re so right, this has been great dialogue and a much needed break,” he said eyeing his glass of scotch. “I was just looking at this scotch.
It’s warming me up, feels good, like I’ve taken a huge breath and settled into an easy chair. Nice feeling. It’s so smooth.”
Kurt sipped, then tipped his head back and finished the scotch. He got up and went over to the tall bottle. He took it in his hand, read the label, and poured another round into the glass. He then looked up and out over the river. He turned back to her.
“Sorry, you want a touch of this?”
“Sure. Do the honors.”
Kurt looked at the bottle closely, smiled, and walked over and poured more of the brown colored whiskey into her glass. He looked at her for a long moment.
“Better with age,” he answered as he walked back and sat down. They were silent as they slowly sipped their whiskey. Then he sat up, looked at her and said, “I haven’t been totally honest with you Elizabeth. I am walking the Great Allegheny Passage and I plan on visiting Fallingwater, but the reason I am doing both, is that I have decided to leave Alleghenia. It was becoming a prison living in Pittsburgh. So after years of internal debate I decided to leave. That’s probably why the Security patrol was looking for me.”
Elizabeth looked at him and smiled, “You know, for some reason I knew you were trying to leave. Call it what you want, but I thought no one in their right mind would be hiking the trail in late November, especially one that has been basically unused for years.”
“Well, your intuition is absolutely correct. I’m not finished. I’ve been listening to you talk and although this is definitely out of the blue, I want you to think about what I am about to suggest. Just think about it.”
Elizabeth leaned forward awaiting his next sentence. Finally when Kurt hadn’t continued, she said, “Well, what is it? What is your great suggestion?”
“Why don’t you leave here? Go to England with me? It might be the perfect time for you. You wouldn’t be by yourself and you could decide when you get there where you want to go,” he said quietly and seriously.
Elizabeth slid slowly back into the sofa, looked at him, then outside, took a sip and put her glass down on the table between them. She closed her eyes and rubbed them with both hands. It was quiet again in the room now only lit by the two twin brass lamps on the end tables. Elizabeth straightened up in her chair and looked over at him, saying, “To England, with you, now,” she said quietly. Why would you think I would go to England, with you?”
“I was just thinking, to a great extent, we’re of similar backgrounds. You said several times you know you have to leave here. It isn’t easy getting out of Atlantica, especially for Anglos these days. I have a plan to get out and it just might work for you, too. It’s an idea, Elizabeth.”
She took another sip of her scotch and answered, ”Thank you, Kurt. It’s a fine thought and I appreciate you thinking of me, but I don’t think I can just get up and leave my farm. But as to your first point, it’s been a good time for me too, Kurt, believe me”
“Well, I’m glad to hear you say that because I’ve felt a rapport with you. The offer stands. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but as I sit here, for some reason, I feel I know you a little. It’s been a while since I’ve had such an interesting, intelligent, and how do I say this, reassuring conversation.”
Elizabeth had relaxed back deep into her chair. She listened to him attentively, but didn’t respond. She swirled her scotch around and around looking at her glass, the ice clinking off the sides. She put the glass down, arched her neck to look out of the now darkened window.
“Pitch black out there and the rain has finally stopped. Forecast was for a clear, cold day over the mountains.
Perfect for working outside or in your case, walking the trail,” she said. There may be another storm coming day after tomorrow with snow. Can you believe that, this early.” Another bit of silence, and she continued,
“You used the word lonely. Lonely, what a interesting word! Being by your self is one meaning and I think the other is craving company. I guess I was in the former category. For the most part, I was by myself for the past three years. Didn’t really want anyone around and then today, you came stumbling onto my land. It’s the first time in quite a long time that I was with another person. I must say I agree with what you said earlier, it has been a wonderful day.
Kurt, sitting across from Elizabeth, looked at the lovely woman, who gave him a querulous look as she sipped her whiskey. He sensed a look of almost suspicion, but also a touch of acceptance like she was right being so hospitable to this stranger.
He replied, “Listen, I know I came out of the woodwork, literally, but from our talking, one thing has become clear to me. It’s that we have a lot in common. We’re Anglo, old Western Pennsylvania families, history professionals, and we seem to be able to communicate. Oh, and neither of us has a clue as to what they’re going to do with the rest of their respective lives. I think all these coincidences, mean something,” he ended.
“Coincidences, maybe, but still we’ve known each other for half a day, so I think you’re probably putting too much into what you call coincidences,” she countered.
“I had a friend who was a forensic scientist who said that in crime there was no such thing as a coincidence.
Usually coincidences were tied together by facts. But, I understand. Pardon me for speaking out of turn, but that’s how I feel about our conversation, that’s all. I’ll head off to the barn and leave at daybreak, if that is ok?”
“Of course, I said that when you first came. If the weather didn’t clear up right away, you could stay over. That still stands.” There was another quiet spell and they both started to talk at the same time.
“Well here’s my…,” Kurt said but Elizabeth interrupted, “How do you expect…,” she stopped and they both chuckled at their cutting each other off. Elizabeth said, “Go ahead, Kurt.”
“Sorry. I said I had a plan. Here it is. Since I am
staying over, I am going to head for Fallingwater at daybreak. It looks like I’ll have to go to Ohiopyle before I can cross the river unless an unmapped bridge turns up before there.”
“Funny you said that because there may be such a rope bridge put in years ago for hikers to reach Fallingwater which would save you at least a half a day. That is if it’s still up,” she said.
“Well that’s great news if it pans out. I wanted to avoid going all the way to Ohiopyle because of Security and the time it would take.”
“Ohiopyle and Route 381 are how folks go north from around here, so I’m sure there’s a checkpoint,” Elizabeth said, then added, “So if your plan works and you get to Fallingwater, what’s next?”
“Well, I’ll be off to the other side of Ohiopyle and hike my way to Columbia, unless something else happens. If I get to Columbia, I hope to seek asylum and get permission to fly to England. They have two flights a day out of old Dulles Airport to London.”
“Then where are you going, Kurt?” she asked with more interest this time. “You haven’t said exactly what you’re going to do.”
“Well, I’ll first go to Paisley, south of Glasgow, where my sister is living. From there, it depends on where I can get a position. I would like to work at one of the National Universities, maybe in American History. That’s my general plan, anyway,” he said. Then Kurt looked at her with a quizzical look on his face and asked, “Have you had any insight as to what you are going to do, Elizabeth.”
“No, not yet. You’ve supplied me with much food for thought. More food for thought today than I have had for a long time. There’s something else clawing away at the back of my mind even more puzzling to me than what I’m going to do or where I’m going to do it,” she quietly said looking right at Kurt.
“What would that be?”
“Something that has bothered me over the past year or two and that is how did our country let what happened, happen?”