Apocalypsis 03 - Exodus

look like idiots and barely-qualified minions with his despotic strategies.
    “Come on, let’s go. It’s too humid to be here anymore,” I said, finally giving up on ever winning a single game.
    “Where are we going?” asked Ronald, standing up beside me. He was a few inches taller but very skinny, probably weighing nearly the same as me because of his marked lack of nutrition. His brother was broader in the shoulder and meatier in the waist and legs. He looked like he’d eaten twice as much as his twin. If they really are twins. They look nothing alike.
    “To the pool,” I said, staring at both of them, trying to pick out any similar features. Maybe the eyes…
    Ronald sighed loudly. “I wasn’t joking. We really can’t swim.”
    Jamal slowly sat back down, picking up his domino sticks and shaking them around in his hand, giving up instantly on my pool idea.
    “Doesn’t matter,” I said. “If you don’t want to go in, you can sit on the dock.”
    Jamal dropped the sticks and stood back up with a happy expression on his face. “I don’t mind getting my feet wet. And it is pretty hot.” It was the happiest he’d looked since I’d met him.
    “Come on then,” I said, gesturing. “Follow me.”
    We walked quietly to the pool, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I was planning the rescue of Bodo in my mind, finally deciding that I would leave in two days. That would give Jamal and Ronald a day to get acclimated and acquainted with some of the others before leaving them behind. They could keep Peter company, assuming they would be living with us. I figured they would be, since I knew there probably weren’t a bunch of empty chickee huts standing around for random strangers to move into.
    The pool came into view and I could hear from the sounds of splashing that we weren’t the only ones with the brilliant idea of cooling off. LaShay’s voice could be heard above everything else.
    “You go , girl! My gawd, that was a complete flip. You are beyond belief, you know that? Like a mermaid.”
    When we were closer I could see she was cheering on a fellow amputee who’d just done some sort of flip in the water. It had to have been difficult with only one arm to move the water around with. LaShay reminded me of a physical therapist, guiding her patients and cheering them on. I smiled at the thought of her in nurse’s scrubs, bossing sick people around. She would have been an awesome medical person -doctor, nurse, therapist, whatever-she really cared about helping others get well, that much was obvious.
    I walked up near to where her head was, at the edge of one of the docks, and bent down. “Hello, gorgeous.”
    She screamed, spinning around in the water, her face a mask of terror. “Sweet Lord and baby Jesus … Bryn! You scared the you-know-what outta me. What’re you doin’ sneakin’ up on me like that?” Her eyes lost their angry look as soon as they fell on Jamal. “Oh. My … goodness. You brought friends.” She smiled, reaching her hand up to smooth her hair. She must have momentarily forgotten she only had the one, because she immediately sunk below the surface.
    “Oh my god … she’s drowning!” yelled Ronald. “I told you black people don’t swim!”
    LaShay’s face came bursting up out of the water, spraying droplets around. And she was pissed. “What did you just say, boy?”
    Ronald cleared this throat and stretched his neck out uncomfortably. “Uhhh … I said you were drowning?”
    “No. After that.”
    “That … uh … black people don’t swim?”
    “Boy, get yo’ head outta yo’ butt. Do you see a black woman up in here?”
    “Yes, ma’am, I do.”
    “Don’t you ma’am me! I ain’t your momma or your fat, old lady neighbor!”
    “Yes, I can see that. I’m sorry.” He sounded so contrite, I felt bad for him. But I was laughing all the same.
    “Fine, then. You see this black woman swimmin’, don’t you?”
    “Yes, I do see that.”
    “Good. Look real hard and say that shit again, then.”
    “No. I … uh … think I’ll just shut up now.”
    “Mmm-hmm,” said LaShay, turning her back to him, “that’s what I thought.” She calmly swam away, only a little bit off kilter because of her missing arm.
    I couldn’t stop laughing. Peter joined in, holding his stomach. LaShay ignored all of us, continuing on with her graceful departure to the other side of the pool.
    Ronald let out a long breath of air.
    “That was friggin’ awesome , Ronald,”