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The Unfortunate Adventure of Jasper Hensbee

A How to Manual


By Shaylen Widom-North
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If not in a fictional world, one should never go off into the desert away from the
road. As should be apparent. It is advised that the lost should remain put. However if
they do depart form their location and attempt to find civilization one should make
sure to mark their progress so if they wish they could find their way back. Also so
they are certain that they are not going in circles.
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Like a mosquito the sun digs into his skin and sucks the moisture out, leaving
his blood to sizzle in the heat. The water bottle sitting alone in the car has only a few
plump drops of water sliding down the inside of its plastic body. A tire sits in the road
all full, shiny, and usable, yet completely useless, as it is not actually attached to the
car. The tire, which is on the car, is a ravaged and deflated corpse. Poor Jasper
Hensbee, he does not know how to replace his car tire. He wants to laugh, its funny
really, but his mouth is too dry to move; besides it is probably best not to give in to the
nudging delirium. He is on the hot pavement slouching limply against his small blue
cars rusty trim. His eyes stare blankly at the empty road before him where fine red
dust twirls elegantly in the faint and hot desert breeze. His thumb caresses the slightly
cool skin of the granny smith apple clutched in his damp hand. Sweat dribbles down
his face, stealing away more moisture. Jasper is aware that he should probably move
out of the sun, but to where? There is no shade and every time the thought of getting
up crosses his mind he feels his weakness and exhaustion more acutely. He is trying to
focus his thoughts on saving himself, not just sitting here in the sun roasting. He feels
like a slug must when salt is poured over its fleshy, slimy body. Maybe not quite so bad
off though. He is glad he never salted a slug. Now he does not have to feel guilty. He
has known people who were slug salters. He tried to stop them. Maybe he did not put
forth enough effort to keep the creatures alive. Maybe he should feel guilty. It is hard
to focus; his mind keeps wandering, thinking thoughts that are of no help.
It had been raining when he left his apartment this morning. Apartment 7 was
not a particularly splendid place, not much light, no plants, no pets, but his neighbors
were quiet. It was not a horrible or nasty place either. He had been annoyed at the
rain; it had come in through his window soaking everything on his kitchen table, which
is always covered in papers. Usually Jasper likes rain because it makes nice sounds
and the smell is fantastic, all earthy, wet, and fresh. He feels that this makes sense since
the smell is the smell of wet earth, but he is at a loss of where the fresh smell comes
from. Maybe it is just a package deal. He left his house at 11:08 climbing into his car
after pulling the new, and wet, parking ticket from his hood reminding him yet again
he needed to find his parking permit. He was almost to the store when he realized that
he had forgotten to lock his door. After returning home to a house that had not been
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robbed, he drove to the grocery store. There he had a flawless shopping trip buying
several jugs of water, a water bottle, apples, trail mix, chocolate, and a cucumber. He
then went across the parking lot to the deli and got a sandwich. He hopped back into
the car and drove off. He drove just so for a day, eating his food and drinking his
water. He slept uncomfortably in his car in a hotel parking lot for the night. His long
legs became terribly cramped so he went for a walk in the morning. Coming across a
breakfast eatery he stopped for fluffy sweet pancakes, hash browns, and eggs. When
he could bear to eat no more, he paid, and walked back to his car. Driving again his
stomach eventually settled. He missed the next exit where he had intended to refill his
water and purchase more food. Oh well, he thought, I can just stop at the next one.
Little did poor Jasper know that he was not going to arrive at the next exit.
The landscape grew more and more desert like, until not even stunted shrubs
crowded the roads edges. All there was were red dust and rocks. The little blue car
bumped and jumped along the pockmarked road with random jazz music playing from
its stereo. Jasper took a drink from his water bottle, which contained the last of all that
he had with him. His eyes were tracking an eagle, maybe a golden, he wasnt sure.
Then came the sudden and disturbing bump that sent Jaspers heart racing with fear.
His eyes turned their attention wildly back to the road. His car swerved a bit before
coasting to a stop. He clicked and wiggled his seatbelt until it removed its hold, got
out, circled the car till he got to his back tire, on the drivers side, and looked down in
dismay.
Now he sits here very possibly near death thinking of slugs with an apple in
hand that he refuses to eat no matter how much his jaw aches to bite into its succulent
flesh. What if he needs it later? It is very quiet; there is nothing to make a sound. The
jazz music is gone, as the keys are now in Jaspers pocket. This was a good idea he
figured for he did not want the battery to die. But now he is thinking it does not
matter. He would rather have music to listen to, or something, than be near death in
complete silence, alone. Clip clop, clip clop. Dismay hits him. He has unknowingly
given into the delirium. How disappointing a hallucination too. All there is, is some
horse clip clopping around in his head. Oh. Now he can see the hooves and legs
heading toward him. The clip clop grows louder then stops. The hooves and legs stop
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too. Okay this is pretty reasonable. Who knew deaths delirium was so reasonable.
Human legs appear next.
Looks like weve got a flat tire here and you, you look rather deflated your
self.
Jasper looks up. In front of the massive blue sky above him his a man. He has a
big hat on, covering his face with shade. Jasper feels a twinge of jealousy. He wants
that hat.
Can I have your hat? he asks in a horribly rasping voice. The man just looks
down at him.
You need some water man? the man asks.
I suppose so.
You suppose?
If you have water would you just please give it to me rather than standing
there with your hat looking at me when I clearly need it? he coughs, the effort to talk
tickling his throat. The man throws an old beat up metal water bottle down. Jasper
takes several big gulps being careful to waste none. The water is warm.
I can fix your tire.
You can?
I am not just saying words for the sake of saying them. Or to confuse you. Or
to get your hopes up just for the fun of it. Though I could always do with a little more
entertainment, Jasper just stares at the strange man, pretty certain he is real. The
water feels real. He stands up, slowly, as his head begins to rush. The man is shorter
than Jasper, though not by much. Most people are.
Will you?
For nothing no. I want something if I do it.
Jasper pauses before replying. He cant exactly refuse. What do you want?
Not your concern. You cant exactly refuse me.
Of course it is my concern! Jasper does not like this man, but he needs him.
The man just looks at him again. It makes him angry, but Okay fine, is all he can say.
Right. Lets get to in then, the man walks over to his horse pulling some
leather gloves, which have obviously been through a lot, from a saddlebag. He slips
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them on to his large hands. Returning to the car he crouches down and picks up one of
the tools unfazed by its collected heat thanks to the gloves. Jasper watches. He bites
into his apple. The flavor floods his mouth. It is delicious, probably the best apple he
has ever had the pleasure to eat.
Where did you come from? has there been some establishment close by this
whole time? Jasper wonders. Hoping not because that would really make all this
discomfort and pain so much worse.
You know. Around.
I know? No I do not know. I dont know anything, Around?
Yes.
Around?
You might want to be watching carefully now. You do not want to meet one of
these situations again.
Jasper watches. At least he tries to but it is hard not to stare at the man and
think about the apple in his mouth.
The man looks up at him, I will explain as I go. Well it is good that you are
stopped on level ground, this is important otherwise the car might just roll. Because no
one will be coming through here and they would be able to see us a long way off
anyway we do not need the hazards, but in different conditions it would be necessary.
Go turn the parking brake on.
Jasper goes to the drivers door and does this. It is horribly hot inside the car.
Good, the man continues his instruction, Now go get some rocks, unless you
have other heavy objects to place in front of the tires.
Jasper looks around, there are rocks blending in with the deserts sands. He
wonders how long they have been here, how they got here. He finds four rocks that he
likes and carries them to the car.
Now put two in front of the front tires, lodge them in there a bit, and one
behind the back tire over there. Now we use the jack. It has to be placed on the metal
part of the cars frame behind the flat tire. If your car has plastic, which this one does
not then you will want to read your owners manual to see where to put the jack. With
some cars there will be a niche or a mark to tell you where to put it. Now that it is in
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place we have to raise it, the jack, until it is supporting the car not lifting it. It is
important that the jack is parallel to the ground not crooked. Now we remove the
hubcap and loosen the nuts. They loosen counterclockwise. But we just loosen them;
they are not to be fully removed. Do you have a wrench that came with you car?
Just this one, Jasper kicks the wrench toward him, wanting to avoid burning
his hand.
Ah a standard cross wrench, this will do fine, he slips it over the nut, but
takes it off and makes the wrench a little smaller, It should slide on without clanking
at all. Hmm these are on pretty tight, the man strains to turn it using all of his force. It
does not move. He stands up and stomps down on the wrench. It moves a bit, Okay
now the next ones, he repeats this process with the rest of the nuts, Next we crank
the jack till the car is lifted enough for the tire to be removed and a new one to be put
on. As we go it is important to make sure that the car is stable and the jack remains
parallel to the ground. Now it is time to loosen the nuts more, then we loosen the lug
nuts, and remove them all completely. The tire is a little suck so I am going to hit it a
bit on the inside to free it up. There we go. Now incase the jack somehow fails I will
place this flat tire under the car so that less damage will be more should it fall. Roll that
tire over here will you. Thank you. So while putting this spare on we need to make
sure that it is aligned with the wheel bolts so that we can put the lug nuts on, which is
what we do next. I will tighten them by hand till they are snug, no more. Then we will
tighten them as much as possible, without using so much force that the jack will
become upset, with the wrench. I will tighten this one a bit then go to the one across
from it and so forth so that the tire does not become unbalanced. This is a star pattern.
Now it is time to lower the jack, but we do not want to apply full force to the tire yet.
There is more tightening to be done. We tighten the nuts now as much as is possible,
lower the car completely, give the nuts one more go and attach the hub cap. You
should take the flat, if there is just a little hole it should not be too expensive to fix.
Its done?
I want the car battery.
What?
I told you that I would not do it for nothing. I told you I wanted something.
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My car battery?
Yes.
But then the car wont work.
I fixed the tire. I want the car battery now.
Yes you just fixed the car. Why would you do that if you want the battery?
No. You cannot have my battery, Jasper moves to get into the car, stopping to pick
up the tools on the ground. He quietly squeals in pain as he picks up each one and
throws it into the open door at the back of the car. He gets in. The man is still just
standing there by his horse. Jasper puts the keys into the ignition and turns them. The
car does not start. He tries again. Again. Again. This cannot be. He opens his car door
and stumbles out. How did that happen? I did not leave it running, the thought had
only crossed his mind. He looks inside to see if the lights are on. He looks at the
headlights. They are all off.
Are you sure?
What?
Are you sure you did not run the car until the battery died?
This shocks Jasper. Did he? Could he have? He was so certain he did not.
Well I best be on my way, the man approaches the hood of the car.
Wait! I need help.
Oh right. Here is some water. Should last you about a day or two if you are
sensible, he hands Jasper a large plastic jug.
Where do I go?
I suggest going north.
North. Okay. Wait I was driving east. North is into the desert. I am not going
to walk into the desert.
The man gives him a disapproving look, I would go north.
Whats north? You are still taking my battery? Why do you want a dead
battery?
None of your concern. I will bring it back to your car, he pauses, thinking, It
is hard to say how long that will be.
Bring it back? Will you charge it or jump it or whatever?
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Now I really ought to be off, he places the battery into a large and mostly
empty saddlebag and swings onto his rather beautiful brown horse, I wish you luck.
Ah here you may have this. You are going to need it, this sun can be ruthless, the man
rides off leaving Jasper with a Jug of water in one hand and an apple core and hat in
the other.
Jasper watches the man ride off. Again dust is all that there is, dancing on the
road like everything is perfectly fine. He stands motionless, the hot sun still eating at
him. What is he supposed to do now? He scans the landscape around him. The road
where he came from looks long and never ending, a nice ribbon to wrap up this gift of
being stranded. How far was it that he had driven? He is still hungry. His stomach
gurgles. There must be snakes out here, if not anything else. He had seen the eagle.
Eagles eat snakes. What was he supposed to do? He cannot sit here, contemplating the
idea of eating snake. Snakes, which he has seen nothing of, and is not even sure exist.
And his apple is gone. He throws the core and watches it roll itself in dirt. What a
selfish man that man was. Though he did give Jasper the hat. But he would rather
have his battery than a hat. How did his battery die? He most certainly did not allow it
to die. Unless he did. He puts the hat on his head.
Jasper slumps down once again onto the hot pavement leaning against his car.
To his delight his vehicle has begun to cast a shadow. He curls up in its protection
staring once more at the empty road before him. It seems to him that there would be
snakes everywhere, soaking up the sun. He wants to be a snake, to be able to
appreciate and survive the sun. He sees something move in the road. A snake? He
stares watching its pages flap in the continuing breeze. A book. Where did that come
from? Jasper goes to retrieve it. He indubitably did not have a book titled Desert
Survival. Great. Mysterious book. One that happens to be the guide to his survival. He
fans through the pages, flipping back to the first. He wonders if it is normal for people
to question the reality of everything they see when stranded in the desert, as he himself
wonders if the book is real.
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When to Travel in a Hostile Desert Environment.
DO NOT TRAVEL AT ANY OTHER TIME THAN::
Dawn and Dusk.
At these times heat is not so severe and the unforgiving cold has yet to set in.
You should be able to get some distance. Just keep up hope that you will find some
way to escape death and you will get farther. There is no time for a meltdown.
Night.
If, though highly unlikely (really dont even consider it) the night is not freezing
then do whatever you like, such as walk, slowly. Always walk slowly. It does not
matter when you are traveling but you do not want to do anything that can produce
more sweat than necessary. Or just never go at night. It is smarter not to risk it and
chances are if lost in the desert you are not in your right mind.
SO DO NOT GO UNLESS THE SUN IS NOT YET ABOVE HORIZON OR HAS JUST
SET. STOP AS SOON AS YOU SEE THE SUN.
Do not put yourself through the very unpleasant discomfort of traveling in the day.
Note:
If it has been decided that night travel is acceptable be sure to locate the North Star in
order to know which direction you are traveling. Other wise you will become even
more hopelessly lost and worn out. At the back of the book there is a diagram. (The
North Star will lead you north)

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Well he can at least try to follow its instructions. They sound sensible enough.
If he does not die than what does it matter if it is real or not. If he does die it will not
matter either, but it will be unfortunate. He looks up to the sun. It is nearing the
horizon allowing his cars shadow to grow longer. He should get ready to head out. He
has his jug of water, the hat, and the book. He looks at the book again. It says it will
get cold. How cold can it get? He goes to open his car door. There is a blanket in
there. Does he want to carry it though? He stands in a long moment of indecision. Still
standing and staring. His eyes are unfocused. He is unfocused. He grabs the blanket.
Tying the water in it he swings it over his back to test it out. Seems fine. He sits back
in the shade. He cannot help but think of the man. He angry, but does not like to be.
That the man gave him the hat and some water was redeeming to some extent, but
taking someones car battery like that when they are lost in the desert cannot be
forgiven. Why would he do it anyway, take his battery? Glancing once more to look at
the progress of the sun, Jasper turns his mind to what he is going to do now. Should
he bring anything else? Maybe his wrench, his other wrench the one that is not for the
car but is a standard tool for other things. He decides he can decide later. He opens the
book to page two.
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Water Preservation Step by Step
1. Shut your mouth and keep it shut (this applies while walking and while
immobile). If you go around panting like a dog, then the moisture will leave
your body too fast, hastening your approach to death. This will also help to
preserve food. Also,, if you have food do not eat it as it is dehydrating. You can
survive about three weeks or so without eating so don t sweat it.
2. Again. Walk slowly. This should be easy as long as you do not panic. You will
not panic if you are smart. Or maybe you will. So despite the level of
intelligence you possess, do not panic.
3. Keep clothing on because it will help to keep body temperature down and slow
dehydration.
4. Heed these words of wise advice.
5. Also if you do come across water in the desert be careful because it could be
heavily laden with minerals and therefore undrinkable. It would be very bad to
drink it. Do not get it on your body either. The last thing you want is a rash.
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The sun has reached a low point and is almost below the horizon. Before leaving he
looks into his car once more and finds a thin fleece and decides he may as well grab the
wrench before closing the door. He turns north and starts to walk, remembering to
keep his mouth closed.
It is not long before the temperature noticeably begins to drop. Jasper can no
longer see the road or his car and he is beginning to really doubt the logic of leaving it
behind to go and wander into the desert. Why would someone do that? It is really
illogical. Because he has to walk slowly he is scanning the pages of the book for
anything he might need to know now, before something bad happens. It has mentioned
the necessity of covering the head preferably with a hat, but if one is not available than
anything. He feels proud, and lucky, that he happens to have a hat. One that is quite
nice actually. His jeans however are very uncomfortable. They are hot and stiff. He
wants to take them off, but is afraid of the exposure. He looks up to observe his
surroundings. There are some rocks not too far away though as he now knows they
could very well be three times farther than he believes them to be. The wind though
not necessarily stronger is piercing through his sweat soaked shirt. He is still
dumbfounded by the fact that he is cold in the desert. Maybe he should take his wet
shirt off and put his fleece on instead. He does this. The dry fabric feels good. Though
the night is setting in quickly he decides to at least try to make it to the rocks. He has
got to be warmer while moving anyway. He puts the book with the water wrapped in
his blanket, for now it is too dark to read, and continues forth.
His stomach rumbles. It is completely dark and he is fairly certain he has not
passed the rocks, though he feels he has been walking forever. He is worried that he
has started to go in the wrong direction. Suddenly he remembers the stars. He has
completely forgotten to look at them. His body burst with a momentary sweat of fear.
Oops that is not good, that is like a whole gulp of water, he thinks. He stops and stares
into the sky. Is that the big dipper? Where is the little one? There. Well if they both
look like the dippers in the diagram that must be them. He rotates his body a bit. Then
continues. His progress only lasts for a moment. He feels absolutely glacial. He lays his
blanket on the ground, dumping the book and water out. After securing it around him
and rubbing his goose bump ridden arms he picks up the water, his shirt, and book
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and continues carrying them in his arms. His feet hurt as his shoes were not meant for
long distance walking. His stomach rumbles again. It is hard to ignore, but he tries as
he was instructed to do. He does not in fact have any food though so he supposes it
does not really matter what he does.
Jasper finds that his mind keeps returning to the thought of snakes. Now it is not
so much about eating one or being one, but being bitten by one. Then the nature show
he watched a few weeks back comes to mind. They will not be out now. It is too cold
for them. If they are out they will not be so keen or able to move either. It is cold.
Reaching the rocks he immediately falls to the ground in exhaustion. The sand is
freezing. He spreads his shirt out and sits on it. He leans his head against the rough
rock behind him and closes his eyes.
He wakes amazingly just as it is growing light, though maybe a little later than
would have been ideal. He pulls his fleece off, not wanting it to get wet with sweat and
pulls his tea shirt on. He takes a sip of water then pees, feeling sad to see the precious
liquid go. Jasper goes around to the other side of the rock he was sleeping against to
see if there is anything in the distance to the north. It looks like there are some more
rocks. No plants though. Not even any cactus. Werent there supposed to be cactus in
the desert? He looks again to the rocks, uncertain if he can make it there before the
sun is up. He looks at the horizon thinking of how detrimental the book made getting
caught out in the sun sound. Should he waste the morning and wait here? It is three
times farther to that rock than it looks, and it looks pretty far. He unsure. He is
examines his water jug. It is slightly under half full. His stomach hurts and his head
hurts. He decides to stay and read through the rest of the book and maybe sleep. He
thinks about his next move, for as the book says, he must think carefully. He sits
hidden from where the sun will be coming over the horizon and removes his jeans in
preparation of the coming heat.
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Cacti
If you find a cactus go right ahead and eat it after checking for poison.
Poison
To find out if a cactus is poisonous scratch at it or break the fruit open. If you discover
white sappy liquid DO NOT EAT IT.
Edible
If the liquid is clear it is okay to drink the water from the fruit if there is some. Typically
both the fruit (tuna) and the leaves (nopales) are edible.
Harvesting and Tools
They can be hard to harvest, considering the spines, but it can be done, though it
takes tools which you may not have if lost in the desert. The tools needed are a fork
(to jab the fruit or pad so it can be held firmly.), a knife (to cut the desired part off the
plant and to later scrape the spines off), and gloves if you have them,. Oh yes, and
running water (to help the spines come off). It can feasibly be done with out any of
this but it will hurt.
There are some kinds of edible cacti that taste better than others, especially the
prickly pear also known as Indian fig, nopales, and beaver tail.
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The sun is pealing away moisture with painful certainty. It has reached noon
and there is hardly any shade from the rock. Jasper is huddled against the rock face,
on top of the blanket so he can stay off the hot sand. He has put his pants back on in
fear of getting burnt and losing more water through exposure. He is grateful for the
hat. It is really quite unfortunate that there are no cacti in this horrid place of heat and
rock, then cold and rock, then heat and rock. Every time he opens his eyes and looks
out into the endless desert it is blurry, and it appears that there are shapes appearing.
He would think that he had lost his grasp on reality, if he was unaware of the concept
of a mirage. But this worries him to because he now is uncertain that he will be able to
tell when he is delirious. He takes a gulp of water. He is so thirsty. Just one more sip.
He caps the jug before he drinks it all, tossing it aside. It rolls away in the dust a bit.
Well that sucks. He curls up and closes his eyes again; futile as it is to shelter himself
against the heat he would like to think it makes some difference.
Jasper realizes he must have dozed off. Then sun is lower now and he is fully in
the rocks shade. He is a bit cold. As he did the evening before he pulls his shirt off and
puts his fleece on. There is quite the little routine out here. He is not sure he has ever
been so organized. He does have only six possessions, including his shirt and fleece, to
really think about now. But he does feel some sense of accomplishment about this. His
life also depends on him keeping track of these things and keeping a routine so he
suffers neither from heat stroke or hypothermia. That would be a real downer on his
vacation. He peaks around the rock. The sun is still blaring at its west face. His water
is lying just beyond the edge of the shadow. He sighs. Crawling forward he snatches it
away, returning to his spot on the blanket, cradling the plastic container. He will travel
through the night. As long as he follows the star he will not get lost. Jasper wishes he
had music, or some kind of sound. There is absolutely nothing here. Nothing. His
stomach rumbles. It aches. He really wants food. But it is dehydrating even if he did
have it. He pulls his blanket up around his shoulders. The sun is still to high to move,
but it is cold in the shade. Is there ever a moment of even a little comfort to be found in
the desert? Jasper does not know. He has never been to a desert before. He does not
think he will return. Unless of course he never leaves. What a glum thought.
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Finally when the sun has set he swaddles three of his belongings in the blanket
carries the book in his hand and the hat on his head and leaves the rock behind. After
about ten or thirteen minutes he stops and scans the landscape. It still appears that
there is something, probably another rock, which is roughly north, and pretty far off in
the distance.
Okay lets do this. His voice sounds weird after so long of nothing. Maybe he
should hum. That might lighten the mood. Hmmm drruummm la, la, la, fa, la,
la He goes on for a while. He is supposed to keep his mouth closed. Damn. That
was probably not too dehydrating an endeavor though. After some thought he decides
humming probably does not qualify as an endeavor.
Though out the night he shuffles through the cold desert. Occasionally a breeze
will pick up, blowing in his face. It smells of sweet nectar and even baking bread. His
mouth reacts to this information, flooding the orifice with saliva. He looks up to the
sky again searching for a moment till he finds his companion, the North Star, a super
giant, which is actually three stars orbiting on the same axis; Polaris A, Polaris Ab
(orbiting 2 billion miles away from Polaris A), and Polaris B. Jasper likes to think of
them as one companion. He can after all only see one point of light. He is still going in
the right direction. The sun is a star too. One that moves and lets you know which way
is east and which way is south. Actually it is the earth orbiting around the sun, but in
this case it is okay to think of the sun moving, he supposes, as long as the truth of the
matter is known. The sky can really be so helpful. Undoubtedly more so than some
people. It is honest and straightforward.
He feels a little tired. Very tired. So tired and hungry and thirsty in fact that he
is a little delirious. Feeling excited inside. Ready to laugh if he was allowed to open his
mouth. His water is almost gone though, which is a sobering fact. But right now it is
hard for Jasper to think of anything that seriously, even while being aware that it is a
grave predicament. At least the air smells like bread and sweet plants. He can pretend
like he is elsewhere. Going for a walk maybe through a garden lush with plants that
has been cultivated behind an old brick boulangerie with big stone ovens to bake the
bread. When he was ready he could go up to a terrace, covered in jasmine vines, and
sit at a table to drink lemonade or tea and eat croissants and other pastries. Jasper
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comes to the resolution that he will get a dog when, if, he gets home or to civilization.
He does not want to be alone any more. Perhaps a cat. Is he more of a cat person?
Strange that he does not really know. He figures he will find out. Cat or dog, cat or
dog? Probably dog. Or cat. He tugs the blanket tighter around himself, suddenly
feeling a little more scared. He really is lost in the desert walking farther out into the
unknown, away from where he knows there is a road, all because some strange man
told him to. A man who took his car battery. A batter that Jasper is pretty certain the
man somehow made die. Was it because he gave him the water and hat? Was he just
not aware enough at the time to not be listening to a stranger telling him to go north
into the desert? He does not like this moment of lucidity. It is scary. He also feels pretty
stupid now. An idiot. He really is an idiot.
The sky is becoming a lighter shade; the stars are dissipating into its dark
atmospheric depths. At least he is not lost in space, floating around waiting for his
oxygen to run out or some other horrible thing to happen that will end his life. Now
that would really suck. Jasper squints his eyes trying to see if he can spot the rocks he
had seen the day before. Still just darkness. That is a little worrisome. He might as well
keep walking and hope for the best.
Squinting again, what is probably several hours later, Jasper stands in the
sand, dumbfounded. It looks like a house. Not rocks but a house. A house bordered
with a pretty little green garden, which is encompassed by many cacti that meander
out into the arid land. He squints more. It is now a green and white smudge on the
desert landscape. He opens his eyes wide, it is clearer and still there just as before.
Jasper looks to the eastern horizon where the sun is coming up. Well why not give it a
try and hope it is real and that a serial killer or something along those lines does not
live there. He walks until reaching the cacti. There are a lot of them. It is like a
fortress. At first it is easy to pick his way through them but soon there are so many he
is tiptoeing very carefully and slowly through them. When he finally reaches the door
he just stands there for a moment. This is awkward, he thinks. I am in the middle of
the desert. Actually now that he thinks of it he is only two nights from the road which
would be like one day if he had been traveling through night and day. He imagines if
he had a car it would be like a few hours drive if that. What a comforting thought. He
19
knocks on the door. It opens almost immediately. He jumps back stepping a bit on a
cactus but luckily missing the spines.
It is an old woman. An old woman? Strange. She looks up at him. He is far
taller than her.
Yes?
Hello. I am lost
In the desert. Of course of course.
Yeah, he responds hesitantly, fairly uncertain of this situation. It is more
bizarre than his last human encounter.
What can I do for you?
Shelter would be nice.
Do you have anything for me?
Seriously?
She waits, tapping her foot on the doorframe. Tap. Tap. Tap.
I have a wrench.
Hmmm
I know how to prepare cacti for eating.
Can you tell which ones are edible?
Yes.
Welcome, she steps back so he can come into the house.
Thank you, he walks in.
Now where is that wrench?
He puts the blanket onto the floor, where all his stuff is wrapped up again, and
pulls out the wrench. He hands it to her.
A little rusty but it will do. I have been needing one of these.
I am so glad, he is sincere, to some extent. It did get him admission into the
house. Jasper looks around the house. It is made out of stucco. It is amazingly cool
inside, but not freezing. There is one window with thick and uneven glass. The room
he is standing in is dark and a bit cluttered.
Come, come, the old woman motions for him to follow her. Jasper does,
leaving his stuff on the floor. The room she leads him to is the kitchen. There are
20
several more windows with the same glass, allowing for a brighter more open feeling
room. He likes it. Some plants sit on the widow ledges, drinking up the light. There
tomato plants and another mysterious herbaceous plant. The woman hands him a glass
of water. He had been too busy to notice where it came from. There is a sink but he
knows she did not use it, he would have noticed. He drinks it quickly.
Thank you so much. Do you possibly have a little more? he is slightly timid
about asking being uncertain about how much she has.
No. You have been dehydrated. You cannot drink too much water at once. It
will hurt your stomach. Here come sit, she leads him to a table that it situated at the
edge of the kitchen so it is out of the way but there is still to easily slide in and out of
all four chairs. You must be hungry. No, do not protest. I just baked some bread last
night. It helps to keep the house warmer, she returns to the kitchen and pulls loaf of
bread from under a clay bowl. She cuts a hefty piece off of the end, where the heel had
already been severed. Placing it on a plate she brings it to him. His stomach rumbles
again. How embarrassing, he can feel his face flush.
Thank you.
Eat slowly, you might not feel so great other wise.
He tries to follow her instruction but it is hard. The bread is gone quickly. The
old woman goes over to the windows and breaks off a piece of one of the plants.
This is aloe. It will help your sunburns.
Jasper watches her as she slits through the edge of the leaf with her nail till it is
one long and wide slab. The inside is gooey and wet. She puts this part against the skin
on his arm and rubs it gently and quickly around. It does not sting as he had expected
but feels soothing and cool. She moves to his other arm and then to the back of his
neck.
You are lucky to have that hat there, your face would be a sorry site
otherwise.
When she is done she plops the limp green aloe into a porcelain container on
the counter. His skin feels weird. It is cool and stiff feeling. The woman comes and sits
beside him at the square table.
I am Jasper Hensbee, Jasper holds his hand out.
21
Meredith, she takes his hand. He is surprised by how strong she is. She does
live in a barren land alone from what he can tell, so what reason does he have to be
surprised?
Where do the ingredients to make the bread some from? Like the flour? he
would like some kind of logical explanation. Maybe there is a store near by.
The traders. I do have chickens though. There is no yeast, she takes his plate
to the kitchen placing it back on the stack on the counter she got it from.
Lovely. What a disappointing answer.
You can start tomorrow with fixing the drain. It is very clogged, Meredith
leaves the room.
Jasper is guessing the wrench and his knowledge of cacti was not enough to
earn his keep. Fair enough. He does not know how to fix a drain though. Maybe it
requires a wrench.
The Traders ride on the deserts night wind. Windswept and wild. Unruly hair
streams behind them, a messy net with which the moonlight is caught. The night loses
its silent mystique to loud whoops and laughter. While in all their candor, the Traders
maintain mystery. Horse hooves pound the ground with the rapid beat of euphoria.
The desert vibrates with life it has not known for many, many centuries. The sky
thunders. The Traders grow louder, they ride harder, the hoof beats quicken.
Everything surges onward. There is no destination, nor an end. They sky lets out
another bellow. Rain begins to fall. They ride, sweet water washing away their salty
sweat and tears, washing away the months of collected dust.
Jasper opens his eyes. He lies there for a moment looking at the white wall
with a small window carved high into its white stucco. It is either dusk or dawn, he is
not sure. A plant sits on its ledge. What nice green, succulent leaves it has. He is
envious of its obvious contentment with being here. Jasper does not know it is in fact a
succulent, which needs very little water. This particular succulent is a jade plant. He
sighs and closes his eyes, wanting to push away his current situation until it abandons
him and he can once again be home. But he cannot sleep; indeed he is not sure he
wants to. Though at least while away in his subconscious it was raining. He sits up,
22
best be getting to work fixing the drain. There is a book beside him on the cot he was
brought to, to sleep on. It is titled Fixing; Inside and Out. He opens it.
23
The Magic of Pluming (Cleaning of the Drain Trap)
What would we do without pluming? It is marvelous! It brings us
water and it takes away the old water. Imagine going out to a
well, a well that could be quite far from your home, every time
you needed water. Then you would have to get the water and
carry it all back home. No baths, and certainly no showers. A
bath would be doable, if you carried all the water in, heated it
with fire, and then filled your tub. Most likely you would not be
clean all that often, but no one would, so it would be okay. But
we do have drains, which is wonderful if they are not clogged.
1. Place a bucket under the drain to catch the very smelly
guck.
2. Using a pair of slip point pliers loosen the slip nuts on the
trap (the curved part).
3. Unscrew completely by and remove trap.
4. Dump the debris into the bucket.
5. If you have a small wire brush use it to clean the trap out.
6. Remember that you just took the drainpipe apart.
7. Rinse trap with hot water.
8. Check slip nuts to for wear and replace them if necessary.
9. Reinstall the trap and tighten the slip nuts.
24
Jasper finishes reading the page and then puts his dusty and sweat stained clothing
back on and leaves the tiny room that houses the cot. His mind feels muddled as if the
rain in his dream had disrupted the desert of calm he had been roaming, leaving him
with a muddy and utterly confused mess. He comes into the kitchen. No one is there.
He sits for a moment at the table, but he is hungry. He looks around the kitchen. He
feels a bit rude just taking food, but he is so hungry. He goes to the bowl that the
bread was under yesterday. It is still there but there is quite a bit more of it that is
gone. A knife sits beside the bowl. He cuts some off and quickly devours, it making as
little mess as possible. Once finished Jasper tries to look out the windows to tell what
time of day it is, but the glass is too thick and warped. He will explore. He fancies
himself an explorer, as he could technically be one after this desert adventure. The rest
of the house is the same. White rooms, small thick pained windows, and plants, mostly
tomato. Then he comes to a door. None of the other rooms have doors. There is no
way to know what it leads to. Well, being an explorer and all he had best find out. He
opens the door. A garden. No a green house. It is hot in there, extremely so, the humid
air wafts into his face. He closes the door and returns to the kitchen. When he arrives
Meredith is there.
The sink? she asks, looking at him for a moment.
I need some tools.
She points to the table. He looks. There are tools. Meredith leaves the room,
but returns a second later, Do not go outside, or open any doors, it is past dawn. Now
it will start to really heat up out there.
Jasper nods his head, proud that he already knew that. She leaves. He moves
over to the sink, where he proceeds to fix its drain. A task, which takes him some time,
because he is inexperienced in pluming and most other areas of maintenance.
When evening arrives Meredith appears again, this time in the room with the
cot, where he sits holding a glass of water. He sometime ago got thirsty, found a stone
pitcher of water poured some, drank it, poured more, came to his room, and sat
holding it because he can.
It is time to go out into the garden. The drip line needs to expand to my new
plants.
25

Drip line?
Come, come. We cannot sit around once the temperature drops. There are
many things that need to be done.
He gets up and follows her from the room. She leads him to another door,
different from the one he discovered earlier and not the front door he first came
through. It is a back door. They walk out to a lively garden, with plants everywhere.
They all look like desert plants though, he does not really know though. He is not a
plant expert a.k.a a botanist, and it is not like he has seen many desert flora or fauna
during his trek. He will call it a trek. That does not sound too traumatizing, less like
being lost in the desert very possibly near death. He remembered to grab the book
before following the woman, just in case. He opens it, guessing that what he is
searching for might just be on the second page.
26
The Magic of the Drip Line: Extensions
The drip line is a truly marvelous invention. With it, watering
your plants becomes less of a hassle, for you have a hose in the
ground, which takes care of it for you. Neither does it underwater
or over water your plants. They conserve water. All that needs be
done is to set it up once then you can attach more hose to the main
one when you expand your garden. This you are sure to do upon
the discovery of just how easy it can be.
Equipment: Small tubing that will go with the preexisting drip
line (emitter tubes are standard, connectors, and drip stakes (long
U shaped and metal).
1. Use the connector to poke the hole in the desired location
along the main drip line.
2. Take the smaller tubing and cut it to the desired size.
Attach it to the connector.
3. Burry them in the ground a bit and lead the end to where
the roots of your new plant will be.
4. Stake them.
27
Very little light remains and it is getting far colder. Jasper is trying to finish
with the last drip line hose he is attaching. However he cannot see anything really. He
yawns. Tears rush into his eyes and trickle down his cheeks. Meredith has already
gone in. She did shortly after leading him out there as a matter of fact. This situation is
starting to feel weird to Jasper. He is ready to leave, but he is admittedly scared. He
hears the door open. Some kind of garment is draped over his shoulders. Huh, he is
actually a bit cold.
Thank you.
You will need it while you are picking the prickly pear. All you need is to fill
up this basket. I am pretty certain that I can make a good, sweet meal for tomorrow,
she hands him a basket.
Jasper stares into its not all that shallow depth, registering his next task. He
has got to start sleeping during the day. There is a pair of leather gloves, which look
thick and impenetrable, also a fork and knife. How helpful. He makes his way through
the garden, ending up on the side of the house. Cacti are everywhere. Most are prickly
pear and some barrel cacti are present too. Both are edible. Barrel cacti can be eaten
raw. He learned this from a diagram he found in the back of his survival book. It really
is quite interesting. He starts picking the fruit, clumsily. A light comes from behind
him. He turns. There is a lantern hanging from a metal pole beside the houses wall. It
is curled at the top, like something fancy that could be found in an old French village
somewhere. The lantern sways a bit, the flame inside flickers. No one is there though.
Jasper turns back to his work, thankful for the light. He is now less worried that he
will cut himself. After several hours he feels like he has been a cacti harvester forever,
he is going fast and knows what he is doing. He likes this, being good at something so
unconventional. It adds to his new adventurer persona. And all the common place
things he now knows how to do! He is a self-sufficient adventurer, who can fix things
himself. He should really thank Meredith for the book. He will do that when he is
done, or when the sun comes up, Jasper pears down into his basket. With the lantern
he can tell it is about half full. He starts on some barrel cacti. Because of their lack of
spines they are easy to pick, their flowers too are edible so he plucks a few of them, but
not many, feeling badly for the plants. Being hungry Jasper bites into one of the cactis
28
fruits, knowing that they can and are meant more so than other edible species to be
eaten raw. It is not so great. It has the same sour plant taste of roses and snap dragons.
He knows, having eaten both. He also has tried pansies, which had a mellower taste.
These are all edible flowers. He does not just go around picking things and eating
them. Jasper is entirely too intelligent for that. There are many very poisonous things
out there.
With watery eyes he sits on a bare patch of ground among the prickly plant life.
His eyes are heavy with exhaustion, but the basket is not yet full. Without fully
realizing what he is doing, for he is already half in a dream state of sleep, he lies down.
A sleep flooded with scenes and muffled words flows through him for the next
several hours. The horizon starts to blush as the sun approaches. Jasper sleeps on.
Heat starts to climb over his exposed skin. It sinks and slithers around in the sand,
thirsty to eat away at his delicate flesh. The heat starts to bring him from sleep, but still
the dreams keep a strong hold on him. Rushing rivers that are swollen. They suck at
his legs, beckoning him to come in further. He wants to, it feels so good, but he is
scared. He sees birds flying in the water, eagles and great blue herons. He can hear
distant whoops and the sound of wind running fast past his ears. The ground beneath
him moves, it is an earthquake, but it is moving at a steady pace. But the water is still
swirling around him, smoothly and undisturbed. He feels a hand on his shoulder, or
the idea of a hand on his shoulder, something that is pulling at him more strongly than
anything else. Jaspers eyes open. He is very confused. There is sand beneath him that
is no longer cool but not yet hot. He on the other hand is very sweaty and hot. Is he
lost again? Has the heat has caught him? He turns to face up toward the sky, it is a
light blue and vast. So very vast. He has never lain under such an endless expanse of
sky that was so piercingly blue. It is beautiful.
Get up, we must get in, the sun is close. We must get inside.
Jasper looks over in the direction of the house, opposite where the sun is
coming from. A young person sits in the sand beside him. A woman. Her hair is long
and splayed out over her shoulders. It is very much the same shade of color as the
sand. She is wearing a white dress, made of what looks like light cotton. It is simple
too. He looks at her face. She is pretty; none of her features are striking but they are
29
all very nice together. She also has many freckles all over her skin, probably from
living in the desert. She is watching him in his delayed response. He smiles at her.
Come. You are dehydrated. We must get inside.
Was he starting to long? He hopes he was not being too rude. He nods and
starts to stand. He picks up the basket, which is still about a quarter empty, I do not
have a full basket.
Please that is not important. Will you come with me?
Jasper follows. It is hot out here. Or is she making him nervous. His head is
foggy. They go around to the back of the house through the garden. They get inside
and she seems to calm down.
Jasper, he says, holding his hand out.
Evernia, she takes his warm hand.
He is still very hot so he scoots around her and departs to the room that is for
now his. He shrugs the coat off and pulls his wet shirt off as well. He collapses on the
cot. His eyes snap shut, his breathing is heavy with drowsiness. Before he can fully fall
asleep he is shaken awake. This time it is Meredith.
You need water. Drink this and sleep for as much of the day as you can. As
soon as it is getting cooler you must wake. If you do not I will send Evernia to get you
up. You are not accustomed to the hardship and schedule of the dessert I am thinking,
so it is excusable that you failed to pick a full basket and feel asleep at night, outside no
less, Meredith leaves the room with the basket of cacti fruit in her hand. Jasper goes
to sleep.
Wake up. Here is some more water and you can eat food in the kitchen before
getting to work. We must fertilize today. We will do it together, it is a big job.
Jasper wakes up fully this time, feeling more refreshed and functioning. There
is a young woman standing above him, Okay, he looks at her again, Who are you?
Evernia.
That was real? Was the river real?
No. I am afraid not.
Well that is rather disappointing, he gets up and pulls his shirt on. Jasper
follows her form the room. In the kitchen there is a very interesting smell. Cooking
30
prickly pear. He sits at the table. Everina sits in the next chair over. There is silence
along side the humming of Meredith in the kitchen. It is uncomfortable from Jaspers
perspective. They continue so, in silence accompanied by mindless humming. The time
moved forward with lethargic slowness. The smell of the cacti thickly fills the air,
making it hard to breath. There is no fresh air, for all the doors and windows are
sealed tightly against the heat. Do the windows even open? He is ready to go home.
Some plates are pushed on to the table before Jasper and Everina. Merdeith sits
down.
Eat. You will need you energy tonight to do the fertilizing. Jasper, Everina
can help you for a bit but then she needs to continue with the construction of the goat
house.
You have goats? Jasper takes a bite of the food, he finds it to be better than
expected.
We will, Everdina responds looking up at him with an excited smile.
Are you going to go and get them? In to the next town or something? he
cannot withhold the eagerness from his voice. They both look at him, each with a
different expression he is unable to interpret. How do you plan on procuring these
animals?
The Traders of course.
Oh, of course, he is disappointed, confused, and intrigued, yet unwilling to
implore.
The night is lit up with a full moon. It is cold, but a hat and heavy jacket keep
Jasper warm. His hands though have nothing. He finds this to be regretful and
unfortunate. He has the book open and is crouched by the lantern that hangs from
another post at the back of the house. There are several different types of fertilizer
surrounding him, he is just uncertain where to put them. Why Meredith wants him to
do this while either she or her daughter already have in the past and know how to is
strange to him. He has a list that Meredith made up for him, balanced on his knee,
with all of the plants that are growing in this part of the garden. He finds it to be
amazing that pomegranate can grow here. Everdina was unable to help him much.
They found out that the mysterious Traders where coming sooner than expected. It
31
was a pigeon that arrived. A carrier pigeon. Apparently if their food is placed
somewhere they will be able to arrive at that location without being manually delivered
so that they can then carry a message home. It is a round trip. It is pretty magnificent.
Jasper focuses back on his reading. He should get to work so he can avoid being a
disappointment. For some reason he feels he needs to impress Meredith. Again he
returns his attention to focusing on the matter at hand. He looks to the list, which
includes squash (zucchini and yellow), basil and rosemary, green beans, Malabar
spinach, and the last item Jaspers astonishment is pomegranate. Strange but it makes
his mouth water. He looks back to the page on fertilization.
32
The Magic of Fertelizer
A Fertile Garden is a Lush Garden. A Lush Garden is a Productive Garden.
This is the Garden that you want. With fertilizer things can seem complicated
when you come to understand that different plants have different needs. This
plant, wants more nitrogen than this plant, while this plant wants less. Really
with most plants you can throw some compost on and hope for the best. However
if you are in a harsh environment, say a desert, and you want the absolute best
then fertilizer is your answer.
Elements: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) are needed in your
garden in a larger quantities than any other element . Each serves a different
but vital role to the plants. Nitrogen supports the leaves, protein, and DNA.
Phosphorus supports the color, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Potassium supports
water transfer, roots, and the entirety of the plants health. There are of course
many other minerals that are important but not so much so.
Application: For vegetables it is typically recommended that you apply 1 pound
of a 10-10-10 fertilizer or 2 pounds of a 5-10-5 (or 5-10-10) fertilizer per 100 feet
of row. The first number is the percentage by weight of nitrogen, the second the
percentage by weight of phosphorus and the third number is the percentage by
weight of potassium in the fertilizer product.
It is good to apply the phosphorus and potassium into the soil before planting,
working it in there. With nitrogen it should be added each year, applied to the
surface and watered in.
Note: If you are just beginning your garden in the desert there will probably be
an excess of a mineral in your soil. This would be salt. Because of the lack in
both rain and vegetation the much loved, but detrimental mineral becomes more
concentrated in the soil.
33
Jasper looks at the faded labels on each of the fertilizer containers until he
finds the one that is just nitrogen. He gets to work hoping he is doing the right thing.
As he works he again wonders where the water comes from. Also who are the traders?
What if he is still sitting somewhere in the desert or maybe even on the road by his car
and none of this is really happening? If really he is just almost dead and hallucinating.
Jasper shakes the thought away. This is probably real. Though a little out of the
ordinary it is not completely unreasonable either. Well for as long as he is here he
should just keep working, hopefully not killing the garden while doing so.
When done putting some nitrogen fertilizer down Jasper realizes he does not
know where the hose is, if there is one. He looks around the wall of the house, but it is
dark and there is foliage in the way. He will go in search of Everdina instead, or
Meredith if he finds her first. Jasper heads through the maze of razed garden beds and
wandering pants. He begins to trip a lot, being unable to see any detail on the ground,
but he can hear the sound of a hammer so tries to follow it. It must be coming from one
of the other three sides of the house. He will just circle around. The western side of the
house is empty. There is no garden, only a lot of cacti, a discovery that is not so
pleasant for Jasper in the dark. He moves slower toward the next corner of the house,
with a slight limp to his step. Before making it far he is distracted by a separate
building, which sits a little ways off. It is like a garage. Maybe there is a car. He turns
toward the structure. Drawing nearer he can make out its detail and size better. No, it
is more like a shed, small with a little human sized door. He is still curious, though
slightly disappointed. Actually Jasper is rather surprised he is not feeling more let
down. Does he really like it here? Is it the place or the company he finds so attractive?
Probably not the place, though that garden is nice.
He is still curious so he approaches the door and places his hand on the very
cold metal of the knob. He stops and listens suddenly worried of what might be inside.
Then thinking about it he cannot imagine that they would have anything frightening
hidden away, well they might, but he cannot think of anything that it could be. He
opens the door. Of course it is completely dark and he cannot see a thing. He looks
over to the eastern horizon but the house is keeping it hidden from view. He can come
back later, like when the sun has just come up but before the heat has set in. What a
34
fantastic plan, he is excited. Though Jasper is not entirely fond of surprises, he cannot
deny the thrill of a mystery especially when he does not feel in any danger. Closing the
door back up Jasper continues his search, slowly as not to injure himself further.
There are a few wispy clouds on the rosy horizon. Jasper had not given it much
thought since arriving here, but he now realizes that he has not seen a single cloud
during his time in the desert. They are lonely and hold no promise of weather, very
much unlike the clouds he would often see back home, but it is pleasant to see them.
Any cloud must mean some moisture has accumulated. The fertilizing is finished, he
found Everina at the houses eastern side, on top of what looked like a very small
house. She was hammering a roof onto a nearly complete little house. Supposedly this
is where the goats are to live. He has been watching the sky and enjoying the cool
fresh air, for until now there has not been enough light to wash away the darkness in
the shed. Jasper gets up and hastily rounds the house. He wants to be quick about
discovering the sheds contents, because he is honestly uncertain about how Meredith
would feel about him getting in there. He is soon standing at its door his hand on the
knob. He opens it. At first it is a little disappointing in its normalcy. There is hay which
fills up a majority of the dark space. He notices a couple of other items, things that one
is likely to find where there is a garden. It is the bike in the back that catches his eye.
He can barely see it but he knows that it is a bike. A mode of transportation, if it has
both of its tires, the back of the bike is hidden by hay so he cannot tell. He steps into
the shed and lets the door close behind him. Complete darkness. Jasper feels his way
to the back and to the bike. His hands follow the frame, which feels a little rusty. There
are two tires, but one of them is flat.
Jasper! He hears Everdina calling to him. Outside again he retraces his path
through the cacti and to the back door of the house. Everdina is in that garden picking
from the basil and rosemary plants, There you are.
He smiles at her, Shall we go in?
Yes, we are going to have salad today. The lettuce inside is ready to be
thinned. Also there are a few ripe tomatoes.
Jasper follows her inside. He is amazed by how little they eat, at how little he is
able to eat. He does think he could eat more though.
35
If you get hungry, and ever want something more there are eggs, she points to
the chicken coop at the back of the garden. Or eat some vegetables if there are any
that are ripe.
Thank you.
They both go directly to the kitchen, where she grabs a basket.
Can I help you?
Everdina turns to him and hands him the basket. Yes. Let us go and pick some
lettuce.
Jasper follows her to the door that leads to the green house. The air feels less
hot and humid this time then last time. There are a lot of plants, mostly ornamental
flowers. This does not make sense to Jasper. It is probably one of the most baffling
things about the house, other than the houses actual existence. They serve no purpose;
they are obviously not even for looking at. There are two large wooden barrel like pots
that contain huge lettuce plants. Together they fill the basket with the light green
leaves.
After eating Jasper goes to his room and flips through the pages of his book.
He is relieved to find the one he is looking for.
36
The Magic of the Bike Tire (Primarily its Patches)
Bikes are really great inventions. You can get places faster than on foot, you do not
have to deal with the hassle of public transportation, and you do not have to own a car
(or if you do kill the environment in unnecessary circumstances). Then there are the
tires, which if are not being used any more are a great item for art or repurposing. But
they get flats, a lot, so you need patches. A magnificent thing, for you do not have to get
a whole new tire usually (they should eventually be replaced like all tires).
1. Remove the tire by first releasing your brakes (little contraption above front
tire). The second step is more complicated:
Front tire: lift the lever so it is loose then unscrew the securing nut on the
opposite side slightly.
Back tire: sift the chain to the lowest (smallest gear cog) to do this shift your
gear then lift your bike to you can spin the tire until gearshift is complete. Turn
the bike upside down then loosen the lever, and unscrew nut if necessary. Pull
back on the rear derailleur (large metal thing going down, attached to quick
release). Wheel should be able to be pulled out. (Bolt-on-axels are like quick
release but require wrench)
2. Make sure that whatever caused the flat tire is not still there. Check outside first
then the inside of the tube. To get inside remove all of the air then try to undo
the tire by pushing it toward the center of the rim with your hands then a tire
lever if this does not work (when using this tool start at the section opposite the
valve). Then carefully remove the tube from tire by pulling the valve out first.
3. Now to patch it you first find the damaged area. Clean and dry it. Rough the
area up with some sandpaper to help adherence. Spread glue and allow it to set
until it becomes tacky. Apply the tube patch to the glued area and hold it there
with pressure. To finish apply talc (this can be done to the whole tube).
4. Once the patch is securely attached start putting it back on. To do this you must
first make sure the rim strip is in the right spot and is secure. Partially inflate
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the tube to make sure there is no leakage and to give it some shape. Place the
tube inside the tire, starting from the valve. To get the tire onto the wheel first
make sure it is secure on the edge and get it fitted back onto the rim starting
with the valve (make sure the valve remains straight). Press the tire into the
wheel going around each side at the same time. Make sure that the tube has not
been caught. Inflate (with a bike pump) slowly, making sure that the rim is
seated firmly.
5. Replace the wheel on the bike by following the process of taking it off.
38
A pump and patches, of course. Jasper had forgotten that he was going to need
tool that he had not seen and they probably do not have. Does he feel sad about not
being able to fix the bike? Would he even be able to bike out of the desert? He
could walk it out and bike to the next town if his car battery has not been returned.
Pondering his options for the future and how he feels about them he closes the
book and lies down. Jasper sleeps only for a few minutes before waking.
Restlessness urges him to move, to do something. He gets up deciding to search the
house for some patches and a pump.
After some time, coming up with nothing and almost wandering first into
Everinas room where she sleeps, then Merediths he gives up. He goes back to his
cot, feeling more certain.
What is it that we are doing tonight? Jasper looks to Meredith sitting across
the table from him.
I would like for you to start a compost pile. We give the scraps to the chickens
usually, but we are going to need a compost pile. Also if you have time, I would like to
start some raised beds on the western side of the house. I will show you where to put
the compost.
It sounds like a lot of work that will not leave much time for finding the tools
that may not even be here and then actually fixing the bike. He will need to fill up his
water. Also see if he can find any warmer clothes to take, and a knife would be nice
too, probably not as important though.
After finishing his food Jasper cleans his plate and leaves the room looking
down at his book, searching for some compost making instructions.
Where did that book come from? it sounds like Merediths voice.
I do not know, I did not give it to him. Did he come with it?
No he came with a different book, but only the one.
Maybe it is from our book shelf.
Yes, perhaps you are right.
39
The Magic of the Compost Pile
Compost is truly marvelous. Not only are you not throwing your
food into the landfill where it will rot and do no good, you are
also creating rich and nutritious soil for which your garden will
thank you with a bountiful harvest. And making one is quite
simple; all you need ate a few ingredients and a little care.
1. For drainage purposes place several inches of straw or
other coarse material on the ground.
2. Approximately three inches of composting material comes
next.
3. A dry material such as shredded leaves or paper must be
placed on top of your composting layer. This could also be
something like woodchips.
4. One inch of garden soil.
5. Give your pile a thorough watering.
6. Mix it up with a fork or shovel every few days. This is for
aeration purposes.
7. After step 7 takes place repeat steps 3 through 7.
Note: Before you begin, take some time to think over where you
are building you compost.
40
Outside in the hazy blue of dusk Meredith leads Jasper out to the back of the
garden behind the house. She instructs him to build up the compost pile close to the
chicken coops western side. She tells him where there is straw, she got just enough
last time the traders came for a compost pile but has never yet used it. She also directs
him to the garden plot where he can take the soil. They carried out a large bucket of
compost material and another of torn paper. She hands him the shovel then leaves. The
night is cold, colder than it was last night. Jasper looks up to the sky; the cool and
heavy atmosphere that has seemed to settle over everything is familiar to him, but it is
so faint that he cannot be sure it actually is that of a coming storm. He sees no clouds
in the abyss of star freckled darkness that stretches overhead. The moon is a thin
crescent, by whose light little can be seen. Jasper returns his attention to the compost
pile and the task of saturating it with the hose. He can hear the soft clucking of the
chickens in the coop, all settled in for the night. He looks behind him toward the
house, again wondering if he really wants to leave. His life was lonely back home. But
if he does not find his way back his plants will die if they have not already. He takes a
beep breath. It smells like rain.
Almost immediately after he is finished with the large mound of what looks like
dirt with rotting accessories, Meredith shows up beside him. She stands beside him for
a few moments regarding the pile. To Jasper this is slightly worrisome. Did he do it
wrong? It looks like what he would expect a compost pile to look like. Is it supposed to
have a certain smell? He sniffs he air. He does not smell anything particular, nothing
foul at least. This must be a good thing.
Very nice. You were fast too. Finally building up some muscle. Now if you do
not mind I need some new raised beds, soon. It is important. Just over there, she
points to the western side of the house, Maybe like three or four, depending on the
time you have.
Umm, okay. Just raised beds?
Yes, like garden beds.
Clearly.
41
The Magic of the Raised Bed
A raised bed makes gardening in inhospitable soil easier. Sure
you have to actually make the little plot, but then you have a
happy little garden with nutrient rich soil. Also it saves you from
the bigger and more taxing endeavor of replacing the native soil
with something more sustaining. This process would take a lot of
digging.
1. To start a raised bed you can make a supporting wall, or
choose not to, out of a number of materials: brick, wood,
cement block, anything really that can hold the soil together
and still allow for some drainage.
2. A layer of sand that will make up slightly less than half the
depth of the bed must first be put down.
3. On the sand will go a layer of compost of about the same
thickness.
4. Add some fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
5. Mix this all together.
6. Level the soil, do not pack it but you do want to firm it up a
bit.
7. Plant things.

42
He has finished three plots by the time Everina comes to find him so they can go
inside. He is exhausted and it appears that she is too. However he asks her to wait for
a moment when they reach the back of the house, adding that she can go inside
without him if she wants to, while he puts the shovel back. He goes back around the
side of the house and to the shed, looking behind him before opening the door. Inside
he looks around, peaking inside any of the buckets that are in there. Nothing. There
appears to be no pumps or patches. Before leaving he remembers to prop the shovel
against the wall. He goes back to where Everina still waits for him. They say little as
they walk toward the house side by side. From clothes and skin damp with sweat after
the nights work Jasper is freezing. He goes promptly to his room to get warm and
sleep, to dream of the smell of rain and the green landscape of home.
Jasper wakes up. Without moving he looks around at the white walls. The light
does not seem as harsh as it usually does, nor is there the warmth of the sun setting.
He looks to window. Though details are impossible to capture through the glass she is
pretty certain he does not see the usual blue of the clear sky. A rainstorm. Jasper
jumps from his cot and walks quickly to the back door. He pauses before opening it,
worried about letting the heat in. His excitement at the prospect of even a possible
storm compels him to open it. When he does he is hit with air, that though hotter than
inside is not scorching. Meredith and Everina both stand at the edge of the garden
close to the deserts endless carpet of sand. Their backs are to him. The wind garbs at
their clothes and hair, whipping them about in a rather violent dance. As Jasper closes
the door and steps into the garden to join them Everina looks back to him. She has a
wide smile on her face, which he returns with equal enthusiasm. She reaches out her
hand beckoning to him. He moves through the garden. When he reaches them Everina
takes his arm.
They are coming.
Who?
The Traders.
Oh. Jasper thinks about this before saying more. In the rain?
If it does rain, then yes.
It will rain. He says to her, certain of it.
43
Im glad.
They stand there for a long time letting the refreshing wind throw sand
painfully against their skin. The clouds are growing darker and heavier.
They will probably ask you to go with them. I think you should. You will like
it, and you can come back to visit. Everina says to him, trying to make her voice
audible over the winds own bay. Though Jasper did hear her right he doubts that he
could have.
Finally the rain starts to fall and it is only moments before it is pouring down on
them. It feels splendid. For nearly twenty minutes they stand there soaking, as the dust
slips away. Then the rain just stops.
This is a wet year. Everina says.
They leave the garden and return inside quickly before the last of the days heat
scorches the land once again. Jasper sits near one of the large windows in a room
furnished and perfumed with tomato plants. He stares at the blur of muddled colors,
wishing to see some definitive shape. Something that will make him feel less caged and
secluded. The little expedition to the outdoors in the daylight with the refreshing life of
the rain, has ignited his yearning for home into a mild sense of desperation. He holds
the book in his hand, within it will be the instructions vital to his escape. The
instructions he has already read, for which he lacks the proper tools to complete. He is
helpless and stuck. Stranded. He can tell, barely, that the shades in the glass are
getting darker. Werent the Traders supposed to come? Maybe what Everina said
could be his way to freedom from hiding, being trapped in this one place tucked away
from the sun. Maybe the Traders are his answer; maybe what Everina said is true. If
that really is what she said, he reminds himself. He wants to go with them. Though
who they are is a mystery Jasper wants to be one of them.
They have come! Everina says from doorway behind him, which she just
appeared in, They are here.
Jasper turns to her, The Traders?
Yes, come meet them, she holds out her hand to him smiling and a bit
breathless, swishing back and forth slightly where she stands in excitement.
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He walks over to her allowing her to take his hand and rush him through the
house to the back door. Meredith is already outside just beyond the garden. Jasper
can see many silhouettes of men on horseback approaching from the distance.