Becky’s Online Reading Group

Life As We Knew It
Day 5
Chapters 12-14

Chapter 12

“I told Mom I was doing history (she never would have believed me if I said math) and stayed in bed all morning.” (191)

Just had to laugh. Math SO wouldn’t be my priority either.

“So I’m in bed, wearing my flannel pajamas and my robe and two pairs of socks and there are three blankets and a quilt over me, and I’m trying to decide which is worse, being cold or being hungry. Part of me says the worst thing is being bored and if I did some schoolwork I’d be distracted, but I tell that part of me to shut up.” (191)

Sentences like those keep it real. Well, keep it real for me. Honestly, I don’t know if the world was ending that I’d be *motivated* to open a textbook even if there was a parent (or two) around to pressure/encourage me. Then again, you’ve got to fill your days inside the house doing something. No electricity pretty much kills off all modern fun. Even reading books *can* prove challenging. (Depending on your house/house layout. Light to read by without electricity isn’t always a given. And with the temperature being what it is, it isn’t like she can just pick up a book and go outside and read.)

The chocolate chips.

The drama. I can see both sides. Mostly. The temptation to eat chocolate–to eat something sweet and delicious–after that many months of sacrificing. And she *didn’t* intend to eat more than a handful or two. But from the mom’s side, I can see why it’s important not to allow any of her kids the indulgence of secret eating.

Matt’s birthday.
Getting two letters from dad.

Chapter 13

A few words about Mrs. Nesbitt. I don’t know about you but I love her. I *wish* she would move in with them. Realize the fact that she’s part of the family. Allow herself some peace and comfort and companionship. Instead of being stubborn and noble.
Do I know old people like Mrs. Nesbitt? Yes. Old people–like the rest of the human race–come in all levels of stubborn. Stubborn people refusing to be looked after, tended, taken care of. Stubborn people that refuse to take their medicines properly. Stubborn people that refuse to eat properly. I get that she’s real. Still.

Mom’s accident.
A sprained (or is it twisted?) ankle. This incident just shows how far they’ve come from “normal” life. Before, this wouldn’t have been a big deal. Getting medical help, getting medical attention or care. Not a big deal. Now? It’s a big deal. Guards at the hospital. Guards with guns. Unfriendly and uncaring. I’ve already mentioned that there are no police and no firemen anymore.

Peter’s a good guy.

“I know I’m going to have to be strong for the next couple of weeks. No more whining. No more picking fights. I’ll have to do whatever Mom asks me and not protest and not complain. I know I can do it. But for that one moment I felt so weak, so helpless. I felt nothing but fear and despair and the most awful need to be anyplace else. I told myself it was hunger, but I knew that was a lie.
As long as Mom was all right, I could fool myself into thinking we’d all be all right.” (206)

The haircut.

Connecting with the past.
Just highlights how dependent we’ve all become on technology.

“I wonder if they imagined the future. I bet they never could have guessed what things would be like today.” (213)

Chapter 14

No gas for the stove. The natural gas is gone.
Last day the library is open. Take what you want. Return if it ever reopens. (Which at that point is doubtful.)

“Mom’s writing again. Or at least she’s typing. “I’d forgoteen how hard it is,” she said. “The letter A in particular. My left pinky isn’t really up to it on a manual typewriter.”

So true. I remember playing on an old typewriter we got at a garage sale. (I used to write Barbie newspapers on it.) I don’t think about typewriters that often not the manual sort anyway. But they really did take more strength.

Another haircut.

Moving day. They decide to move all the mattresses downstairs. Sharing quarters won’t be fun. But they’ll be warmer.

Megan’s death. And Megan’s mother. Her confrontation with Reverend Marshall.
I’ve been thinking and thinking on this one. What the “Christian” response would be, should be. And I’m certain it isn’t Marshall’s plan. Getting food while the rest of his church, his flock, starve to death. Being spiritually prepared to die isn’t the same thing as being eager to starve to death and hurrying the process along by refusing to eat or passing along your food to others. It’s an interesting question. Does your Christian faith demand that you keep sharing, keep giving to the needy. Are you yourself ever allowed to be “the needy”?

October 24th. Heat wave. It’s 29 degrees outside. Megan ventures to Miller’s pond to ice skate. I’ll leave it up to you. Does her meeting with her idol Brandon really happen? Or is it her imagination? Her fantasy? It feels a bit surreal to me.