After It's Over Ep. 3

Episode 3: Weak Men

"Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times." - G. Michael Hopf

There was a saying that kept coming to mind throughout the pandemic, something about weak men creating hard times. Many times, you hear a saying and think it has a bit of truth to it, but until you have lived it out, you don't really understand. The modern world was filled with weakness. There was still want and need in the world, but most of those rising to decision-making positions in government and industry had never felt it. Instead, many of them grew up in a world where suffering was defined by how long you waited for your gourmet coffee or for your video to load. Delayed gratification was despised and a society filled with people so intolerant of any risk or discomfort was ripe for the panicked decision making Reece observed.

This fatal flaw may have been the main thing that left so many people holding on, hunkered down in their homes or apartments, waiting for someone to come along to save the day. Reece loved some aspects of city life, but long before things started to really turn south, he knew the best thing to do was head for the countryside. Without a job and with no close loved ones left to spend time with, he stayed in a cabin he rented in the country for months, a spectator for the end of the world. Until he received one desperate phone call.

"Reece! Reece, is it you? Thank God you answered your phone!" proclaimed a frantic voice on the other end of the line. The voice was familiar, but the emotion coming through made it difficult to know for sure. "Reece, I need your help, can you help?"

"Shelly? Is that you?" Shelly Tran was his girlfriend for several years until she broke up with him over 2 years ago when it became clear that he was not giving up on a job that required him to be on the road most of the year. The parting had been okay, but neither one of them stayed in touch. Honestly, Reece found it too painful and didn't want the reminder of what might have been.

"Reece, I don't think it's safe here anymore. I think I need to leave, but I'm scared!"

"What's happened? Are you still in Chicago?"

"Yes, I couldn't think of where else to go. My parents are in California, and I intended to fly to them, but they said they didn't want me to risk coming and they are still afraid of being exposed to the virus. I was just going to stay in the city until they changed their minds, but things have gotten so much worse so fast. There are no flights now and I don't think I can get out by car."

Reece knew what she was saying was probably true. There was a gas shortage and severe rationing. Non-essential travel was basically banned and even if she could get the gas, traveling by herself seemed like a bad idea with everything he was hearing and reading about.

"What do you want me to do?" Reece replied. Honestly, he wasn't sure he wanted to get involved, but something inside of him knew that he needed to be willing to step up.

"Could you come get me? You don't have to take care of me, I just need help getting out of the city. Everyone I could think to call isn't answering or has already left. You are the only one I could get a hold of who might be close enough to help!" Shelly explained.

It didn't really make Reece feel any better to know that it was only desperation that led Shelly to give him a call. Just how far down the list had he been? Technically, he probably was close enough to help. He used to keep an apartment in Chicago close to the airport that he based out of for his travel and he knew the city well enough. The cabin he was staying in was only about a 5 hour drive from her house, under normal conditions. Everything was far from normal now.

"Shelly, it might be possible, but I need to make sure I can find enough gas to get there and some supplies. Are you still in the same place?"

"Yes, oh thank you, thank you so much for being willing to help. Reece, you don't know what it is like here. It's not safe to leave the house."

Even before Reece had left the city, things were trending that way. The police couldn't keep up with the crime and didn't have the support of local government in most cities. Certain parts of the city were basically lawless even back then and it wasn't surprising that this was expanding into what had been relatively safe areas like where Shelly lived.

"Stay put, stay safe and keep the lights down. If I can find everything I need, I'll be headed your way in the morning. I'll try and call again before I leave."

"Thank you Reece, you are a lifesaver. I'm sorry I haven't called. I'm sorry for...everything."

"We can talk more about all that later, Shelly. For now, just don't worry. Help is on the way."

Reece wasn't sure what kind of can of worms he opened by agreeing to offer help. He went out of way to avoid this kind of thing. After he lost his mom, he slowly retreated from everyone in his life and his lack of close community made him wonder if anyone even noticed. Now, thinking through these last few months alone, locked up in his own personal time capsule, Reece realized that man was not meant to live like this. He knew things. He knew how to do things. He was a survivor and he had the capability to make a difference. He couldn't just sit on the sidelines while there were people out there, good people, who needed help. Things between Shelly and him hadn't ended well, but that didn't mean that he didn't still care about her.

Maybe all Reece really needed was direction. Something in front of him that needed done. Shelly's need had finally put a face on faceless humanity and it was time to re-engage with reality. Real life was lived with other people, real people. Not just those we saw on the internet. Maybe if more people had realized that sooner, the world wouldn't be in such a sorry state. Reece couldn't do anything about that now, but he knew what he could do: he could help Shelly get out of Chicago and see what comes next.