Chapter 19 - Leadership

“Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.”

Publilius Syrus First Century BC

 Chester stood up and announced to all 5 customers of Jitter’s, “We best get out of here folks. Won’t be long for’ the water rises and causes some real damage ‘roun here.”

 Agnes, a short 70 year old black patron with a red scarf and wrinkled smiling eyes said, “What you think this is Chester?”

 “Hell Agnes, should be obvious. That’s a nuclea’ explosion, and it just took out Chicago. Whatever water it kicked up is headed our way.”

 The tall lanky fellow standing by the coat rack in the corner put his jacket on and said, “Where can we go?” Defeat dripped from his tone of voice.

 “Hell, son.” The fellow couldn’t have been more than 5 years younger than Klaus. “This ain’t the end of the world. All we have to worry about is fallout and water. Cover your skin and get to high ground.”

 Chester looked back at the owner standing at the counter and said, “Hey Jake, get your jacket and let’s out here, we ain’t got all day you know.”

 With that, Klaus and Chester walked out the door of Jitter’s with all the other customers and Jake in tow and into the Bays Professional Centre next door climbing the stairs to the top floor. All five patrons and Jake looked out the windows to the north watching the mushroom cloud grow ever larger in the morning sky. They were standing 40 miles from the epicenter and below them a wave of water flowed down the Illinois Waterway flooding their small town.