"Hello sweetheart, how are you?" The beautiful blonde woman answers on the other side of the screen smiling happily while my wife tries to wipe away the tears that are running down her cheeks with the back of her hand.
The Sergeant has lied: this isn't a special favour, this is a great privilege. If it happens that your family is accommodated in a different bunker, you have one day assigned each month to speak to them, and even see them, via videoconference and only for five minutes, sometimes less time if there's a huge waiting list. The rest of the time the only possible means of communication is via e-mail since telephone lines are down but you don't hear from them every day, you have access to a computer twice or three times a month if you're lucky, so you can send two or three e-mails each month except in a case of urgency. I don't think anyone else here has had the opportunity of talking to his mother five minutes after setting foot inside this bunker, that's for sure.
We're in the Command Room of the refuge, it's a massive place packed with tables, chairs, computers and screens that control everything happening outside the bunker: troop movements, communications with other bunkers or labs, planes in the air... we even receive reports about the spread of virus and where the largest number of zombies are gathering thanks to satellite imagery. This room is our eyes and ears outside just like the room on the floor above is our eyes and ears inside our new home. There're lots of people working here at the same time, some of them are high ranking officials... in fact, the office of the General who is the senior command of this bunker is here, I can see him sitting at his table through the windows. I don't know how they've managed to arrange this call but I suspect that my Commander has invoked his rank and has asked for some favours. Not everybody would be allowed to do something like this, as I said he's a respected person in the army. Gabriel looks at me and smiles shyly when I whisper quietly the words 'thank you.'
"I'm fine mum, everything is fine. How are you all?" I focus my attention on my wife again, she's smiling happily even if she hasn't stopped crying.
"We're all fine. We were confused at first when we arrived but now we've had time to get used to the idea of living here and we're settled in a handful of good rooms. This is so hard Ruby, those poor people outside...
"I know mum, all that's happening is horrible but everything will be fine, you'll see. There're lots of intelligent people working to fix this mess."
"Yes, from what I heard your wife is one of those ... and I knew nothing about her."
"Mum, I'm so sorry... this is so... complicated and with everything that's happened... this isn't the way I wanted you to meet her. I'm really sorry." Ruby seems about to cry again, it must be hard for her to lie to her mother like this. It's pretty obvious that they have a very special bond. Instinctively, I place my hand on her shoulder trying to reassure her and my gesture gets the attention of the lady on the other side of the screen.
"Iselen, isn't it?" I lean forward so she can see my face.
"Yes, Mrs Langenheim. I'm sorry to meet you under such circumstances," I answer respectfully.
"Call me Katia, please. After all you're my daughter-in-law now... Thank you... for finding us a safe place to live and for taking care of my daughter..." I shake my head cutting her speech.
"It's my pleasure to help you, Katia. Meeting Ruby is the best thing that ever happened to me, I'd do anything for her." My tone of voice is absolutely firm and honest... just because I'm not lying. My wife puts her hand over mine, that's still on her shoulder, and squeezes it gently.
"Well, as a mother I want to thank you for that. I need you to keep taking care of her till all this blows over, please"
"I'll do it, I promise. Take good care of yourselves too... and you should try to stay active. Time will go by faster if you collaborate on activities or if you find a job in the bunker, anything to keep you entertained and make you feel useful. Life will be easier this way."
