Yulonda
Veloquio: I know I
have probably abused the “in the right place at the right time” metaphor to
death by now. Or even abused to undeath… See what I did there? Anyway, I guess
if a person was in the wrong place at the wrong time, I wouldn’t be writing
about them. So here is Yulonda Veloquio. She is a staple in the Langley
community. I had seen her shopping in the store quite a bit but I didn’t really
know her. She seemed nice enough.
So, Yulonda is going about her day as
she had scored a day off from work at the Oklahoma State Parks Department where
she works as a clerk. When Zero Hour hit, it was exactly one month to the day
that she had closed on her brand new house. Well, it was new to her. And so
here she is bee-bopping (yes, I just used the term “bee-bopping) down the
aisles of the local hardware store getting all sorts of things to make repairs
and improvements to her new home. She couldn’t be any happier. And while she is
looking for a replacement for one of those hose things for the kitchen sink,
screams of terror erupt outside. Suddenly the doors of the shop are slammed
shut and barricades are hastily erected. Windows are sealed off and the doors
are locked, covered, and blockaded. It is definitely not your typical Monday
morning. Well, that is how Yulonda came to be part of our group, making it over
with Brad, Kelsey, Shannon, Jenny, and Keith. (We miss you, Keith.)
For the basic rundown, if Sharon
wasn’t our mother figure, I think Yulonda would more than fit the bill. She is
ten years and one day older than me. She is currently single and has two kids,
both of which are grown and out of the house. She is a grandmother and you can
just tell in the way she approaches things. Shannon brought that group
weaponry. Brad and Keith knew how to use it and they were bold/desperate enough
to raid the Dollar General next door for food and supplies. Want to know what
Yulonda brought us all from that store? What did Yulonda make sure to loot and
bring to us?
Socks and underwear.
And it was the greatest gift I ever
received. No one was happier than to be able to put on fresh drawers right out
of the package after living over here for forty-five days. I know that seems
like such a small thing but it shows you how Yulonda thinks long term. She is
an excellent addition to our ranks.
But I have also learned not to
approach her until she has been awake for about two hours and has swigged down
about half a pot of coffee. I am a morning person. She is not. Of course I like
to yell at her all the time in my best Samuel L. Jackson impression, “C’mon,
Yulonda, what’s Fonzie like?” When that hits you at 7:00 a.m., you are probably
not going to be happy either.
Kelsey
Cameron: Kelsey
Cameron is the fifth member of the six that made it over from ACE Hardware. I
want you to take the story that I told you about Yulonda and now change it to
where instead of shopping at the hardware store, you are behind the counter
running the register. It is still early. The guys are setting stuff up out
front for sale display. Your boss has just made it in after dropping her kids
off at school. You’ve got all your work done to get the business open. There is
only one customer in the store. For some reason, you cannot log into Facebook
and Twitter on your phone. Then there are the sounds of screams, panic, and
sirens. And you look up inside to see you fellow coworkers Brad and Keith
sprint inside and slam the doors shut. Two seconds later, some crazed lunatic slams
against the door with blood dripping down his chin and human flesh in his
mouth… What a Monday. This was Kelsey Cameron’s story.
Kelsey was working as a cashier at the
ACE Hardware when Zero Hour broke out. I am actually kind of pleased to report
that Kelsey is single and has no kids, so that was one person that didn’t have
the massive trauma of leaving behind close knit families. She will be the first
to tell you that her life was not particularly glamorous. I know that before
all this hit she was hoping for the husband, the two-point-five kids, the dog,
and the picket fence. But life – and the zombie apocalypse – has a way of
changing all that.
I guess if this were a movie, Kelsey
would be our token minority. She is a Native American of the Cherokee tribe.
She has her CDIB card and everything. Not that that gives her a particular
unique skillset. If you are reading this on the coasts or outside of America,
she is not dressed in a bearskin loincloth and carrying a bow. (I’d pay money
to see that though. Or a cowgirl outfit, maybe. Moving on.) I don’t think she
could track a man in the wild but I felt it was something worth mentioning.
Kelsey has adjusted quite well to the
apocalypse all things considered. In a way, I envy her. I wish that more of our
members could adopt her attitude. I think they would all be better off but I am
not completely heartless. I understand why they mourn and I am not really one
to talk since I have my son with me. But even in the middle of all this. In the
middle of all the chaos and the nightmare, Kelsey always seems to be able to
put a smile on. I cannot tell if the smile is genuine or not but it is a smile
I welcome in the morning…
