The Dragonflies on Goosebay

Skye walked along the waterfront near the boats. She knew she had the locket before she set the traps that morning... she must have dropped it when she pulled the boat to shore. The locket was a gift from her Dad to her Mom before she was born. Her Mom gave it to her when she was only 6 years old. Her Mom was going to go look for her Dad. Neither came back. Her Mom had made her promise to be good and always obey her Uncle Brandon. They had all come to Goosebay before she was born.

"Awesome! I finally found it!" she said to the dragonflies. No one else was around to celebrate her little victory. She hopped into the back of her Dad's pickup. She could still make out the faded words on the back window: "Trump's so full of Shit the entire nation ran out of toilet paper!"

She had been told by her Uncle what Toilet paper was.... but it still seemed hard to believe that a company cut down tree's and made paper just to clean themselves after using the outhouse. Her Uncle had told her life before "The Great Insurrection of 2022" was very different. People were wasteful and didn't appreciate everything they had or nature. She traced the rusted bullet holes with her fingers. Uncle Brandon said after Trump... everything changed. People got rude.... and then mean....they became liars... and then they tried to cheat in the elections most of the population became violent.

Grandma sensed it was coming. Uncle Brandon still remembers overhearing her conversation with Grandpa. "We need to sell the house. They will start a war here... I just know it. Republicans are CRAZY here."

Grandpa said "But the boys don't want to sell. This house is like a Private Paradise! You always said that yourself... Things will calm down and go back to normal...you will see. Most people try to come here for vacation... not leave here! If we sell you will regret it."

Grandma was pretty sure something would happen though...they were in the Carolinas. Trump Country. So she took her savings from her and Uncle Brandons woodcraft business and bought the cottage on Washington Island. It's located in what used to be Clayton New York on the outskirts of Canadian territory.

My father and Uncles took out Gardner Street Bridge. It connected the island to the mainland and we have always had to use the boats to get to the mainland.

That was 16 years ago.

"Grandma was always prepared and thought the darkest thoughts" Uncle Brandon said. He recounted stories from her childhood. She had a very rough life and trusted very few. She started hoarding things. She would go to places called Thrift Shops. She would buy old fishing gear, clothes of all sizes and for every season, pots and pans and utensils, tools, farm equipment ... and then cases of food, seeds and medicine.

She told my Uncle that she knew after the Russians hacked the pipeline in the spring of 2021 that more chaos was coming. " I think they will try to wipe out the internet.... probably the entire power grid!" she told him. "When it happens we need to be prepared and head straight for the cottage."

She had been making trips to the cottage twice a month with my Dads truck. Always loaded up with the boxes. She stored things in the attic and basement... then she had them build a large shed for all the tools. She filled up the bedrooms with boxes all piled up along the walls. You couldn't even see out the windows!

It was like she predicted the future somehow. When the internet went down... so did the cell phones. And then the power grid. No power meant most had no transportation, no way to know what was going on because there was no radio. and soon.... none of the simple everyday luxuries they had all grown accustomed too.

Grandma thought of everything. Books on the old ways of life. Lots of English Literature and poems and Recipes on making medicine with herbs. Beekeeping, candlemaking and raising chickens, goats and rabbits. She got 100 cases of peppermint candies and candycanes. They were cheap and plentiful. You could seal them up and they would last for years... not too bad! They were great at Christmas time... even though Uncle Brandon had to eat them every day. She also bought Raw Sugar packets in bulk.... and lots and lots cases of canned nuts. For Salt? She got HUGE Salt Licks... the kind you would find on the farm. That was meant to salt and store fish. The fish would last for months. All you had to do was add the fish to water and poof.... fish stew..... again.

She bought alot of Uncle Brandons medicine and medicines of all kinds.

She also bought lots of Art supplies of all kinds (we make homemade paper).

Washington Island only had around 20 houses back in the day. They were seasonal. No one lived there full time. When the war broke out they were all left sitting empty. Grandma used 1 for raising Rabbits in. She had the guys Fence up the back yard so the rabbits could eat up the flowers and the grass and weeds... and in the winter they were kept inside the Johnsons living room.

We have 16 Goats. We milk them and make cheeses. Every now and then we eat one.

Maybe in her dreams she sensed it all along. Solar Panels, a shed full of tools and scrap metal.

She had a list she kept in her journal. Her journal was homemade just like her jewelry. A simple dragonfly on a dogwood flower on the wooden engraved cover.

The first page simply said "The Dragonfly...Having Flown for 300 Million years all around the Earth; they have come to symbolize our ability to overcome any hardship. Fly on brave dragonfly."

Skye waded along the warm waters to find the perfect rock for skipping. Uncle Brandon always said it needs to be round and flat. The dragonflies danced around her. A dragonfly suddenly flew right up to her face and looked her in the eye and then hovered over to her uncle who was coming up behind her. Uncle Brandon said "A dragonfly will appear when visitors from heaven are near."

Skye whispered " Thanks grandma."