Varland Story - Chapter 4 - Morgana

Something dreadful has happened. I was unable to arrange child care for Anders when my maternity leave expired. When I rang up to explain, I was told not to bother coming back and don't even think about working in the medical field again. I'm blacklisted forever! I shall endeavour to remain cheerful but this is so very hard!



To combat my boredom and sense of utter uselessness, I've written a novel: "The Loneliest Yeti". To my astonishment, it's been published and achieved a modicum of success. Lars seems even more chuffed about it than I.

The boys are growing up nicely. Neil is in school and aspires to the honour roll.

Anders is attentive when his father talks about striving and perseverance.

The day is near when martial law will be lifted and the job of maintaining order passed to local police. Lars is getting restless and seeking out new challenges. He probably wasn't supposed to tell me this but there's a space program afoot. Apparently the silver lining in the disaster is that what we've been forced to learn about survival in extreme adversity has direct applications in space colonization. He hopes with all his heart to be a part of this effort. I shan't speak or even think of how lonely I'll be if he's selected. Fulfilled dreams are in short supply in Sunset Valley these days; how could I deny him this one?

There's so much to celebrate I don't know where to begin!

First off, the curfews have been lifted! I'm so blessed to see the day! The moment it was official, Lars dashed off to the beach for a bit of fishing.

He was, in fact, selected for the space program as well; he can barely contain his excitement.

To celebrate, we had something new for supper: sushi! Oh happy day! There's no truth to the rumour that our diet has been monotonous since the disaster; on the contrary, there's been plenty of variety: hot dogs or no hot dogs, spoiled or not spoiled, scorched or not scorched.

I'm an old woman now; it's been said that that's better than the alternative. Thankfully, my darling Lars is as loving and attentive as ever. There's much to be done yet; the mob still rules and one leaves home at one's own risk. I don't dare go out of doors and I don't permit the boys to do so. I rest easily, however, knowing that when they've grown up, the boys will be at liberty to come and go as they please without risking arrest.

Varland Story - Chapter 3 - Morgana

Neil is a darling baby. I'd love to have half a dozen more just like him.

He's growing up so fast. Entirely too fast, I'd say, but at least I think there's another on the way.

Today I told him about his upcoming birthday before I realised that there'd be no party or cake. Then I cried. Absurd of me, given the suffering everyone has endured, to come so altogether undone that my son should be deprived of a birthday party.

I've also told him of the disaster. Perhaps he's too young to hear of such things, but he must know that, no matter what, it must never happen again.

He is most emphatically not to young to hear of the importance of keeping fit. Only the most rigourous training can keep the disaster's legacy of muscle atrophy and bone loss at bay. In my day, parents told children to eat spinach in order to grow up big and strong. Then I remembered that there is no more spinach and cried again. Call it pregnancy hormones.

Anders is every bit as darling a baby as Neil was and not one bit more so.

I resolve to set a better example vis a vis keeping fit.

Lars received word of his commission in the post today! I'm so proud of him I could burst. He works so hard but has to struggle to keep his attitude in check. Obviously he has succeeded.

When he wore his new uniform home, I was so ecstatic I could swear I saw palm trees and flowers behind him! I must be going stir crazy.

I'm cooking hot dogs to celebrate.

Varland Story - Chapter 2 - Morgana

I remember when there were palm trees, lawns, flowers, birds, a promising medical career, a white house on the hill and a marriage. All of these were among the disaster casualties.

Lars blames himself about the marriage and I wish he wouldn't. It would take a stronger marriage than that one to survive conditions as they are now. I doubt that it could have survived even without the disaster. Above all else, I wanted children. Thornton didn't. In those days, each of us believed that there was plenty of time for the other to come round to our way of thinking.

Lars is such a dear man. Although our progress is incremental and miniscule, he never stops striving. "A man's reach should exceed his grasp" he says.

When he perseveres through the dreary go-round of clogged toilets, monotonous meals scorched or missed altogether, endless filth and stench...

How can I complain?

Once he dreamed of being a star ballplayer. Now he soldiers on, working to restore a semblance of order such that the curfews can be lifted. I should so love to see the beach and the park once again, unrecognisable as they might be.

I work hard as well. Where once I planned to eradicate cancer through genetic resequencing, today the work is the most rudimentary of first aid, triaged so severely as to be heartbreaking. There's little else we can do until we've restored clean water and basic sanitation.

Although Lars wants children as much as I do, it will be a challenge to persuade him to relax long enough to start a family...

And now that's been accomplished in due time, no pun intended.

Varland Story - Chapter 1 - Lars

Life has a way of not working out according to plan. Not long ago, I was looking at a sweet life: pro sports gig, lots of partying, settling down to raise a family...someday...in the distant future.


Now there's this 8 X 8 shelter and a gig as a latrine cleaner. I am, however, alive. Most people weren't so lucky.

I keep myself fit. It keeps me from dwelling on what used to be...and what is now.

Things are looking up. The next door neighbour is a knockout!

Unfortunately, she's carrying a boatload of excess baggage.

So, he's a waste of space but he's still her husband. The fact that something is necessary doesn't necessarily make it right.

The end does not justify the means.

Nonetheless, I've done it. I wouldn't do it over any other way. No regrets.

Now, if she'll just have me.

YES!!!