Some people just couldn’t get on board with their belongings being taken from them and had sparked a string of home invasions the first night after rationing was announced, breaking in and stealing from neighbors’ homes. While the perpetrators had not yet been identified, group meals were introduced as a way to further restrict what goods people had in their homes and to also try and encourage a sense of unity across the island. The shift for Jessie’s neighborhood was only ten minutes away and not only did it mean she could eat, but she could also see her husband as well.
When they went out to the eating area, he was already there waiting for them.
“Hello boys!” Art grinned when he saw his family. Zayn and Axel rushed toward him and allowed themselves to be scooped up in his arms. “Are you both okay?”
“Hi darling,” Jessie greeted her husband as she caught up to her children, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. “How was work?”
“Oh, you know,” Art sighed. “Busy. I’m not sure how much longer we can keep the grid up and running. Even with the limited usage it’s starting to short in places. It’s not my area of expertise exactly, but I think by the end of the week we’ll have to rethink everything we’ve got in place so far. I don’t know how these group meals are going to continue if we can’t keep the industrial ovens running.”
“There’s already a delay on our sitting it seems,” Jessie replied with a shake of her head. “I think one of them broke down earlier.”
“It did,” Art confirmed. “A couple of my guys went off to fix it. Hopefully we’ll all be sitting down soon.”
“I’m sure,” Jessie smiled, not meaning to bring her husband’s mood down. “I know you’re doing everything you can, Art. You’re all doing an incredible job.”
“Thank you, babe,” Art returned his wife’s smile, leaning forward and kissing her properly on the lips as their two children tussled at their ankles. “It’d be a darn sight easier if I could get Dennis out of the way though. That man thinks he knows everything.”
Jessie made a face. Dennis was Jamie’s older brother and while pretty much the entirety of Kauai liked and respected the surf shack owner, opinions about his brother were very mixed. The older man was an electrical engineer and therefore in demand at the moment, a place that he loved being. He craved the limelight and soaked it up, always trying to make himself the center of attention.
A couple of years ago he had run for a position on the Kauai City Council and his stance on several issues had ruffled quite a few feathers. For a relatively small island, the drama surrounding his campaign had been pretty big news, a few of the local news crews in Honolulu even picking up the story.
Thankfully – in Jessie’s opinion – he hadn’t won. Had his brother Jamie ran, Jessie was sure the result would’ve been very different. But while Dennis sought power and control, Jamie simply took what was awarded to him through good grace and decency. It was ironic really that the brother who had simply opened up a surf shack and served people beverages for many years had ended up in higher regard than the one who graduated first in his class at college and wore a pressed shirt even on the hottest island days.
“Just try not to let him get to you,” Jessie advised her husband as their line for food started moving again. “The minute he knows he bothers you, he’ll only start gunning for you more.”
“I know, I know,” Art nodded. “I just wish we’d been able to choose who was evacuated.”
Jessie laughed, imagining a Pacific island paradise where the only people left behind on Kauai were her friends and family, everyone else floating away on a boat to somewhere new. The island could truly be a dream when the timing was right. On hot summer days when she could lie on the beach with her husband, their two boys playing in the surf just ahead of them, life felt like heaven. There were times when she couldn’t imagine the life she’d had before moving to Hawaii, the thought of high-rise city buildings and congested roads making her grimace. When it wanted to be, their island life could be truly idyllic. The only problem was that following Trident’s collapse, no matter where in the world you were based, people were suffering.
“Okay boys, what do you want tonight? Fish curry or vegetable rice and falafel?”
Both Zayn and Axel looked at their mother with bemused expressions, the sarcasm in her tone entirely lost on them. Kitch, the farmer who was serving up the food when Jessie and her family finally reached the front of the line laughed, throwing his head back as Jessie posed the question to her boys.
“Don’t worry guys,” Kitch smiled, “we’ve got fish sticks and peas further down the line.”
“Why do you have to be like that, Kitch,” Art grinned, reaching over the food and shaking the farmer’s hand in greeting. “Let them suffer for a little bit.”
Kitch laughed, “I’m not as cruel as you are, Art. Now, what’ll it be?”
At just nineteen, Kitch was the youngest member of the newly formed leadership council. He was a dedicated farmer who was born and raised on Kauai, working tireless hours no matter what time of year to provide fresh produce for the islanders and tourists alike. While
