Dune had been with Kama when she got sick and as she died. She wasn’t much worried about proximity to H-8, but she appreciated that the boundaries indulged her persistent need for solitude. There were no interactions in these gardens that she needed to fret over or reject. She could feel the ghosts of her parents at her back, how they would have called out hello, reached out with questions and theories, started to think of ways to organize resources together with others who were staying. Dune shrugged them off of her, focusing on finding food she wanted.

She didn’t know what was a good find. She avoided obvious problems, splits or bruises in the skin. Some of the greens had small brown bugs tucked in amongst the leaves or dotted white creatures, but that seemed normal? She had the best luck with things that were still underground, which she pulled up primarily to find out what they were. She discovered carrots, turnips, onions, beets, kale. And then more cucumbers, cabbage and some tiny tomatoes wrapped in a soft wrinkled brown skin that popped sweet in her mouth. She held one up to the light and a fellow forager called out, “Those are ground cherries. Makes a good jam!” Dune raked up several handfuls from the dirt.

At the end of this first day of intentional foraging, she piled her abundance on the kitchen table. Kama would know what to do next, the mysterious world of canning and jarring and processing fresh produce into food that lasts.

Dune put on a stiff African wax print apron that Kama had worn often. Then she took it off.

How do adults do things? How?

chapter nine: Survivors

After a couple of days of making the most basic vegetable soup recipe on the internet and filling the freezer with it, Dune was stumped and the dining room table was still covered with food.

Mama Vivian’s new practice was looking out the window with busy eyes, as if she was reading a scrolling text on the window. She would not turn her head when Dune entered or started talking, responding only to strong drinks.

“You know how to can things?”

No answer.

“It’s probably ridiculous. But I don’t think we can live off the donations. The stores are emptying out.”