The more days passed, the more Stéphanie got used to her new life in Précy-sur-Marne, which was nothing short of a miracle given the lifestyle she had a year earlier. The city girl who had never done anything with her hands had transformed in record time into a peaceful farmer.
It hadn't been smooth sailing, contrary to what most of the small town's inhabitants might think. On the contrary, she had suffered greatly from this radical change. She often contented herself with silently complaining and crying away from prying eyes. The blackout had been a trial for everyone, and for the generations who had known only the comfort of modernity, this trial had been hellish. For everyone, giving up was not an option. Those who lacked the courage, will, or ability to adapt to this new environment had long since died.
Stéphanie, like her sister, had been forced to abandon her hometown, scavenge stores like a vulture, get her hands dirty, and give up entertainment. Her life now revolved around working the land to avoid starvation.
A year after the blackout, she and her community were still surviving, desperately fighting for a bit of food each day, including in winter when no crops were possible.
The house that this small community had built for her was impressive. Strangely, it seemed perfectly in place despite its quaint appearance. Both inside and out, it looked like a medieval peasant house with its thatched roof and clay walls. Its inhabitants felt more than ever as if they had traveled back in time.
It was very long, with four bedrooms on one side and two on the opposite side of the entrance. The heart of the house was a large common room serving as both a living room and dining room. To cope with the winters, which could be quite harsh in the region, they had built a large stone fireplace. All the little cement they had been allocated was used here.
Since there was no water and electricity, there were no toilets or bathroom. However, they had built an upper level in an L shape above the bedrooms, accessible only by an aluminum ladder. This level wasn't really one, as the height was not great. One could call it an attic. Empty for now, it would be used as a storage space.
One by one, the inhabitants of this unusual house woke up with troubled thoughts. The next day would mark the anniversary of the day their lives had changed. Each of them recalled those distant, peaceful days when all it took was a trip to the supermarket to find food and turning on a tap for potable water. The time when their main concerns were getting to work on time, having enough money in the bank to pay bills, and choosing a movie to watch on Netflix.
All that seemed so far away, yet it felt like it was yesterday.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Stéphanie displayed a sad look as she stared at her worn hands.
Tomorrow will be a year.
She took out her still-useless phone and thought back to those happy days.
I can't believe it. I don't even know if I should say it's only been a year or already a year. It feels like it was all just a dream.
Sometimes, she dreamed that she woke up and her parents were still there and that she still lived in Saint-Denis. Unfortunately, upon waking, everything would vanish and reality would cruelly hit her in the face. Her parents were gone, and she lived in the countryside. This change in life, in hindsight, wasn't such a bad thing, but she would have wanted to live this life with them as planned.
Just before they were killed that night, they were still talking about what they would do. They had even packed their bags.
Dad, Mom… I miss you so much!
A tear rolled down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away before anyone could see. She didn't like crying but admitted that sometimes it felt good.
A year… What was I doing a year ago?
Stéphanie searched her memory and recalled a few details.
It was an ordinary day, similar to all the others. She had gone to school, seen her friends, including Morgane, taken a test she hadn't passed, received a warning for talking during class, gone shopping in town before having a snack at a fast food place, then gone to Morgane's to chat and play a video game. Finally, she had come home, nibbled on something without even talking to her parents, and gone up to her room to watch videos, lose herself on social media, and chat with Morgane.
I hope she's okay… When I think that I forgot to say goodbye! I'm really horrible! She was my best friend!
Although Stéphanie still blamed herself, she didn't forget that at that time she was shaken by her parents' death. In such terrible circumstances, one could do strange things. In her case, she had forgotten many things, including hugging her friend one last time.
"Well, let's go," said the young girl to herself to motivate herself.
She quickly dressed in the clothes from the day before and left the room. She was separated from the main room by a thick curtain. Once on the other side, she saw her sister at the table with Baptiste, Kévin, Jérôme, and Amin.
"Good morning, everyone!"
"Ah, good morning, Stéph. Did you sleep well?" asked Jérôme, finishing his plate.
"Yeah, I was just a bit cold, that's all."
Jérôme nodded in agreement.
"Even though it's almost May, the weather has been terrible these last few days. And since the sky was clear, it was chilly. It's unusual for this time of year, but not rare either. We might have more nights like this next month, but I think it will be limited to the nights. Look at that blue sky! I hope it stays like this all day!"
Indeed, a beautiful day was on the horizon. But just like a year ago, a day that started well could turn into a disaster. Inwardly, Stéphanie prayed that nothing bad would happen that day.
They had made bread with the wheat from the previous harvest, and she had cut herself a thick slice to spread with jam found while scavenging a hotel at Disneyland. They had found other things left behind by the managers and guests after the blackout, but it wasn't enough to sustain them for days.
At the site, they had found ransacked rooms, looted bars, and vandalized restaurants. Everything indicated that the people who had broken in were there to destroy more than to spend a few nights in a luxury suite. All the dishes had been smashed on the floor and against the walls. As for the alcohol, it had apparently been quickly consumed. Dozens of empty champagne bottles had been found, some of which had been used as bowling pins in an improvised game.
The people who had done this were no longer there during their visit, unless they had moved into another luxury hotel. They hadn't been very thorough, as Stéphanie and her companions hadn't returned to Précy-sur-Marne empty-handed.
"Stéph?" said Jérôme, wiping his mouth. "When you're done, can you help me with something?"
"Something?" she replied, her mouth full.
"Yes. I want to build a greenhouse to grow vegetables all year round. I talked about it with Mathieu. Lettuce, carrots, potatoes. It's also to protect them from moisture and wind. At worst, a tunnel should be enough."
"That's a good idea. You want to do it after the meeting?"
"Yes, please."
Everyone at the farm knew there would be a meeting in the village center. All the inhabitants of Précy-sur-Marne were invited, including the children. For the occasion, the school would remain closed all morning. No one knew exactly what it was about, but they suspected it was important and related to the fact that it had been a year since the blackout hit.
The meeting was to be held at ten o'clock, about three hours after sunrise. Since the sun had risen almost two hours ago, it meant they had an hour left before leaving the farm.
Stéphanie, once she had finished eating and rinsing her face with the cool water from a plastic basin, left the rustic house and took a few steps outside. Grass had grown everywhere they didn't usually walk, but it was not given time to grow in the main field. Every day, the team pulled the weeds so they wouldn't steal the nutrients needed by the cereals planted almost the day after their arrival in the village.
The seeds had been planted quite late, but they still hoped to make a harvest, even if it was a poor one. This explained why the ears of grain were so underdeveloped at the end of April.
They're not very good, but at least they've grown. I hope we can harvest in July and August. It would be nice if the weather stayed good these next few weeks.
The meeting time came very quickly, especially when you were busy running a farm. The entire community headed to the village center where a large number of people of all ages had already gathered. Most had the same worried look, because if they were being summoned, there was a good chance it was to announce bad news.
Mr. Mayor, Denis Leblanc, was simply dressed but had taken the time to comb his hair and put on a suit jacket. It was dark gray as if he wanted to blend in with his shadow cast on the pavement. He adjusted his glasses on his drooping nose and, after waiting a few more minutes for the last arrivals to join the crowd, he began to explain the reason for the gathering.
"Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, as you surely know, tomorrow it will be a year since we have been without electricity, water, gas, internet, and phone, to name just a few examples. We have lost much more than that, in reality. Some of us are no longer with us because of this cursed blackout."
He paused so everyone could have a moment of silence for those people. Stéphanie's heart tightened as she thought once again of her parents.
"Our lives," the mayor continued, "have changed drastically in the span of a year, but we have adapted. What choice did we have? It's by helping each other that we've made it this far. We must continue like this, but I'm not worried. The reason I called you here this morning is because I have a question for you. It's clear that our lives will never be the same. There will be no going back. No return to normal. This, it seems, is our new normal. The sooner we accept it, the sooner we can move forward. Because there is a before and after the blackout, I suggest we change our calendar, to restart it at zero. What do you think?"
Stéphanie and the others didn't respond immediately. The proposal, though sensible, was surprising because it came from an elected official. As a former activist, she was quite in favor of it. It reminded her of her past and her desire for revolution.
A-a new calendar?
She looked around. Even Marie didn't seem opposed to the idea. Amin and his mother, however, didn't seem pleased. They wore dark, if not threatening, expressions as they stared at the mayor.
If we accept, it will be like burying the past, the world before. For good.
Guillaume Josselin, head of the miller's family, was the first to speak up and support the mayor with his deep, powerful voice. From that moment, Stéphanie knew it was a done deal.