The Story in the Locket

Jody started every day with the rising of the sun. This was the time of day she chose to hitch the horses to the makeshift plow she’d built herself after the collapse of the Global Economy. That was three years ago.

It was three years ago, almost to the day, that the Global Economy, entirely digitized, suffered its demise. A cyber-attack was perpetrated on the global level. It was this attack that brought the modern civilization we had known to its knees.

This morning, she’d been out of coffee. There was nothing that could curb the tiredness and exhaustion she felt in her bones. Regardless, the work had to be done or she would not be able to eat this year.

As she walked behind the horses, Pal with his brilliant white coat; and Custer with his magnificence the color of coffee with cream, she prayed that this year would be better than the last.

Jody watched the dirt as it churned up. She was careful not to twist an ankle. There would be only her friend Sadie to help. Though Sadie could perform simple first aid, there was no telling the damage to be done without a doctor or hospital. Those had collapsed with the economy. Sure, an occasional drifter would come by, however, there was still no telling the damage without the machines to which the world had become accustomed.

Over the sound of the blades scraping through dirt and rock, Jody could hear the scuffing of shoes through the long grass. She looked to her right, in the direction of the cabin on the mountain she shared with her friend, Sadie. In the orange glow of the rising sun, Jody could make out two plumes of steam rising from the mugs Sadie carried. Their black, short-legged Bassett-Lab Mix trotted along at her side, long pink tongue swaying with every step.

Jody commanded Pal and Custer to stop. “Please don’t tell me you made more Dandelion tea. I can’t stand that stuff.” Jody addressed Sadie as soon as she was close enough. A faint smell of coffee wafted through the breeze. Jody couldn’t tell if it was real or her imagination.

“No, Friend. This is legit coffee.” Sadie handed her the scalding mug. The coffee the way she liked it, light colored and sweet. Sadie smiled as she took a sip from her own mug.

“How did you manage that, I thought we were out?” Jody questioned the surprise.

“Do you remember the old greenhouse out toward the lake?” Sadie took a sip from her mug. The dog danced joyfully between the two, hoping for attention.

“Of course I do. My mom used to start her plants there every year.” Jody sniffed the coffee before taking a hesitant sip.

“I did some research in some old books I found. Turns out, you could grow coffee plants anywhere if you have the right conditions.” Jody raised an eyebrow at her friend. “Does it taste all right?” Sadie could see Jody hiding a smirk behind her mug.

“This is absolutely amazing. This is great work. Thank you for sharing it with me.” Jody confirmed with a full smile and another sip.

It was then that the dog began to scratch and dig at the recently turned up dirt. Both women watched as her little black body swished back and forth with the motion of her tail. Finally, she pulled her face out of the ground holding a simple gold chain between her teeth, an old heart-shaped locket sparkling in the light of the rising sun.

“Here, can you hold my coffee, please?” Sadie handed her mug to Jody and knelt down to the dog. Both heard the cracking of her knees as she reached the ground. “What did you find, girl? “ Sadie scratched behind the dogs ears before the dog released her find.

“What is that?” Jody queried. Reclaiming her coffee mug, Sadie handed her the chain. The sun had almost reached the halfway point to rising. Jody turned the locket in her hand. It was Sadie’s turn to hold Jody’s mug.

The outside of the locket had been scarred by the blades of the plow. Gingerly, Jody pried the latch of the locket open with her long nails. She squinted at what was inside.

“No way…” Jody gasped. She caressed the pictures inside with the tip of her finger. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“What are you talking about?” Sadie was clearly confused.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me you had a kid?” Jody handed Sadie the open locket.

Sadie held the locket in her hand. Its weight and feel were familiar though she had never seen the pictures inside before. She felt a knot growing heavy in her chest as heavy as a boulder. “I…I never told you…because I don’t remember it.” Sadie began to hyperventilate. “This has to be a mistake…If I had a child I’d remember them, wouldn’t I?” Head spinning and world around her swirling, the locket fell to the ground. Jody grabbed her arm to hold her up.

“Whoa,” the horses turned their heads, confused. “Just sit.” Jody helped Sadie to the ground. “The only thing you need to worry about now is breathing.”

The two sat in the freshly plowed dirt, damp with the moisture of the recent rain. Time seemed to stand still. Silence hovered between the two friends who had been brought back together after the collapse. The sun completed its ascent. The day officially started, Sadie staring at the locket in her hand.

After a time, Sadie closed the locket with a click. The faces inside had still not registered complete recognition. Rather, they had initiated a sort of kaleidoscopic barrage of fractured memory from before. Without a word, Sadie pushed herself out of the dirt and headed to the edge of the field.

In the quiet of the morning, Jody could hear her friend sobbing. Whether it was a result of loss, frustration, anger, or a sudden realization that she’d once lived a life she had no memory of, she had no idea.

Jody found Sadie at the well a little while later. “Do you want to be left alone?” she asked, taking a full bucket of water from her.

“No.” Sadie turned to face Jody, wiping her forehead with the back of her dirty hand.

Knowing that sometimes silence was best instead of pushing for information, Jody helped Sadie finish the chore she had started and took into consideration that the longer they worked in silence, she could feel a difference in her friend’s demeanor.

At the end of the day, the two were watching the sunset from the back porch of the cabin. Each had a beverage. Sleep was knocking at the door. Finally, the silence was broken.

“I know what happened…” Sadie cleared her throat. Caught off guard, Jody sat upright, kicking the dog that lazed at her feet.

“What?” Jody put her glass down. Her attention was now wholly on Sadie.

“The boy in the locket, he is my son. I remember what happened. Sadie couldn’t stop the tears from coming any longer.

“You do?” Jody turned her body to see the dual rivers of tears cutting their way down Sadie’s face, ending in drips at her chin.

“Yes. In bits and pieces, I do remember. “Jody waited patiently, letting her friend work through the newly surfaced emotional pain.

“I’m here if you want to tell the story.” Jody offered. Happy got up and licked Sadie’s shin as if to say, ‘I’m here too.’

Sadie inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. “Well, my friend, I guess I better start at the beginning then.”

“That’s always a good place to start, Friend.” Jody took a sip of her drink and sat quietly, not wanting to interrupt.

“I named him after his father, Owen Franklin Henley. He was four at the time this photo was taken…”