Excerpt: The Isle of Misfit Moms

When Morag returned, Helen picked up her two largest suitcases and followed the woman along the road and up the hill path. The path was muddy and there was sheep and cow shit all over. But Helen just kept moving. It had started to rain and she was glad her suit cases were vinyl. That would keep the water out, while she brought them up.

The little house was half way up the hill, the view of the bay was nice. Though the windows were small. All the houses looked the same and Helen found herself a bit curious.

She asked her guide “These houses all look as if they the same. Wasn’t this once a vacation destination? I would have expected an area like this to have a lot of different types of buildings.” her voice was calm, even if her mind wasn’t. She had to believe there was a more comfortable place she could work towards having.

Morag kept walking and said “When the government took over these islands 40 years ago and decided to use them for exiles, they took all the existing housing down and used inmates to build all new ones. They are all the same, a few of us have done some basic improvements. But by and large they are all copies of the same. An open plan kitchen and living room, with a single bed room and a toilet with a tub. No showers. All are coal heated and have water from local springs. We have wind turbines for limited power, but the electricity isn’t always reliable. They cut off all contact with the national grid, there are no phones and only an emergency radio. It was considered a better use of remote rural areas to use them as exiles for undesirables like you and I.”

Helen frowned “What do you mean like you and I? Aren’t you a warden?”

Morag laughed “There is no warden here, only on the mainland. We are all exiles, we just have different jobs in the community. This isle is all women. I’ve been here 30 years, I just happen to know the ropes well enough to teach new folks.” She walked up to the door of the cottage and opened it. “This one is a bit musty and needs a cleaning, we are all responsible for our own living space. You can live as clean or as dirty as you are comfortable with.”

Helen had done camping as a young person and was reasonablly comfortable with the coal stove. Morag showed her the rest of the building and told her about the coal stores. Helen decided to get the fire going and then go back down for the rest of her luggage. She supposed that she was still in shock, but it felt good to have cleaning to do. It would help her work off some of the anger at her son and his wife.

Morag told her that down at the pier there was a library and a trade store. Each woman was giving basic foodstuffs, any extras were earned by work credit in the community.

Helen asked “What kind of work are we expected to do and how much?”

Morag shrugged “Everyone is expected to help with local upkeep of community areas. We take turns at the shop and library. It will depend on any specialized skills. We’ve got a small clinic up the road where the doctor is once a week. There is a local nurse for emergencies she also provides any medicines you require. Though you have to hike up to her house to get it. We aren’t allowed anything, even aspirin in our houses. There are inspections done at least once a month. The inspector comes over on the ferry and randomly searches houses for a day. New folks get searched fairly often, so if you have contraband you need to get rid or it.”

Helen knodded that she understood. “So are we limited to just this area?”

Morag shook her head and answered “Not at all. You can go as far as you are willing to walk. You can earn the use of a bicycle. We are on an island so there is only so far you can go. We have a few kayaks for near land water sport. They have alarms on them if you get too far out. The patrol boat will bring you back and you’ll lose all privleges. We are pretty much left to get along on our own. Rehabilitation through reduced living situations.” she laughed “Except that we are never going to be considered rehabilitated. To be sent into exile here is to be dead to the rest of the world.”

“No computers or television then?” Helen asked as she started sweeping the floor “What about mail service?”

“The power isn’t reliable enough for either a computer or TV and we are cut off from any signals by the masts on the hill tops. Cell phones don’t work here, if you brought one it will make a good paper weight, but that is about all. Mail is brought on the boat, but everything that goes either way is read by the watchers on the main land. That is as close to wardens as we get. You won’t be allowed to contact your family. They can send things to you, however if the watchers think you are getting too much mail it will be diverted. Don’t expect anything.”

Helen said in a clipped tone, “I expect nothing. My son let his wife set me up, then sent me here and my daughter is a fat pig that cares only for herself.” she snorted as she moved around the room.

“No expectations are the best ones to have here. This isn’t an easy life any comfort you have will be that you have made for yourself.” Morag said “I’ve got to get back to the pier and log in the remaining items that came on the boat. Do you have any questions?”

Helen couldn’t resist being nosy “Why are you here?”

Morag looked at her levelly and said “I murdered my children.” and then left.