I’ve never been comfortable with silence. As a child I avoided it like the plague. 4 days ago, I awoke to nothing. Instead of the typical sound of early morning Icelandic news, there was nothing. Silence. I looked over to see the time and the clock wasn’t working. The power was out. It was light enough outside to be awake so I got out of bed and got dressed. I heard muffled voices below. Looking back, I realize they didn’t sound normal. They seemed stressed, almost frantic. I was too tired to recognize that at the time, so I crept downstairs trying not to wake anybody else. Finnr and Halla sat huddled around a few candles. They got quiet when they saw me. I could hear the faint hum of a generator in the distance.
Halla paused for second, then got up and started making breakfast. It seemed a little rushed, anxious. I sat down at the table and Finnr looked at me, elbows on the table, hands clasped in front of his mouth. He stared at me, his eyebrows furrowing for a second before getting up and going outside. A few minutes later, he returned with Aldan, who also looked worried.
All three of them sat around the table while Aldan told me that they’re cut off. I didn’t understand what they were saying. I knew they could tell, because Halla said something to her son, who in turn took a deep breath.
He said the power was out in town; phone lines, cell phones, internet, nothing worked. A neighbor said an announcement came on television before the power went out. It described several large explosions in major US cities. That was right before the power went out. I’m not sure why the power would go out here, but I can’t imagine anything good. I thought it was a coincidence at first, but I’m less certain now.
I meant to leave for my next destination a few days ago, but I don’t think I’d be able to get there even if I wanted to. The only visitors coming to town are seagulls, but even they seem a little off, like they’re keeping a secret. I want to know what’s going on. I’m sure everything is going to be fine. It’s hard when you’re in the dark.
It’s funny because I’ve been in so many situations where I couldn’t call home, sometimes for weeks. But the moment that I want to call home and can’t, I get upset. I never understood how Oki had such a difficult time with the limited communication. Now I’m starting to understand. It sucks. This sucks. It’s going to be fine. I need to weather the storm for a bit.