Glimpses of the Island

Two for Lunch

In the morning Cathy started in the kitchen with her grocery list, followed by a walk through the house to see what else she would need. Mark would be in the middle of his field work today, somewhere out in the countryside. Her only warning would be the phone call before he boarded the next ship to the Island. She knew his work surveying the power line route was hot, dirty and difficult. Dangerous too, but she tried to keep that part out of her mind. He would arrive exhausted, so she wanted the house to be perfect when he walked through the door.

He had a predictable routine after a long trip. Rest the first day, and the second day….Cathy smiled. The second day was the one she looked forward to, a day he set aside for her. They never left the house on those second days, so she had to make sure they would have everything he might want. The third day he would head back to the office to write up his report, which worked out well as Cathy always needed a day to recover.

Mark had already set up a local bank account for them, plus she had some cash left over from traveling. Fortunately the Island used American dollars so she wouldn't have to change any currency. She looked in her purse to see how much she had left, then stopped while counting the bills when she realized this might be the last time she ever handled money. Mark had always managed their finances, though he did take the time to explain to her each month what their position was and how the investments were doing. She didn't think much about it as it was one of those areas she was only too happy to turn over to him. They had worked out what she would require for the household budget and her own personal needs. Anything beyond that she would tell him, and he would see to it. She would have to keep in mind that shipping costs raised prices here compared to California, but low taxes made up for it.

Satisfied she had enough cash for shopping, Cathy checked the clock. It was after nine; she should call Anna. There was time for one last stroll through the house to see if she had missed anything, before she picked up the phone. Anna answered and invited her over for a cup of coffee while they planned the day.

She dropped the list in her purse before she headed toward Anna's back door. As usual it was open to let in the cool sea breeze. Anna was in the kitchen and waved at Cathy to come on in. They sat down at the kitchen table, cups of coffee at hand. Cathy started with a question she had been pondering all last night.

"Anna, about what you told me last night, the part about legally enforceable. Could your husband really send you to prison for not ironing his shirts?"

Anna laughed. "In theory he does have the power to do that, but it would be pretty silly on his part and the judges who would listen to the complaint wouldn't take kindly to having their time wasted on something trivial. Don't worry about that part, Cathy. That's the last resort, calling in the authorities, and not something taken lightly. Before they would get involved it would have to be serious, like attempting to leave the Island without permission. Besides, if he wants to make your life miserable he can do it on his own, without any help from the police.

"You are making a common mistake, looking for the extreme case and assuming no compassion. Remember you know this man pretty well, or you wouldn't be here. Nor would you be willing to wear his collar unless you trusted him to treat you decently, or at least the way you would prefer. Why would he suddenly turn mean and abusive? This isn't a stranger you just met; you've been with him for a few years."

Cathy took a sip of coffee, thinking about it. Anna did make sense, what reason would Mark have to turn on her? He had never given her any cause to doubt his sincerity or his character. "I suppose you're right, but it's so different, just knowing that one word from him and my life is ruined. I guess it's the enormity of the risk, having to trust him to a degree that I never had to face before."

Anna smiled as she picked up her coffee. "Yes, but that risk is part of the excitement too. I want to please John in any way I can, especially the ways he demands from me. I know he won't have me locked up if I fail, but I also know he could do it. It's that extra little bit of motivation for me to be obedient. I don't do it out of fear, but still, well, there is that little voice warning me I had better do it anyway because I have to. It's the law, in a very literal way."

"That's the one part that bothers me. If anything goes wrong…" Cathy's voice trailed off. She didn't know what to say.

Anna understood what she was trying to put into words. "What we do here on the Island, Cathy, it's something every woman has to come to terms with on her own. I try to keep my own opinions from coloring my work with new arrivals but I think in this case it would help with some of your questions.

"I have two simple guidelines: make an informed decision, and then stick to it. The first one you're doing right now, and so you know I asked the same questions when we moved here. It's so tempting, giving yourself to the man you love, you don't want to ask those tough questions. But there will be a time when obeying him takes every last bit of determination on your part, so you have to be ready when it happens. The first time he says no and you just can't comprehend how he can be so stupid, foolish, and pigheaded stubborn, you have to be prepared to live with it. That's what I mean by informed; you knew in advance what could happen, and how few options you would have. If you choose to proceed then you accept all the consequences.

"Now, enough of the depressing talk. What are our plans for today? John gave me permission to go out, but I should send him a note to let him know where we're going. If at all possible I am supposed to tell him our schedule before we leave. We have all day free, but I have to be back in the house by 4:30." Cathy noticed that Anna already wore the travel permit and debit card around her neck.

Cathy took out her list. "I need groceries, plus some towels and linens. We can do the food last. I'd like to look around some of the department stores first, then we can get some lunch. A few more stores and then the supermarket last?"

"Alright, let me make a list of places we can go and where we'll stop for lunch. I need groceries too. Give me a few minutes to send John an e-mail of our plans then we can get started." Anna went into the living room and came back with a laptop. While they finished the coffee, she told Cathy about the stores as she typed out a message. When it was ready she sent it to John at his work address. "He just set this up for me, a wireless laptop. It only works inside the house or in the yard, but it's very convenient. It connects to our house computer, which forwards everything on to the Island network. He should get it right away. I usually wait a few minutes in case he replies. That is, if he isn't busy with something."

Cathy watched as Anna worked at the computer. She made a mental note to ask Mark about staying in touch throughout the day. It hadn't been possible at his last job because of company policy against using workstations for personal business, but that might not be a problem here. She asked Anna about the arrangement they had.

"I try to keep him updated on what I'm doing while he's at work, at least two e-mails at times he has set for me. Using the phone is inconvenient because he might be busy. With e-mail he can check it while taking a break, so I don't become a distraction. He prefers to keep track of me during the day, and I guess I kind of like it too, especially the way I have to stay focused on what we've planned for my day. I tend to be impulsive, easily distracted. It works out well as I get time to myself, but he always has overall control and approval of everything." Anna looked up from the laptop for a moment. "I sent our plans for the day to him. I don't have to wait for an answer, but I usually give him about five minutes. After that I can assume a tacit approval even if he doesn't reply."

Cathy nodded as she took another sip from her cup. She hadn't considered the possibilities of being able to talk to Mark all day long, but now that she saw how it could work she found the idea intriguing. She asked Anna. "Is it common, what you are doing now? Do companies object to it?"

Anna looked up from the laptop screen. "Very few companies restrict personal usage. Managers know it's necessary for employees, like John, and Mark, to keep in touch with us. The policy can vary by company, some even allow video feeds. A friend of mine can watch her master at work all day long through a networked camera he set up for her."

John had not answered by the time they finished their coffee, so they decided to leave without waiting any longer. Anna drove them to the commercial center in town where they stopped to visit several shops. Cathy noticed collared women in the stores, all of whom had the same combination of travel and debit cards on a necklace. Back in the car she asked Anna about it.

"It's a law. We must have our travel card visible at all times. If not someone would stop and detain me until the police came. You may not notice it, but when we go into a store the clerk will look to see if it's visible. If I bought anything the cashier would check the picture as well. Even walking along the street, people will look to see if it's there. It's one way everyone cooperates to enforce rules. Were John to decide I should stay at home, all he has to do is take the card."

The idea of a permit bothered Cathy. She felt her obedience should be based on trust, not a card. If Mark didn't give her permission to leave the house then she would stay inside. She didn't need any one else to remind her. She said as much to Anna.

"Oh no, Cathy, you are looking at it the wrong way. This card isn't about a lack of trust, it's about control. It is part of the structure given to us, and what makes this island so unique. I know the laws may seem to be restrictive and even unnecessary, but to me they are very important. I need to feel the limits, my boundaries, every minute of the day. This card is one of them. I know I can't walk out the door by myself without wearing it. I have to have his permission, in this case the card, just as I need to ask him about everything I do.

"It changes the way you think Cathy. For example, this morning at the kitchen table. You saw it as planning our shopping trip, but in my mind I thought in terms of presenting what we would like to do, then seeing if John would approve. In this case I was sure he would, because he knew about it in advance. But to me there is always that extra step, ask first and make sure I have his permission. The collar, the cards, everything works to reinforce my place, a place where I submit and acknowledge his authority over me.

There's one other reason for the card, though I don't feel comfortable talking about it. I do the grocery shopping. In order to eat John has to give me permission to go to the store. If he doesn't we starve, or he has to go instead. He has to keep track of me, even if he doesn't feel like it. The card system works to keep both of us focused on our obligations."

"But what if he just hands you the cards and then tells you not to bother him? I don't understand." It still seemed one-sided to Cathy.

"He can't do that. I'm not sure of the exact details, but I know he has to review the debit card and approve it each month. Same for the travel card, they expire unless he does something to renew, though I think I'm not supposed to know exactly what it is. If he ignores or forgets then I'm stuck at home. Like it or not he has to constantly make a deliberate decision to allow me those privileges. He has to pay attention to everything I do."

Cathy thought about her explanation. "Does it bother you? That he knows every penny you spend, where you go and what you are doing? Don't you ever want a little privacy?"

Anna shook her head. "No, I don't want to hide it from him and yes, I want him to have access to all that information. How he uses it is up to him. It's his right to know. If I do anything to interfere with it then I've broken a promise to him.

"As for privacy, I have my own time when he's at work. When he comes home I want to be with him, not off on my own. Privacy is something I leave to him to determine. You'll hear this many times: your time is not your own. It's a saying we have here on the Island. Your owner has a right, one you can't qualify or deny, to know what you are doing at any moment, day or night."

The way Anna explained it did make sense, and Cathy nodded in agreement. Yet one more point where island life diverged from the rest of the world. She was so forceful and zealous in her defense that Cathy realized those laws existed because women like Anna demanded them.

"Ready to go? First stop is the dry goods store. I like their towels but the sheets are so-so." Anna continued, "After that I know a nice place that serves Mediterranean style salads and sandwiches. Greek, Italian, even North African dishes. And there's a good place to look at sheets nearby."