Nella sits, looking out the window of the train. Despite what many of the transfers had thought, Nella has left Anchor Rock before. Usually, to visit her mother and father or their sister; family. Nella’s life has always been about family. Friendship with people had eluded her, at least until the Transference, but family they’ve always understood. Maybe that’s why being Mayor of Anchor Rock alongside Renn, worked for Nella. It’s a lot like taking care of a whole family, as long as you extend that family to the whole town. It’s also a lot like running a regenerative farm. You have to make sure all things are in balance with one another, so everything works together to help things grow and no one element takes too much energy and breaks the system.
Nella really has enjoyed being the mayor with Renn. It means they have another new friend, and she can help her little town. The first thing Nella did was make the day of the Transference a holiday celebrating friendship and making new friends. The annual friendship day. They’ve also been hard at work running farming classes for everyone, transfers and locals, to share what she knows about agroecological farming and to help people get in touch with the land and with others. And to help make farming in Anchor Rock more sustainable overall. They never before realized what a great opportunity it provided for people to make friends; for Nella herself to make friends.
But now here she is sitting on the train, off on an adventure. ShuShu Chris is watching the farm, and Deanna is checking in on the chickens to make sure Cluckers doesn’t give Chris too much hassle. And Renn is taking on the full mayor responsibilities while Nella is gone. Nella never had any friends who were people before the Transference and now they have so many. The friends in Anchor Rock are watching over the life she’s carved out for themself, so Nella can go and see her friends that are far away. Soon Nella will be seeing Billy C., Astrid, and Pepper again, in person so they can hug them. And maybe after this trip, Nella’s friends will visit her again in Anchor Rock.
It is amazing how such an unexpected event allowed her to grow into Anchor Rock, instead of out of it. To learn about friendship and forgive the pains of the past. To figure out how to honor their obligation to family, their love of farming, and their desire for more in life. Nella sits on the train, looking out the window, and thinks how they are finally happy with the shape of their life and what the future holds.
By Kaiya C.