Another quiet morning on the homestead, all are sleeping but yours truly. I’m enjoying a quiet, uninterrupted cup or two of coffee and planning my exciting day of laundering garments.

After last weekends storms that left us without electricity for 2 days, I still have much to do. It was an interesting experiment, removing the assailants link to the YouTube entity…interesting, yet quite exhausting. It was akin to going back in time to when the hostage takers were but wee little ones. “When’s the power coming back on?” “Can we go shopping?” “Can you make a pizza?” “I’m bored”

Now that normalcy has been restored, they are back to their old tricks. The young female confronted me immediately upon my return from work Friday night, asking to go to Kohl’s. I asked the obvious question of Why? And received the reply of, “I need something”. When I asked what, she said, “shorts”. When I said no, I didnt have extra currency for shopping, she predictably replied with “it’s not shopping mom, I NEED IT!” I’m not sure if this is irony? The young female has garments seemingly taking over every inch of her sleeping quarters, yet, she has “NOTHING to wear”

The manchild has spent nearly every day with visits from cohorts from the village. They ride their bikes, walk, talk and sometimes engage in battles that require me to use my stern voice to send them outoors.

Despite the pantry and icebox filled with foodstuffs, we “NEVER have anything to eat”. I am beginning to wonder if the assailants require a diet separate from humans. I am now less than confident in my abilities to provide sustenance. On my next trip to the village to barter at the markets, I secretly hope there is a vendor specializing in the diets of hostage takers; though I would be remiss to believe one actually exists.

I have begun the seemingly neverending task of laundering clothing and must step away from my journal. Though writing of my trials offers a needed outlet, a temporary escape from the reality of a hostage life, I must not let it interfere with my duties.