LOST: the Remains - chapter eight

Lost: THE REMAINS
Napoleon Park
Chapter Eight
“They Were All They Had”
==================

Like a lot of people who grew out outside of what a continuously shrinking segment of American society still regards it self as, "the majority" or "the ruling class," I hate stereotypes. If someone had to define me, I wouldn't mind being Coby Craft "the journalist". But I wouldn't want to be known as "the black guy" or "the light skinned black guy" or even "the black journalist".

That said, I think a lot of people tended to think of An Brunt and Porsche Alvin as "the lesbian couple".

They weren't "in your face" or confrontational about it, neither were they closeted. They were usually discrete. They might walk along the beach holding hands when they didn't know anyone was watching, or put their arms around one another sitting off in the edge of darkness when we had a bonfire.

An - with one "N" - worked for an advertising agency out of Seattle, though she was originally from New Jersey. Porsche was a model, originally from Oregon.
They didn't know one another until they landed on the island.

Interestingly enough, Porsche had lived in Seattle for several years before An moved there. They were regulars at the same bar, but during different years. Porsche had once done some ad work modeling for the agency An worked for. And remarkably enough, they had both had brief flings with the same woman, though again years apart. All strictly odd coincidences, like the fact that they both owned red Toyotas.

While a lot of the gossip on the island centered on that whole Kate Jack Sawyer triangle, later a parallelogram with Juliet in the mix, An and Porsche might have been the island's real love story. Or maybe not. They didn't recognize each other as "sisters" when they first met. They actually talked for a few days before their mutual orientation came up. And they resisted any emotional or social attachment at first. It just seemed to pat, too "made in Heaven" that on a tiny continent with a meager population they were the only two lesbians and therefore must have been "made for each other". And even after they became a couple there were times when arguing could be heard from their pup-tent, or one of them would go off alone for a hike to cool off.

They really kept to themselves a lot of the time, amid some vulgar speculation of what went on when they stayed in their tent during the day.

I managed to talk to them a few times, which was more than a lot of people did. When a few of my questions bordered on the personal, An asked me if I was planning on writing a book, and I told her that it was a possibility. She told me that a few of the men had made crude comments or cruder proposals. She made it clear that they weren't bi and weren't interested in having a 3-way with anyone, especially a man. Or in putting on a show. I was honest with her and told her how I felt. As a guy, yes, I'd like to watch. But, yes, I knew I couldn't.

They never took on any leadership role or accomplished anything dramatic. They weren't entirely anti-social and when there were chores to do they chipped in, digging for root vegetables, looking for mushrooms, collecting firewood. And when we had a social function like a boar roast they'd show up with fork and plate, but usually tended to keep to them selves and not participate in any debates or sing-alongs.

They were pretty well adjusted. Life was a constant struggle and a series of ordeals, of course - when isn't it - but they seemed to appreciate that they were living on a tropical island paradise perhaps a bit more than some of the group did.

Sometimes I wonder if they'll stay together when and if we get off this island. In movies a couple meets under extreme dramatic conditions, share some struggles and live happily ever after. I could see them breaking up the day or the week or the year after they get back to the world.

But here they were all they had and they dealt with it.