My wife and daughter are sleeping. It is 5 pm. The light begins to appear between the curtains. I quickly put on my jeans. And gently closed the door. Cool air caressed my face and hands numb. A first bridge is facing the room. I cross it without knowing where it will lead me. I stop sometimes to admire the mist flowing down the river.
The car crosses several bridges. Suddenly a fantastic landscape appears. An horse is alone sourrounded by burnt houses and scattered cars. A dog barks in my way. I am afraid to stop but I am drawn by this landscape.
I park and retrace my steps. The large white dog runs trought the field, manage to cross the fence, and finish his race not far from me. He always barks at me. Adrenaline invades my body.We are on wildlands.
I get closer. A woman wearing a dressing gown finally comes out of a wooden hut. With a vigorous step she jumps on the rocks and sometimes stumbles. I wait patiently. After this endless crossing, she takes a breath and asks me what am I doing here ? I tell her that I explore the region.
She smiles. A new figure appear at the cabin door. An man with a white beard is watching at us. After a few minutes he joined us.
They invite me to drink coffee and open the fence. I had that feeling to join the last couple living on our castaway earth. Their house burned last year. With a sense of autonomy they rebuild it everyday.
Hidden in the rubble I finally notice a real organization. A solar pannel will provide electricity in a few weeks. While River begins to explain me her beliefs, Russel goes behind their makeshift home to turn on the generator and comes back few minutes later with a goat milk coffee and cardamom.
River is passionate. She keeps talking. We walk trough the property. She wrote a book « Human’s perfect food » about the original seeds potential and what we’ve lost with our actual diet. Men behaviour would change and humanity would find back the wright balance. Unfortunatly her books has been removed from the distribution. River loves France. She said that we are fighting to keep an healthy agriculture. I prefer not to disappoint her. She offers me her book. She would also loves it to be translate. I promised her I would do my best.
They escort me to my car. I see them in the mirror surrounded by dogs and sheeps. They eventualy diseppear. The sun blinds me. A new day is starting.
Photography and text: Alfred Cromback