Adrianne was a proud Alaskan. Her region’s name means “great Earth”, and many of its inhabitants fondly call it “the land of the midnight sun.” It was late at night, and Adrianne, who was a conservationist and researcher, had decided to explore the coastline in search of walruses. Adrianne rowed slowly, and her skiff cut cleanly through the crystal-clear waters. She loved Alaska dearly, and knew its history like the back of her hand. The territory had been colonised by Russian trappers in the late 17th century. The Russians exploited its resources for the timber and fur trades, and Russian trappers set up permanent trading posts on the islands. They hunted sea otters, whose furs sold for top dollar on the Chinese market. As in Siberia, the Russians hired locals, introduced alcohol and sought to convert the indigenous populations to the Russian Orthodox Church. Adrianne hated the Russians. Aged all of twenty, she was proud that the Americans had bought the territory for seven million dollars. She was jolted from her thoughts by the sight of a walrus beached on a nearby shore. She felt a swell of pity for the poor animal, which was still breathing but visibly suffering. She rowed in its direction, then stepped off the rickety little boat. She beckoned to two her young Inuit companions to join her. Together, they hoisted the mammal and set it in the boat. The walrus seemed to be bleeding; it may have been attacked by a polar bear. “His tusks are gone. They must have cut them off for the black market,” Adrianne explained to the two Inuits. Adrianne quickly pulled out a bottle of alcohol, and poured some onto a towel. She cleaned the wound carefully. The walrus bleated and groaned. A tear ran down Adrianne’s cheek. “Don’t worry, you’re gonna be alright!” she whispered. Then Adrianne took a few measurements, noting the animal’s length and fin size in her little notebook. The three lifted the walrus as best they could, and returned it to the water. Adrianne watched it diving down into the clear, icy depths. As it moved off, the walrus seemed to come back to life, playful as a dolphin. She was proud. She had saved an animal, and not just any animal.
The trio rowed back towards Anchorage, and the first houses came into view. They saw smoke coming from the chimneys. Adrianne loved Alaska dearly; this land of the midnight sun. She wished she could stay here forever, far from the violence of the big cities, far from everything but Alaska. Adrianne observed the velvet-blue sky that watched over Anchorage day and night. They approached the docks, and moored the boat. Adrianne climbed off and helped the two Inuits out onto the jetty.
Tomorrow she would return. She hoped that she would spend all her days saving the lives of animals. It was cold on the docks, and Adrianne set off home to her parents.
Alan Alfredo Geday
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