Rosefield

8

<Dear Lucy, many things have happened since the last stime I 've written to you.

I heard that Inez had a miscarriage and now her folks want to know who is responsible for it. Since she doesn't say anything, they have started to suspect of Henry.

This is all unfair... Henry has always behaved properly with all of us.

I know Liam is responsible, but if I would tell them I should explain how I know that and it would be difficult for me to hide that I have been his lover as well.

Anyway, Henry and I are about to leave the village, we have also set the wedding date.

Henry has been transferred to Bath and I will continue my studies there.

We also decided that we'll spend our honeymoon in East Sussex, so             I can visit you.

I'm glad to see you again, so we can talk personally.

Michelle also got engaged to Samuel.

I will miss her friendship very much when I won't be here anymore.

Although Samuel no longer meets the other girls of the village, Liam keeps on doing it; the other day I spoke to him and he told me that my classmates are not the only ones who meet him, a couple of their older sisters are doing it too.

He says sometimes he can't please everyone.

I noticed a different atmosphere in the village, there are more smiles and the things that have happened lately seem to have been forgotten.

Anyway I don't think Ia m going to miss Rosefield.

See you soon,

Florence>.

<November 18, 1977. Dr. R. Edwards.

Three days ago a very serious event occurred: a group of residents attacked Dr. Wood's house, brandishing sticks and blunt tools: they were convinced that Dr. Wood took advantage on miss Inez.

Warned about it, I rushed to the place, trying to calm the people, but it didn't help. Dr. Wood has been dragged out of the house and badly beaten.

I tried to help him, since the physical damages he had, but I've been prevented by the people, who dragged Dr. Wood out of the village.

He was told never to return.

The last image imprinted in my mind of Dr. Wood is he staggering away from village.

Miss Warren came over and she followed Dr. Wood out of the village... she never came back.

I learned that luckily Dr. Wood hasn't had serious damages, a part the break of the nose and some ribs.

He and Miss Warren got married immediately and now they are traveling to Bath, where Dr. Wood is been assigned as doctor.

I am amazed by the cruelty and the barbarism these seemingly peaceful people have been capable of.

This is definitely a place out of the world.

As I am about to leave the village, I write my last lines on the report about the cases I cared about here.

After the suspension of the treatments didn't occur cases of indisposition, nor sleepwalking among the patients not anymore, nor after the resumption of the school's musical activities.

Yesterday I welcomed the new doctor assigned to the village, Dr. Bell, twenty-six years old, just graduated from Oxford. I admit that I wouldn't have chosen such an inexperienced doctor to manage the village, but      I trust the decision of the medical register. He seems very smart and willing to me.

I introduced him to the community, which warmly welcomed him, as if people have already forgotten what they have done and everything was back to usual.

The only unusually thing that caught my eye is been the way the women of the village look at the young Dr. Bell, in a very insistent and ambiguous way... but maybe it's just my impression>.

                                                         THE END.