The Whipping Tree

CHAPTER 1

ROSALIE DELOPE

Rosalie stood at the front door sipping on her cup of coffee. The memories kept flooding her mind. The terrible things that happen in her life that kept her in her cocoon of misery.
She had kept a journal of her life every day since she married Cody. But to some people it would seem like a horror story.
Rosalie turned from the door walking into the kitchen, pouring her unfinished cup of coffee in the sink she walked up the stairs and retrieved her journal.
Knowing that Toby her oldest at the age of twenty was at the shipyard where he now took residents, working on a shrimp boat.
The twins boys, Bobby and Billy age twelve were outside. Bobby reading and Billy exploring. Then there was five year old baby Gaby. She was the star in the families eyes especially her fathers. She had spent the night with Rosalie mother. Gaby insisted on calling her grandmother (who teaches her French) madam Moselle. But they wouldn't be home until dinner.
So she took her jornal and went outside to the porch swing making her self comfortable she open the book taking a dip breath she started reading.
She started at the beginning when she first meant Cody. He was driving down her street one night while she was walking home after visiting one of her friends.
Cody had slowed down sticking his head out of the car window looking at her.
"Girl why are you walking these dirt roads all alone in the dark?"
"I'm not alone, your here." Rosalie said smiling. She took a long good look at him. Then she realized that she had seen him around.
"Hey I know you. Your Cody DeLope. Why you out this way, don't you hang more with the swamp foke?" Stepping away from the car.
"Sweetie are you afraid of me. There nothing here that would ever hurt you." Cody said, with as much charm as she had ever seen in a man.
Cody smiled at her bringing up the subject of getting together for a movie or dinner. That was to be there first date.
Rosalie slowly close the journal, putting her hand on the top of it,she stared out at her surrounding a tear running down her cheek.
She fell in love with him that night but now she wished she would have turn and ran the night he porched her in his car on that dark road.