Dearest Mother

September 17, 1609

Dearest Mother,

            Hello, how have you been? How’s everything? It has been a while since I last talked to you. The voyage has been very long and turbulent, and I have not had time to communicate with you until now. How’s James doing? I hope everything is well..

            During the ever lasting voyage Peter, Thomas, Rosemary, Edward, the other million of mothers with their children and, I were exhausted. Everyone tried to ignore the captain’s angry and arrogant disposition; due to the delayed journey. We could finally reach Jamestown where Adam, my beloved husband, awaited for our arrival. Peter, Thomas, Rosemary, and Edward were enchanted to meet their father after more than a two years. As you know, he had been one of the first English men who had arrived at the colony, looking for riches.

            When I first stepped land, I was enchanted to see the work that the first men had accomplished in the colony. The wooden houses were steady and big and the spontaneous growth of trees around the settlement made it look even better. There were also many tobacco plantations, which were the first cash crop of the colony started by John Rolfe. Tobacco brought a lot of fortune to Jamestown, since then.   

            Recently after Adam’s arrival to Jamestown, men’s work started to decrease, but thanks to John Smith the men, including my husband, showed resilience in their work. Smith was a Nobleman and had an imperative personality. When he saw the men weren’t working how they were supposed to, he started the idea “He who does not work, does not eat”. Many of the men thought it wasn’t fair that they had to work, but Adam agreed to Smith’s idea.

            Because Adam was one of the first settlers to arrive in Jamestown, he owned a large amount of land and was elected to be part of the House of Burgesses; our kind of government. Mary Swan, Bartholomew’s wife whose husband works at the House of Burgesses with Adam, and I have also been extremely aware of any kind of guile from the government to the colonists. But no suspicion has been aroused, and I’m very proud of Adam’s progress in his work. I’ve been working at home, cooking, and taking care of the children, for now. Here in the colony, women are not allowed to do much work; men are the only ones who can work in the plantations or in the House of Burgesses.

            Mother, I want you to know we all miss you so much. I will keep you informed of everything going on here in Jamestown. I hope you can finally make your mind and decide to come to the colony with the next group of settlers; which is coming in a couple of months. You can bring James too. Take care! We love you, and await a response.

My Best Wishes,

Isabella      

I Knew It

I had always known that man was mad; by the way he acted and talked. My boys made fun of him and simulated his every action. I tried to stop them because it really got me on my nerves.

           

It’s been a couple of days since I heard the electrifying shriek from the house next door. It came from the mad man’s mansion; he was the old man’s caretaker. Clad in my heavy nightgown, I got up from my bed. It had been a cold night but for some reason I was dehydrated. 

           

It was dark, as I gingerly went down stairs to the kitchen for a glass of water.  I turned on the kitchen lights and looked at the small window located above the sink. I made a cursory study of the neighbor’s wooden house, which had always given me a creep. Not the house itself, but the young mad man who worked there. I had always seen something strange on him; perhaps the way he looked at the old man, I could see he always made a face of disgust. I felt myself grimace as I watched the pitch-black house with no sign of life or emotion.

           

I took a glass of water from the top cabinet and filled it with some ice. I opened the refrigerator to pour some cold water in the glass. I made a quick inventory of the things left in the refrigerator and noticed I needed to go to the market and get more food. I drank all the water and washed the glass carefully, placing it inside the cabinet. I looked around and turned the kitchen’s lights off.

           

It was dark again, as I made my way upstairs checking my boys’ peaceful sleep. As I crawled up my bed, I heard the abrasive sound. The gruesome shriek, it had to be from the old man! I surmised that the mad man had done something and the poor old man, with that glassy eye, had had to succumb.  I had to call the police!

           

A man with a low voice answered at the station. I was able to corroborate the situation, since I had been extremely aware of what had happened. I gave the man the address and he said that three officers would endeavor to come at that early hour. The only thing I could do was wait.

           

Days later, I derived from Mrs. Manson that the mad man had killed the old man. I had known it from the start.