Years of Silence

By Bernadette Laroze

We are in 2050 when Isabelle reconnects with her friends in France.

 

A Coup d'etat separated Florida from the United States and after years isolation from the world, she tells her story.

 

 

The book consists of a series of letters that Isabelle addresses to her friends in France.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bernadette Laroze
• Release date: Oct 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393438588

Bernadette Laroze

I was born and brought up in France. As a young adult I left with my husband and my son for Canada. We then moved to the United States where my second son was born. As of today, I live in Florida

Book preview

Years of Silence

Letter one:

Reconnection

After all these years of silence, I

was so happy to be able to talk to

you on the telephone. As you know,

we have been separated from the

world for twelve years. It would

take too long to explain

everything to you over the telephone,

however, I will send you emails 

telling you what happened during

this period.

Forgive me, but my story is a bit

long, therefore, I will send you a

a few chapters at a time.

I missed you very much and love

you,

Isabelle

P.S. From what I could

understand, you were aware of

our isolation, not knowing

exactly what was happening to us.

Letter two:

The first news

Hello my friends,

We are in 2050 and I am fully

aware that my days are numbered.

How many changes I have seen in

my long years of living on this

unstable planet.

After retirement, I thought about

Going back to France, but no one

Wanted to follow me, so I stayed in the

United States, for my sons and

my grandon.

An despite all the good and the bad,

I am still here. Before my soul, my mind

and my heart succumb to the

inevitable, I will tell you my story.

I will start in my next email.

I am very sorry for those who

Have lost loved ones and I will

begin to mourn for them now

and it is difficult. I could not be

aware of events as they happened.

I knew very well that twelve

years is a long time at our age,

but I really did not want to

think about all the people

I knew, loved and who are gone.

Peace to their souls.

On this sad note, I wish you a good

evening and see you another day,

ISABELLE

Letter three:

The beginning

Hello French people,

This is an attempt to tell you

what we Floridians have been

through for the past twelve years.

Around the 2030’s,  everything

rushed.

In the years that followed, there

was a lot of change in the world. I

cannot mention them all, and

besides,  I'm sure you know what

I'm talking about.

But one day Florida was separated

from the United States. For

months, we had no news from

other states, nor what was

happening in the rest of the

world. One day we were isolated,

totally. Boats, arriving I did not

know where, were anchored on

both sides of Florida. Airports

have been closed. The border with

Alabama was populated by

military personnel whose

uniforms I did not recognize.

Planes flying over Florida were

shot down, and unknown ships

too. There were deaths,  but no

prisoners.

How all this change happened, I

do not know and I do not

understand the actions that led to

all these events. The great

Renewal, that we the people

had been waiting for with great

anticipation arrived, but the

result was far and away what we

I had hoped for.

OK, I'm quitting for today. You

might know it, but I have tried

over the years to keep a journal of

what was happening in our family

and in Florida. It hasn't always

been easy. We didn't have the

internet all the time, and writing by

hand was getting very tiring

on my old hands.

Big kisses

Isabelle

Letter four:

A new day

Hello my friends,

Whoever now rules Florida calls

himself Grand Master.

We're not even sure his real name:

Yvens Aggrrora.

In the few interviews he has

agreed to comment on

television, I have perceived an

imperceptible accent that I do not

recognize. Is he at least American?

I do not know.

Each town, each village has a

master supported by a

sub-master, helped by master

assistants, and the others called

only assistants.

One day everything changed.

What I know is our story and I

will try to tell it to you.

So let's try to continue our

conversation.

From the start of the new regime

here in Florida there was a huge

exodus. Those who have tried,

and some succeeded, went by boat

to Cuba. Some arrived alive,

others died on the way, killed

by our army which

controlled the coast. Others have

died at sea in makeshift boats.

Still others died from lack of food

and water or were eaten and torn

to pieces by sharks. I know it’s

not a pretty picture, but yes it

did happen.

Others have tried to reach

Mexico.

Again, some arrived unharmed

and others did not survive. The

Mexican government had

protected its border to let in

Mexicans residents of Florida, or

Mexican nationals. It is said that

a large number of Floridians

managed to get in at night. These

were Americans. I was told the

roads were so crowded with

American refugees that you had

to wait days to cross the border.

The journey could take weeks. At

the end of their strength, having

exhausted resources, they stayed

where they were. Our

government placed them in some

abandoned house or business and

sent them to work on the farms.

There was also an exodus to the

border of Alabama. From what I

heard this was another problem.

No one could travel by train or plane.

Transport was reserved

for the new regime. The

overcrowded roads, restaurants

and hotels closed, it was difficult

to store food