Citizen No.51

   He had met no-one in The Village who had committed a crime. So what was it that brought him to The Village? Perhaps he was one of those citizens who came to The Village of his own volition, maybe with his wife and daughter Number 50, if she was not born of The Village that is. And his wife, seeing as there is no sign of her, perhaps we can assume she now resides in The Village cemetery.
   It might be that 51 became disillusioned with life in The Village, that’s why Number 100 was able to turn 51 into an anarchist so easily. Because 100, working as an “undercover,” pretended to have the same beliefs as Number 51. 51 wanted to commit an act of assassination, something to wake the citizens from their lethargy. What happened to him after Appreciation Day? Who can say? He was stopped from murdering the retired Number 2. Perhaps because he allowed himself to be indoctrinated, groomed even, by an agent provocateur, they might allow his daughter to look after him. Or retire him into the Old People’s Home, where he can sit in the lounge opposite the retired Number 2 whom he tried to kill. As for his daughter Number 50, it would leave her virtually alone in The Village. Unless she found a way to build herself a new life there, if that is at all possible.

Be seeing you