Rosie

‘Rosie’ is de hoofdpersoon in een serie verhalen die Doutsje Nauta in de afgelopen 15 jaar voor de Achill Writers Group heeft geschreven. Rosie is haar alter ego. In 2020 tijdens het jaar van Covid-19 heeft ze de Rosie verhalen uit de kast gehaald. Ze vroeg mij of ik er niet eens wat ‘bij wilde tekenen’. Ik wilde dat wel proberen. Dus vanuit Polranny ging ik mij wagen in te leven in een Fries meisje dat opgroeide op een boerderij in de buurt van Snits/Sneek  tussen 1960 en 1970

Rosie is the protagonist in a number of short stories Doutsje Nauta wrote for the Achill Writers Group in the past 15 years. Rosie is her alter ego. In 2020 during the Year of the Plague she took the stories from the shelf and asked me if I could make some drawings for it. I agreed to give it a try. Working in Polranny I had to delve into the life of a girl growing up in Friesland on a farm between 1960 and 1970

Big Brother comes to the rescue when Rosie has to stay behind in class although teacher is almost Family

Rosie has a rake of brothers and sister whom all play a part in the stories. There is Big Brother, Little Sister, Little brother, Baby Sister and Baby Brother. And there are friends like Henkie, the boy next door. Family is the most important in Rosie’s life. Even if it is somebody who may become an in-law. 

Rosie heeft een boel broertjes en zusjes die allemaal hun deel in de verhaaltjes spelen: Big Brother, Little Sister, Little brother, Baby Sister en Baby Brother. En er zijn ook vriendjes en  vriendinnetje zoals het buurjongetje Henkie. De Familie is het belangrijkste in Rosie’s leven ook al is het toekomstig aangetrouwd.

Rosie and Little Sister looking for the eggs of the Lapwing

Rosie on her way home from school is accosted by a stranger, but he says, he is a friend.

Rosie’s mother likes to listen to a program of popular songs on the radio called ‘Vitamines for Work’ while reading a women’s magazine.

Rosie grows up in a farm on a very old dyke among pedigree Frisian cows

When Rosie and next door friend Henkie cross the fields they make use of a special pole to jump all the ditches.

The world Rosie inhabits is very straightforward. So why is it so confusing? Rosie firmly beliefs she can iron out all the contradictions in life, because everything has a reason. And where there is reason there is a solution. To implement the solution Rosie enlists the help of her siblings and school friends. Who can resist?

Rosie starts a club and tries to teach the members the club song she composed herself, but the club house is invaded by people from the radio.

© Peti Buchel