The Other Side - Chapter 1
I had to get away from Tony. We had been together for two years when I found out he had cheated, taking up with an undergraduate student in the philosophy department. It had been a short affair...maybe three encounters and he was appropriately contrite, but it cut me to the core and destroyed me. I just had a study published and had an idea for a book, but I couldn't be in London anymore. I had to get out of there to sort my thoughts about how I felt and of how Tony and I would proceed...if at all.
The cottage I rented in Bodmin was more lovely than I expected. It had been a chapel adjacent to a larger church, and as such, was light and airy, with fabulous windows and light and a spectacular garden, kept up by the caretakers. It was the perfect place to clear my head and get a start on my new book…"The Hidden Relationship - Diagnosis and Study". I had a few patients in the Cornwall area and seeing them on their home turf was a bit of a bonus for them, as well as a help with my rental payments. When at home, these patients were able to bring their spouses and families to counseling sessions which helped the therapeutic process move on much faster. Any time I could facilitate these families' progress to a more comfortable existence, I felt a sense of satisfaction in my purpose and vocation.
Oddly enough, I had received a message from Doctor Ruth Ellingham during this time. She somehow had caught wind of my temporary residence in Cornwall and wanted to refer her nephew, a former surgeon, and now general practitioner in Portwenn, to me for evaluation and possible therapy, and perhaps couples counseling. Dr. Ellingham had been my consultant during my rotation at Broadmoor prison, which had been a total enlightening experience. She had, in her wise and self deprecating way, been a boon to all the prisoners incarcerated there. Of course, there were cases of chronic schizophrenia and antisocial behavior disorder there, but she was also able to weed out cases who had simple depression or bipolar disorder. There was hope for these inmates and she poured her heart and soul into helping them. They, of course, were faced with the burden of having committed a crime and of being incarcerated, but Ruth did everything in her power to ease themselves back into a functional position in society. I admired how she labored in sponsorship for these men.
Ruth had said that her nephew, Dr. Martin Ellingham, was having marital problems, but also had psychological issues due to a questionable upbringing. She stopped there saying she would leave it up to me to make my own diagnosis. As I had learned so much from Ruth, I accepted the referral and sent her my regards. And Tony kept on calling.
