I stepped out the door, and a chilled wind swept past me. It was already dark, and everything seemed quiet. The children were no longer outside playing; when I had arrived, they were all over me, and even their parents couldn't keep their distance. It must have been the parents who told them to go inside due to the chilly night.

I walked straight to the physician's hut. As I stopped at the entrance, I encountered one of the elders, who was on his way out. A smile brightened his face, and he ...