The Kingdom of Vasileio

Meet the Andersons

"Mrs. Eleanor May Anderson was a good wife, mother, and friend to all of us here. She will be remembered always and forever a happy memory." The pastor said with a sorrowful look at the newly dug grave. The paster continued to speak but I wasn't listening. There was a battle raging in my head, I would never see my mother again and there would always be a hole in my heart where she used to be. In the middle of this tragedy a miracle had happened, I had a new baby sister. I didn't know if I should be mourning or rejoicing for the new bundle of joy. I felt bad for my twin brothers, they were only 6 and knew death at such a young age. My sister's birthday would always be a day of sorrow and sadness.

"Happy Birthday to you!" We all sang to little Juniper as she turned 4 years old. Four years since the day my mother died. Technically it was 4 years and a week, my father had made the right decision. We would celebrate Juniper's birthday a week from that day so we could rightfully mourn my mother and rightfully celebrate Juniper. Things had never been the same, father had to run our store on his own, and she was gone. We made the best of it though, she would have wanted us to remember her in a good way and honor her with every step. Not live in fear and in pain.

Our family ran a woodworking and carpentry shop. Anderson Carpentry and Woodworking in the kingdom of Vasileio, was what it was called. We were the Andersons, Eleanor Anderson that was me. William and Mark Anderson were my twin brothers, Juniper was my little sister, and last but not least my father, Gregory Anderson. The person that inspired me in all my endeavors and adventures. After Juniper's party we all went back to work. Father worked in his workshop with Mark and William, and Me and Juniper behind the till. She of course did not help much but she could not be expected to the boys. She could not even reach the table! Most of the time when there were no customers me and her just talked and played little games about us being princesses or living in the forest. This of course would never happen, we were only peasants in a big kingdom. Every once in a while we would get interesting customers, from the king or some stuck up person that had the weirdest accent.

We started work early and ended late. It was special when the weekend started and we got to go to church and have a day off. One sunday I woke up excited and ready to go to church. Something surprised me though, there was no sound of a saw or the sound of a chisel. Most of the time father would try and get as much done in the morning then take the rest of the day off. This morning there was nothing, no sound of working. I started to get worried and raced downstairs to the shop. My father was nowhere to be found. All that was there was an important looking letter with a kingly looking seal and 2 wood roses and 2 wood horses. I hastily picked up the letter and against my better judgement ripped it open.

"The King here by orders Gregory James Anderson reports to General Adams for his posting in the king's army. Do to recent experiences soldiers will escort his person there. May the King live forever, he has spoken."

I looked at the table unable to think straight. Yet again someone was gone and I didn't get to say goodbye. I must have stood there for a long time just thinking long and hard. It seemed like every minute I found something worse and more troubling about this letter and the life changing words it had brought me.
"Elie where's Daddy?" Juniper asked as she tugged on my sleeve, taking me out of my thoughts. She had woken up and was confused at the silence. Juniper must have walked down the stairs when I was lost in my head.

"Yeah where's father?" William and Mark asked as they too woke up.

"He just went out on a business trip, he might be gone for a long time but he left us gifts, look!" I said with a false sense of happiness. They had already lost so much I didn't want to tell them until I knew he wasn't coming back. I handed Juniper the rose and the boys their horses. They seemed a little disappointed that father had left but they soon forgot as they played with the toys. I tried to tell myself that he was going to come back but I knew deep down that if he came back he would never be the same.