Fellow Compatriots

New hope

August, 11, 1950 Laken, Brussels.

Many Belgians came up to the streets and celebrated today. The streets were all decorated with the traditional black, yellow and red colors, that Belgium, made Belgium. Today was a special day. The enthronement of Prince Baudouin. The entire population was looking forward to this event. They were primarily not been talking about their former King who, during the war, didn't had to live under the oppressions they did.

The civil war thus almost broke out in the little frail, but belong-together country, it was unanimously decided that King Leopold had to abdicate.

Which brings us back to the day when we are today, August 11, 1950. The whole country was celebrating. From the square in front of the royal sheet, where a large crowd had gathered to

Follow the throne change closely, and even in the fields of Limbourg Beringen.

The mines of Beringen were deserted today. Everyone was at home and followed the event on television. Antonio Ferduchi, a twelve year old boy of Italian origin who lived with his parents in Beringen, was playing with his cars while his father followed the throne change on TV. Antonio took the note from the background. He didn't knew at that moment yet that this day would give a turn to his life.

When the speech started and he first heard the voice of the future king, He froze for a moment. He looked up and his mouth dropped open in surprise. There was one of his friends he had met with the scouts at a camp a few years ago. He just forgot completely that he was playing with the cars, got up and sat on screen his mouth still far open.

"What's wrong with you, Antonio?" Asked his father. "It seems like you've seen a ghost." He added with some glee to it. Antonio pointed to the TV and said, "That boy, that's Baudouin, I met him during the great scouts jamboree." The father looked at his son and returned to the TV. "So you know him?" He asked to Antonio and nodded. "I find this very nice to see." Antonio replied and he continued to follow the broadcast.

A while later, when the broadcast was done and Baudouin was appointed King, Antonio was sitting at the kitchen table with his pencils and paper. His father had always said that his son could draw very well, and he was also very proud of what he had already had drawn. He even proposed to him to drawing school and Antonio liked that very much. He could fully show his creative side blossom and immerse themselves more in the artistic sector.

When he finished the drawing, which he was doing, he went to his father and showed him what he had done.

"Look Daddy, our new king!" Said Antonio. His father looked up and was shocked by what he saw. The drawing his son was holding might as well have been from a full-fledged artist. The finishes were done so well that he had to wipe away a tear with seeing this. His son was a real artist. He was thrilled that he had discovered it at a young age so that he now could focus on that.

Antonio took the drawing with him everywhere and showed it to everyone. Also at school and his teacher was hugely impressed. So impressed, that she even asked Antonio to make another drawing of the king to hang here in the classroom. Antonio was enthusiastic about that and the moment he arrived home, he threw his book down in his room, grabbed his drawing materials to the kitchen and immediately began drawing.

A little while later his father came in and when he saw Antonio again drew a picture of the king, he said, "Waauw, you're really good" "But don't you have homework that you need to do first," he added asking. Antonio shook his head and said: "This is my homework, our teacher asked me to draw a picture of the king for her so she could hang in the classroom." His father looked proudly at his son and realized that this was his dream. Drawing was his passion and he wanted at all costs to do everything possible to fulfill that dream.