It was the fall of August when I found out Ethan was going to serve in the Marines. I cried all night knowing that the chances of him making it back was 50/50. I begged to him not to go, but he only responded back "Anne, you know I have to do this. I need to serve my country and bring my family honor or I'd be known as a disgrace!" his words were morbid to me each time he'd say that.
Ethan knew that I hated his family tradition, well it also runs in the whole town of Dayton, Tennessee, so the towns tradition. My mother always told me about it and how important it was to have a boy in the family. Her warm voice replays in my head and my lips curved into a smile remembering the last moments of her existence.
*
"Annie!" My mother yelled. I was playing with Aubrey Hepburn and Ethan at the towns park; which was across from our homes, I would always laugh remembering the times I'd give Aubrey a glare for even getting near Ethan, I envied her good looks and still do today. I dropped my shovel and ran into my mothers arms.
She kissed my forehead and walked over to my Nana's rocking chair and sat in it. Every time it was 3 in the afternoon she'd call me and we'd have story time since at night my mom would always argue with my dad who'd stumble in drunk after his long day of work from the towns court house.
"Come here Annie," she told me patting her her thigh signaling to sit. I walked towards her and jumped on her lap, I embraced her into a hug and she did the same in return.
"So, you want to hear about the towns tradition?" she asked and I nodded my head.
"Well, back then during the American revolution Tennessee was known to be a confederate state. The town of Dayton was known to , be a Union. Everyone in Tennessee would try to fight with us but we were to strong, and we fought millions of men! Only 4 were injure, but no one died. Afterwards, countless of wars happened between America and other countries. When our men would come to help each president found out something fascinating about the men in our town, which was being great soldiers. So, every time a boy hit the age of a man (which was 18) then you'd have to fight in war, if not the family will disown you and you'll known as a disgrace to the town, and also the family" She told
(**Not necessary to read but to have a better understanding*** For non- Americans: Back during the civil war (Which was a fight over slavery) The confederate states needed slavery because they were well known for agriculture, and The union was mainly about industry and needed less slaves and also had the idea of rights for African Americans. So, The union wanted to get rid of slavery and the confederate states didn't like that idea because they'll make less money.)
"But mama, We don't have a boy in the family. It's just you, me, Daddy, Nana, and Papa" I said, she smiled.
"Annie, can you keep a secret?" she said.
"Yes! I pinky swear, I'll never break your promise!" I told her while my pinky stuck out, her smile grew as our pinky's interlocked.
"How do you feel about having a baby brother or sister?"
*
More tears pricked out of my house remembering that moment, it was happy, yet a sad moment. She was three months pregnant at the time, but the child was never born since she died 2 weeks later of colon cancer. No one knew of her illness nor did my father, he never had the chance to find out since they were always bickering and he was rarely sober.
After her death my father went to the towns rehabilitation center, I was the at the age of eight during the time and Nana and Papa would always watch me. He'd always paid off the house, I'd always visit him every once of month and he'd give me a envelope that contain the average amount of $100. Nana always always spent it on food but sometime we would only be left with a $5 or $3, so Nana told me to save it up for college.
At the age of 17 Nana died and I've never heard from papa again, my father was able to get out of the rehab for his drinking problem or so I thought, until a the day before I was told he could be release a homeless looking man showed up at my door at 3 in the morning asking for my father, his voice was very jumbled in words and showed a lack of intelligence as he was telling me something about owing money. After awhile I caught on to what he was saying, my father owed about over $800 and the money I've been saving up for college I gave it to him.
The next day I rushed into rehabilitation center yelling and screaming at my dad, I told him I wanted nothing to do with him and never wanted to see him ever again. Memories flood threw my head remembering that day, Shoving clothes into a suitcase and breaking every photo of him and me. I remember falling to my knees when I reached Ethan's doorstep. The Cata's (Cay-Ta) took me and sheltered me, they treated me like their own daughter.
When I was 17 and a half my dad kept leaving me messages on my phone tell me he wanted to see me and that he got out of the rehab. I would yell at him threw the phone saying nasty names and also that I regretted even talking to him, the one that struck him the most was that I told him my mother should of married someone better then a man who get high of the time and drowns himself in alcohol. He told me I was so much like my mother and that he regretted doing those thing.
After that day he stop calling, he stop sending me money, there was no contact whatsoever, which I wanted. But I miss getting calls from him, I just want to hear my fathers voice one more time. Months after there was still no contact, I tried calling him but the phone number was no longer in service. I was lost and confused, Ethan help me during those times and I'll admit that my feelings for him got stronger. Ethan asked me out a month later and I could say that was the second best day of my life (The first is getting proposed too).
On my graduation day there was no sign of my father, I was very angry. How could my father not show up to his own daughters graduation? I know I said I didn't want anything to do with him but knowing he was here could of made things better. At the end of the ceremony a tall man with dark brown hair and fair white skin walked into the gymnasium (Which is were the ceremony took place) asking for me.
I told him yes I am Anne Carter Ellis and that I was the daughter of Mark Ellis and Judith Ellis. I remember feeling wary since this wasn't just some random man, this was a soldier.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Mark died 2 weeks ago from a head shot," his voice deep and mellow told me.
I collapsed onto the floor, luckily before I could actually hit the floor the solider caught me. The name on his suite had the name "James Lancaster" written on it. I stared at him for a quick second then asked " What field was he in?" I asked between my sobs, " Army, this was his first time serving for America" He told.
A month later Ethan and I moved out to Boston, Massachusetts and attended Harvard University. I'm planning to transfer schools since my scholarship only helps pay off only 1 year of my college and also Harvard isn't as easy as I thought, my grades went from straight A's to and average A+ and B- within the first trimester.
I was planning to continue studying philosophy since I have a huge interest in it (Aside from literature). Knowing me I take the major that seemed easy ( Which was English Major) but A week later I found out I was taking the hardest major. Ethan laughed at me as I complained all night about how difficult my classes were.
"Anne" Ethan said, he walked towards me and sat beside me on the the bed.
" Ethan, you know how I feel about this and I really don't appreciate you being a schemer, especially with the tradition" I told.
"I know, I know...but I need to carry out the family tradition and also money is getting pretty tight around here, especially now that your scholarship is ending and that your going to be studying abroad," he told. I gave him a look as if he was a unknown foreign object to me. I sent in 5 applications to university's in New York (Which neither decided to accept me) and 1 application to London.
"Ethan, I don't even know if I got accepted or not." He then smiled at me and passed me a envelope. It was in a large manila envelope and in the corner it had written 'Kings College London.' I quickly open the letter and began to read.
Dear Anne Carter Ellis,
It is with great pleasure that I write to offer you admission to the Kings College London and to invite you to join the second-year class in the English Major. You should take great pride in receiving this invitation; more than 28,980 students applied for the 3,485 places in this fall’s entering undergraduate class. Your inclusion in this group is a testament to your hard work and superior academic performance as well as the personal qualities that distinguish you from your peers.
Kings College London is unique among the world’s best colleges . Our community stands for a set of distinct values that define its character and culture. With the Honor System, student self-governance, international engagement, and our commitment to public service, students here acquire an ethic of personal and civil responsibility which complements the skills they will learn and develop for use in their careers. If you accept this invitation to join us, you will become part of a global family of scholars who have high standards for academic achievement, ethics, and mutual respect. Those who join this community embrace these values and carry them on to the careers and communities they enter when they leave this place. Please know that continued excellence in both your academic and personal life is expected by Kings College London.
Queen Elizabeth wrote that students would come here to achieve “destinies of high standards and promise.” In making this offer, we express profound admiration for your accomplishments to date, enormous confidence in your potential for continued success, and anticipation for the destiny of high promise that awaits you. I hope you will choose to join us here in London as part of the Class of 2015.
Sincerely,
Benet N. Evens
Chancellor of Kings College London
Once I finished the letter I screamed on the top of my lungs " ETHAN I GOT ACCEPTED! I'M GOING TO LONDON BABE! AND OMG!!! IT WAS WRITTEN BY THE CHANCELLOR" I yelled, he chuckled.
"So... What's your view now of me joining the marines?"
"I still hate it, I'm still pissed for you joining...but since you can't back out of it, okay." He then cheered and yelled in joy. Now I know the position he was in just a second ago with my acceptance letter, looking up at your spouse ( well soon to be) and thinking how eccentric they are.
After an hour of celebrating (Which mainly was watching movies and eating junk food and ordering take out) we finally decided to go to bed. My mind was mainly focused on moving to London in a month and also Ethan leaving in two weeks. After awhile, I knew I couldn't sleep due to my excitement. A majority of the night I stared at the ceiling and began to think and and fantasize about college, until I passed out the next morning at 3.