This was hard for me and my family. I mean it was great for my father, but everything changed. We were in the middle of a war when there were the reelections.
My father, Kristopher Hauser, won, meaning I was the president's daughter! This had been his dream ever since Pakistan started bombing us repeatedly when I was a baby. He has always wanted to make peace so that I wouldn't nearly die in a huge house fire again. There has been a war since, for fifteen years it raged. Slowly I think it is drawing to an end.
Now the House of Representatives is upset because my father is being too protective of his only daughter They say that I should not have six body guards alone and a tutor. I, myself disagree, I want to be safe and I feel I am a target in this war now. I am scared. Very scared, we have already had two state governors killed. They think now it will be my father.
One day in the middle of spring in 2035 my parents came into my room in the White House. "I am sorry my dear, it is too unsafe for you here. The House Representative says you should leave the country secretly for your own safe being." Tears welled up in his eyes; I saw how much this pained him. Mother too, they would miss me, and hopefully this would be for a few months.
Summer of 2035, I stepped on that regular ol' Northwest Airlines. Heading to Greece, going incognito, my background disguised and name changed. This will be interesting. I saw my host family for the first time; their clothing much different from our. They think I am an American who is from a troubled background, nothing more, nothing less, I would enjoy this. Or so I thought.
There were five in the family, the mother, Kathryne, the father, Keith, and their kids. The oldest Cody was 3 months older than I. Then the twins Alexzander and Helen came next, they were 8. Then the baby who was 18 months, her name was Anastasia.
For the next week I was introduced and given a tour through their little town of Tripolis. They took me for the first time to a shopping mall there in Greece. It was just like ours in America though; they were not too big on advertising. I thought it was very funny how people would come up and talk to us in Greek, and start on talking about how nice they were to take me in.
All of a sudden a group of girls, about seven, I think, came up to us. Wearing the new in style high tops and boots, wearing frilly skirts and their hair was straight. One very flirtatious girl who I could tell was the leader, even walked up to Cody. She started to whisper sweet lovey-dovey words I feel I will not repeat.
"OMG! Is that Cody! Oh, and then there is that girl." They said looking at me. They said everything in Greek though they knew English, thinking I could not understand. They gave me the full mall experience that morning drama and all. That is when I decided no more malls. I seemed to have bad experiences in them, even in America.
Soon a winter solstice passed, war was still going hard in America. People felt bad for me, and were so kind to me, they even gave my host family gifts of appreciation. Many kids still disliked me, and once they knew I could understand them they would totally stop talking when I came around. I decided to try a new approach. Volunteering, I was going to go to a nursing home. It was a few blocks away and I could easily get there.
North Hills Nursing Home, the sign read. I walked up the pearly white steps to reach the door. Windows lined the walls, many, many windows, nearly thirty I counted.
"Hello, my name is Nira." I proclaimed into the microphone. A camera shot out of the wall and looked around. "I came to volunteer."
"Please proceed." A voice said, and the door opened, rolling upwards. A woman sat at a desk. As I entered she smiled.
"Welcome, please sign in, and we can get you to work." She stood up and said.
"We do not get many people here, and never children. When were you born?"
"2018" I replied, we entered a new room; there were several elders in here. She whispered, 'most of these people are in their mid 130's. Which is actually quite young, usually people live to be 150 years old.' That's when I thought of a word I had recently learned. They were centenarians!
For the next few months I would clean their rooms, wash beds, prepare food and play games with them. Some even wanted me to read to them. I loved this volunteer work. I did not just work in nursing homes; I would raise money for the United States. I made dog houses, worked at soup kitchens and babysat.
About a year and a half after I arrived here in Greece, I met a boy I ended up dating. His name is Rey. He was the first person besides Cody to accept me here. He would volunteer and work with me. He tutored me in writing and helped me learn more advanced Greek. Yeah, I would miss him once I returned to my home, whenever that day would ever come. I missed my parents so much; I called them maybe once every six months.
Bam! Bam! Bam! "Open up or we will blow your house to the ground!" The house was dark, all seven of us huddled and hidden. There were many police and Secret agents. Our house was surrounded; my host family so scared wondering what this was about. Police cars flashing, guns were now shooting and glass broke.
"Give us the girl and you will all be saved, no one will die." Little Anastasia screamed, I piped up asking a question.
"What do you want? Why are you here ruining my families' home! What have we done to deserve this? "
"You! It is her. Take the girl and leave the family. Pakistan wants her so they will get her." He laughed, I now knew, this was no Greek force, but my fathers enemy. Pakistan's doing. I screamed, I squealed, kicked and bit. Nothing would get me free.
They trapped me in a box, bound my hands and feet with an electric rope, and gagged my mouth. They kept me like this for hours allowing me only to be cramped and to get enough air not to faint.
They through me into a cell, rats wandered aimlessly, but when I came, they stared at me as if I was infiltrating their plan of ruling the world. They parted to let me sit, but they bit me, over and over. Then all of a sudden a dove swooped through the window. Wait the window was not even open! Then a beautiful woman appeared. She had ruby red lips and sky blue eyes. She was beautiful even without trying..
"Nira, this is your time. Your father cannot save you. No government will try to save you, they will only kill. Use your voice; you have an unknown power in speaking. And you know it. I have a plan to get you out of here and to end this war." The woman said.
"Miss, may I ask you of your name and why you want to help me." I said falling to the ground. I now realized that this was the goddess Aphrodite, goddess of love.
"Youngling, I have found favor in your eyes. You show great love to your country, for it was I who told the Pakistani Government where you subside. I want you to say these words and prove them this war is ridiculous. I want you to finish this war Ares has started. He has put all his time in this and leaves me alone with Hephaestus." She said. "And youngling I am watching over you, do not be scared."
That very night the government chained me in their weird cuffs. They were surging with electricity, like shock collars but worse. They put me in a chair high above all others, and mocked me, spit on me and whipped me. They did these things to me because I was the presidents' daughter, and if they did it to me but not my father they would not get in as much trouble.
They even broadcasted it on International T.V. "Father, I cried. Help me." Then I remembered what I was to say. I stood and asked for attention.
"Attention? Bah! They laughed in mockery, feasting happily as I was beaten repeatedly.
"Why do you beat me? Do you know me as a person? What if I were your daughter? Would you beat her? You do not have to do this, this war is unnecessary. It is when selfish, old hags like yourselves; want something out of your reach. We, Americans wish peace between each other, if resources are what you want and need, talk with us. Negotiate, I long not to be in war! It depletes us both of what we need, and gets us nowhere. We force innocent people to fight!" I pleaded.
After hours of this rambling, they finally cracked. Many of the men were crying, and tearing up. They unchained me, and let me go. After a well made meal, mostly of fish, I got on a new Ultraplane. The windows were made of a new light clear substance, and the metal was very strong and durable though it was lighter than most. They had found a way to mix the metal with rubber, wood chips, and some secret ingredient. But it was so fast you could get from lets say, China to the United States in about five and a half hours.
"Mother! Father!" I ran into their arms! The White House behind us did not even matter. A huge banquet was held that very night, celebrating the return of the presidents' daughter and the end of the twenty year war.
I sat alone in my room, getting ready that same night when a woman showed up, known as Aphrodite. I grinned, a huge grin, I suppose bigger than I may have ever before. I curtsied, and then ran and gave her a hug. I do not know if that is proper etiquette with a god or goddess, but she seemed cool with it.
"My youngling, you ask why I helped you free and live. I will tell you." And she started her brief story.
"You were about 18 months; Hephaestus and I were very busy with a war against an ancient titan. We had to hide you somewhere and this is where we chose. With Kristopher and Angela Hauser we knew you would be a hero and this was the perfect way you could prove yourself. I convinced your parents and the senate to send you to Greece. This way you could learn your heritage and culture. Yes, I know what you are thinking. You are a goddess. Now come before the banquet starts, the gods have spoken."
Then my yellow room in the White House changed, the walls changed from yellow to white and grew. The ceiling rose to a massive 20feet. Twelve thrones surrounded me, each with a god, I assumed. My mother took a seat on her throne, next to her, Hephaestus sat, his eyes beaming. Mighty and strong, a man with lightning flashing through his beard stood.
"Nira, Daughter of Aphrodite and Hephaestus, a young goddess, you have proven yourself once again. Not only with you kind heart and strong will, but with your determination and honor. You have stopped this long war on Earth; you have a choice to stay with your parents here on Olympus as an immortal, or return to Earth and remain with the president." He said, his eyes voice never wavering, and eyes strict but soft.
I kneeled. "Lord Zeus, I have an idea. But swear on the river of Styx, that we will compromise on this idea and that I will come out of this happy." And he swore.
"My idea is to remain on Earth, until my parents, or adoptive parents die. Then I will come and remain a goddess with my parents here on Olympus. I will age as a human does, then when I come to Olympus I will return youthful. So I will both remain immortal, though I will stay on Earth."
"Child, that plan needs no compromise, all you have asked will be." Zeus boomed. "Now I think it best that you return home, uh, to Earth before the banquet. No one will know what has just occurred."
Then once again I was sitting in my room, as if nothing happened. My parents called for me and I went as the banquets "honorary guest".