The day I met him, I was but a child, orphaned at a tender age...
I walked alone through the woods, without a name, a family or a purpose; I was prepared to die a nobody's death. I felt shivers come up and down my little spine. When I think about it know, it's quite sad; I wasn't older than four years of age and yet I was conscious that my time on Earth was nearing it's end.
I let myself fall to the forest ground and only lifted my upper half to stand against a tree trunk; I wanted to see the beautiful nature as sleep started to overwhelm me and I imagined fairies would come and show me to alot of new places.
I was scared, I was terrified and worst of all... I was all alone. But that changed almost instantly as I heard footsteps approaching and, with a little effort, I opened my eyes to see a fuzzy figure. My vision was blurry, but I could distinguish the silvery coloration of the hair, an incredible shade of crimson red of the eyes; and the last thing I could distinguish, was a unique hyacinth perfume. After that everything faded to black and I did the only thing one could to - dream.
In my dream there was just me, running through the german woods that I loved so much, hearing a voice that promised to protect me for as long as I shall live. I felt safe as long as I heard that voice, but when little me finally woke up I was alone again.
The sheets were cold and I wished I knew where I was, but then again; at just four years of age, I was hungry and scared and so I did the only thing a child could do - I started crying.
Faster than the blietzkrieg someone stormed through the door. It was the same white-haired man whose hyacinth perfume made me feel safe; he had a worried expression on his face as he leaned closer to mine and asked "Are you alright? Did you have a bad dream?" I don't know why, but his voice stopped my tears, and I only needed hug him to feel safe and sound once more. It seemed natural for me to be attached to this stranger; as if I was a part of him and he was a part of me.
"I'm hungry..." I whispered between sobs.
"Then let's get you some food." The man said, holding me up with just an arm as he took me to the kitchen. "It's pretty late at night, but I can cook some wurst if you want to. And a glass of warm milk too." He said, setting me down on the table. I was curiously watching him dance around, taking each and every ingredient; boiling the wurst, warming the milk, all the while humming a lullaby.
"Mister... why are you taking care of me when you don't even know me?" I asked, the thought of my burned family home in mind.
"I know you. You're Angelika Lotte, one of my daughters." The man said with a large smile on his face. I was stunned. How did he know my name? "I'm the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt, and if you'd like me to, from now on I can take care of you." He said setting the table for me, then setting me in a chair.
This man was odd but I became attached instantly, almost as if it didn't matter that I just learnt his name, but instead, what mattered was that I felt connected to him.
Gilbert Beilschmidt raised me as his daughter and I called him "father" until the time that Prussia was abolished came; and so, on a dreadful day in 1947 I lost my father, I lost the nation in which I was born and who against all others, fought to raise little human me!
I'm nearly fifty years old now but still, once a week I go to the tree where Gilbert found me and I sing... I sing to my heart's content because he always loved to hear my voice; and sometimes, when I miss him just too much, the smell of hyacinth floats around me and doesn't leave for a couple of days.
One of these days, I'm sure, I'll come by my nation's side once more. I may be german, but Ludwig is only my uncle; I am a daughter of the Kingdom of Prussia and that I will be until my moment of death... then I'll join my awesome father in undiscovered realms and we'll play like when I was young once, again. Yes, death sounds pleasant.
Ah... hyacinth!