12 Days of Codfish Event, day 2
Congrats 2662Sophya, since you were the first to review on the last chapter I ended up writing your request as a drabble. I'm sorry that is is not my best work, as I do not know much about 20th Century Portugal as my textbook strangely forgets Portugal after the Napoleonic wars. So through the slightly outdated books (One still has Portugal on the Escudo, that's how old it is) and google here is End of Dictatorship Portugal. I am actually planning on writing Portugal WWII era at one point, and that is going to be more interesting.
I'm still taking two more writing requests in a review
1974, Pre-Carnation Revolution
Portugal twisted the red carnation in her hand. She didn't know why she was playing with her brother's favorite flower, as she much preferred lavender. Sighing she tucked it in her short hair. Yes, I said short. The nation's ever present ponytail was gone.
"Cut your hair, Portugal. You are a new state now," her boss ordered. She cut it of course, but it had been slowly growing back. Her boss hadn't noticed it slowly growing past her shoulders. Also near her shoulder a decades old tattoo proclaimed her as a New State.
"I'm over two millennia years old," she wanted to say. "Do you expect me to forget all of that?" Instead she gritted her teeth and replied, "Yes António. I'll see to it." The cruel irony was her annoying brother had the same name.
If she closed her eyes, she could hear the gunshot that murdered her king and his heir. She could feel the secret one rip through her arm, millimeters away from her heart. She could see the bullets on the carriage, one covered up to pretend she was not there. "Sometimes I miss the monarchy," she spoke aloud. This was Maria talking, not Portugal. She know her citizens probably don't miss the kings, but she can't help it. She had helped raise almost every single one of them.
Portugal glanced to the scenery behind her. She had taken a seat right behind the Monument to discoveries, which had been inaugurated only a few years ago. A fitting tribute to her past. The other monument that Salazar had commissioned was one to Christ the Redeemer. Bitterly she laughed. Even as a fascist, she was still expected to go to church. She had started as a Catholic country after all.
"If only all of you could see me now," she muttered. She had met every single one of those men, some knowing her identity, some left in the dark.
"Hello Senhora," Portugal turned around to see a citizen standing. By his uniform, she guesses he is in the military, and he is only around twenty. "What are you doing here alone?" he asked politely.
"Just thinking," she replied. The soldier takes a seat next to her. For a few minutes they just sit in silence, each to their own thoughts. Checking her watch, she got up and said, "I better go, adeus." Walking past the young man, she slipped her carnation into the barrel of his gun.
To tell you the truth, I get mixed reviews on this time period. The book I am using for this only talks about WWII era, and how Salazar was keeping Portugal away from communism *bangs head against desk*