Cindy's Grim Tale - Unfortunate Beginnings

While he was gone Ruth did sneak away to her merry making taverns once again. Cindy was accustomed to Ruth’s ways, and she quietly entertained herself, so as not to disturb Ruth.

An unexpected messenger did come one day. Ruth and Cindy received sad news that another knight from the Hartzell clan had been slain on the battlegrounds of Vietnam.

Cliff was escorting his brother’s body to his final resting place in the Pennsylvania Dutch land and had summoned them to meet him there.

Ruth and Cindy quickly gathered their things to journey to meet Cliff in the Dutch land. During the burial ceremony, Cliff was dressed in his finest uniform, wearing gloves on his hands and all his medals proudly sat on his chest.

The other knights fired off loud weapons to salute the fallen knight. This scared Cindy, but Cliff held her hand tight and kept her safe from harm. Soon after the ceremony, Cliff was beckoned to return to the land of Vietnam, and Cindy feared he may return as her Uncle did.

Great Sorrow

Cliff did return home after the battle, but somehow had changed and Cindy sensed something was very wrong. Ruth prepared his favorite meal of roasted beast, roots and blueberry cobbler, but Cliff could not eat it. He began to cry at the dinner table. This struck deep fear in Cindy’s heart. Her brave father had never shown any weakness before; he was always able to conquer any enemy.

Cindy cried along with her grief-stricken father. In a few days Cliff left again, this time he went to a distant hospital to find a cure for his deep sadness. After a few months, he returned home to his castle once again.

Fitzsimons Army Base, Colorado

By Cindy’s eleventh year, Cliff received orders to go to a medical training camp in the higher land of the West. It was a long journey by carriage, but finally they all arrived in the high village of the West land. Soon after they arrived, many changes happened for each of them.

There were many children in this new village, so Cindy made friends and she was happy. Cliff and Ruth did allow Cindy to have a dog and she was all the more happier. Cliff worked very hard and his commanders gave him more responsibility.

Cliff’s best friend Ben also lived in the high land of the West, and he was happy to be reunited with him. Cindy called Cliff’s friend, Uncle Ben.

Ruth became heavy with a second child, who was called Rhonda. Right before Rhonda was born, Cliff fell stricken with a severe disease of the heart. He was carried to the village hospital where special medicine men worked to cure his disease.

Ruth was then laboring to bring Rhonda into the world, so she was also taken to the village hospital which left Cindy alone in their high land cottage.

In all the haste and turmoil, everyone had forgotten about Cindy. Cindy knew she needed to take care of herself, so she ordered a pizza meal to be delivered and made fudge.

She supped on the pizza and fudge continuously until she could eat no more. By the time Uncle Ben arrived to check on her, Cindy was very sick. Uncle Ben scolded her, and told her she was not a princess; she was only a spoiled brat! Cindy was sick and sad, and she wanted her father.

To be continued -

All the pictures shown in this post are scanned copies of original photos and a newspaper clipping from a family album!