Next of Kin

Note: Sophia Andersen discovers through her studies in genealogy that her great-great-great-great grandfather is Hans Christen Andersen. In many ways her story has been similar to the Little Match Girl, (she even experiences near-death) but it is about to become better.

“Ask, believe, receive.”—from The Secret

Chapter 1—Second Chance

I never believed life in America could be this atrocious. I had once worked for a rather prestigious up-and-coming company, but when our work went overseas, all of us were told to take a hike. I still remember our layoffs like it was yesterday. I was so angry I could hardly think. Now I’m out on the streets begging for food and foraging for what I can from garbage cans. I realize this sounds terrible to the typical person, but when you’re homeless and living on the streets anything begins to look appetizing. I’ve eaten many things that I would rather not discuss, but my luck was about to take a turn for the worst.

It was winter in New York City, and like my namesake, I had become a little match girl. I wasn’t doing well considering the state I was in. Food was hard to come by, and the local soup kitchen was always running out of rations to feed to everyone in the surrounding area. I survived on what little I could get, especially what I earned for my matches and pieces of coal I found discarded in the allies. My clothing was becoming more ragged and I didn’t even seem to care. Before I saw my world swirling around me, I came upon a book with my last name on it, written by another scholar. I had recalled seeing this exact name when I was studying genealogy but I had never met Dr. Schilling in reality. As I saw the title Andersen’s Legacy become nothing more than a blur, my world became black, and I fell onto the cold, unforgiving sidewalk beneath me.

When I awoke, I saw a bespectacled man looking at me as if I looked familiar to him.

“Miss, are you alright ? It seems you took quite a fall.”, he said, helping me up. Unable to say too terribly much, he was able to take me to the hospital, and from then on my fortune became far better than I had ever hoped.

Chapter 2—Chance Meeting

By coincidence, or what I thought was mere dumb luck, the man’s name whom I had read earlier on that book I found had found me. He told me I looked an awful lot like my 4-times great grandfather, but I didn’t see how that was possible.

“No one knows this, but Christen had many children. Your mother was one of his daughters, and she married within the family. I know this seems quite a shock to you, particularly considering it is the 21st century, but this was when such a practice was common. The Andersens were considered royalty, and yes, your 4-times great grandfather even received a knighting and honors by the Queen Herself.”, Dr. Reginald Shilling told me. All of this news was a bit much for me to absorb at first. I had never come upon anything like that in my studies. It was as if this man knew my family personally. I didn’t have any family left; they were all dead, sadly. Besides, if any of them were alive, they were in a place I could never possibly reach.

Again, my negativity had darkened my heart, but Reginald wanted me to realize not everything in life was dark, dire, doom and gloom.

Reginald had offered to take me on a trip to Odense, Denmark, where my 4-times great grandfather was born. Here I was someone who had seen heaven only momentarily to see the closest locale that could be called paradise. I couldn’t believe that this was happening to me. A couple of times, I actually pinched myself to see if I was dreaming. Not only did that hurt initially but I was awakened to reality. I knew I had actual purpose in my life. I was about to discover I was one of the last Andersens living and that this legacy must continue. My story was about to become a real-life fairy tale, and I was about to see how factual fairy tales could truly be.

Chapter 3—Denmark

I knew nothing about Denmark other than what I had read in travel guides. The guides I had read didn’t do the location any justice, however. The villages were quaint, and foliage was plenty. People seemed to be genuinely nice, and food was never in short supply. I didn’t eat much anyway, because I wasn’t used to eating large amounts of food, but I learned how to be civil quickly from Reginald’s teachings and how to compose myself within society. I was a fast learner, and I never thought I could clean up so nicely.

Before I knew what had happened to me, Reginald had taken me to a dinner where I would be rubbing elbows with some rather important people. The Doctor himself was a publisher and he had planned to have another friend of his, who was a Danish publisher, meet me and conduct an interview to update The Andersen Legacy. As I waited, butterflies flitted around in my stomach. I had never been nervous before, but I was allowed to be a bit apprehensive. Reginald placed his gloved hand atop mine,

“Don’t worry. You have always been a princess. All women are, but some manage to forget when the world weighs them down. You have been uplifted, so your royalty has been regained. Continue being true to yourself.”, Reginald reminded me softly in my ear. I noticed a sparkle in the old doctor’s cerulean eyes, and his grey handlebar mustache revealed a tender smile and an encouraging wink. Soon, we were joined by the Danish publisher and expert on all things Andersen, Dr. Heimlich Hydenriech. His name was enough of a tongue-twister, but I was able to pronounce it well. No sooner had we started ordering that I had been asked about my past. I was a bit reluctant, but I told the truth from the beginning to the end.

“You don’t know this, Ms. Andersen, but your grandfather left behind a great estate to you. If you are indeed his only living grandchild, it belongs to you. That is, if you wish to have it.”, Heimlich said, showing me a deed, paid in full to everything that H.C. Andersen once had when he was alive. This would mean I would have to learn Danish, learn the culture, adapt to the ways of the Danes…It seemed like a bit much to me. I was surprised at my want to return to America. But there was nothing for me there on the cold, calculating streets. I was being handed something that I could keep alive for years to come, maybe even continue the legacy.

I knew it would be difficult at first, but I could make the transition. Besides, I could always come back to New York when I wanted to.

“Very well, I accept !”, I said, happily as Doctor Hydenriech handed me a fancy fountain pen. In a flourish, I signed my John Hancock to the old parchment and was soon whisked away into a world I never could’ve imagined.

Chapter 4—My Very Own Castle, and my Very Own Prince

When I came upon the mansion in the country I was stunned beyond all rational thought or feeling. My eyes welled up with tears and I couldn’t even speak my joy was so great. Reginald did the speaking for me. I was attended by a butler and maids instantly who had been caring for the estate in grandfather’s absence. I truly was a princess, and this was my castle. I would take good care of it for so long as I lived. But I didn’t realize that I would soon have a fairy tale romance of my own too.

I learned about how Danes lived and thrived day by day, and I took part in aristocratic activities. But, like normal people I wished to go to the movies, and shop. No one took any objection in that, but I couldn’t be in the hectic city alone. Thus, I was taken by my butler Igor to see the sights, the shops, and eat some of the incredible food. I stopped inside of one of my favorite restaurants, and it seemed like all eyes were on me. I was surprised, not used to all of the eyes of gawking aristocrats who had not been used to seeing me, but I soon overcame my sensation of vertigo and was able to find a comfortable place to sit and wait to be served.

I was soon joined by a stranger who had platinum blonde hair, dazzling blue eyes and a welcoming smile. At first, I was a little suspicious of him, but he made his intentions known quickly.

“I had been watching you since you walked in, and to be honest, I couldn’t stop staring at you. I know it was rude, I shouldn’t have done it. But I was taken in by your beauty, and like any good work of art, you should be admired.”, the young man said. I had never heard such poetry from a man before, and my cheeks instantly turned red. Before I knew what to do, the man was sitting with me. I learned his name was Christian Odessa. He seemed to come from fairly wealthy breeding, but it wasn’t his breeding that had transfixed me. I was more fascinated by his intelligence, his humor, and most of all, those magnetic blue eyes.

I didn’t realize I was falling in love with Christian until he took my hand and asked me for a dance. A stirring waltz was being played by an orchestra that played every day at this favored restaurant and I found myself blushing, and my heart racing.

“I am surprised that no one until now has ever asked you to dance, my lady.”, Christian said, his tone very melodic. My heartbeat was so loud I could barely think. I hid my face bashfully and he chuckled.

“Perhaps we should return to our table and wait to be served ?”, he offered, noticing how bashful I was. I nodded, finding it hard for the Danish words to form in my mouth to answer him correctly. I had never had any trouble talking to people before, but with Christian it was different. Before long, the two of us had to part, but soon, we were corresponding over email, phone and having many dates back at the restaurant before we knew we were dating and in love.

Chapter 5—Fairy Tale Wedding

In about a year’s time, Christian had proposed and we decided to get married early in the spring. The weather was perfect and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, which made it favorable to have an outdoor wedding and not worry about getting wet by precipitation. Before, I knew it; I was hearing Mendelssohn’s wedding March and I was sashaying down the aisle to meet my dapper soon-to-be husband. I barely could see straight since I had tears rushing down my face as I walked to take his strong, yet supple hand.

Soon, we both received our wedding vows, kissed, and I was taken suddenly into Christian’s arms to be carried down the aisle. I laughed as I felt as if I was floating, then like I was soaring with wind beneath unseen wings. It was a premonition of things to come, and my heart felt at peace again as I opened my eyes wide to the future.

Epilogue

It has been two years since I have been a Danish citizen with daughter, Ellie and a son on the way. His name will be George, after Christian’s grandfather. Ellie is happy to be welcoming her little brother George in the world, she is willing to accept she won’t be the center of attention now, but to be honest, she doesn’t exactly welcome too much attention. She’s more of a loner, but she is rather friendly once she gets to know someone well.

Although I am unsure as to what awaits my daughter and son would be facing in the future, I am going to be with them every step of the way whatever lies down the road. They had seen Denmark, as well as America. I planned on taking them on a trip around the world as soon as they were old enough. At the time, they were still young and becoming used to the world. Albeit that their temperaments were different, they got along swimmingly and I could see them blazing their own trails even though they were still only 7 and 5 years of age. It was incredible to me how quickly they were growing up. I kept every monumental activity, no matter how trivial, down the day it happened (even down to the most miniscule second). Some people might say I was being a bit obsessive over details, but I wanted to recall everything as it happened. Yet, here I was, two children on my knee, my husband by my side, wondering how this all happened again. I was often asked of my past by Ellie and George, and I would gladly tell them. Though it was my past, I wasn’t reluctant to share it. It was part of me, the part which made me the princess I am today. I would always be glad I was so blessed and could share my grandeur with others. After all, with all the blessings I had, I couldn’t help but touch others along the way and I prayed I could continue doing so and hoped my tale would touch other souls who shared my plight, reminding them they were royalty too. They only had to reach out, strive, dream and never stop believing. Even wild fantasies and crazy dreams come true at times.

Little Match Girl No More

Sophia Odessa