Elizabeth Elwood

## Early Life

**Elizabeth “Birdie” Fern Elwood, born in the Commonwealth on May 4 1878. Her parents both too caught up in their own affairs to deal with such an energy filled child. Her father, Tom Elwood fought in the war along side Cat Valors dad. Scarred from the horrors of wars left him isolated and lost, he looked to his best friend Leonard to help him where he was failing. And a mother, Ada Bosworth filled with distain for her husband she tried to teach Birdie how men were, and often talked of her home England, and how one day she’d take them there to a better life.**

**Most of Birdie’s childhood was filled was hiding in the tall grass, collecting small rocks , catching bugs, and often missing a shoe. When she was at home she would often hear her parents fighting, she would spend time under the table drawing on old newspaper scrapes, or making twig dolls. Ada and Tom often fought over what to do with the house and how they could take care of their daughter. They eventually on landed on asking Tom’s dear friend Leonard to move next to them, so that they could work to raise money together and give their children some semblance of a decent life.  One morning eight year old Birdie sitting in a tree saw a young child with dark braided hair, satchel in hand and walk up to her home. Birdie’s life was finally changed for the better.**

**With a new friend, Birdie spent even less time in her home. Birdie could tell that her father Tom was very fond of Catherine’s dad, so she knew exactly which parent to ask when she wanted to learn about this new friend. Right off the bat, Birdie knew Catherine would go by Cat, and together they’d go far. Cat would often teach Birdie how to make mud pies at the river and Birdie would show her how to sneak up on unsuspecting grazing sheep. As the gap between her parents grew, the longing in her heart was being filled. Birdie at her young age found her forever partner. Sweet Summer air had new meaning with her best friend Cat. She hoped every day could be stealing candy for the local good store and drawing on the wrappers, sharing stories of where they’d go. But all stories have endings.**

**Years of a perfect life, come crashing down. It was the turning of seasons, a cold late night Birdie was told by her father, that they would need to travel to England for her mother. Birdie knew her father was going in hopes of money, and her mother wanting her life to be saved by those she truly cared for her. But no one seem to care for Birdie she spent that night looking at the tree she come to love climbing with her beloved friend Cat.  Birdie wrote a letter for Cat, with a drawing of them riding horses together and it said “We have to go back to England for momma. I love you Cat. See you--". They left before the sun rose, Birdie wanted to run away to grab Cat and never look back. She swore on that day she would run away with Cat, one day.**

**Birdie went by Elizabeth in England, she wouldn’t dare let anyone else have that name. Her years spent in England were grey, her father working as a veterinarian making little money, and her mother sick in bed. Her parents seem to get close in her mother’s final years, it seem they had come to terms about something and found friendship in their marriage at the end. And so once her mother did pass, Tom was left with no money, he turned to drinking. Elizabeth would often come home finding her father drunk in a chair holding on to a letters. Finally Elizabeth picked up the letters to find that they were written letters from Leonard, Cat’s father. She read over each letter, learning that her dad and him were in love, that Tom was hoping to come into money to take us back to the Commonwealth, but as Ada got sicker the money kept leaving. The letters also spoke of Cat’s fathers health and how he was getting worse and didn’t have much time. Elizabeth set the letters down and spent that night crying.**

**Elizabeth can remember the day her father took the turn for the worst, Drunk and angrier than ever. He grabbed her long curly hair that reminded him so much of his wife that kept him here, throwing Elizabeth against the wall and shouting that it was all her fault. After several months of this Elizabeth finally cut her hair and promise her father that she would never remind him of Ada. She abandoned her British accent and recalled the southern drawl she was comforted by in her youth. Elizabeth counted the days to her fathers death, which came at the end of winter.**

**Selling everything she owned, by late fall Elizabeth was leaving England. She was finally heading home with nothing holding her back. She headed to the post office, pushing through every one. Elizabeth wrote the first and last telegram she’d ever write, “My dearest, Cat I am returning home to the Commonwealth. I hope beyond all you are okay and life has been treating you well. I am returning home with nothing but of the hopes of reuniting with you, I hope you will meet me under that tree - Birdie”.**