--Lord Randall Van der Dressel, Writer and Political columnist.
West Phoenicians are a fickle bunch. They will love and praise you one moment and swing the pendulum in the opposite direction a mere blink later. It's as if we all have Aquarius blood pumping through our veins.
One of the most famous examples of our ficklness was the case of Queen Elizabeth Bush III; queen consort of West Phoenicia alongside her husband King Gaius Bush. Along with her advisors they assassinated the king and supplanted Elizabeth as ruler with the notion she would one day step aside for her son Prince Gaius Bush II to rule. She began her rule in 1837 and in the beginning she was loved by the citizens. However it did not take long for that love to fizzle. With excess spending on clothes, galas and a new place in her honour it did not take more than three years for the citizens demanding her to be dethroned and her son to step up.
Instead of stepping aside Queen Elizabeth Bush III declared war on the provinces that supported her son. Her son who the citizens now loved began to march to the capital with his larger army to depose the queen. However before their arrival her own advisors murdered her and presented her head to her son as a peace offering. Needless to say their heads also came off.
Or the fickle case of Prime Minister Anton Le'Moode, who in 2010 was voted in as a centrist Prime Minister who hoped to work with both sides. The notion of a centrist Prime Minister delighted the population who were looking for a more balanced politician and not one favoured by the right or left. He died 6 months later in a car bombing when neither the right nor the left favoured his lukewarm fence sitting policies. Both groups pointed the finger at the other party for the crime, yet no one has been arrested for the crime.
Even in sports West Phoenicians will love you one minute and hate you the next. So is the case of Lady Anthea Bordremanne, an athlete competiting in the women's 48kg Weightlifting event.
26 year old Anthea Bordremanne began her Olympic career at the previous Olympic Games at
Novonaya, Kelssek and Provinsk, Vekaiyu. Two women had qualified for the event. Trish Soong was the clear favourite of the two. And she pulled off a terrific victory by winning bronze in the event.
Lady Bordremanne was not as trained as Trish, she was average. Her father a rich merchant in silks had donated $250,000 to the West Phoenician Weightlifting Federation . Suddenly she had made the team.
Many in lower class circles criticised the decision saying money had won out against talent. The rich did not mind as they had placed their hope in Trish Soong. While Trish had taken the bronze, no one seemed to have cared that Lady Bordremanne had failed. Her butt had touched the mat during her lifts, twice. No one cares and the federation was $250,000 better off.
Fast forward to the Republica Olympic Games. Trish Soong had announced at the end of last year she would not be returning to the Olympics. Lady Anthea Bordremanne was again choosen for the team after another $250,000 deposit by her father.
Unfortunately her talent had not grown since the last games. In fact she had only won one title in all that time. She was joined by Em Nells, a college student from the University of Blackfoot Territory who was there due to a weightlifting scholarship. Em had been touted as a new rising star, but she was not there yet. Hope laid in Anthea Bordremanne.
A small following of fans attended the women's 48kg Weightlifting event, but their support turned from sweet to sour half way through the event when Anthea once again lowered herself to low that her bum touched the mat.
A chorus of boos rang out and someone called "Bring back Soong " when it became clear Lady Bordremanne was not even going to progress that she was keeping the bottom of the ladder warm yet again, Just as she did the previous games.
"Bring back Soong, and pay for play is not okay" the fans catcalled before being told to quiet down.
Lady Bordremanne left the arena in tears once she touched the mat again disqualifying herself refusing to speak with the media who hounded her out the door.
Em Nells who many believed would be the poorer performer shocked all West Phoenicians present when she finished in 19th spot.
The Weightlifting Federation choose not to respond to calls as to why Anthea paid to play and she was an underperformer who lost West Phoenicia the opportunity to pull a medal in this event. And pow just like that she has gone from fan hopeful to one of the most hated athletes in West Phoenicia.