Global Expats: A Journey in Italy

By Madilyn Elliott

Madilyn Elliott is a typical American stay-at-home mother. Before the invasion of Iraq, Madilyn’s husband accepts a top
secret expatriate mission in Rome, Italy. ZAP, a multibilliondollar civilian defense contractor and the USA State
Department require Madilyn to sign a contract not to work, not to start a business, and not to buy a home. At the start of the Iraq war, Madilyn defends her son against almost getting kidnapped amidst the War on Terror in a NATO Country.

Madilyn perseveres and falls in love with Bella Italia. She starts to discover roots of history, theology, and art. Dario,
a beautiful Italian architect, swoons Madilyn over Italy’s best bottles of wine. Madilyn’s father was meeting with VIP
foreign generals from around the world. When Madilyn’s romantic love affair is discovered, she is locked up in mental
asylums to protect the secrets of global business and foreign generals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543473537

Madilyn Elliott

I studied business at Montana State University before receiving my BBA in Human Resources from Boise State University. My expatriate experience allowed me to travel to 17 different countries. Also, living in Italy for three years, I really got a true understanding of these cultures, societies, and the ability to introspect on American Culture.

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SEPTEMBER 11, 1991

CHAPTER 1

September 11, 1991, the night sky was beginning to change with stars starting to sparkle in the black sky. My father Thomas walked up to our white wood horse fence. I was riding my horse BC slowly inside our green grass pasture, at a walk.

My father asked, Please stop riding BC and put your horse away for the evening. Feed the horses then come inside our house for the night. I want you to join the family and sit down and watch the American President’s public address to the nation.

I replied, But you know I don’t like to watch TV, I prefer to be outside and riding my favorite mare.

Madilyn, American political leaders have brought foreign leaders to talk about natural resources like crude oil, gold, economics, and warfare to our town a few weeks ago. The political leaders were VIP guests of George Bush Sr. They came to study our history of the Western Frontier and our American Quarter Horses. Horses were the old, old ways of transportation, agriculture, and war. These foreign leaders and princes hold power over their countries. They lead their people, as well as, make decisions regarding war of their militaries. An even bigger concern, is alliances through men’s religious ideology. Now, I want you to come in and watch what George Bush Sr. has to say in his public address in the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

Trying to get out of coming inside early, I looked at my father with pleading eyes. He in turn gave me one of those looks that I knew I could not challenge any further. I knew I must obey his command. I started to walk BC toward the barn.

My father Thomas turned around passing our enormous willow tree with its thousand droopy vines branching out into a symmetrical haven next to our small one stall, horse barn. I watched my father walk up the steps and cross our extensive brown wood deck. Then he opened the sliding glass door and entered into the backside of our medium sized ranch style home.

Confused by the significance of my father’s statements, at the age of 15, and of course being a girl, I did not totally grasp what my father had to say. Due to the fact that girls and women in my family were generally not included in such conversations of business, politics, or discussions of war. The men in my family preferred to discuss these matters when the women and children were not around.

Sitting on BC and starting to walk her to the barn, I tried my best to connect the dots of events to explain the reason for such statements by my father. I began to realize the previous year’s history of August 2, 1990 when Iraq invaded Kuwait. George Bush Sr. made business arrangements with the King Fahd of Saudi Arabia to establish a military base inside Saudi Arabia to protect Saudi and Kuwait from military advance from Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

These business alliances in the Middle East centered on oil since the end of WWII. With the Middle East region following Islam theology. More specifically was bi-lateral trade of oil sold from the Middle East to the West. This oil was refined for the Eastern region of the United States of America. In my state of Colorado and western part of America, we used our own oil to drive automobiles. With more demand and excavation of crude oil to supply the assembly line automobile manufacturing along with international globalization. America, in turn, sold military weapons from defense contractors for protection to many Middle Eastern countries and Israel. Saddam was angry about overproduction of oil and undercutting prices by Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia creating economic warfare against Iraq. As well as, Saddam wanted to trade oil for gold, not printed US dollars. Saddam sought to unpin the US Dollar as a benchmark currency tied to oil. Operation Desert Storm ended in February of 1991.

Six months after Operation Desert Storm ended, in August of 1991, my horse BC and I decided to enter the crowned rodeo princess pageant. This was our fourth year in a row to attempt to win the rodeo princess crown. My first attempt to win the princess crown was when I was 12 years old, in 1987. Over four consecutive years, I continued to practice and study how BC and I could put our horsemanship skills to the test. The best girl horse riders between the ages of twelve to seventeen, tried out to win this coveted title.

BC was from our very small family line of racing Quarter Horses. I daydreamed often from the time of being a small girl, with admiration of watching the Rodeo Queen Royalty. I also, together with my young female horse, wanted to win the title and crown. In my horse arena in the west, it is considered an honor and respect to be chosen by our community to represent the western way of life, riding our beloved American Quarter Horses.

In the third week of August, 1991, three weeks prior to September 11, 1991, was the first segment of the pageant. The pageant included the speech and impromptu questions on Friday evening. The convention center ball room in my hometown held this event. Months prior, my step mother Rebecca, bought wedding dress satin material at our local fabric shop. She had been thinking, preparing, and sewing my Rodeo clothes for several years out of love with her artistic touch. Rebecca prepped her western design with colouring and dying white satin, emerald green, to match the colour of my eyes. She personally sewed some shiny lame, sequins, with puffy sleeves and a long straight sheath skirt. Accented with my silver and black leather western belt and western oval trophy belt buckle, black leather and snake cowboy boots, and my authentic black beaver 10X quality cowboy hat.

My father Thomas and my family drove me to the competition. Upon arriving, there was ruckus in the adjoining convention room with VIP foreign dignitaries. Princes from Saudi Arabia and American politicians such as Colorado’s governor, Senators, and House of Representatives were discussing political matters. I walked into the ball room for the princess pageant with tables arranged for a formal evening dinner. A speech podium with a microphone was in the front and center for all the princess contestant’s speeches and impromptu questions.

I walked to the display table to view the photos of my 20 competitors to be judged for top photogenic award. Then I surveyed the table of awards for the winner. A silver and diamond heart princess crown to be placed on the beaver felt cowboy hat. Special designed silver and Colorado sapphire necklace. Then an authentic rodeo cowboy tradition, a silver, gold, and ruby trophy belt buckle. In addition, local businesses contributed to award the new princess with a full setting of western horse tack. Such as a horse bridle, halter and lead rope, saddle pad, protective horse splint and bell boots along with embroidered gear bags.

The Colorado Fair and Pro Rodeo princess coordinators, requested all of the contestants to line up outside of the ball room. Before the evening competition started we had an interview with a special VIP interview from the foreign dignitaries. I stood in a line along the wall with the other princess contestants. A tall large Middle Eastern Man with a particular designed shaved black goat-tee facial hair approached us. He stood in front of all of us, looking us over.

This Middle Eastern man asked, Which of you is best and going to win?

All the girls raised their hand except me. I stood facing forward gritting my teeth with the pressure building to succeed in tonight’s competition. Considering, I had lost the previous three years, I was not so arrogant to assume I would win. Trying to calm my nerves I took slow silent deep breaths. The Saudi Prince walked up and down the line inspecting each one of us. Then he stopped and approached me, looking me up and down. In American schools and going to school with boys this was a very bad sign and a dangerous one in my Western culture. Uncomfortable with this foreign man’s eyes scrutinizing each part of my body and face. I decided to take a step forward out of line to approach him.

With a pleasant smile, I politely offered my hand to shake his and said, Nice to meet you. Where are you from?

In a rather irritated angry mood, the Royal Saudi Prince stepped back insulted. He was upset that a young girl would behave or act in such a forward approach. With anger, the Royal Saudi Prince asked me to step aside to the end of the line. He asked another question to all the girls.

Which one of you has the best horse?

Again, all the girls raised their hands except me. This angered the Royal Saudi Prince even more. He turned to the Rodeo Princess Coordinators and asked them. Both women looked at each other questioning each other with their eyes, wondering if we were all being set up politically.

The head coordinator answered, Each girl rides her own horse in the princess contest. It is the most important part of the competition, to see who can display the best horsemanship abilities in a controlled pattern of commands.

The prince stepped back assessing the spoken words with even more fury, clearly his temper was rising.

The Saudi Prince turned to speak to our head coordinator, Girls should not be riding horses, and this is for men. Tell me which girl has the best horse?

She replied, In my opinion, I think the girl you want to speak with is Madilyn, the one with the emerald green dress you put at the end of the line. Madilyn is the only one here who rides the real rodeo crude oil barrel racing horse. I am an old woman now, and I suspect that is why you have come here, to talk politics about crude oil and our horses? These girls are young and don’t know what you are, but I know your horse, Arabian? Am I correct?

The Saudi Prince walked over and stood in front of me then approached me again. Looking at me this time with evil eyes. I looked away to my left from his daunting stare. He started asking me questions about my horse and barrel racing.

He asked, How do you win a crude oil barrel race on your horse?

I replied, It is a timed event for woman and the fastest time wins.

Then he asked, Have you ever been touched by a boy?

Yes, I have had boyfriends and I have kissed a few, but of course my dad does not know, please don’t tell him. Because if he ever found out he would surly kill me.

Do you have an arranged marriage?

No, what is that? I have never heard of an arranged marriage before, we don’t have those here.

The Saudi Prince was advancing his body language prepared for battle.

How do people get married here in your Western Culture? Because we read the news and we in the East think your families are sick. Look at the news!

As he spoke in anger to the princess coordinators. Then he turned and asked me to answer his question of how people get married. Clearly, he wanted to hear a young girl’s interpretation on such matters. He turned and stared at me wanting an answer from me.

I bowed my head in submission, We get to choose and marry the man we love.

The Saudi Prince took a step back and started to speak angrily in his language of Arabic. He turned and went back into the political conference room. Then instructed one of his men to get inside the princess contest room and watch our event.

The following day, was the modeling portion of the pageant. Invitation guests were invited to our local mall to watch the western modelling show, hosted by our local western clothing store. I chose to wear a medium length black leather jacket with long flowing fringe adorned with tiny Native American glass bead work. I wore a size three, teal wrangler jeans with matching black cowboy boots, hat, and belt with belt buckle.

Three days later was the horsemanship contest scored by selected judges from our community. BC did great! Considering as a two-year-old she was a race horse, then my youth 4-H horse. BC’s abilities showed to then shift gears of extreme speed to compete against professionals in barrel racing. She stood so calm and executed each command with excellency. Her flying lead changes were so smooth and she hung her head with a quiet disposition, for me to display correct dismount and remount for western saddle.

After the horsemanship competition, all the princess contestants had the personal interview with the panel of judges. The judges asked many questions about horses, rodeo, personality, and opinions on current events. During the week of competition, I stressed hoping I had gained enough maturity and wisdom. To finally succeed and win the crown.

A few days later, on Thursday evening, was the first of three nights at our local Pro Rodeo. As always, our hometown Rodeo was a sold-out crowd. The stadium bleachers surrounding the arena were filled with spectators. I warmed BC up for our grand entry buzz around the arena. Then it was time for the introduction of all the princess contestants on horseback. This was my favourite part of the competition because I knew I was riding a real barrel racing horse and she was the fastest horse in town. I loved when our name was called, all I did was give her the cue and off she raced. We circled the oval arena allowing me to look at the crowd and wave in sync with her hoof beats. I just kept my hand steady on the reigns and BC did the rest of the work at top speed.

On Friday morning, all the rodeo princess contestants along with local organizations, businesses, and politicians gathered for the parade on Main Street. My horse BC’s ears would turn to listen to me and then the crowd as we did our wave to all the children. BC walked with a calm demeanour and was so beautiful with a shiny coat. Her caramel colour matched well with my strawberry blonde hair.

Saturday night was the crowning night of the new Princess. It was the first opening Rodeo Event of the night. Then my dad gave me the news that the Secret Service were sweeping for VIP guests and foreign leaders. Many were invited as guests to see our western heritage.

I saw dark tall men with their families dressed in their traditional attire, Arabian prince black and gold robes. I had never seen a man wearing what looked like a bathroom robe to our Western Rodeo. I thought this man had lost his mind.

I asked, Just curious, where are you from?

He continued to look forward as his son watched me from the other side of the chain link fence. I turned back and the Arab man was standing with his family watching my every move.

I asked the young boy, Did you come to see what our horses are like?

His father nodded to affirm my question.

I replied, I have seen your Arabian horses here, do you want me to show you the difference of your breed of horses and mine?

The prince nodded and I could see his hooked Arabian dagger tucked in his belt. Then it was time for the Buzz around the arena and line up for the coronation of the new 1991-1992 Colorado Pro Rodeo Princess. The announcer called out the categories and BC and I won many of the categories such as top photogenic, modelling, and horsemanship. Then the announcer called out on the loud speaker, The new Pro Rodeo Princess is Madilyn Elliot.

Three weeks later and coming back to the current evening of September 11, 1991. I was thinking about the princess coronation night as I walked into the barn and unsaddled BC. BC dropped her head and I gently slipped off the dark leather bridle. BC’s bridle was adorned with many scalloped silver Conchos holding her favorite wonder bit. Next, I gave her a good brush down and cleaned her feet. Then I rubbed my hands over her shiny coat and legs to make sure there were no saddle sores or stress points showing after our workout. I respected my horse and her past ability for the stressful exertion and propulsion needed for such competition maneuvers in the horse arena.

BC was retired from Quarter Horse racing after a leg injury and was my trusty steed. Without BC, I could not have won the local Princess title and compete against the professionals in barrel racing. Barrel Racing is a Rodeo sports event for women to race around three crude oil barrels placed in a clover leaf pattern. The horse and rider with the fastest time wins. The sport originated in Texas in America. BC’s pedigree line went back to War Admiral a Triple Crown winner during the great depression. Going back even further in her pedigree line was the Thoroughbred racing legend Man O War. Man O War is considered to be one of the leading Thoroughbred sires for his racing success during World War One.

BC was given to me as a Christmas present from my father when I was ten years old. In 1986, I opened her AQHA papers and racing tattoo. In the Christmas package under the fresh cut wood pine Christmas tree from my grandparent’s tree farm. I had just been given the most wonderful gift from my father, my very own horse. With joy, I ran out into the fresh new blanket of snow and caught her with the new red halter and lead rope. A halter is a leather or rope made to fit over the muzzle and ears with a buckle to lead a horse in a non-invasive way. BC was two years old when retired from racing with a top speed index and had only been ridden by race jockeys. I lined her up against the fence then climbed on her back, without a saddle, for our first exhilarating ride into the wheat fields behind our house.

Several years and countless hours of riding BC, we learned to ride in sync together listening and feeling each other through our body language. As horse and rider our communication had reached a high level, which was achieved by mutual trust and respect. This unison communication allowed us to peak for the battles in the horse arena.

Back to the present evening as I completed my chores of feeding and watering the horses. I unbuckled BC’s trophy leather halter with brass gilded on the sides with her name engraved. Then I set her free. I watched her walk to the other horses and wait for dinner. Next, I went back into the interior of the barn and broke the dried green, purple leafy alfalfa hay and threw it into the wooden manger.

Making another trip into barn I was joined by our outdoor grey cat who rubbed his cheek and side against my leg to show his affection. Our cat loved to walk along the fence and meet and greet the horses and get on their back to rest in the winter time. I looked over to the barn door and admired my medium sized half breed collie herding dog, who sat down to wait for me to finish my work. She kept her eyes on me, ready to accompany me everywhere I went with love and loyalty.

I grabbed the old finished tin coffee can and dipped it into the sweet molasses grain to reward BC for all her hard work and effort. BC’s speed and agility demonstrated her American Quarter Horse breeding to compete with the professionals circling oil barrels for the fastest time. Our training also encompassed shifting gears down to work slowly in figure eight command patterns, to maneuver into sliding stops making eleven’s in the dirt and flying right and left lead changes to display a horse’s natural gait. These were the disciplined requests I asked of BC to demonstrate that allowed us win the 1991-1992 Colorado Fair and Pro Rodeo Princess Crown.

America’s western heritage and the American sport of Rodeo started after the political Louisiana Purchase from the French in 1803. The third President of the United States Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Lewis and Clark expedition in May of 1804. This Expedition was to explore the western part of the continent that was unknown on old European sea route maps.

Washington DC, and the British who colonized the eastern seaboard, with their gun powder, wanted to find practical routes across the Western half of the continent to establish American presence. With the conclusion of the American Revolutionary war, Washington DC, wanted to claim the west before the British Monarchy or other European powers tried to claim it. The second mission was to study plants, animals, geography and establish trade with local Indian tribes of gold, silver, and furs. The Spanish had claims over the lower part of Western America.

Sixty years later, as America’s civil war winded down in 1865 the United States Army had a new mission of settling the Western Frontier. The US Army had orders from Washington DC to conquer Native American tribes and take the land away from hostile Native Chiefs. The few natives that remained were eventually placed on Indian reservations and fed liquor, gambling and forced to convert to Christianity by law from east coast. Thus, old ancient traditions of native men hunting and woman gathering, and use of riding horses was gone. The west had been conquered. Most of the indigenous animals to North America, were threatened to the point of extinction.

With the strategy of United States Congress to move more foreign immigrants and their imported animals like cattle, sheep, and pigs to graze the lands of the west with strategy to take over. Spanish South American cattle herders, cowboys, and immigrant mineral miners all took part in shaping the reality of the western frontier and my home state of Colorado.

The sport of Rodeo developed as an event to represent the real-life game held by cattle ranchers and cowboys who tended the livestock. One specific event, such as, calf roping displayed necessary agility riding American Quarter Horses to catch a sick calf grazing on the prairie to doctor with medicine.

As the west began to shrink, stories needed to be told before they were lost due to excavation of crude oil and steel to create the assembly line automobiles and hard-core weapons. With the west disappearing, the creation and development of city urbanization was beginning to take its toll on Mother Nature. Many people sought the riches of gold, silver, and precious stones. The Rodeo Queen Title was formed to educate and share the stories of the disappearing western life and the loss of animals used for transportation, agriculture, and warfare.

After my chores were finished, just before going inside our house to meet my family I found a real Native American arrowhead in our horse pasture and I held it in my hand, studying it for a moment. Taking a mental note of hand chipped stone point tip to attach to an old Native American arrowhead. Then I tossed it back into the pasture to let it rest in history.

Maybe this was a sign from god of what was about to come. I walked inside our ranch style home then turned and looked out the large windows. The fresh snowcapped peaks of the Rocky Mountains with a full moon shining was a glorious sight. Inside the kitchen, I grabbed a glass of water from our tap to drink, which was from our own personal well. The water from the Rocky Mountains is so clear, clean, and cold with a taste of natural minerals coming from the earth’s natural filtration and recipe. Heading into the living room where my family sat, I found comfort in the wood designs, a real wood burning heat fireplace with stone brick work. I looked at all our mirrors adorning the walls to showcase the beauty and charm of the rustic architectural interior.

My eyes glanced over many Native American and cowboy art pictures hanging on the wall. The artistry of the bronze statues sculpted to display stories of the West sat on carved wood tables. Taking note of my favorite piece of art a water color by my family’s friend and artist. I remembered as a young child watching my father Thomas, team rope for VIP American and Foreign dignitaries. The picture showed the rodeo event team roping conducted in Colorado. Team roping is the competition of two men on horseback catching a steer with the lasso. Our family home, where I was born and raised gave me a feeling of ease and comfort. I joined my family. They were all gathered in front of our tiny two station television.

My dad said, With the Persian Gulf War over, it is important to listen carefully to our elected President and hear his vision to lead our country.

Waiting patiently, finally George Bush Sr. appeared inside the Capitol Building prepared to deliver his message. With an aura of confidence on September 11, 1991, The United States President described the plan and goal of a New World Order. With the description of a world that will be governed by one universal rule of law. He took a momentary pause, peered into the prompter and stated, A credible United Nations will prevail in our plan to create The New World Order.

My current age of fifteen, I did not understand or comprehend what this New World Order meant. Nor conceptualized the plan to Rule the world under one international rule of law, to be governed under the United Nations. My father’s input was a comment from reminiscing about being drafted to war in Vietnam to promote and defend democracy. He did not like this political war and what war did to men.

MARK’S PROMOTION

CHAPTER 2

Exactly ten years after September 11, 1991 on September 11, 2001 the War on Terror was declared. Eight months later in May of 2002, I was now twenty-five years old and had graduated from University in Texas, married, and had two small children. My typical day included going with my two young children to my horse trainer and neighbor’s barn to feed and brush our horse. Our horse trainers stable is where I boarded my Quarter Horse gelding Hawks. His breeding was Doc Bar and Docs Prescription, old American Quarter Horse Cow bloodlines.

I purchased Hawks two years prior, in the spring of 2000. After delivering my first baby in 2000, in my spare time I was reading the newspaper of horses for sale and I called to inquire about this young horse. Not telling anyone,