gratitude – Vicarious Living

New Stories

Stories

Do stories differ depending on where they’re set? Staying in the Netherlands has been wonderful as well as busy. We have walked, gone swimming, visited friends and family, as well as just relax. I loved being around people, and it made me think about interactions. I love Dutch humour, I must admit… the way they operate is so different, and it came out in the running group I went with. The banter and chatter was really refreshing, something I have missed, I realised. The run refreshed me, even though I was the one at the back, gasping for breath, with a very red face… it was the way people chat to each other, thoroughly disagree with each other, complain about stuff they don’t like, but still laugh together and have a great time. I loved how they don’t do the male/female divide, the never-the-twain-shall-meet sort of thing. The idea of running with a mixed group would make me think twice in England, whereas in the Netherlands it’s great fun, and adds a dimension to the whole thing. I liked the winding up that goes on, and how people make you feel welcome and include you in their jokes. I missed the male humour, the way guys joke when there’s women around, and how just doing things together works well in the Netherlands, without it feeling weird. I really, really missed that, and I’m grateful for the few chances I had to go running. Everything seemed so relaxed and calm, and their lives are busy and filled, but still organised.

Running around the forest, walking around the highest waterfall and seeing places has given me some great story ideas as well…a Body near the waterfall, after all, it’s not that busy, and anything can happen. It’s the reason I don’t really like walking through a quiet wood, wondering if there’ll be a hand poking out from the leaves… Another story could be a stalker in the woods…Jogging along at the back, I just thought about it. I run very quietly, and every now and again, it sounded like there was someone behind me, but there never was… What if I wasn’t running with a group, but alone, and the steps behind me weren’t imagined, but real? That set me off wondering if a slight, but fit and fast girl can outrun or defend herself against a large man intend on harming her… Looking at the woods, the dark trunks, many trees chopped down, the ground turned over rather effectively by wild boar, I could just imagine staying there. The woods are large, with plenty of shelter, so what if there was someone hiding in the woods… We were watching the skating rink, a long line of men zooming round on their speed skates. Speed skates make formidable weapons, their irons sharp and sticking out a good way at the front as well as the back…

Not even sure where to start, or which story to tell first. The best part with Living Vicariously is that you can include whatever you want, like your favourite food! Just two days and NaNoWriMo is over, and as soon as the first draft is done I will start on some stories set in the Netherlands… I can’t wait, and as we’re driving home with the rain pelting our windscreen I’m glad that at least my mind can stay behind a bit longer, wandering through the golden brown forests, listening to the splattering sound of the neatest waterfall ever…

Choices

The wedding went through, of course. “I’m so happy,” a grinning Ralph gushes, staring at Anselma with shining eyes. “This is definitely the happiest day of my life, and I feel so richly blessed! To think that I married the most beautiful woman in SiMobile!” Anselma nods, her eyes shining too, but hers are wet with unshed tears. Not the happy variety either, as this day definitely doesn’t fit her idea of the happiest day ever! In fact, the day would probably come in the category of Worst Days Ever. She hasn’t the heart to say that, of course, so she manages to pull her face in a smile. Ralph just sighs with sheer happiness, and after giving her another squeeze, walks over to some of the guests to thank them for coming.

“I just can’t believe it,” Anselma mumbles, feeling that the struggle against her tears might be lost any moment. “What will my friends say? How am I going to photoshop all my wedding photographs for those fans following my vlogs?” She looks around, smoothing her sweaty hands over her dress. “At least I can do some reports on the standard SiMobile wedding dress, that will help others too. Then at least everyone has an idea what to buy if they want different personal pictures, rather than the standard issue dress.” She relaxes a little, her mind busy with the few options for blogs and vlogs this might bring. “I could use the webcam, although it does break rather easily,” she mumbles, checking the dress in various lights and angles. This cheers her up, and she even manages to accept people’s congratulations without breaking down. Some of her friends seem rather puzzled over her choice of husband, which confirms to Anselma that she’s really trapped. She knows it’s actually not a big deal, but still, for a beauty queen like her surely she should feel it’s important to have a very handsome spouse?

Life soon settles down, and Ralph blossoms. He spends a lot of time cooking, with a grace and flair that surprises Anselma. Her vlogs are attracting more and more followers, in spite of the odd snide comment about some of her pictures… Soon she realises that Ralph hasn’t damaged her career, and she relaxes a little. Until Ralph suggests that they fill the bassinet… He spotted it in the main bedroom, and that evening he suggests it’s their turn. “You know Keziah and Nicholas have just met, and their courtship is going very well. Soon they will be married, and as Nicholas has to move in, coming from another well known family, they might want to start a family sooner rather than later…” He looks at Anselma, his huge mouth grinning, so she quickly looks at his beautiful eyes, suppressing a shudder. She takes a deep breath, clutching her sides, wrapping her arm round herself. Filling the bassinet? What if they find themselves with a houseful of little Ralphs? “We might have a little girl,” he continues, oblivious to her distress, “one as beautiful as her mother,” he laughs, looking pleased and excited. So the bassinet is filled, and a little boy is born, Roald. Anselma leans over the bassinet a lot that day.

“He’s beautiful,” she whispers, gratitude flooding her, cracking her voice. “Let’s hope he stays that way too, but at least he hasn’t got an odd shaped face…or gigantic ears, or…” she stops, feeling bad even whispering these things. She glances over her shoulder, but the room is empty, fortunately. “I’m glad it’s a son, though, and it does warm my heart to see Ralph so ecstatic! Having a new baby gives me a new fashion thread as well,” she smiles at Roald, tugs his bedclothes straight, and hurries back to her computer. Nicholas and Keziah will be here soon, ready for their reception. She can feel the little jealousy dragon flicker its tongue in her heart, seeing those two together… Nicholas is so handsome, probably helped by his Italian background, with a wonderful name, Ferraro…Such an improvement on Snowdon, she sighs. She just hopes that the little baby in the bassinet will do her proud, so that at last she has more options for family pictures!

Nicholas moves in, and as soon as Roald is a toddler, Keziah and Nicholas retreat to the large bedroom, and soon their baby Alonzo is sleeping peacefully in the bassinet. Roald is a sweet looking toddler, and Anselma feels herself relaxing, watching her little boy with anxious eyes. She is relieved though when he doesn’t show much in common with Ralph, even though his father is very fond of the boy. He spends a lot of time with Roald. “He is such a handsome little boy,” he says to Anselma, pride filling his rich voice. “Have you seen the way he walks, so certain of himself! He’s an absolute delight,” and his eyes drift towards the door to the large bedroom. “I wonder when Alonzo will be walking,” he says, an odd smile twisting his fleshy lips, making his ugly face even more out of shape than usual. Anselma swallows the panicky feeling she can feel deep down, as she still remembers her anxiety during the baby stage… They have a sweet, handsome son, should they really risk having another child?

Of course, Ralph prevails, and soon Ramon is born. Anselma cringes a tiny bit when saying her sons’ names, as they sound too modern and not stylish enough by half. “I mean, names are important, I did like Ralph, but that was before…” she explains to a friend over coffee at the café. “You see, I feel names say a lot about a person, their background, that sort of thing. Like Alonzo, Nicholas has an Italian background, so they chose a name to reflect that. They’re hoping for a girl, really, but Alonzo is really sweet.” She looks out of the large window, watching people walking round the park. She sighs, knowing that feeling jealous is definitely unhealthy. Every fashionista knows that your thoughts will have an effect on your face, and bitter, harmful thoughts definitely leave a bitter, ugly trace on your face… Subconsciously she rubs a hand over her face, as if double checking that her face hasn’t been ravaged by her envy. Alonzo is a name she likes a lot, he is very cute, and Keziah and Nicholas make a lovely couple. Her vlog, on the other hand, will never display her husband, and her sons are quite cute and handsome, for now at least, but somehow saying Roald and Ramon makes her vlog sound cheap and common. She sighs, feeling down and lonely. Her friend giggles, breaking through her morose thoughts.

“You look tired, why not go to the party tonight? You know it’s held at the Knight’s house? Their parties are amazing, if only for their four pools! Four! Imagine that, and the rest of the house is beautiful as well. You do realises that they’re a bit hush hush most of the time, although they cover it well? Just don’t ask too many awkward questions, and definitely keep them out of your vlogs, blogs and whatnots!” They both laugh, Anselma feeling a tiny thrill. The Knights! Some of her ancestors were Knights, and the whole mysterious aura around them is delicious in itself! Maybe she will manage to unearth something? She could always blog about it with made up characters? “Just don’t be too late, you know how SiMobile government disrupts most parties nowadays? The worst one is when they won’t allow you to let people know about your party, that’s just awful! The invites just never arrive, all party activities are hidden, and it’s impossible to attend most of the time! Some people have actually moved because of it, setting up in another town altogether!” Anselma had heard about party issues, and how most parties only seemed to last a short time. Somehow she hadn’t really thought about it, as she was relieved when their parties ended! Last time, just before the party was stopped, somebody had pointed at Ralph, and asked her in a whisper where on earth that guy came from… She had blushed, coughed, and escaped…

A party at a beautiful, stylish home is just the remedy, Anselma decides soon after arriving at the Knight’s abode. She smiles at people, a real, genuine smile this time, feeling free without anything to hide. She’s just a beautiful woman, mother of two sweet boys, with a caring husband, who isn’t here to show her up… She tries out the hot tub, giggling, “I haven’t been in one of those before, it’s so relaxing! Maybe I should do it more often, and then do a vlog about it, as it must be good for you,” she sighs with contentment, leaning back in the warm water. Some friend introduces her to Alex Knight, a tall, smiling, polite man. She can’t remember who introduced them, she has just eyes for Alex. “Why didn’t I get married off to a Knight,” she groans, “they are so handsome and tall. I know I have ancestors not too far down the line from the Knight family, but even so…” She feels sad and somehow finds herself spending quite a bit of time with Alex that evening. Alex is a real gentleman, polite and kind. Not once does he hint that she’s making a nuisance of herself, but entertains her with a kind smile. Anselma comes home with lots of happy stories. Ralph smiles and listens, his kind eyes never leaving her glowing face. If he is worried about the frequent mentions of Alex Knight, he doesn’t show it.

The next few days Anselma manages to contact Alex a few times. She has his SimMail address, and they even meet up for a coffee. Meeting Alex in her home would be very awkward, so they have a coffee at the café. Will, the waiter, is there as well, of course, his dark eyes taking in everything and everyone. He has a good memory and actually has the audacity to enquire after the other man she was with, the one with the large ears… “You mean my husband?” she asks, rather shocked. She glares at Will, who smiles, and winks at her! She gasps a little, honestly, who does he think he is! Then she giggles a little, for it’s a while since a man has made her blush. Alex is happy to chat, discussing various friends from SiMobile that they both know through parties. They talk about the awful way the government is clamping down on parties, driving people away from SiMobile, in order to meet more friends. The hour in the café is over before Anselma realises, and she has work waiting for her at home; so has Alex, who had explained that some of the work is a cover more than anything else. “I understand,” she had laughed, “if you tell me more, you’d have to kill me, and that would be unheard of in SiMobile!” They both laughed, then get up to go. Anselma wonders how to ask Alex to meet up again, but just as she thinks she has found a good way to ask, he dashes her hopes.

“It was nice meeting you, Anselma, but let’s leave it at that, shall we?” He smiles at her, still kind and polite, “I did enjoy the coffee, but we Knights make it a point to not get involved with anybody. So, yes, thanks for the nice time, and goodbye.” They shake hands, Anselma smiling, and assuring him that she’s really enjoyed it, making sure she mentions her husband and sons a few times, to show that there never had been any shady intentions on her part…! Once Alex has gone she does a quick walk round the park, then decides to grab a coffee to go before going home to update her blog. Will serves her, a cheeky grin on his face. When he hands her the latte, he leans over and says quietly, “As you come here with others for coffee, how about having one with me?” He waggles his eyebrow at her, a grey eyebrow, as he is definitely an elder. Anselma just manages to swallow the sharp retort, when she realises that he is actually still quite handsome. He is funny and flirty too, and she does feel bad for the older NPC’s, as they don’t often get to retire either. So she agrees, and a date is set.

The date with Will is a swirl, leaving Anselm breathless with laughter. His jokes are sometimes a little off, but she likes the naughty feeling it gives. “Ralph is always so serious, I’m only young once!” she whispers when she washes her hands, looking at her flushed cheeks in the little mirror. Anselma does feel twinges of guilt, but Will’s attentions and clear interest in her flatters her, and makes her forget everything. After all, it’s just a bit of fun, isn’t it? The date at the café leads to another date, and the two of them become quite close. Anselma feels uncomfortable, especially when she’s at home, watching the two boys, seeing Ralph’s steady walk around the kitchen, his grey eyes warm and alight whenever he sees her. “He trusts me completely,” she whispers in dismay, “not once will he think it strange that I go out, nothing in him makes him wonder what I do when he’s not there.” The whole thing is starting to feel wrong, and she wants to explain to Will. That’s not as easy as it seems though.

“What do you mean? You can’t just walk away now, and pretend we never met!” Will’s eyes flash with anger. “I’m an old NPC, you know that, and you are my one chance to have a full bassinet. At least give me that, so I have something to leave behind if I ever get to retire,” he pleads, his dark eyes calculating, unblinking. Anselma sighs, fill a bassinet with Will? No chance! Will pleads and explains, and when she still doesn’t give in, he threatens. “That business you’re always on about? I’m good with computers too. Easy enough to hack the stuff, and let all your followers know what you’ve been up to… that ugly husband of yours too…” he adds, sneering at her, laughing his horrid laugh. Anselma realises that she is trapped. Honesty would be the best policy, but shame keeps her stuck in bad decisions. “Just one baby, that’s all I want, I promise to stay out of your life,” he whispers, dark eyes gleaming like a snake’s, knowing the battle is won. Too late Anselma realises that Will meant the Mortina bassinet… Will just laughs at her tears, and soon the bassinet has another sleeping baby in it.

Ralph looks a little surprised, and assumes the baby is Nicholas and Keziah’s baby, and they assume the little boy belongs to Anselma and Ralph. Anselma finally realises how much she actually loves this large, sweet man, and is heartbroken over her betrayal. She sees now that she has moved past his face and lumbering figure, and learned to love his heart and his kindness. Now she has thrown it all away, just for a bit of fun. How could she? How could any Mortina break the most sacred bond in SiMobile? Granted, there are many loose relationships in SiMobile, but never in the Mortina Line. She cries bitter tears, and that’s how Ralph finds her. “What’s wrong?” he asks, his deep rumbling voice surprised, “I didn’t realise you were so desperate to have another baby too, so once theirs has become a toddler we could fill the bassinet, you know,” he smiles gently, thinking she is jealous. Anselma breaks down, and blurts out the ugly truth in heart wrenching sobs, wailing her regrets and remorse. Ralph is stunned. His beautiful wife has betrayed him? For an old NPC? He sits down, all strength drained from him. “What…what did you call the baby?” he whispers hoarsely in the end.

“Zachariah,” Anselma sobs, “meaning the Lord has remembered.” Silence reigns for a while, only Anselma’s sobs can be heard. “I’m so very, very sorry Ralph, and if you wish to return to your parents, I will totally understand,” she whispers, wondering how she will explain his absence to her family, and to Roald and Ramon… Ralph shakes his head, and goes to her, taking her in his arms.

“No,” he whispers, “no, I won’t go. You see, I know our marriage was very much one sided, and I can’t blame you. I think you’re wrong to judge people based on their looks, but I have my own faults too. I think this little baby is a reminder for you, but also for me. Your attitude to me hurt, you see. It hurt an awful lot, and I have been so incredibly lonely. In it all I trusted the Lord, though, and leaned on Him. I have found that in it all He was enough. This little baby has the right name, for it reminded you of what is important in life; and the name you chose is a reminder from God to me, that He has been with me all this time. Zachariah, yes, Jehovah has remembered me, and vindicated me as well, I think.” Ralph hugs her, kisses her head. Anselma just cries and cries, feeling ashamed of her terrible treatment of this man, this solid man. How she hurt him, and how sad he must have been to see her looking down on him, just because of his looks…

When she has calmed down they go to look at little Zachariah, walking to his bassinet hand in hand, one comforted, one taught, both wiser and kinder. Both remembered, with a sweet little boy as a daily reminder.

Tessa and Erik

“Mum, do I really need to be there at the reception?” Tessa’s large grey eyes are already filled with tears, and she can feel her lips trembling. “I haven’t been to work yet, and nobody in this family has completed the fashionista career yet. At this rate I will have all my traits before I finish the career. I had to do the exercise Bootcamp as Brandon and Camilla didn’t want to leave the baby with Brooklyn, so can’t I go to the studio now?” Tessa feels desperate, not so much about her career, although she does love fashion. She is desperate to escape Brandon and Camilla’s wedding reception. “Why are they having a reception now? With Brooklyn’s toddler running round, and their own baby in the bassinet? They really have no shame, have they?” she says a bit more vehemently to her mum. “Mum, I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to meet Brandon’s friends, and I don’t want to lie…what if somebody asks me if they really have two children, what can I say? ‘Just one, the older one is from Brandon’s concubine…’, Mum, please say I can go to work!”

Her mum is adamant though, “It’s your own brother, of course you need to be there! We’re expecting just a few guests, which means that it will be difficult enough to get the party up to the high standard that the SiMobile Government demands from parties. We need the Gems, and the blue tickets. Brandon has already used up four tickets to have his two children, we will need more. You are part of this household, so you need to contribute. Besides, your career is not that important, as you will be married off soon enough. Brandon says he will look for a good husband for you. Careers don’t transfer, so no need to get too high up. Maybe Camilla can work in the studio once you have left…” Tessa has gone very pale, her freckles standing our like little dark mud splats. That is the main reason that she does not want to be at the reception! The fact that Brandon is looking for a husband for her!

She rushes back to her room, tears streaming down her face, sobbing, gasping for breath. There is no escaping the party though, and Tessa dresses as conservative as she dares for Brandon’s party. Brandon and Camilla are waiting for the approval of the SiMobile Government to start the party. Papers have to be checked, and Brandon and Camilla have a quarrel about the question that lets you choose between ‘Anyone in SiMobile’ or ‘Friends only’. Brandon wants everyone to turn up, you never know if somebody good looking will be there… Camilla insists on Friends Only, as she really hopes somebody from her family might turn up. However much she wanted to escape their lifestyle and what she sees as narrowmindedness, strangely enough she does miss them. Misses their hearty laughter; misses her mum’s rather wild ideas; misses her strong Viking uncle and his lovely wife; misses her many siblings and little Viking cousins… She secretly admits to herself that she is just a little homesick…

Finally the approval is granted, and Brandon dashes out to get all the party things: the board next to the post box, the table with the cake, the book for guests to sign…he comes rushing back, and it’s a real scrum to get the house decorated before the first guests arrive. Tessa helps with the decorating, as she loves it. She is very good; her grey eyes taking in the décor, studying it, looking for ways to improve it… Once she is satisfied she finds a very quiet corner, and from there waits to see what will happen. “I wish I could make myself invisible,” she sighs, “and just hide in this corner till all the guests have gone… What will I do if Brandon brings one of his horrid friends to me, to introduce us? What if one of these louts makes a flirtatious introduction? What if they want me to come to the little café? How can I refuse? The SiMobile Government only lets you refuse the risky advances, but not the small standard ones… I have no way out…!” Panic is climbing up her, twisting round her, choking her like bindweed, and it seems just as impossible to eradicate… Tessa can feel herself sinking deeper and deeper into a panic attack, when suddenly Camilla appears.

She could tell from her side of the room that Tessa wasn’t doing very well. She isn’t surprised, as she has met quite a few of Brandon’s friends herself. There is Brooklyn as well, of course. No, Brandon hasn’t got the best reputation, and now that she has come to know Tessa a little she can just imagine the young girl’s fear! Quickly she sidles up to Tessa, and says softly, “Don’t panic, Tessa, I’m quite sure some people from my family will come. I will make sure that you get introduced, and then we can ask them to take care of matters! Brandon is so busy with Brooklyn and me, and our children, that he’ll be more than happy to delegate… Just trust me, I won’t let you down,” and she smiles at the terrified girl. Tessa just nods, fighting her panic, willing it to stay under control…

Whenever she looks round the room she can feel it wriggling at the base of her throat though, trying to get her to scream and run… Some of Brandon’s loud friends are already here, but at the moment Brandon is kept entertained by Brooklyn… Brooklyn’s huge blue cat eyes have taken it all in, and she overheard some of what Camilla said to Tessa, and thoroughly approves of the plan. She has no regard for Brandon at all; all she wanted was to be made active, and to leave her job behind. Brandon was her ticket out, and all she needs now is for Tessa to leave, so Brooklyn can take her place. So she decides to lend a helping hand by distracting Brandon, so he won’t have time to drag Tessa over to one of his friends, or to even point her out to his friends.

Tessa stands in her sheltered corner, feeling her bare knees shaking, rubbing her freezing, clammy hands dry on her little skirt, when she hears her name mentioned. Her heart stops, then starts its rhythm again, but at twice the normal speed. She glances up, and gasps in horror! Camilla is talking to this huge, blond guy, and is pointing where Tessa is trying to blend in with the paintwork! “No,” she breathes, “no, please, Camilla, no… Lord, please, not me, don’t let him come to me…” Her voice trails off into a little whimper, as the big blond man lets out a loud, hearty laugh, hugs Camilla, then turns round, and strides up to her with purposeful strides. Tessa can’t breathe, and she can feel her body starting to shake. She can hear his footsteps stopping just in front of her, but she daren’t look up.

Then, a warm, deep, manly voice says, “My cousin Camilla tells me your name is Tessa. That has such a sweet ring to it; I think it suits you. Please allow me to compliment your hairstyle as well, my cousins will be very jealous. You see, my family is saving up for one of the expensive hairstyles, so they won’t be able to afford that cut. I think it’s beautiful, and makes you look like a pixie.” He laughs, a warm, caring laugh, rumbling like thunder in the distance. Tessa looks up then, and meets the kindest eyes imaginable, with cute blue eyebrows above them! She can’t help it, she has to smile, and her little face lights up. So do the young man’s eyes, she notices.

She blushes a little, and says softly, “I love your blue eyebrows… And that was the kindest flirtatious introduction ever heard in SiMobile, I’m sure!” They both laugh then, Tessa’s light, tinkling laugh, its silver bell effect matching her grey eyes. The blond young man’s laugh is loud and hearty. He stands at a respectful distance, not crowding her at all. He doesn’t look her up and down with leering eyes, like Brandon’s friends do. He doesn’t try to impress her; he just stands there, smiling, patient and with an inner calmness that calms Tessa as well. She can feel her heartrate settling down, and realises that there is no sign of panic now at all. Just a curiosity about this giant! “I’m sorry,” she says, going red, “I didn’t get your name… You say that you’re Camilla’s cousin?” She looks over at Camilla who is chatting to another guest, and looks back at the blond man with the blue eyebrows. “I can’t spot anything blue on Camilla…?” She makes it sound like a question, as the blue eyebrows somehow really intrigue her!

The giant laughs, and says with his deep voice, “Sorry for the oversight; my name is Erik, son of Magnus, the Viking. As for my blue eyebrows, well that is quite a story. May I buy you a coffee at the little café and I can tell you the story if you’re interested? It’s…ah…rather noisy here?” His voice goes up at the end of his sentence, making it sound like a question. He looks round at the other guests, and looks at the little toddler, Deborah, with her cat like eyes and dark hair. A look of great sadness glides over his face for a moment, but when he looks back at Tessa the look has gone, and only kindness can be seen on his smiling, handsome face.

Tessa feels ashamed of her messy family, and greatly relieved that Erik has offered her a way out of the party… “Yes please, I’d love a coffee,” she says, blushing at her eagerness. I won’t need that Izzy Creation effect with the fire at this rate, she thinks, my face will self ignite any minute now if I keep blushing like this! Erik looks relieved too, and he guides Tessa out of the house, somehow, without touching her. People make way for him, only glancing at the slim girl next to him. One of Brandon’s friends, one that Tessa really can’t stand, tries to look at Tessa too long. Erik moves so he is blocking the guy’s view, as well as glaring at the man. The man goes bright red and hurries off into the hobby room.

When they pass close by Camilla, Erik says softly, “I’m taking Tessa for a coffee at the little café. We will see you later. You better let Brandon know, so he doesn’t get any ideas in his mind with regards to his cronies!” He looks quite stern, his green eyes looking right into her heart it seems, and Camilla can feel the heat creeping into her cheeks. She can only imagine what her burly cousin must be thinking… She looks over at Brandon, sees his burning eyes fastened on Tessa, his hand resting on the arm of one of his obnoxious friends. It is clear that he was just about to point out Tessa to the guy. Now he is too late, and Brandon is too much of a coward to even dream of confronting Erik, or to try and argue with him. Tessa is safe, and Brandon’s evil plan has come to nought. She knew he would find a nasty piece of work for Tessa, as he can’t stand his sister’s faith, and always tries to hurt her emotionally or cause her distress. This time he is too late, and when Camilla looks at Brooklyn she can see the bright blue cat eyes sparkling with malicious pleasure. The two women look at each other, and their glee is a precious shared moment.

Camilla almost does the fist pump used for pulling off a risky action, for Brandon’s friend has just missed out. Her plan worked, and her handsome cousin has obviously taken a liking to the petit girl. “Good for him,” she grins, “good for him, I’m really pleased. Tessa is a sweet girl, way too emotional for my liking, but in the Mortina household she’ll be fine. They will look after her, and show her the kindness she deserves. As she doesn’t mind looking modest, and staying faithful and all that, she will feel right at home! I hope the first date goes alright, and I just hope, or maybe even pray, that they will continue in a relationship. I like Erik, he’s lovely, just like Uncle Magnus. I think its nice that he dyes his eyebrows blue, as a sign of belonging to his father. He really is a great guy, and it’s a shame he is my first cousin, hahaha, otherwise Tessa might have had some competition!”

She is shocked out of her pleasant daydream by a harsh voice in her ear, “You look like the cat who got the canary. I take it you planned this? Arranged a marriage for my sister without bothering to tell your husband, who happens to be the girl’s only brother?” She looks round, and can see the fury in his dark eyes, but Camilla doesn’t care anymore.

She looks as haughtily as she can and over her shoulder, whilst walking over to one of the nicer guys, she says, “I didn’t arrange anything. In fact, you know that I wasn’t sure anyone from my family would attend. As the guy is my cousin, I think Tessa has made a perfect choice; as Tessa is a sweet, kind girl, I think my cousin has made a perfect choice too!” She briefly makes eye contact with Brooklyn again, who looks more like a cat than ever, and Camilla is sure she can actually hear her purring happily to herself…

Erik and Tessa have a lovely time at the café, and by the time the choice for relationships crops up, Erik doesn’t hesitate to apply for ‘Soulmate’. He adores Tessa, he loves her lithe frame, and those grey eyes…well, they’re large enough for any man to drown in! As they are walking over to the Mortina home to start their courtship, Erik realises with a shock that he has fallen for the girl hook, line and sinker! He tries not to worry about that fact, but he keeps seeing his cousin, bare midriff and all; his cousin’s husband with his piercing eyes; he remembers the disgusting guys at the party…and for a split second he wonders if Tessa fits in the same picture… Immediately those nasty images are replaced with his first sighting of Tessa. The tiny girl, more modestly dressed than anyone else in the house, standing in the corner. He actually could see her knees knocking together, and when they shook hands he felt the icy cold fingers; could feel the trembling of her hands and his heart had melted for this young girl, who was obviously not having a great time… No, he decides, she is nothing like anybody in that family. Let’s hope she’ll get on with cousin Zahra…

She does, and Erik is relieved. He likes Zahra, and values her opinions. She has recently married one of the Knights, Michael, who has just moved in. The wedding was very special, as it’s not the first time that a Mortina married a Knight. Zahra had glowed with happiness, and kept saying, “He is so wonderful! I just feel so honoured, I mean, think of all the things Michael has to give up… There is also the risk of…” and she had stopped, a worried frown appearing. The others knew what she meant though. The last time a Mortina had married a Knight, it turned out that he was suffering from Llama Flu. Not the Weebles strain, which was very easily cured. No, this Knight, Richard Knight, had been struck down, literally, by the Pink Blob strain, and his life had hung in the balance for several days. He was cured, eventually, but the stress had been terrible on all the family. His cousin Victoria had been in the house at the same time, as they had had a double wedding. Erik can’t imagine what it must have been like… After Michael and Zahra are married, and Michael moves in, Erik can tell that the whole family is holding their breath. It turns out that Michael is as fit as a fiddle though, and life had settled down.

Tessa is amazed at how her life has been turned round. Here she is, little Tessa, with nobody to talk to, nobody who understands her, all alone; transformed into Tessa, Erik’s girlfriend. She has to keep pinching her arms to check that she isn’t dreaming. Surely this is too good to be true? She adores Erik, and thinks the world of him, even after a few dates, and time with his family. She loves the house, and they are more than happy for her to use their yoga mat. She loves it, as the yoga mat is near the piano where Michael is playing. He smiles at her whenever she looks at him, and is very kind and polite. He loves to help, she can tell, and she likes to watch him interact with what he calls ‘his three girls’, for Michael and Zahra have two daughters.

Tessa leans over, and this time happy tears drop onto the yoga mat. “Thank you, Lord, thank you! I can’t believe how my life has changed. I’m so very grateful; I love Erik, and I love the way he speaks to me; I get goose bumps from the way he looks at me, with respect, and warmth, kindness and love…He makes me feel special. Thank you Lord, for sending the right man at exactly the right time…” Her thoughts drift off for a moment, and she shivers. In one of her few moments at home Camilla had told her in quiet whispers what had happened at the party; Camilla had in just a few words made crystal clear to Tessa what sort of life she had narrowly escaped, for Tessa knew the man Camilla described.. How awful, she thinks, how utterly and profoundly unhappy my life would have been…

Then Tessa looks up again, catching a glimpse of one of the Mortinas in the kitchen, and smiles to herself, and breathes out, relief flowing off her in huge waves. “Thank God for this family, and thank God for my…well, fiancé in just a few hours!” It is true that Erik has been patient, not wanting to push Tessa, but the proposal comes at the right time. The whole family rejoices with the happy couple, and before anyone realises it they are wearing the SiMobile Government issued wedding gear, their faces beaming. They make a striking pair, the blond, giant, muscular Erik, his Norse blood showing. Standing next to him leaning on his strong arm stands the frail looking Tessa, with her tanned skin and large, grey eyes filled with happy tears! Tears that splash onto her freckled cheeks when her blond Viking leans over and kisses her under the wedding arch, and whispers with his face aglow with wonder and happiness, “Welcome home, Mrs Tessa Mortina, wife of Erik the Viking!”

Bright and Beautiful

Paul and Eva have been engaged for ages, it seems. Esther keeps a close eye on the calendar, as she just wants to get to her own wedding day! There have been a few changes in SiMobile, and this always causes problems. Paul’s family is new in town, so Paul and Eva will be the first to get married in their household. This means that they will have to do the main Marriage Quest, an event that last for ever it seems. As Paul’s family is new, there are no tricks to speed up the process either! Eva grumbles every evening about the length of time each step takes.

“We looked at outfits, we looked at menus. Now we have to look at both again! It’s just never ending… All we want to do is get married and have a life. Why does everything have to be so hard? His parents are getting on, so Paul’s dad is actually ready to retire whenever we get married. The Proposal event went really quickly, but now it’s just one thing after another! Their bathroom is terrible, as they are new, so even a shower doesn’t make you feel that much better!”

Yes, Eva is definitely Miss Stroppy these days, hoping to turn into Mrs Stroppy soon, Esther grins to herself. Well, good luck to Paul, although he seems quite a happy, calm sort of guy. He needs to be too, there is no way they can replace walls or windows, so hopefully he will be able to keep Eva in a good mood. Then they get the wonderful news, the wedding has started! Not long now, Esther sighs a great sigh of relief, not long, and about time too! I wasn’t sure how much longer I could wait!

The day after Eva’s wedding her Permit arrives, and Eva spends the rest of the day snapping and packing, looking stressed in her rush to get out. “I didn’t realise we were that awful?” says Samuel, smiling, although his eyes are just a little darker green than usual. He must be annoyed, to let it get to him! “I have never seen anyone leave this home in such a rush! Paul must be amazing, or his house is like a palace, or…” He stops, for Eva has turned round, her face red, eyes glaring at everyone.

“No, it’s not this house, it’s not this family, it’s this town!” she hisses, surprising everyone with her anger! “We have been doing this wedding event for days and days, just to get married. On top of that, so many things have changed in SiMobile. We heard that it’s almost impossible to have a honeymoon baby now! First you have to do a baby event, and you have to attend all sorts of classes, buy stuff, do events. Then, in order to actually have the baby you need enough tickets to do so, just to prove that you can actually look after a baby! What has SiMobile come to, that they now want all prospective parents to prove themselves! I know there has been a lot of goings on in this town, and some families have more children than they should have. It’s just a silly rule, that will favour the rich and powerful, like…like…well, you know, friends we know of…!”

Eva stops then, going a brighter shade of red, realising that one of the families she was thinking of is her own father’s family, and as Samuel’s mother is her dad’s cousin, it means she grew up in the same house. The others just stare at her, too shocked for a moment to say something that isn’t going to come out all wrong. Samuel laughs, not one of his hilarious laughs though, a funny dry, short laugh. “Ha, you mean like our friends to whose parties we have been? I mean, the parties that you have been to? Like the party recently, where Esther met Magnus? Those sort of friends, with those sort of houses, you mean?”

Eva actually looks down, looking ashamed now. “I am sorry, I really am. It’s just, well…I just…” Eva stops, and swipes her eyes! Eva, the hard as nails Eva is actually crying! It is Samuel’s turn now to blush, and he hands Eva a tissue. “You see, Paul and I were so desperate to get married. We knew we had to do the official quest, and that it would take time. It just hadn’t registered how much time! I felt so bad, for I know Esther has been so looking forward to getting married, and I know you have spent lots of time with Miriam… When we finally got married, we were just looking at the…next ehm…step, and then,” tears start rolling again, and Eva mops away with the rather soggy tissue. “Well, we soon realised that in order to have children, there is a whole boatload of new events, new regulations and boxes to tick! The tickets are the worst, they are hard to get…”

Poor Eva! Esther really feels sorry for her sister. She can understand the pressure although not once has Eva let on that she was trying to do things as fast as possible to help Esther. On the contrary, she kept repeating how important it is to do all steps properly, to not rush a wedding, to really enjoy each day as it comes… Esther sighs, typically Eva, little Miss Windup, she thinks. This business about the needed tickets is bad though, as a lot of young families will struggle! “Oh Eva, how difficult it must be! Don’t worry, everything will work out for the best, you’ll see! Nothing happens by chance, God is in control.” A picture of a tiny silver hammer floats through her head and is gone, but the niggling worry stays behind.

Soon Eva’s bags are packed, and she says goodbye to them all. Moving to another family can be very hard, and soon the realise that the implications can be terrible. They can’t contact Eva, and she can’t contact them! How sad, only via family members can they keep in touch! Of course, many promises are made on that score! “Well, at least we don’t have to worry about extra quests, tickets and permissions!” says Samuel Vince, smiling around, but Esther did notice his quick look around to make sure Eva had definitely gone…

The house has space! It has gone very quiet, even though nothing much has changed, really! Mind you, Miriam makes up for any missing person, and is happy to fill any quiet moment. Samuel is clearly in love with her, and those two together are working on something, Esther is sure. Before Esther and Magnus have finished their events, Samuel Vince Mortina is strutting round the house in a blue tux, followed by a laughing and shrieking Miriam in a white dress. Their Wedding is Wild… Fortunately, Magnus and Esther have part of the event out of the house, at the Cub where Miriam works. It is very quiet at the club, making Esther giggle to Magnus, “No wonder it’s so quiet, Miriam is at the house!”

Esther thinks about the little hammer a lot; it still worries her. Magnus makes it sound as if it was just a family tradition, a family joke, but does he really see it that way? Esther smiles a little, “He really is a Viking, always talking about stuff he has done, things he can do, deeds to be done…almost as bad as Samuel with his Bringing Justice! He is a kind guy though!” Later that evening Esther is glad of Magnus and his Viking strength, for one of he guys at the Club is becoming a nuisance. Esther can feel herself getting flustered, and just wishes the man would go! Just when she thinks she will need to raise the alarm or something, there is a strong arm around her, and a deep voice challenges the annoying man.

“Leave the girl alone, you’ve done enough harm for one night, making a fool of yourself, annoying a lady. No go home, sleep it off, and behave yourself like a gentleman next time. You will be in serious trouble if I still see you in two minutes…” The man doesn’t need two minutes, and within a few seconds he has left the Club, heading towards the brand new bus stops Esther spotted on their way to the Club… Magnus turns her round, his face all smiles again, his voice still deep, but warm, rumbling, breathless… “You never worry about anything whilst with me, dearest Esther,” he commands, smiling, “I will take care of you, and I will make sure that nobody can harm you! Don’t worry about the guy, he won’t be back tonight. I love you, Esther, did I tell you already this last half hour?”

Esther laughs then, relieved that her Viking stepped up so nicely, and protected her. Relieved to see his caring face, and amused by his sweetness. “You only told me three times this half hour, you’re slipping!” She tells him, “Thank you, my dearest, for being my protector, I enjoyed that! I thank God for you every day; I thank him for your handsome face, and your strength, and your amazing warm heart…” She smiles at him, and is a little surprised and hurt to see his eyes darken a little, his broad smile slipping just a tad. “What is wrong? Have I said something to upset you?” she asks, quickly reviewing her words. What is it? She thinks, what did I say?

Magnus sighs, holds her a little tighter, and says, “I don’t quite get why you would thank God for me? I mean, our marriage was all arranged by our parents, we agreed, we met at the party, so why thank God? Also, I was the one that sent the guy packing. He ran off, because of me, not because God brought thunder down on him. I was here, at the Club, with you; you’re my fiancée, almost my wife. So of course I would come to your rescue, and I will always do so. It’s my duty and delight,” his smile is a bit broader, definitely his eyes look more mischievous, “definitely an delight, to protect you, to be with you, to keep you safe. You know, at home Bjorn and I used to do lots of wrestling. Well, you know how big he is, but I didn’t lose that often…!”

Esther giggles, men and their games… Then she turns serious again, because what he has said is serious, and she wonders how to explain, without offending him. She groans, “Lord, do I really need to explain all this? Can’t I just leave it, and explain another day, in another conversation, or can’t somebody else explain…?” She knows the answer though, and actually blushes a little for she feels a bit of a coward, backing out of an awkward conversation! “I know what you are saying, and I do understand. However, I believe God ordains things, brings things about, orders things right. So I truly believe that our meeting up, our arranged marriage, is a gift of God. You are a gift of God, and I love you even more because of that!”

She stops, wondering how Magnus will react. He is very quiet for a moment, thinking about her words, turning them round in his head, in his heart. Then he grins at her, “Well, I can definitely live with the idea of being God’s gift to you! That’s pretty cool, and does a lot for a man’s ego!” He hugs her, spinning her round and round, all serious talk forgotten, for the wedding is at the door, it will be a white dress for her, a tux for him…then they will be husband and wife!

The wedding is wonderful, even though it’s a formality in SiMobile but to Esther is the most wonderful of events, as it is an event done with Magnus. He looks incredibly handsome in his tux, and she feels like a princess in her white dress. The time speeds by, the event seems short because of its beauty and sweetness. Esther’s face aches from smiling, her eyes hurt from the camera flashes, her feet are sore for they danced too much, and the entire event wears her out. Magnus is over the moon, he loves his tux, but wears his red jacket for part of the event, explaining that the red looks great with her white dress!

Esther notices his eyes though, and it actually thrills her as well as making her nervous. Magnus watches her, a lot. Not just in the normal way, like he always does, with pride and joy shining in his big eyes, but more thoughtful at odd moments. Esther is secretly thrilled, for she can tell that he is actually thinking about the incident at the Club, and her explanation. She can tell that he watches her, to see how she lives out her words. This is what makes her nervous, for she knows how small things can really upset her. She tends to worry about small issues, knowing it’s wrong, but seemingly unable to stop herself from doing so.

The big test arrives soon after their glorious wedding. There is a small family celebration, as both Magnus and Miriam have been granted their Moving Permits, and both have walked in with huge suitcases. Now the four of them are sharing the big house, they decide to have a proper Wedding Reception. Miriam is very keen, “Ohhh, I love parties! My parents only had the one, just for Paul and Eva to meet, and for me to meet up with Samuel! It was a tiny party, hardly anywhere for guests to stand, the house is so minute!” Her head back, she roars with laughter, nudging Samuel with her elbow at the same time.

It takes a while before both have finished laughing, and then bit longer before they’re all ready to carry on the planning. Esther loves style, she loves long dresses, graceful garments, showing class. She prefers a wedding party where all the guests turn up in their best outfit, refined, pleasant, and for everyone to just have a wonderful time. Magnus doesn’t mind at all; he has been to all types of parties, his family do wild parties and classy parties, so as long as Esther is happy, well, he, Magnus is thrilled. That leaves Miriam and Samuel. It is Miriam who pipes up, making Esther gasp with her proposal, “Let’s have a really bright one, you know, a fun one! Everyone gets to wear whatever they want as long as it’s colourful, and just have a uproarious time!”

Samuel is laughing, and agrees straight away. Miriam and Samuel do a high five (really? Esther just about manages to stop the eye rolling) and cheer, and start discussing possibilities straight away. Esther hesitates, but decides to give it a shot, “Are you sure? I mean, don’t we normally wear a wedding gown type dress for the Wedding Reception? You see, it would make it feel more like a Reception, won’t it? Well, what I mean is, a lot of people wear really bright clothes anyway, they might want to wear something…chic…something stylish I mean…” She stops, blushing, struggling to sound upbeat, openminded, as if she is totally up for the weird and crazy, but just wanted to mention the…normal, proper option as well.

It doesn’t work; Miriam laughs her wild laugh again, and vetoes it straight off, “Nooooo, that’s so stiff and starchy, you don’t want that! Our friends love a bit of a laugh, don’t they? I mean, everyone knows that people in big houses get up to all sort of…hahahah…well, fun, for want of a better word! Let’s do it! I can’t wait, it’ll be hilarious!” Magnus watches Esther, she can feel his eyes, watching her, assessing her, remembering her bold words and great claims. So, if what she said is correct, then this is also in God’s control?

Esther struggles, she has to give in to the others and the party invites are sent out, calling the theme Bright and Beautiful. The last bit was a concession to Esther, as some people do like to dress up in style, even Miriam admitted that much. Esther has to think about this big question though, and she just finds a quiet spot, right behind the Granny Annexe. She sits down, feeling herself relax; the sun overhead warming her bones, the waves hitting the beach, calming her, restoring her. “Lord, I don’t understand. You said all things work to the good of those that love You. You promised that not a hair can fall off our head without Your knowledge. You said not a sparrow can hit the ground without Your consent. So how does that work with things like…like stuff I don’t want?”

Esther feels herself calming down, relaxing, peace rolling over her like the waves rolling over the nearby beach. The sound of the waves rolling, washing the beach, makes her think of her auntie’s favourite hymn, ‘When Peace Like a River…’ and she realises that it has a good part of the answer to her question. “Of course,” she whispers, “of course, it keeps repeating, ‘It is well with my soul’, so of course, part of the answer is that God doesn’t give us a perfect life on earth. The best is yet to come, and this world is a fallen world, so there will always be grief and evil. God is still in control though…”

Esther smiles, and rolls onto her front, feeling her face starting to have a familiar tightness, which means the sun is turning her skin a bright red. With the party coming up, that is not such a great thing to happen. “At least it will be bright,” she suddenly giggles, then her face lights up a bit more, “Yes! That’s it! Joseph! He actually explained to his brothers and told them that they meant the whole throwing-in-the-pit incident for evil, but God meant it for good! The incident brought Joseph to Egypt, got him into prison, ordered it so he got to meet the cupbearer and explain his dream, who remembered it rather late and that brought Joseph before Pharaoh to explain Pharaoh’s dreams, who made him governor of Egypt, which made Joseph save his family! Wow, what a long line of incidents, all terrible, sad, painful…but meant for good! All under God’s control…”

She smiles then, relieved that she has managed to work it out in her own heart; grateful for the quiet moment of reflection. Suddenly she finds herself looking forward to the Reception, wandering in her mind’s eye through her wardrobe, wondering if amongst her very sensible collection of clothes there will be something Bright! She finds herself rushing over to the house, caught up in the whole spirit of the party, looking forward to meeting the guests, showing off her amazing husband, dreaming of, no trusting in, a Bright and Beautiful future…

Family

The noise is incredible. She chuckles to herself, and shakes her head, whilst folding and packing up her clothes. “Whoever says that retirement is so that older people can have a rest must be joking,” she mutters, “I have never heard so much noise in my life! Good thing that I don’t feel old, otherwise living in this house would probably finish me off! Oh dear, I never realised how many clothes I have… I’m not sure I really want to keep all these. Oh! No, this one is for keeps! My green superhero suit! Mmmm, I wonder if I could lose enough weight to wear it; it would certainly entertain all the other old people once we move out…!”

Victoria is packing her belongings, humming to herself, smiling every now and then when extra loud noises reach her. She loves living in a noisy household, enjoys the young people chatting and singing, and revels in their infectious energy. She wasn’t going to retire until necessary, but when Chris got his final promotion, they decided that there really was no reason to hang on any longer. The only reason they kept going was to earn a few more Simoleans, to save up for the next bit of garden to get cleared. In the end, she and Chris decided that their generation had cleared a piece of the garden, and added a wad of cash towards the next plot. It was the new generation’s turn, they felt.

So, rather unexpectedly, both Chris and Victoria had handed in their papers! She still laughs when thinking about it, her musical laugh sounding as clear as ever. “It feels like I’m on holiday,” she had laughed as she had sat down with Chris for a leisurely cup of coffee. “I sort of regret not having taken the first retirement option now, rather than letting Tabitha and Richard go first…! It’s just so nice, a normal weekday, and here I am, sitting with you, listening to all the Mortina noises!”

They had both smiled, and enjoyed their moment together. Victoria looks at herself in the mirror when she passes it with another armful of clothes. She pulls a face at the old lady staring back at her, and touches her grey hair. “I like it, I think it actually suits me. The purple dress looks good too, I’m really pleased with my choices. Of course, my superhero suit would have been fun as well, but no, I think I prefer the classy look. The photographer will be here in a minute, I better go and put my face on. Skin can look so sallow next to grey hair. Now where is my toiletry bag…” she mumbles to herself, walking out of her room, walking with a determined step as if still walking in the Court room!

The house is very full, it seems. There are the four older Mortinas, and Eva, Esther and Samuel Vince. Eva is desperate to meet Paul, and Esther dreams of Vikings day and night, making everyone in the house feel that they can imagine why people dreaded the Norsemen coming all those years ago… They are secretly starting to dread anything that has a vague connection to Vikings too. Esther is oblivious to their weariness, she just can’t wait to meet Magnus. She keeps looking at postcards that arrived in the white letterbox, checking and double checking. Parties are being arranged, times are chosen, wheels are set in motion…

The noisiest of all is Samuel Vince. His bright orange hair moves through the house like a torch, setting people’s hearts and minds alight. He really has a gift for setting people off. He likes winding up, leaving some people cross, but he is so cheerful and friendly, that he gets away with it all! Victoria tried to have a quiet word with him. Having a quiet word with Samuel however is a contradiction in terms, as she should have known after all these years! She had tried to warn him, explaining that not everyone will appreciate his jokes and his loudness. “Really sweetie, you do need to be careful. People are so easily offended, and especially at trying times like these, what with betrothal parties, and arrangements to be sorted out…”

He had just laughed; laughed and hugged her, lifting her off the ground a little, ignoring her exasperated “Samuel Vince Mortina! What do you think…Oh!” He had kissed her, and giving her a last tight hug, had put her back on the ground. He looked at her, and with his bright green eyes full of mischief assured her everything was fine. “I’m fine, mother, they are fine, everyone and everything is just fine. Did I tell you I got the photography job? Auntie Tabitha recommended me, and guess what? I got the ASOS Photographer one! She was so pleased for me, said she had tried to apply for that one herself! Well, another family member given some justice, I guess!” and he had laughed his loud, boyish laugh, and walked off.

Victoria sighs, thinking about Samuel always leaves her a little uneasy. The boy is so wild, so incorrigible! Goodness knows what he’ll be like as a photographer…She shudders thinking of her carefree son taking care of extremely expensive equipment… “I hope they have all their paraphernalia insured…Tabitha has explained before how much each lens is, and each camera. Oh dear, maybe an office job would have been safer!”

Living together, however big the house is, always brings friction. It starts with Eva, who is still very upset about her delay in meeting Paul. At least she has had a description from Richard, who has actually met the lad, but she is very disappointed. Sadly, she takes her disappointment out on others in the family. Eva is quite grumpy anyway; Madame Stroppy they used to call her when she was in one of her moods. She normally gets over her issues soon enough, but Esther is having a difficult time of it. “I just can do anything right, she is turning our entire lives into a competition! She even complains about stuff that went one when we were younger! She complains about pictures I had put on the internet, well, who cares about that sort of stuff? People do it all the time, and she is my sister, surely she can help me a bit? All the time she keeps coming up with more and more issues, it’s driving me nuts! Mum, please do something about it?”

Tabitha and Richard both tried to talk to Eva, which just made matters worse. Eva went straight to Esther and they had a huge row about tittle tattling, and who’d done it the most. It ended the usual way: Esther in tears, Eva looking bored. It did stop though, and quite suddenly too. Victoria never realised how constant the bickering had been, but one day she realised that the noise she was missing was the noise of catty girls! “How strange,” she mumbles, wandering to the kitchen to make herself a coffee, it’s like the silence in the house is…palpable, I guess! Mmm, have these girls done each other in I wonder…they were really at it last night, I was about to throw a bucket of water over them It works for fighting pets, I’m sure it works just as well for fighting siblings…!”

Then she spots the girls, sitting on the sofa, together. They both are smiling, they both look up as she walks in, they both wish her good morning. Victoria stops, and stares at them, quite deliberately. “What happened to you two? Buried the hatchet? Or run out of nasty fuel, and have to make do with kindness instead?”

The girls look rather sheepish, giggle a little, and then Eva explains how Samuel had confronted them. She rolls her eyes a bit, and explains to Victoria how Samuel had come to them, and told them to sort themselves out. “He said he wanted to be blessed, in whatever form that blessing would come, and that there is a Psalm that says that the place where brethren (or sister for that matter!) dwell together in unity, that is where God commands His blessing, and life for evermore… So he told us to quit the moaning, and get a life, and allow him to have a life too. It was so embarrassing!” Eva still blushes, thinking how Samuel’s words had stung her, and made her feel like crawling under the cheap homestead coffee table, and to stay there in hiding till Paul came to fetch her…!

Victoria chuckles, and feels herself growing a few inches, just thinking about her son coming out with such wise words! “Well, it’s so much better to see smiling sisters, I must admit, and remember, it won’t be long before you go your separate ways, girls, just meeting up now and again, so I would enjoy each other’s company if I were you! Life in Sims Mobile is short as it is, so don’t squander your time away!”

That evening, propped up in bed with a book, Victoria sighs a sigh of contentment, coming from deep inside her. Yes, life is so short here, but there have been so many blessings, so much happiness as well! She drifts away into happy daydreams, floating, remembering, accompanied by the piano music that penetrates the walls of the Granny Annexe. She recognises the music as well as the pianist; Chris, playing his Mum’s favourite hymn; the one she heard in church that Sunday so long ago now. The hymn that she sang so often, even Victoria knows the words, and she finds herself humming along with Chris’ playing, ‘When peace like a river attendeth my soul; when sorrow like sea billows roll…whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul…’ She smiles, thinking about peace, and dramas, and Llama Flu, and treasured babies, squabbling siblings, and hearty laughter; feels herself relaxing more and more, till sleep carries her away to even more dreams. That is how Chris finds her half an hour later, his precious Victoria: fast asleep, a smile curving her sweet lips upwards, an open book ready to slide off the blue bedspread…

Retirement

Tabitha is standing in the large bedroom, looking in her large mirror, stretching and turning like a model, even though she will be grey in just a very short time. Any time now, in fact, which makes her regret her hearty breakfast. Retirement, the dreaded stage of life for so many people. Retirement, which has been hanging over her and her Richard for a while now. She smiles at the mirror, and says to her image, “Never mind, dear, as long as you wear something suitable, something that goes with grey hair. Make sure you don’t look too washed out, and don’t look frumpy!”

She hears a hearty laugh behind her, and knows that Richard has heard every word of that… “You couldn’t look frumpy if you tried, my darling,” he whispers, hugging her, holding her tight. In the mirror she can see his face, looking a little sad. He sighs, and tries to smile at her in the mirror, making his face look all crooked. “I just wished I had time to get those final promotions… Suffering from Llama Flu was not helpful to my career as a doctor. On the other hand, there is now a new chef in the restaurant! I really got fed up with that old woman, Jalisa Key, working in the restaurant, ignoring all calls for retirement. So I had some words with her… Ha, she absolutely hated my guts in the end, but at least it worked! They have a new girl now, which is an improvement!”

They both laugh. Yes, there are many elderly people stuck in their jobs, refusing to retire, making it very hard for the younger generations to find spouses spontaneously. It has to be through arranged marriages, which is very complex. Tabitha sighs, they made some very careful plans for both their daughters, and she hopes and prays the arrangements will work out. Eva has a boyfriend, Paul, which she hopes to meet up with soon. They actually hope to meet without having a party, but Tabitha is not too sure about it. It is so difficult, and as all four of them will need to retire, the logistics are giving her a headache.

“Mum!! Mumm, where are you? Look, it’s here! It’s finally here! I can’t believe it…!” Eva’s loud voice can be heard through the entire house, and, thanks to the lattice windows, throughout most of Sims Mobile, no doubt…! Tabitha rushes out of the kitchen, to see what Eva has got, knowing almost for certain that it’s the Gems allocations… She is right, the Gems have arrived… Today, today will be the start of all the chaos, new roles, new jobs, new hobbies…new everything it seems, apart from us four, Tabitha thinks…There will be nothing new about us, all grey and bend and decidedly old!

That evening they talk about it and try to arrange everything. “It is just so involved,” groans Victoria, looking through their plans, permits, applications, schedules… The large dining table is covered with papers. “I don’t even know where to start. Who needs to be promoted sooner, rather than later? That is probably the most important factor. Then we can decide who will retire to facilitate those promotions.”

Tabitha sighs, her headache has definitely not improved, and Victoria speaking like some sort of official does nothing to help. Victoria looks round at the all, shuffles a few papers around to look at proposals and Marriage Arrangement letters. “Right, from what I can gather, Eva is hoping to meet Paul sooner rather than later. Eva, that makes you top priority.” Judging by the way she looks over Eva’s outfit, you can tell that Auntie Victoria feels that the promotion is not the only thing that deserves priority… “Of course, it means you can choose an outfit, and even have your hair done. Excellent, who else needs promoting now. Samuel?”

Samuel looks up from his phone, and shakes his head decidedly. “Nope, not me, dearest darling mother. I’ve made arrangements to marry Miriam, and she needs to be an adult first, which will be very soon, but not today. No rush, I’m happy to just hang around a little longer… Wouldn’t want the age gap to be any wider than necessary now, would I!” He grins at his mother, who pinches her lips a little, which means that she is very annoyed; Samuel Vince Mortina knows exactly how to wind up people, especially his mum. He know she hates the over-the-top endearments.

“So, that is you further down the list then,” his mother says, professional voice and face back in their places, “Esther, how about you? When will you meet your Viking?” She looks at Esther, who is busy on her phone. Honesty, that thing seems to be an extension of the girl’s hand, Victoria thinks, irritated, and a little smug, wondering why Tabitha and Richard have allowed it… Esther blushes at the mention of her Viking, Magnus.

“There will be a party, to meet up properly,” she says shyly, “but it won’t be for a while, I fear. The thing is, with so many friends around in Sims Mobile I’m hoping to meet him at somebody else’s party, even before we have ours…” She looks round, nervous, wondering if they will think her pushy, but all she can see is smiling faces.

“Let’s promote you too, then, dear, at least you could start a hobby or a job, and meet Magnus whenever you can. I really hope for you that it will be soon!” Esther’s name is added to the priority list. Victoria looks at her sister in law and cousin, and also at her husband. “Now to decide who will retire first…” she doesn’t quite know how to carry on, as it’s rather awful to suggest to somebody else to hop it, as her cheeky son once called it. “I…I am not sure if it matters who will accept their papers first, so, I suppose it depends on who is most prepared?” She ends up making it sound like a question. Tabitha bends over the papers, partly to hide the tears in her eyes, partly to look through them to see if they have overlooked something.

“Eva needs to meet Paul, that is very important,” she says, “so as long as there is somebody who is friends with Hadley or Albert, or even Paul, it should be alright I suppose? I really have no idea which way to work this out to be honest. I still don’t know if it is possible to meet up outside parties. I mean, being friends with Hadley, Paul’s mum, doesn’t mean enough really, as it doesn’t say she is friends with you. Sims Mobile Government doesn’t encourage meeting people outside parties. I really can’t see from these papers that it will matter.”

The room has gone very quiet, the only noise is the soft humming from the fridge in the corner. Esther’s phone vibrates. Of course. Victoria and Tabitha look at the other faces, Chris looks down, Richard looks up, rubbing his chin. In the end, Tabitha speaks up. “I think it ought to be Richard and I who will retire first. After all, it is our daughters who need to be promoted first. It is only right and proper that we should allow them to take our places. That way, you can still spend more time with Samuel Vince. We knew this time was coming,” she continues, her voice softer than ever, sounding different, tighter, thinner, as if it’s only just held onto by a lead, struggling to run away from her control. “We have been preparing ourselves, not just our belongings and plans, but we have prepared our hearts also. It’s no point stretching this out, Richard and I will retire, and our girls will take our places.”

You can actually feel the relief in the room. This could have been a very awkward moment; it could have caused so much hurt and upset; anger could have dominated the meeting. As it was, the meeting was very calm and smooth, thanks to Tabitha’s grasp of reality, and her ability to put others first. That evening, she hugs Richard very tight, and is glad that the darkness hides her tears, voice wobbling ever so slightly, and says, “When you were so ill…and I really thought I was going to lose you, you remember, at our wedding reception? Well, I sang. I sang at the microphone when there was nobody around, and I sang, ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’, and at the time I was so, so sad! I felt that I would like to live forever, or at least almost forever. I don’t feel like that anymore. We have been so blessed, and I know it’s time now to bring in new blessings, new life.”

She sighs, listening to Richard’s heartbeat, strong, steady, feels his arms around her, and all of a sudden a dark room is not enough to hide her tears any longer. He holds her tight whilst she cries; cries for all that she will miss out on, cries over missed opportunities, cries over myriads of memories made in this house, cries over memories forgotten over time. Other memories come in then, flooding her mind, and by doing so, they stem the floods of tears. Yes, there are so many happy memories, so many treasures in her heart, stored away, never to be forgotten. After a while she finds her face dry, and the corners of her mouth curving upwards.

The first soft chuckle comes, “Do you remember…?” Before they know it they are both laughing, and Tabitha finds her face wet again, this time with happy tears. She sighs contentedly, “You know, I’m alright about retirement, really. I know I will miss this house once we have to leave, but it will be lovely to spend more time together. We have been through so much, met so many amazing people, been to the best parties in Sims Mobile, and the greatest gift we have is each other. We will go into retirement together. The thing I’m excited about is the girls! I’m so pleased they are able to be promoted first, I just can’t wait to see what will happen!”

The deed is done, the papers are filled in, there is no way back… Richard and Tabitha hugged each other, and soon the household had gone through a change that made the two girls smile and dance with glee! Eva didn’t spend too much time on her appearance, much to Tabitha’s sadness, and Victoria’s annoyance… She did change her top though, and who knows, the rest might follow, Tabitha thinks. Esther on the other hand changed her outfit several times, she just can’t decide what to wear in case she meets her Viking, Magnus. She chooses a little dress, showing off too much leg, Richard grumbles. Esther argues that it’s fine, and anyway, what’s wrong with her legs…

There are growing pains, difficulties to overcome once the girls are promoted. Esther is pleased as punch when she finds that her Dad and uncle finished the Internet hobby just in time. In the hobby room the computer desk appears, and Esther is hooked! She loves social media, and is on different sites all day long, Llamatube being her favourite, as she loves to take selfies. She signs up for the internet hobby of course. She isn’t too worried about getting a job, “I want to talk with Magnus about that,” she says when her parents ask her. “I would love to work in the same area as him, like you two did. I like that, and anyway, I’m sure I prefer something with access to computers…Mind you, the office outfits for women is appalling, not sure if I can cope looking like that all day…What if people put pictures of me like that on Llamatube?”

Tabitha is pretty sure nobody will bother, but she doesn’t want to upset her daughter. It is clear that Esther is giddy with happiness and expectation, talking about Vikings, reading on the internet about Norse legends, even looking up free language learning sites online to learn Ancient Norse, but she can’t find anything that comes close, so that idea is dropped.

Eva on the other hand is not a happy bunny. She wasn’t the happiest smiliest girl to start with, but her mood has definitely nosedived. The reason is that meeting Paul is definitely more complex than they were hoping. She was convinced that if someone in the family was friends with Paul’s mum, they could then call Paul over at the same time. The problem is, nobody in the family is friends with Paul. When going to Paul’s house to meet his mum, it’s actually impossible to add Paul to your contacts. There goes the happy scheme…

Eva is inconsolable. Now she has to wait till Paul can throw a party. “That will be ages,” she wails, her nose red and drippy, “I was so sure we could do it! We even scoured the list of parties to see if we could quickly go to the same one. Nothing! Hundreds of parties, and not one in common! I hate it, it’s so unfair! What am I going to do all this time? I will have three traits by the time I marry him!” She sobs and sobs, louder and louder, until Tabitha steps in. It’s fine to be upset of course, but going into hysterics isn’t.

“I’m sure it will work out absolutely fine,” she says soothingly, “You said Paul could have a party very late Tuesday night. Well, I’m sure you could manage to quickly pop over and meet him. Also, we will all do our best as much as possible, keeping our eyes wide open, in case we spot him… Don’t give up hope just yet, dear, it will be fine. There will be a very good reason for it, there always is. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in this life without a very good reason. We might not know the reason now, but it will be there.”

Eva grunts, and shrugs her shoulders. “I can’t see any reason for this delay. We were so looking forward to meeting up, getting married…how on earth can there be a good reason for delaying this…this good thing? How do we ever know that there is a good thing to come out of bad? That just doesn’t make sense, I can’t see how that can be true.”

Tabitha hugs her daughter, feeling the stiffness, the anger, the disappointment hardening her muscles, making her tense, hurting not jut her heart, but her whole body. She kisses her daughter’s cheek, and says, “Well, once there was a well known old lady, who went through more than we would want to think about. She wrote a beautiful poem, one that your dad and I actually talked about late last night, when talking about our journey here, in Sims Mobile. This wonderful lady wrote this poem,

My life is but a weaving, Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colours He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow; And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper And I the underside.

Not ’til the loom is silent, And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas, And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver In the pattern He has planned.

He knows, He loves, He cares; Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those Who leave the choice to Him.” (Corrie ten Boom)

Eva hugs her Mum, clinging to her a bit tighter, feeling herself relax, accept, mature. Retirement is a time for change, and a time for choice as well. Not just to choose jobs, hobbies, spouses, or even outfits; time to choose attitudes as well. She sighs, life is really complex…but good, and exciting too! After all, just one day, and Paul is able to throw a party…they will meet…and then…the future!

Calm Waters

Tabitha is standing in the middle of the kitchen, staring at the Peacock table, trying to think why she had gone into the kitchen in the first place! She looks at the table, looks round, catches sight of two little pigtails, and remembers! The spare nappy bags! Quickly she digs through the drawers where she was sure she had some stashed away, and dashes out of the kitchen the moment she lays hands on them. Great! Now, where is Eva? “Eva, where are you, sweetie, come here quickly, because Mummy needs to check on Theo.”

Tabitha grins to herself, and can feel her smile growing the moment she lifts Eva high up in the air! She has a daughter! A sweet, cheeky toddler, cute little face, little pigtails, auburn hair of course. She still needs to remind herself that it is really true, she has a daughter, and now, in the bassinet there is a little baby. She actually laughs out loud, which sends Eva into a fit of giggles!

“Do you think that’s funny?” She croons, tickling her, “You have no idea how special you are, little one, you really have no idea! One day, when you’re old enough, we will tell you. We will tell you about the miracle that you are, and why we called you Eva. I suppose we will tell you also why your little brother is called Theodore, which means Gift from God. You are, yes, you are, you both are,” she continues, and probably would have continued a lot longer, but for the footsteps coming into the lounge.

Cousin Chris, she groans to herself, just what I need. I wonder how much he heard. I know I shouldn’t care, really, but I do. She looks up, mainly because of Eva, who is looking up with a very confused expression. She never knew that toddlers could look that confused, and it worries her a little. Chris is standing nearby, a scowl making his eyes almost disappear under his bushy eyebrows. “Great way to go, cousin,” he grates out at her, “nice and kind, ha ha. Great to rub it in, as if you’re the only ones favoured by your God. You know, some peace and quiet in the house could also be a gift from God, and that is exactly what I would be enjoying, if your kids didn’t make such a racket.”

With that, he is out of the lounge again, leaving Tabitha almost as confused as Eva. The little girl looks at her face, and Tabitha brings on the sunniest smile she can pull, and they both giggle, and spin round, and play, until Tabitha feels all the anger floating out of the huge latticed windows. She tidies herself up a bit, straightens the lounge, and as she turns to go to the room with the bassinet, she glimpses a shade of red going round the corner. Victoria.

Tabitha’s happiness has a little wobble, she feels so sad for Victoria! After all, the girl grew up in an amazing house, a mansion, richly decorated and furnished, with fun loving people. Now she is living in their cluttered house, as varied in colour as the ‘amazing technicolour dreamcoat’, apart from the amazing bit that is. She wonders if Victoria ever regrets marrying Chris? Not at first of course, as Chris was all smiles and hugs whilst courting her. He dressed immaculately for their wedding, and even for the wedding reception. The pictures show him smiling broadly at Victoria, hugging her, talking to her.

Tabitha tries to think when that changed. She knows that straight after their wedding Richard was diagnosed with Llama Flu. She shivers, like she always does when she thinks of that time. Her stomach still does a flip when she remembers the fear and anxiety of those days. Victoria had been so sweet then, helping her, supporting her and Richard. They had lived in the Granny Annexe for a while, until just before Eva was born. Victoria had suggested they moved back, and she and Chris would live in the Annexe.

Tabitha thinks through the moments they have had, and that is when Richard notices her. He is feeding Theodore when she walks into their room. “You alright?” he asks, looking a bit concerned, but still focussed on his son. His son! He can’t get over it, one moment he is going to live with Llama Flu, and all that entails, the next moment he is the immensely proud father of two children! “You look like you’re thinking,” he smiles at Tabitha, “trying to remember something you needed to do? Bath Eva? Clean Theo? Kiss me?”

Tabitha laughs, honestly, Richard can cheer her up any time! “I was just thinking about Victoria,” she says, “I was trying to remember when Chris stopped being outgoing, smiling, and returned to his usual sulky self. I spotted Victoria walking past the lounge, and I just wondered how she really is doing at the moment. You both grew up in such a lush environment, with so much luxury, it must be hard to leave all that behind.” She looks at Richard, and tries to smile at him. She doesn’t want to sound like she thinks he is ungrateful or materialistic, but she is a realist!

Richard looks at the tasteful blue room, the little boy in his arms, beautiful wife standing in front of him, and his smile reaches from one ear to the other ear, splitting his face in two. “Oh sweetheart, don’t you worry about that, not ever! I have all I need, all I want, you’re the best thing any man can have. I also have two adorable kids, what more would I want? I’m the richest man in Sims Mobile, who cares about stuff? You know, having the Flu helped to get life into perspective. It’s so sweet of you to think about that though, you’re my love!”

Tabitha is relieved, she knows he really means it. He really is the kindest man she could imagine, and to be married to him is, well, amazing doesn’t really do it justice! She looks round the room as well, happy with the blue bedspread… “I’m so glad we have a blue bedspread,” she says with great conviction. Richard straightens up from the bassinet, and stares at her.

“Excuse me?” he hesitates, looking totally confused, “did I miss part of the conversation? I thought we were talking about something different?”

Tabitha laughs, “It’s my wild train of thought,” she jokes, “it just took an unexpected turn. I was thinking about the Llama Flu, and the horror of those days, and how I used to wake up looking at the yellow bedspread. I vowed at one time that I would get rid of it, and never sleep under a stripy yellow bedspread again! Life is so different now, the Llama days seem a different lifetime, something that happened to another generation, and I just thought how grateful I was to have a blue bedspread.”

They laugh, her wild thought patterns a standing joke between them. Tabitha maintains that it helps her in her job, that it makes her a more creative photographer. Richard winds her up, and says that she just uses it as a smart excuse in order to get away with chaotic conversations! They look at each other, holding hands, smiling into each other’s eyes. “Can you remember that party Victoria threw for us? The one straight after Eva was born? Everyone seemed to turn up in yellow! In fact, one of the guests thought they had misread the party invite, and missed the fact that it was supposed to be a yellow party!”

“That was such a wonderful night, and I remember the feeling of your hands, your kisses, when we renewed our vows…It was so special, I was so moved…” Tabitha’s throat isn’t being very cooperative just now, she can only swallow, not speak. “I remember,” she manages to squeak out, “I remember us both promising to love and to hold, to cherish, in everything, in sickness and health… By then we really knew what those words meant, we weren’t just rattling our way through them in order to finish the Event. We meant them. Doesn’t that seem forever ago? But I can still see us both, standing under the arch, you in your canary shirt…” she can’t talk, she is laughing too much now, remembering Richard, by then the picture of health, wearing a ridiculous getup, love radiating off him in huge waves, encapsulating her, captivating her, enveloping her, until they were the only people on Sims Planet, let alone Sims Mobile.

Nothing else mattered, nothing else was needed, just the two of them. She remembers the tiny pitter patter of Eva’s staggering first few steps, and how it had reduced her to tears, overwhelmed with God’s goodness in all their riches.

Looking at the little bassinet, just able to spot a tiny fist waving about, she thinks back to those days, dreaming, floating on the memories. She looks up at her Mr Handsome, and says, in a much more serious voice, “You know, I can’t ever forget those hair raising days, the heartache and grief, but you know, I realise how easy it is to become placid. It is so easy to slide into everyday life, and to just take it all for granted!”

Richard agrees, “Yes, I sort of vowed that I would never take good health for granted again. Most days I do, though, and it’s scarily easy to do so! Life is so full and busy, and we lap it up, and we forget to actually stop and thank God for it. We just live it, love the gifts, enjoy the gifts and use them, and we actually in all our busy moment forget the Giver! It’s only when things go wrong that we look for something or someone to blame. We never blame anyone when things go the way we want them to go… It’s just so easy to do, I mean, life is so amazing, and the days just glide from one day into the next, it’s so surreal after the manic stress and devastating terror of those Llama days!”

Tabitha goes back to the kitchen, thinking about this. Victoria helps her to get dinner ready, and they chat a little in between grilling and stirring. “How are you doing?” asks Tabitha, “I meant to ask you the other day, we just seem to move past each other all the time!”

Victoria smiles, she always smiles thinks Tabitha, and shrugs, “Oh, I have been busy too, although not in the same way as you have of course! The Court is just quite busy at the moment, there have been quite a few parties in town, so that always brings extra work of course.” Tabitha grimaces and nods, parties can be like that. Looking at Victoria’s cute pixie like face, she realises that she could actually listen to Victoria’s voice for ages, it’s so sweet!

“I saw your friends quite a while ago, you know, the guy with the cowboy hat? They came in to register their daughter’s birth! It can’t have been that long before Eva was born, it was definitely around the time of…of…well, you know, that awful time, when everyone in town was so worried. Penny they called her, so sweet! She really is a cute little girl, and they are so happy! They were both at the Celebration Party as well, you know, after…after…” Victoria’s melodious voice actually harpers a bit, Tabitha notices in shock, “They said they had someone keeping an eye on Penny, and they took it in turn to pop back home to double check. I wonder if they have had another baby yet, or whether they will just have the one. Its such a responsibility, you know, so I can understand about families with just one child. Seems a tiny bit sad for the child though, if you know what I mean. Also, it’s then easy to put all your hopes and expectations on the one child, which could be awkward, like with…” she stops, blushes a bit, and turns to the microwave, “Oh, this one is done, I just love how you can nuke things quickly!”

Tabitha is a bit dazed after all that, and grins in herself, “I know I said I could listen to her sweet clear voice all day? Well, I think I just did…!”

Victoria breezes out of the kitchen once they’re finished, smiling, and chattering to Adrianna. Tabitha looks at the two of them disappearing off to some project no doubt, Mum loves projects, an Victoria always seems to have a surplus of energy… I wish I could borrow some, at least till Theo sleeps through the night… Interesting that she suddenly stopped though, when talking about small families. Maybe she isn’t as happy as she looks. After all, Chris is Mr Awkward at the best of times, with his longsuffering attitude…with the stress on suffering… Honestly, I’m sure he just looks for opportunities to become the victim of something or other! I wonder what they think about our children? I have seen Victoria watching, smiling as usual, and Chris seems to glare every time they make a noise. I just wonder…poor Victoria,, I hope she really is alright?