Colourful
“…so you see, it has to be colourful, you know, pinks, greens, reds, that sort of thing.” Erik is grinning, his blue eyebrows waggling. “It sounds great fun, I just don’t know if I can do it, although my family will be disappointed of course. I mean, my father loved his family, they all stayed very close even after he married my mother. It would be a little awkward if no Mortina would attend. We normally attend so if we didn’t this time, well, that would be…well, we can’t of course, and…”
There is a gasp from the doorway. Tessa and Erik swing round to find Zahra standing there. She has just come back, and overheard the last few words. “Not going? What do you mean, not going to a party? Why ever would we not go to a party? Is it an invite from our friends? I saw the postman on my way here, and I did wonder about the late post,” she rattles, eyes shining with excitement. Zahra loves parties, and since her last trait and the upset it caused, she has been determined not to miss out on anything fun in SiMobile. “You were going to tell me, weren’t you? So, the theme is colourful? Great, I love colours, and those pantsuits from the Summer Sale, well, I know the Mortina tradition has always been skirts and dresses, but that pantsuit, is so bright and just shouts ‘Summer’ at you! Where is the party?”
Erik and Tessa glance at each other, looking a little uneasy, and Zahra is starting to worry. “They’re keeping something from me, I just know it! I wonder if the invite was for younger people only, and nobody with all their traits is allowed in or something. I bet that’s why the theme is colourful, thinking that those that will retire when the Gems arrive won’t wear gaudy colours. Well, they’re wrong. I’m quite happy to wear something colourful for a party! I know Michael and I have missed out, because we were so busy, and I know it tends to be younger people going to all the fun arties, but not exclusively! So what is in the invite that I shouldn’t go? I wonder why they are looking at me like that for?” Zahra looks at Tessa and Erik, who are clearly embarrassed; in fact, Tessa’s eyes are starting to fill up with tears! Erik sighs, and takes a deep breath.
He picks up the invite and hands it to Zahra, “You see, cousin, it’s not colourful clothes. It’s colourful hair!” Zahra gasps! Hair? Colourful hair? A party theme that specifies colourful hair? Subconsciously her hand reaches up to touch her dark brown hair, pulled in its usual tight bun, every hair in place of course. So if she wants to attend this party she will need to dye her hair? She looks at the invite, reading it, her lips moving along with the words. She gives another shocked little gasp at the end, and has to read the invite again. It is only after Zahra has read the invite three times, word for word, that she looks up from the invite, and wordlessly hands the invite back to Erik. She looks at Tessa and Erik, and can’t help but notice the difference. Tessa looking anxiously at her, thin hands clasped, eyes large and grey and filled with sympathetic tears, her whole thin body tense. Erik, on the other hand has a massive grin, and won’t stop waggling his blue eyebrows. In fact, he even looks excited, as if dyeing your hair some absurd colour just for a party is…is…well, acceptable and even something to look forward to!
Zahra is about to make a scathing remark about families that throw parties for hippies only, when she remembers the family name on the invite! It is only then that the name registers, as well as Erik’s words that she overheard just as she was coming into the room. It’s Erik’s father’s family! It’s the Lothbrok family throwing the party! Zahra gasps again, and stammers, “It’s…oh, it’s your father’s family…I suppose, well, I mean, do they really expect us… Well, what I mean, everybody in SiMobile knows the Mortina Dynasty and the name we have to keep up, and surely…” She doesn’t know what to say, for Erik is grinning at her, his head to one side, as if enjoying her discomfort, wondering when she will dig herself into the muck so deeply, that she won’t be able to get out unaided! Tessa looks more tense than ever, actually wringing her bony hands, tears hanging off her eyelashes; tears magnifying her beautiful grey eyes.
Zahra sighs, this is getting awkward, I mean, surely Erik doesn’t think it’s alright to go? “Oh, cousin,” he says suddenly, sounding exasperated but in a good humoured sort of way, “it’s just for a laugh. You just dye your hair for one evening, go to the party, meet with friends, talk to friends, and then you come home, you dye it back to normal, and well, you’ve only got great memories and pictures to show for it. It’s just…well, really it’s just like wearing a coloured hat!” He grins at her, and chuckles when he sees the horror on her face. “Look, my dad had blue hair, and nobody seemed to really mind! You know, not everyone dyeing their hair is a hippie, and not everyone with dyed hair is going through an identity crises, or has such low self esteem they can’t live with their natural looks… Some people just like it! Some people just want to do it for fun.” He stops, a bit breathless after such a long speech.
Tessa is nodding vigorously, and adds with a shaky voice, and even shakier smile, 2It can be really good fun, you see. I mean, I know it could look, well, running away from reality really, but it…it is different for a party, I’m really sure it is. Just imagine how colourful it will look, of everybody joins in, you see, it will be alright again afterwards. These parties do only happen once every now and again, and…well, you might not get many more chances…” she breaks off, as she sees Zahra’s face crumple, and tears drop suddenly onto Zahra’s cheeks. Tessa stands in horror, stricken dumb by the consequences of her words! She, Tessa has made the cool, calm, composed Zahra cry! She holds her face in her hands in shock, and then rushes over to Zahra, throwing her slender arms round her. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it like that, I really should have thought, I’m…” she whispers over and over.
Zahra shakes her head, her tears drying already, and manages to drag her lips into a very watery smile. “No, don’t apologise, it’s just that I keep forgetting how little time I have left. I keep forgetting that Michael and I promised to actually do some good, and have some quality time whilst we still can! No, really Tessa, I am fine, don’t worry. I…I will need to think about this, and discuss it with Michael. It is not something we Mortinas have ever done, and, well, frankly it doesn’t sound like the sort of thing the Dynasty is known for. On the other hand, you are right, Erik, there is a lot of prejudice around, and I really wouldn’t want to put your family in that light, ever. So I will have a think about it…” Zahra looks at her pantsuit and suddenly grins, adding, “As I’m wearing trousers, it seems like I have broken the Mortina mould anyway!” They all laugh and Tessa looks relieved, Erik looks bursting with anticipation, and Zahra looks thoughtful and eager to find Michael…
Tessa is in the hobby room, stretching, bending, day dreaming on her yoga mat. She and Erik are by themselves in the room, but she can hear Zahra’s voice. Zahra is becoming very firm friends with Charlotte Wayne-Knight. The two are seen together a lot, talking about art and artists. Tessa pulls a face, she really has no idea about art. Of course, there are some paintings that she likes, and some that she abhors, but that is as far as her art knowledge goes. She is pretty sure that Zahra doesn’t know that much more, seeing that Zahra’s mother came from the same household as Tessa, so not that high flying either. Tessa chuckles, she has seen that look in Zahra’s eyes, a look that says she’s winging it, trying to look intelligent, and making stuff up as she goes along. Charlotte, well, that is a totally different story. The girl has got class, it shows in the way she dresses, and her whole bearing shows her background and upbringing. Thanks to Charlotte, or Charlie as Zahra loves to call her new friend, thanks to her Zahra has actually learned quite a bit about art. Tessa giggles as she wonders if anyone from Charlotte’s household will attend the party….fancy seeing them, with their stylish dresses and pale skin, their regal way of walking…and coloured hair? Well, it would be a great fun, she sighs, not holding her breath on that one!
The thing that makes Tessa lose her balance and spin round is the very loud intake of breath, followed by uproarious laughter from her husband. Tessa feels her face burn, and tears sting immediately, as she is sure that he is laughing at her. After all, the tree thing position she tried to do didn’t go too well. When she looks at him she realises that he isn’t looking at her at all! He is looking at the kitchen, where Zahra is standing. Wait, is that Zahra? Tessa actually rubs her eyes, thinking that the sheen of tears must have made her imagine things. It is Zahra, but what a change! The flowery pantsuit with its reds and pinks is complemented by…Tessa stares, gaping, not believing her eyes! Has the prim and proper Zahra really got bright pink hair? Seriously? Tessa snorts with laughter, her knees wobbling, and soon she is gasping for breath. To see Zahra of all people with a bright pink, tightly done up bun, pink sunglasses and summer outfit… Priceless!
Zahra come into the room, looking a little self conscious, but actually rather pleased. “What do you think?” she asks, a little nervously, adjusting her pink sunglasses, “I just feel, well, a bit silly really, but I just wanted to do it! I talked to Michael about it, but he didn’t want to do it. He said that his brothers won’t dye their hair either, but are planning on wearing towels round their head!” Zahra giggles then, the sudden sound making Tessa jump, “I don’t know what I’ll do if I meet them at the party! I mean, those big, burly Knights…with bright coloured towels wound round their heads? What if I laugh, I mean, it would be terrible; it would look like I’m taking the mick, and of course, I would never do that!” Zahra sounds outraged by the mere idea that somebody might think she’s laughing at another Sim! Tessa smiles, and looks at the pink hair rather wistfully. It would be a laugh, just to try it out… She would never want to keep her hair dyed, and not pink…visions of her brothers’ blue eyed ‘concubine’ float through her head, and she shudders. No, not pink! Erik is still laughing, but he tells Zahra that he likes it.
“I’m really chuffed, cousin,” he laughs, “I love to see you trying something out, something different! You go and enjoy yourself. I’m just going to finish my guitar practice, then I’m going for a bit of a makeover as well…” He smooths out his blond hair, and smiles at Tessa. “What about you, Tess, you’re going to go wild tonight as well, and throw caution overboard…?” He looks at his wife, feeling his love for her beating inside his heart, struggling to not drown in her large eyes, and finding his breath come faster, just by looking at her sweet face! He manages to somehow come down to earth again, and looks at her, his head to one side, wondering if Tessa will actually do it! He has seen the woman that her brother was with, her pink hair and large, cat like blue eyes drawing attention. So he can understand Tessa’s aversion against dyed hair.
To his joy she nods though. “Yes,” she says, her voice sweet and quiet, “not pink though!” Her frail body shivers, just the thought of having the pink air like…like that woman…no chance! Zahra laughs, and is soon off to the party, excitement making her laugh out loud! Tessa smiles, and soon Tessa and Erik dash off to get changed. Tessa looks in the mirror, and wonders what will go with her outfit. She just loves the canary yellow top and green skirt… She takes a very deep breath, and resolutely grabs the green dye. It worked! Tessa looks in the mirror in astonishment! It looks so…so different, but good! She twirls around, trying to catch glimpses of her green curly head, giggling like a schoolgirl. When she steps out of the room, she gasps, then shrieks with laughter! There is Erik, his hair bright blue, as well as the two day beard…
He laughs, and hugs her, lifting her off the ground as always. “My gran, Kiera, apparently had this colour, so I thought it would be great to wear it at the house where she used to live…” He grins at Tessa’s sudden tears as she gushes over his words, telling him that he is the most caring man ever, just to think of things like that! Erik laughs, he loves his emotional wife; loves how she reacts so strongly, her heart showing in her tears. He touches his blue hairdo, and laughs. He is really looking forward to the party!
Zahra is having a great time, and is stunned by the different colours! She looks round the lovely house, having had a quick tour. One of the Lothbrok girls showed her round, as the house had recently been done up! Zahra loves it, and exclaims, “Oh, I love the wallpaper all round, the effect is just great! Oh, that kitchen, the floor! Brilliantly done, I love it. It is so stylish, so artistic,” she says quickly, thinking of her new growing friendship with Charlie, as she loves to call Charlotte. “very artistic, I must say, and I love the colours and ehm…” Zahra tries to think of something else to say that will prove that she is a bit of an art expert herself, but her mind has gone blank. Is that really one of the Knights, smoking, pretending he is sitting on a chair? Zahra wanders in and out of the house, finding her smile growing and growing. So many wonderful people, so much laughter! Her face lights up when she sees her friend, Charlotte Wayne-Knight, walk into the house, having her beautiful long hair dyed green! Zahra and Charlotte have a laugh together, and before Zahra realises it’s time to go! She feels a little sad going home. It was such a wonderful time!
The three of them have their picture taken, posing in their weird and wonderful hairdos. Zahra laughs when Michael asks her how it went. “It was better than I thought! The colour makes you feel so different, it’s very odd. I can see why people do it now. I will be relieved to get my own colour back though, that’s who I am, and that who I want to be. It was fun to see all the different colours, I’m very glad I went. Something was a bit off with the bubble blower I’m sure, a lot of people seemed affected by the bubbles,” Zahra says slowly, picturing in her head Charlie and the Knight family, sitting down in random places…. “I’m glad, so glad I went. I realise how important friends are, and how important it is to be with others, to talk to them, to laugh together, and to cry together. To actually do something special, something out of the ordinary together, it’s…well, it’s made me feel like I belong, like I’m alive. I’m glad I went, and I’m glad to be me again too!”