Writing with out adding random notes to each post was challenge for me. Which may or may not have helped me focus strictly on the story at hand. I will honestly say that sitting on the epilogue until the end since post 2 or 3 was an even bigger challenge. Without to much further ado outtakes & notes in order from prologue to epilogue. As much as I wanted Vincenzo & Magda to actually hook up, it just wasn't going to happen. I couldn't have created a more mismatched pair of sims had I tried. It was all I could do to keep them on friendly terms during their 3 sim days of time together. Yes, you can place grims door in one of the WA destination worlds. No grim won't do anything more than come out for a chat, and then start wandering around town, and just hanging out in general. So take note grims door only fully functions in your sims home world. This very lovely garden presented me with ton's of problems. However because I was using a player made world, and had aging - which shouldn't impact plants - set to long, I don't know if the problems I encountered were from the lot itself or something else. A zombie will happily stumble through arched doorways in the search of plants or brains to consume. These two shrub bits taunted me every time I launched the game. I'd run them over with the fence to make them vanish, save under a new name, run save through save cleaner after playing for the day, and boom there they were mocking me next time I opened the save. Again like the plants I don't know if it was the lot or the world I was playing. Let's talk about homework and the homeschooling mod. To reach an A and maintain it, they had to download and complete fresh assignments 2 to 3 times per day from 10 am on. If they only did the one fresh assignment provided at 10 am on the new day, they would get a pop up of not completing work and their grades would drop. This included weekends and holidays. While I liked the ability to have them home school, the amount of time spent on school work means I will most likely never use this mod again. I zoned the Municipal Airport created by AxelIngleson, lightly made over by me for picture purposes, as a big park in the hopes that it would fill up with townies. Sadly only a few of Aurora Skies townies & NPC's showed up. The other airport build I considered using was Sunset Valley International Airport created by sharonclark10. Magda had earned enough lifetime reward points to buy the young again potion. I considered using one of the sparkle pictures, but decided against it, because I wanted the question to hang of had it happened or had it been just a dream. Although in part I blew the prologue set up a tiny bit by not getting a napping picture of her. Eventually the original bath got fixtures to match the second bath, but in reds. For some reason I have almost zero pictures of Vince's room or Magda's after the final touches were added. Outside of dividing the dining room in half to create the study, and removing the faux chimney stacks, I didn't make any huge structural changes to the original building. I considered getting a bbq, but they wouldn't have gotten much use from it because of the no fridge mod. As to rugs as required under the challenge rules, almost every door has a half rug in front of it. ;)
In terms of game play with the no fridge shopping mod. I loved it, and will most likely use it again in the future. It did not impact cooking with the child's toy oven.
0 Comments
Well was it enough? A female voice faintly whispered through the air. Yes, barely, but yes just enough was learned. A deep rich baritone reverberated back. So, back to the very beginning? The feminine voice queried. No, for those deaths can't be undone. The baritone responded. What then? The feminine voice queried yet again. A second chance. A chance to take a different path in life than the first one chosen. The baritone responded as a haze enshrouded the sleeping Magda Hey lady, the bartender's voice called from behind Magda, waking her from her sleep. It's closing time, the last flight left an hour ago. Magda apologized for delaying the bartender's night, and stretched. She felt so energized, maybe she should nap in loungers more often, but the airport security might get suspicious of her. Giving herself a shake the rest of the way awake, Magda felt as if something momentous had happened but couldn't put her finger on it. Putting her hand in her pockets she found a ticket for a flight that clearly she'd missed. She couldn't recall buying the ticket, but it was her name on it. She'd check with the airline in the morning. With a newfound feeling of confidence Magda headed out of the airport for the youth hostel that the bartender had mentioned.
Wondering as she walked across town, had it all been a dream, or did she really have grown children off in the world someplace. In which case how could she have gone from almost elderly to freshly graduated from high school in the course of an afternoon. One thing she was certain of, dream or not, if she wanted to live a life of luxury her best option was to work for it and to not rely on marrying for money. The mini break with the few days spent lounging on the beach, had proved beneficial for all of them, and they quickly slipped back into their normal routine, with a few adjustments. Apple usually took a few minutes extra in the morning to tuck her hair up, and Vince would scan for ships, get excited and then subdued when the shipment he was looking for wasn't on board. It didn't matter how hard he was pressed, he wouldn't say. Then one day he was handed a letter by the ship's captain and Vince's eyes grew big. Magda could tell he wanted to jump up and down but instead he composed himself and went off with the captain to talk. Frustrated Magda hauled her latest purchase up the hill on her own. She had no clue what her son was up to, but if he didn't spill the beans soon she was going to yell at him. The additional solar panel meant that the oil lamps were now just decor. Between the two panels they had more than enough electricity for their home. Magda ignored the unused kennel that Vince had built. She could have told him that the raccoon's would never use it or the small bed he'd made, but she hadn't wanted to stop him from discovering his own talents. Watching his face glow from accomplishment, and not just the accomplishment of constructing a properly finished kennel, but the secondary accomplishment of numbers finally clicking for him as he saw first hand how the math he'd struggled with had real world applications had been worth the materials used. His new found skills were a mixed blessing for Magda, on the one hand sometimes it was hard to get him to stop talking about grand ideas that could never happen, which made him sound to much like his dad who was living in Lucky Palms, and other times he would surprise her with wonderful practical builds that helped improve their lives. As Magda inspected the seeds she'd found, on the gardening station Vince had made, she wondered why she'd never pushed Vincenzo for help getting the twins or herself off the island. It wasn't as if she didn't know where he was, or hadn't sent him an email informing him of the twins. Granted his reply had been a request for money for some crazy fashion idea he had, and hadn't written back after Magda polity informed him she didn't have any money. Somewhere deep down she knew that if she wanted what was best for the three of them that he couldn't be involved. When the time had been right she'd even shown the twins how to locate him on the internet, and even they had chosen to do nothing more than keep distant tabs on him after the multiple requests for money any time they tried to talk to him. As Magda harvested the late summer harvest she wondered how hard it would be to use the preserving station that Vince & Apple had insisted on ordering as a gift for her. It had been there waiting, and yet still wasn't his big surprise, for her one morning as she'd come out to tend the garden. She'd stood there reading the note they'd left on it for her and cried. She knew that when she'd left the orphanage intent on becoming a wealthy widow she'd been cold and callous. She still wanted luxury and wealth. Yet the simplest little things like the canning station or Vince cooking meals for them had her feeling like she'd won the best prize on the planet, and she couldn't understand what she'd done to deserve it. As she wandered upstairs for an afternoon nap she overheard Vince saying "Remember you pinky promised!" in a barely audible, but fierce whisper to Apple. To tired to make him tell Magda trudged up the stairs, what was her son up to, she had a sinking feeling that she'd find out soon enough. Cluck, cluck, cluck ..... Magda bolted upright in bed, her afternoon's nap had turned into an all niter, what was that noise? No birds on the island made that noise! cock-a-doodle-doo! Magda, was fully awake now, her mind was racing that sounded like .... but it couldn't be, could it?! Magda raced down the stairs and out the kitchen door. There stood Vince grinning from ear to ear feeding chickens in a chicken coop. That had not been there the night before Magda was certain of it. Unsure if she was dreaming or not, Magda decided to go tend the garden to sort her thoughts before confronting her son. Apple was inside waiting for her. "He made me Pinky swear when I stumbled on the coop being built last month or I would have told you about it." Apple blurted. At almost 17, Apple was getting close in height to Magda, which distracted her from the topic at hand, the appearance of a chicken coop with some very real chickens, and one rooster, to go with out in their yard. Reflecting back to her younger years Magda drew a deep breath, and reassured Apple that she fully understood how important pinky swears were, and that no one would be in trouble for Vince's surprise. Vince, having walked in at that moment, said he was glad he wasn't in trouble and then sheepishly admitted that he had something even bigger on the way. When Magda tried to press him for what, all he did was grin, before handing her a basket with four fresh eggs in it, and darting out the door to go fuss over his chickens. With the first bit of waffle that Magda'd had in close to 18 years she completely forgave him for keeping the chickens secret. When she learned how much trouble he'd had getting them transported and how it almost didn't go through on several occasions she understood why he'd kept his secret. He'd been afraid of looking like a money wasting looser like his dad. Magda had had a long talk with him about how he was very different from his dad. Yes sometimes some of his ideas fell apart, but his heart was always in the right place. Lastly he worked very hard on his ideas to make them come together and learned from the mistakes. She reminded him of the garden chairs in the greenhouse and asked him how many attempts to get them just right he'd made without abandoning the project altogether. Over a dozen, Vince mumbled before grinning. The remainder of that month Vince was either no where to be found, which is very hard to do on a small island, or fanatically fussing over his flock of chickens. Magda sat up in her bed, surely that wasn't ...... again! Magda walked down the stairs with a calmness she wasn't feeling. This made the second time in a little over a month she'd been woken at day break by sounds that were not a natural part of the islands wildlife. Magda delicately leaned against the corner of the greenhouse in stunned disbelief. Rubbing her eyes and pinching herself, assured her that she was awake, that that really was her son, hair no longer greased up, and yes he really was milking a cow. Overcome by motherly pride Magda quickly wiped a tear away before turning away and resolving that for once and for all she was going to stop avoiding the canning station. If Apple could earn steady royalties from a book on the garden they grew, and Vince could learn animal husbandry, they by golly and gosh she could and would learn how to use the caner. Magda was surprised how easy it was to can their produce, and before she knew it she was filling their pantry with fresh jams, preserves, and more. While she'd learned canning Vince had taught himself how to make cheese, and Apple documented everything they were doing into yet another non-fiction book. As she watched the shelves fill with each batch, the germ of an idea she'd had ever so long ago sprouted a bit more. She'd need a good pitch, but would those who she needed to pitch to be interested? That was the part of her idea that bothered her, the uncertainty of her very limited market. Despite the crisp of the fall air, Magda found herself rooted to the ground. She'd been getting ready to start supper when Apple had called down the stairs for her to go outside. Surely unicorns weren't real. Yet there was one standing in their yard, and Vince was addressing it as if he'd met it before. When the pure white horse, which Magda wasn't sure she could believe was a unicorn, nuzzled Vince's pocket for a treat, she finally shook herself out of the daze she'd fallen into. The white horse might or might not be a unicorn, but that the horses would now come into the yard meant that she should probably let Vince put the feed and water trough that he had been begging her for. Hands still slightly shaking, she changed her dinner plans from lasagna to a simple fresh loaf of bread to go with some preserves from the pantry. The wood fired bread oven had been another one of Vince's ideas, but this project they'd built together. Magda checked the oven. The second cake was raising nicely and it was almost time to pull it out. Eighteen years where had the time gone, it was hard for Magda to believe that the time had flown by so fast. In parts it felt surreal. As she pulled the second cake, allowing it to cool before decorating it, she hoped the twins would be okay with her big surprise for them. If they weren't she already had a plan B for back up, but hoped she wouldn't need to mention it. Vince had combed and slicked his hair back up for the occasion, and April had thrown on her latest outfit and left her hair down. Sold! Vince still had shock in his voice, Apple on the other hand had asked about what to pack and what to leave. Yes, sold! Magda repeated for what felt like the twentieth time. She explained again, how she had signed the title over to the institute, and that some of the scientists would live here year round while conducting their arctic research. How in exchange they would get transportation for the three of them off the island back to Aurora Skies with enough left for three plane tickets. For good measure she repeated how she'd submitted their academic records to a university match website, and that Vince had two scholarship opportunities if he wanted to either PolySci or MIT. Additionally due to his ability with animals he had an option to be a vet tech intern on a ranch in Appolosia Planes, as well as a farming community on the island of Winchester. Apple had been very pleased with her scholarship options, a range of choices in all subjects but science and physical fitness. She also had an offer to be an intern from an already famous author in the sleepy town of Midnight Hallow. When Apple asked about the return date, Magda honestly answered, that there wasn't one, unless they really wanted to come back as part of the institutes science team. Apple asked what Magda was going to do. Magda honestly answered that she wasn't 100% sure yet, but she was either going to run a resort someplace very warm and tropical, or move to Bridgeport and work there. No matter what her door would always be open to them, and that they could always reach her by email or simbook. At the airport in Aurora Skies Magda wiped tears from her face and hugged each of her children and wished them luck at university. She'd gotten them both to promise they'd do at least one full term before making up their minds on their futures. Both physically and emotionally exhausted Magda settled into a lounger while she waited for her flight. She hadn't intended to fall asleep, but sleep she did, not even waking when the intercom announced flight arrivals and departures.
A late evening helping Vincenzo with homework left them both tired, but happier for the end result. Most days Apple and Vincenzo did their homework together, but since Apples teachers had started giving her more advanced work that was becoming a habit of the past. As much as Magda would secretly wish that Vincenzo could be a genius too, he just hadn't grown into his own yet, and he struggled with the most basic of math problems. One time Magda had been tempted to say something, and the memory of her school peers calling her dummy swirled up, and she was suddenly grateful that they lived alone on an island. The smell of lightly burnt muffins woke Magda, a bookworm and a genius with numbers Apple might be but unlike her brother she managed to burn whatever she baked in the early learners oven. No matter how burnt Magda always ate at least one, and thanked Apple for cooking, except for the one time Apple had tossed the whole batch before anyone else could try them. Magda didn't always bother with getting all the way dressed when going out to tend the garden. The crops hadn't been as good this year, mind she had enough stored to get them through winter, but she knew she needed to do something different before the first cold snap. Magda tried to focus, she wasn't really sure this was her style of painting, but the commission for the requested work would pay more than just one of her usual pieces, and they really needed the more. Especially if she was going to put her plan into action. Success, it had taken a full week to put up. The twins had helped to a small degree, for all they were almost teens they weren't quite there yet, and both Apple and Magda had agreed that she was not ideal for handing panes of glass to Magda, that task had fallen to Vincenzo. Magda expanded the garden with seeds found around the island. She hoped that they would fare better than the older plants. Her dreams of more fruit varieties showed up on the canvas as she painted. While she was tempted to keep it, but she'd been hanging Apple's paintings around the house for decor, and knew that one of the ships regular crew loved pears so much that all of his children were named after the different types. Vincen .... no Vince, per his request, and Apple had both started helping Magda with the daily gardening. Their growth spurt had taken Magda by surprise, and she'd bought what ever could be spared from the scientists and ships crew for them in the way of new clothes. Vince's voice tended to wobble, and Magda reassured him that eventually his voice would steady itself, as she stomped on Apples toes for giggling. Not her finest parenting moment, but at least Apple had the grace to look abashed and had apologized. When Vince started asking if he could have one of the wild horses, Magda had been unsure of how to respond. In the end she, agreed that if he was able to befriend and tame a horse he could have one. Apple on the other hand wasn't all of that interested in the horses let alone any other animals. She had learned of a book club and using some her saved money had joined it. Apple unequivocally stated that she wanted to be an illustrated author. Vince just shrugged his shoulders, and admitted that he still didn't know what he wanted to do with his life. Magda reassured him that he had time to think on it. As much as Magda would have preferred to get Apple an easel of her own, she was saving up for a big surprise that she hoped both twins would like. After double checking that everything was as she wanted, including Apple's painting above the computer, Magda called the twins in. Vince, who was in a stage of not showing emotions, grunted an of acknowledge meant for the chess tables new location and wandered off to feed the racoon as he did every night. Apple was a little more enthusiastic, especially when she spotted a copy's of the non-fiction books she'd written on the bookcase. It had been hard work, they'd lost half of the dining room, which wasn't a huge deal anymore as it was just the three of them, but to Magda the happiness in the twin's eyes had been worth it. Even though they now had a study, the twins still tended to do their homework assignments in the bigger living room. If Magda was inside painting they would talk to her as they worked. Time marched forward for the small family and they quickly settled into familiar routines and patterns. Gardening in the morning, school work for the twins while Magda painted or hunted for gems and metals, depending on the weather a light jog outside or fitness of choice in the little gym. Apple either worked on writing or painting in her spare time, while Vince worked on befriending the wild horses. He told Magda that he wished he knew how to ride horses. Magda did the only thing she could, which was to hug him and tell him that maybe some day he'd get to learn. Magda listened to Apple talking about how many books she'd published, and contemplated the future. Somehow even with the twins becoming teens life hadn't slowed down, and time was moving much faster than Magda cared to admit. The realization that she needed to come up with a plan to give them a chance of a life beyond the island hit her hard. All to soon they would be young adults in their own rights and it would be unfair of her to expect them to stay marooned with her forever. "Mom!" Vince's voice penetrated her mind fog. Shaking herself back to the present, Magda asked Vince what he wanted. He needed money for shipping fee's he'd won something big through the charity auction, but needed some extra money because of how far away they were from any major ports. Magda sighed and said she would help, but he should also ore hunt to come up with some of the money too. When a masonry kit arrived, Magda asked if that had been what Vince was so excited about. He just shook his head and grinned, "nah this is from a different charity auction, the other's a surprise but I think you'll like it." It took a few false starts but over the course of that spring and into the summer, they dismantled the unused chimney's, resurfaced the bricks and stones, and then refinished the entire exterior of the house. The book that had arrived with the kit had also explained the dangers of ivy, and how to refinish and brighten existing stucco plaster. Apple, upon seeing the finished exterior used some of her royalties for decorative plants. When Vince expressed frustration over the delay on his surprise and Apple woke in a snarky mood, Magda decided something needed to be done, and declared a holiday from all work beside gardening. When Apple started to fuss about her grades, Magda put her foot down, and said the teachers would understand but it was past time they had a holiday, even if they couldn't leave the island. Magda was pleased when the sun cleared enough for them to enjoy the day at the beach. As Magda and Apple swam, while Vince tried to get a tan, Magda wondered why she hadn't thought to do this sooner. Sixteen years on the island and this was the first she had taken time to just hangout on the beach.
That looks fun, Roland from the science crew hollered from the ships deck and before Magda knew it several scientists had joined them for their day on the beach. As Magda was drying off from her swim she overheard an elderly scientist comment on how this was such a nice midway point between Aurora Skies and their research station in the Arctic North, that it was to bad they didn't stop more often. A germ of an idea began to form in Magda's mind, just a little idea, something for her to think on further, but planted it was. Magda cooked their breakfast, and contemplated the future. Apple and Vincenzo were already showing the tell tale signs of nearing their teen years. At least that's what matched to their behavior patterns and the sudden unexplained mood shifts according to the website on parenting, that Magda would slip onto once in awhile after the twins were in bed for the night. Magda tried to talk to Apple about what to expect as a young woman, and the changes she might go through. Apple grunted a few times before stabbing her pencil into the paper and responding, muther! I need to get this finished. Magda, took a deep breath and firmly told Apple that she loved her, and then cleared her dishes clearly her sweet giggling toddler was long gone. Magda found herself missing the wrap of chubby arms around her neck with the sticky kiss on the cheek, as the twins would beg for more outside time. With a firm set to the shoulders Magda reminded herself that time only moved forward, never backwards, and that there were no second chances in life. The snap and crackle followed by a choice word, Vincenzo really needed to spend less time around the ships crew when they stopped by because he hadn't learned that word from her, pulled Magda's focus away from the canvas she was working on. She told him to watch his language, and that he'd have to share computer time with Apple. To which he'd replied watch it do what? Apple, without looking up from her blocks project for math, quickly snapped that he'd best not mess up her computer, she was in the middle of an important interview for her mid term assignment. Magda frowned to herself, were all preteens like this? The parenting site had an online forum, but with the limited access to the internet, Magda hadn't joined. She also hadn't joined because the one time she'd considered it, she'd skimmed through first, and the number of parents fighting over what was the best way to parent scared her. Especially the mothers who put down other parents for different choices. It reminded her to much of the clicks in high school, and she had had enough of that. Magda told the twins it was time for fitness, and they could either do their practices inside or go take a jog around the island with her. She mentally crossed her fingers and was rewarded when they both chimed that they didn't want to jog outside in the drizzling rain. She watched for a few minutes to assure herself that they wouldn't restart the fight and was once again amazed how graceful Apple could be, given she was a complete klutz and managed to trip over air at least six times a day . Whereas Vincenzo who never tripped over air, struggled to learn the simplest of the dance movements. The cost of turning the fourth upstairs big room into a home studio had been worth it, Magda thought to herself as she paced herself in a slow steady jog. In reality it only took maybe 15 to 20 minutes to jog from one end of the island to the other on the path that circled the house, but she had learned that if she paced herself just right it could take an hour. Which she used to her advantage every time the twins started to get to her with their bickering. Although sometimes they would join her, but by the end of the hour the results were always the same, the twins had mellowed or resolved whatever they'd been fighting over, and Magda had regained her sense of calm and no longer what to yell at them. Tending the garden was the other way that Magda would manage to get time to herself. She loved her children with a fierceness she hadn't realized she'd had, but she also needed time to just herself from time to time. Magda had to dismantle the second computer to fix the one that had still been working, which broke seconds after Apple hit send on her end of term exams. When Vincenzo started to grumble about needing to submit his, Magda sent them both off to go fishing, and promised him that she'd submit the file packet as soon as the computer was fixed. Grumbling as they went, both children left Magda alone to fight with the needed repairs. Magda stared at her latest painting, it had been specifically commissioned by one of the scientist's as a reminder of their time with the institute. Magda had tried to ask the name once and had been told firmly it was better if she didn't know, even as isolated as she was. Magda stared at the newly assembled bench and mock bookcase. She hoped the twins would like them, it was the best she was able to come up with for their birthday requests. A library, and something not made of wood to sit on. She had just a few more years before they officially became teens, and she was trying to do her best to make sure they had what they needed, like vaccines and warm clothes which the scientists had happily helped her with. Along with things they wanted, such as a few video games, just not the airport one, and fun books to read. With the march of time had also come more changes to their home, as Magda had realized that putting nice furniture into dingy surroundings wasn't go to make things more welcoming. That instead she needed to focus on learning how to clean and redo the walls, and while she had contemplated redoing the ceiling she realized the exposed beams were in excellent shape and just needed the occasional light sanding and dab of oil for maintenance. That Vincenzo had developed a taste for charities and charity auctions she didn't mind so much, as most of the time he was learning from the experience in one way or another. With the bonus that he felt less like a looser when he made donations. Magda always did her best to reassure him that while Apple had a natural affinity for book work, and grasped certain concepts with ease, that book smarts weren't the be all end all of the world. Which was sometimes a hard concept to get across as some of the scientists had nick named Apple their good luck genius. Author's note: This chapter is unofficially dedicated to simmer babay_j, Marj, whom we lost about a month ago. If you were lucky and fortunate enough to be counted by her as a friend, then you'll understand how special she was. How she always enjoyed a good read. Shared her own adventures cooking in the kitchen, time spent with her family, and especially her grandchildren. As a simmer she channeled much of her creativity and joy for life into recolors that she shared with the exchange and the rest of us simmers. She also always had a kind word and lot's of encouragement whether you were sharing your day to day, a new build, or a story. She is greatly missed. An exhausted Magda joined her children at the table, wondering for the fifth time why she'd let Vincenzo get the ice cream from the ships mess officer. They had no electricity, let alone a working refrigerator in which to store it. As they ate their dinner Magda realized it was more than past time to take Apple and Vincenzo around the island. Especially to the abandoned mine to look for ores and stones. Magda explained to Apple and Vincenzo where they would be going, and that while they were permitted to dig through the large pile of scrap that they would need to be very careful, as some of the pieces were rusty and had very sharp edges. That night they all slept restlessly. Apple dreamed of getting a new bed, while Vincenzo dreamed of getting more ice cream. If Magda dreamed, she didn't remember recall what the dreams were. She did recall fretting about Apple and Vincenzo's education as she drifted off to sleep. There was so much they would need to learn, and she wasn't sure how much she would be able to teach them. Magda choose to take Apple and Vincenzo the long way around to the mine. Unsure of why she didn't want them to realize that it was just a few short feet away from the house right away, Magda paused and stared at their home. It was a little odd, almost funny, the once dead trees had re-blossomed with life over the last few years, but the fruit trees in the garden had gone dormant and stopped growing after their first winter. Taking in one last look at the windows yet to be fixed she was a little sad that she'd have to kill more of the ivy when she got around to repairing those windows. When they arrived at the mine Vincenzo made straight for the outhouse, while Apple stopped to pick some flowers. Magda smiled and promised Apple that they would find something to put the flowers in once home. They were pretty, but given they had no trade value Magda had always ignored them. Magda then turned her attention to collecting rocks, those and animal specimens were what would bring in the money, along with her paintings. Both children had spotted the small ponds and the fish swimming in them and asked Magda if the fish were edible. Magda admitted she didn't know and hadn't considered fishing before. She promised to ask next time the ship came. She however didn't mention to them that she hadn't known how to cook before arriving on the island. A few days later the ship had come by, and as Magda traded the raw ores and stones she once again wondered about leaving the island. The captain just shook his head and pointed out it would be cheaper to install soar panels and computers for long distance education than the several hundred thousand that would be needed for boarding schools on top of the 50,000 per person each direction of travel. As Magda's face fell the captain reassured her that the supplies needed for solar power had come a long way over the last few decades, and that even with the constant fog the island endured she would be able to get enough light to run some simple basic electrical items. As the captain rummaged for the appropriate catalog Magda mentioned the twins question about fishing, and blushed as she explained that she'd never fished before let alone knew how to cook fish. With a kindly smile the captain replied that he could help Magda with information on fish and fishing for free, and turned to pull another book off of the shelf and three fishing poles off of the wall. Armed with three poles and two slim books Magda made her way back to the house. The twins were so excited to see the poles that they requested a trip to the pond right away. In addition to gardening, fishing became a part of their daily routine regardless of what the weather was doing. It took the trio awhile but eventually they got the hang of baiting their hooks so the worms wouldn't fall off. Magda both looked forward to and dreaded the day one of them actually caught anything. She hoped and prayed that the first catch would be one of the tiny fish mentioned in the book that didn't require special preparation and could be cooked nearly whole after removing the intestines. Magda stared at the results of her hard work. The solar panels had been surprisingly simple to assemble and install, running the cable to the house had also been relatively easy. The hardest part had been getting the pavers back as if they'd never been disturbed. The new windows had been a quick and easy installation, as she'd had a small bit of experience with them already and knew to not worry about trying to saving the ivy. She also knew that with time it would grow back if she let it. The twins had been excited to fire up the new computers. Magda shivered a little as a feminine recording played as the twins watched a demo - how to file, the voice and the beeps were familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was reminding her of. She shook herself and sent the twins off to play while she assembled the rest of the new furniture that had arrived. Magda smiled as she surveyed the new beds, as well as the new windows in her room. Vincenzo had requested a red bed spread similar to hers, while Apple had requested a green bed spread. Magda continued to paint a little everyday while the twins worked on their studies. They would take a mid day break for their lunch as well as to fish. When the twins requested a video game for flying planes Magda declined the request, and instead encouraged them to go fishing or try to find small animals. Magda couldn't explain to herself or the twins why the game bothered her, but it did, the beeping and busy airport noises haunted her and made it hard for her to stay relaxed and in the now with her children. She found herself repainting Edgar's study on multiple occasions. To regain her sense of calm Magda found herself back out in the garden. It became their routine that if the twins were doing school work, or having free time on the computer she made herself as scarce as possible. Sometimes she'd be in the garden, other days she'd go down the hill to the mine and scrounge fore ore and rocks. Eventually she collected enough to get all new cabinets and a stove that would work with the solar system they had. She also got a book with instruction on how to install an arch door and turned the pantry into a small hall way to the kitchen. She had also purchased and installed more plumbing fixtures into the upstairs, so that they now had two full bathrooms to share between the three of them. Magda had also purchased pipe insulation a few years earlier, so she no longer had to worry about the pipes freezing and bursting as had happened during her first winter. As the twins finished their afternoon assignments in the dining room Magda put the finishing touches on her latest painting just as a few early flakes drifted down from the sky.
Perhaps it was because she was older now, but it felt like the seasons and years were rushing by. Some days when she looked at how quickly the twins were growing she felt like everything was fuzzy, as if in a dream. Whenever she felt like that she would shake herself and tell herself to snap out of it. She would then recount and review every milestone they'd achieved together from their first steps to her successfully catching, cleaning, and cooking her first trout. The twins had learned that on the mainland children took buses to school, and got to attend after school activities such as scouting or ballet classes. Magda reviewed the scouting activities and pointed out that they already did those activities every day. When she pushed the twins on the topic of ballet they hedged and hawed. Magda decided that perhaps it might be a good idea to invest in a ballet bar and a few other exercise related items, instead of some of the other items she had been considering. When Vincenzo spotted a charity auction on stair risers and running cloth Magda allowed him to bid the hundred he'd earned from his small animal finds. They were all surprised when the science ship swung by with the materials on board. The three of them spent an afternoon working carefully on the stairs, and were well rewarded when the stairs no longer squeaked or groaned as they went up and down them. As Magda surveyed their home, she contemplated living a lifestyle of the rich and famous. She then laughed at herself, sure her paintings were selling for much more now than when she had first started painting, but outside of the ships crew and the scientists there was no one to schmooze with in order to become a famous celebrity. With a firm set to her light frame she decided that simply living in the lap of luxury would do. Magda found her days finally settling into a new routine now that her children had reached their crawling stage. She would grab naps and bites to eat whenever she could, between caring for her children, and harvesting shat she could before the cold of winter fully settled in. Some days she even managed to get a partial bath in. She found herself missing the walks around the island. More than that she missed sleep, as the twins still wouldn't sleep through the entire night. Magda had managed to trade another painting for some new clothes that were slightly more suited to living on an island with small children, and a simple chest of drawers. She had very carefully stored her silks and satin's in a drawer out of toddler reach and wondered if she'd ever get to wear them again. The stairs creaked as Magda carried Apple up to bed, and Magda once again wondered if it would be better to move their beds down stairs. With the heat of summer gone, and the cool of fall and winter descending it was getting harder to keep both rooms heated. Magda realized that she must miss certain foods, like cheese, far more than she realized if she was painting pictures of them. Much to her dismay perishable foods weren't something she could get imported. Magda carefully surveyed the room. It was close to the kitchen, and if she could get the windows fixed it would keep them warm during the winter. She was confident in her ability to disassemble and reassemble the cribs, it was her own bed she was unsure of. It had taken Magda the better part of a day and half a night, but she had gotten all of their furniture moved downstairs. Even happier was despite the groans and creaks the staircase had held under the heavier weight of the end tables. She'd also managed to sell another painting and the old tv in exchange for new window pains. It had only been enough for the one room, but that was all she was concerned with keeping warm for now. The ships captain eyes had lit up as he had complimented her work, and Magda had felt a small flair of something deep inside. No one had ever genuinely complimented her on anything before. She found herself wanting to create another painting for the captain. More than once Magda wondered why she hadn't ordered a second potty chair, then she would remember the cost of the one and heave a deep silent sigh. As she mopped her thoughts wandered, and she wondered if there was something wrong with her children as they didn't talk or walk yet. As she moped her mind wandered further back into the deep recesses and a hazy memory surfaced of the couple running the orphanage teaching the babies how to walk and talk. Magda felt a flush of embarrassment creep across her face, and found herself grateful after a fashion that she was alone, with no one to witness her embarrassment besides her children who seemed oblivious to anything beyond the xylophone and sorting blocks. After that day she made sure she spent a small portion of each day teaching Apple and Vincenzo how to walk. She found it helped her focus on something more than how alone and isolated she was, or how confined to the house she was now that it was far to cold to spend more than a few minutes at a time outside. When the snow finally arrived it was deeper and colder than anything Magda could remember experiencing before in her life, and she found herself grateful that she'd moved their beds downstairs. She also learned that water pipes don't do well in the deep cold. Hoping it would help she shredded the ghastly pink dress that had seen her through her pregnancy into long strips and wound them around a few critical pipes. As she fought with the frozen toilet, Magda wished she had more of something to insulate the pipes with. The strips from the dress had been just enough for the kitchen sink and part of the pipes that ran to the bathroom. She'd shut off the water to the tub and bathroom sink in an effort to prevent those pipes from breaking. Magda inspected the plants she'd bought inside from the garden almost daily, and found herself wondering why she'd even bothered. They weren't producing anything anymore beside the occasional weeds. Yet every time she considered tossing them she found herself thinking of how soothing it was to tend them even though they weren't producing, and how much they brightened up the small room, and so she kept them inside for the time being. She also hung a small sketch on the wall. In time Apple and Vincenzo learned how to walk, or more accurately toddle around, and so Magda focused her time with them on learning how to talk. Magda found herself longing for the day when they would be steady enough on their feet to take outside. Magda hung her latest painting, a repeat of the cheeses, on the wall and wondered when the scientists would stop by again. It was hard to tell time, but she was fairly sure it had been several months since the last stop. The isolation was eating at her, she could feel her sanity slipping, and not even the twins were enough company on some days, and she would find herself talking to herself. One cold morning as Magda added more branches and twigs to the oven she wondered if the heat was enough to cook on. So far all she'd eaten was raw salads, as she had never cooked anything before in her life. She'd always made herself absent on cooking days at the orphanage, skipped home ec in school, and always gotten someone to buy her meals out after she'd left the orphanage. As she watched the apples in the pan she realized that she didn't even know how to heat up a microwave meal or a noodle cup. Magda stared at the paints on her pallet, she was almost out of painting supplies. She looked at her supplies and then the canvas on the easel, and hoped that one the ship would be by soon, and that someone on board would offer her more than 25 for the finished painting. The spring thaw arrived and so did the ship. There was a new scientist on board who liked Magda's latest painting so much that they paid her 300 for it. Magda turned around and spent the money on more painting supplies and a large play table for the twins, as they were showing signs of being bored with toys she'd previously gotten them. Magda focused on smaller paintings for a while, now that she had a full range of colors to work with again. While she painted the twins happily played with the new blocks talking back and forth to each other with their toddler vocabulary. Months sailed by, as Magda settled into the new routine of tending the once again active garden. Playing with the twins here and there between chores and house maintenance. Painting when she could, and selling the paintings for what she could get. During the hotter months of spring and summer she would move their bedding upstairs, and during the colder months of fall and winter she would move everything back down the stairs. Magda had even replanted the few plants back outside that she'd brought in and traded back the pots. As she stared at her latest painting, which to her was a celebration of her children's growth from infant to child, she knew she would need to use the money for new clothes and full sized beds. Apple and Vincenzo were steadier on their feet and had shown that they could sit at the table like a grown up. As she reviewed her trade list, she added their potty chair and cribs since they didn't need to use them anymore. She also added one of the racks from the kitchen pantry. Magda found herself grateful that she'd already repaired all the holes on the second floor while the twins had still been in their toddle stage, before they'd figured out how to climb up the stairs. She wasn't sure she was ready for this next stage of their life or the fact that with each year they grew she was getting older, but there was no stopping the steady march of time. As Magda dug into the soil, placing her weight on her toes to keep her heals from sticking into the ground, she contemplated how her skills with the small saw on the multi tool had improved enough for her to build the crude fence from the dead shrubs that had lined the yard. It wouldn't keep the small crawling critters out, but it would help deter the larger wild animals. Magda was grateful that there didn't seem to be any large predators, just a few wild horses, deer, and the occasional racoon. For the most part the larger animals seemed skittish of her and stayed away, except the occasional deer. In an effort to conserve her limited supply of burnable materials, Magda pushed herself to use body movement for warmth. For once she didn't mind the tacky clothes Vicenzo had given her, as the ill fitting garments worked with her expanding belly. The ill fitting garments had also been handy to wear when she'd crudely fixed the flooring on the second floor in the hall and the drafty room she was using. In the humid heat the drafts helped keep her cool at night, but she had no idea of how the fall or winter would be on the island. There were days when she felt imprisoned by her choices, and hoped that her limited food supply wasn't hurting the child growing within her belly. She'd tried denying her condition but those kicks couldn't be denied, especially when they knocked her small plate of greens off of her belly. A very real baby from a fake marriage would be joining her in the utter isolation of the island for once in the last few years she considered the impact of her choices on someone besides herself. The scientists had been nice enough with trading supplies for her finds, but none of them knew anything about children let alone the birthing process of babies outside of the basics covered by biology classes. Magda allowed herself a moment of self congratulation. The crib in a box had assembled smoother than she had first feared after looking at the thin instruction book and all the parts included. Magda was about to get herself another plate of greens when the first contraction hit. Holy hell waters, the pain that rippled across her belly and low back was worse than anything she'd experienced to date as far as physical pain went. She carefully made her way to her room and alternated between resting on the bed when contractions gripped her and pacing the room. As an extra strong contraction ripped through her tears rushed down her face memories long buried broke free and swirled chaotically in her mind threatening her grip on sanity and reality. Mamma was so pretty, her long blond hair tickled Magda's nose as she reached up giggling. Mamma tossed her high and Magda squealed in delight. Mamma's pretty red dress against the green of the grass and the blue blanket she lounged on. Mamma warned Magda to not wander to far as she tried to toddle after a butterfly. Mamma trying to hide tears as she crumbled the piece of paper the man in uniform had delivered. Mamma's voice cracking as she sung Magda to sleep. Mamma's stiff black dress as they sat on the wooden bench, and the strangers saying papa had been a hero. Mamma's plate untouched, her hair wasn't shiny anymore it was dull and stringy. Mamma's pretty dresses hanging in the closet, Mamma didn't wear them anymore, only the stained stiff black dress. Mamma didn't laugh or sing anymore, Magda didn't understand why they didn't go to the park anymore. Why Mamma cried so hard when she touched Magda's hair. Magda couldn't understand why Mamma didn't wake up, she was hungry and Mamma always got her food when she was hungry. Strangers broke in and Magda cried harder for Mamma to wake up. The strange man in the dark blue uniform had been nice, he'd given her something to eat, someone in a white coat was telling him broken heart syndrome. A lady in a stiff woolen suit introduced Magda to a couple. It was the first time Magda heard the words orphan, no family left, she was four. The memories swirled more. The lunch room at school and the other children making fun of not just Magda, but the others from the orphanage as well. The scowling teacher handing her worn worn supplies, and stating she, and the other orphans, weren't trusted to take the good books home. High school and Lacy's joy at making the cheer team being cut short after learning that there was no money for the uniform. Jacob trying to hide tears after the other kids called him gay and fag, when he'd dressed up with some of the acting class supplies before school. The droop in the directors shoulders after Jacob's lifeless body had been pulled from river. The tear quickly wiped away from Lacy's eye's. Homecoming when Brittany had taunted Magda for even attempting to run for prom royalty. The determination Magda had felt when she decided that she'd show those rich snobs up by becoming wealthier than all of them. The elation when her acting skills had paid off and she'd been admitted into the swanky club and landed her first wealthy boyfriend and moved away from Riverview. The sting of rejection when she had realized that Edgar and Sven had merely used her towards their own ends. Holding her daughter in her arms Magda felt reality snap back into focus, and she pushed her past back into the dark recesses of her mind, no longer locked away behind doors, but no longer a threat to her sanity either. Magda named her Apple and gingerly placed her in the crib as she felt a kick and another contraction. Insanity threatened to crash back down as she realized she was about to have another child. As dawn peaked through the boarded up windows Magda stared down at the little boy wiggling in her arms. At a loss for names she went the only route her exhausted and frazzled brain offered up and named the boy Vincenzo after their father. It had taken about a week, which had felt like forever, but Magda managed to get a second crib dropped off. It's assembly had gone much smoother having had practice assembling Apple's crib. Her clothes still didn't fit right so she continued to wear the pink thing. Magda didn't wandered far from the house, she wanted to be able to hear her children when they woke. She soaked up the little bit of warm sun and harvested what she could from the garden. She wanted to explore for more trade-ables but was worried about her children's safety. There were no close by neighbors to call the police if anything happened to Magda, and the memory of hunger and Mamma not waking up haunted her fears. She'd used the last of her credit from an odd gnome she'd unearthed in the garden, with the scientists to get an artists easel, some painting supplies, and the materials needed to fix the doors so the house was now secured from animals wandering in and out on the first floor. Magda stumbled towards the cribs, and tried to remember what sleep was. Thinking there had to be more than this to life. The lack of sleep and constant isolation made everything feel like a story that had happened to someone else. As the twins slowly slept more steadily as they grew bigger, Magda found more clarity through painting. She traded a painting for a shovel, and after a months hard work, managed to move the piping and pump away from the kitchen door and out into the garden. Yes it meant walking further for potable water, but it was worth not having water bugs in the kitchen. She could feel the nip of fall in the air and wondered if the stairs would hold if she tried to shift the furniture downstairs. Magda traded another painting, and got a few small items to keep her growing, and now crawling, babies occupied while she painted and gardened.
As Apple and Vincenzo played with their toys Magda felt a fierce protectiveness growing within her. She wasn't sure how she'd manage, but she was determined that her children would never know the pain, humiliation, or loneliness that she'd experienced after entering the orphanage. On one level she no longer craved the desire to be alone with a large pile of money, but she still found herself craving the nicer things in life that she knew were available. The first few days on the small island were hard on Magda, the isolation wore heavily on her and at first she refused to explore beyond the few safe and accessible rooms of the house. Eventually though she set aside her heels for her flats and started pulling up all of the dry weeds to burn in the stove. From the layer of ash she'd had to clear out, she wasn't the only one who used the oven this way. With no electricity there really was no other option. Another day another wave of nausea and not just nausea, she could no longer deny the her middle was thickening and that her perfectly tailored dress no longer zipped up. Anger and frustration boiled in Magda and she lost it, she screamed at the heavens above until her voice was a raspy shred of a squeak, and when she could no longer get out a squeak she threw her shoes out of frustration before collapsing back on the bed sobbing. Eventually Magda stopped crying and went to fetch her shoes, she'd need them to avoid splinters. To her subdued delight she'd knocked a board loose from the wall, stuffed inside were some very dated fabrics. Magda pulled the fabric out and found a plain shift that could be used as a nightgown, and a ghastly pink thing that would keep the chill of the fog at bay better than her thin silk dress did. Magda was surprised to unearth some plant seedlings trying to sprout under the brambles and weeds. Out of a desire of for something other than the dwindling supply of outdated canned soup. She pumped water and watered all of the struggling plants. Crying and weak from hunger, Magda had run out of soup the night before, she finally payed attention to the loan tree near the house that had greenery on it. Apples! Magda devoured as many as her stomach would hold, their juice dripping down her chin. Never before had such a simple fruit tasted so good to Magda. Sitting under the apple tree savoring one final apple Magda reflected on her short life to this point. Growing up in an orphanage apples such as the ones on this tree had always been on the table, but they'd never been fresh, nothing served at meals had been from fresh. Everything was always withered and on the edge of rotting, and there'd never been enough to fill hungry growing bellies. The couple who ran the orphanage had always done their best to try to bring to cheer to the table, but Magda had always pushed them away. They hadn't been her mamma. A tear leaked out the corner of Magda's eye and trickled down her cheek, over the course of the last 18 years her memory of mamma had become very fuzzy, but she could still remember the loving sweet laughing smile as mamma tossed her in the air and called Magda her sweet joy. Magda jumped up swiftly pushing memories back behind their locked doors she didn't want to remember more, remembering more always brought pain. Throwing on the horrid pink thing Magda pushed herself to explore the rest of the island, it was mostly empty, an abandoned mine with a barely standing shack was the only sign of habitation besides the house she was living in. As she walked the daily light drizzle began, and much to Magda's delight she spotted a ship off in the distance. Despite the rain, Magda hurried in the direction of the ship, skirting past the lizards and other creepy crawlies that lived in abundance on the island. Grabbing a stick with moss on one end she ignored the urge to scream and drop it as a spider crawled across her hand and into the moss wrapped around the middle and waved the stick frantically as if it were a piece of cloth. Movement was that movement? She tightened her grip and waved the mossy stick trying to recreate some of the patterns from when she helped Lacy practice for cheer tryouts. A light blinked in her direction and she suddenly wished she'd paid more attention to Jacob's constant talking about Morse code. Magda made her waving more exaggerated. Just as her arms were growing leaden and she was ready to give up hope, she spotted a boat lowering over the side and rowing towards her. Magda allowed herself a moment of collapse before straightening back up and composing herself. Despite the outdated dress she easily slipped back into her carefully crafted persona of wealth and entitlement that had served her well up until recent events. Magda harvested apples from the tree contemplating her future. The ship was a science vessel, no room for an extra passenger, but they were willing to trade. She'd tried to offer some of her apples, and they'd offered her some of theirs instead. They asked about the island wildlife and if she'd noticed any rocks or minerals of interest.
She'd showed them the shiny rock she'd picked up earlier and they'd traded her a multi tool pocket knife, and a few mre's. When she described a lizard she'd spotted earlier they got really excited and let her know that they'd compensate her with whatever they could get shipped to their station if she'd trap specimens for them. When she'd pushed for passage they'd explained that her island was so far away from everything that no one would come out for one person for anything less than 50 thousand. With great effort Magda kept her calm and requested a list of what she could get shipped to her through them. Fortunately for Magda the heart pills she'd stolen from Edgar before taking flight had a decent black market value in certain parts of the world. As she contemplated the view out of the taxi window, she wondered if she'd been rash about turning down the offer to stay as a kept mistress. Then she recalled the bruises she'd seen on the woman who'd served the tea, no she'd made the right choice, no amount of money or finery was worth the bruises hiding behind the fine silk & lace on the woman's arm. Thankfully all small towns had libraries, and this one was no exception. A quick browse of the internet showed that Edgar was doing fine, and was newly married to Sven. Magda fumed as suddenly many little things clicked into place, Sven had never been into her at all, she had only been a cover for the two men. A cover who'd no longer been needed when the right for all to partner had been granted to everyone. As Magda stared at the screen she felt her cheeks go hot and then cold. Not once had she ever considered what it would be like to be the one used and duped. She could feel her temper rising, she'd show them. She'd find someone even richer and then she'd flaunt her success in their faces. Yes, she'd show them that Magda Rossi was no ones beard. Magda's Louboutin's clicked on the wooden floor as she stridently made her way, first to the information desk, and then to the reading room where the daily papers and magazines were kept. Magda refused to let herself settle into the worn sofa, who knows who had sat on it before her. She skipped the main headlines, she wasn't worried about world politics or court maneuvers, at least not right now. Right now she needed a new patsy her funds wouldn't hold out to much longer. As she skimmed the fashion section she spotted her perfect opening. "Fashion Designer Vinecenzo D. is in Les Champs for fashion week. He was spotted alone, after a particularly bad break up last month, interviewing prospective models for the upcoming fashion week. When asked he admitted that he was once again available, but added that he was staying away from models this time. He was also hoping to find a traveling companion who was as passionate about fashion and art as he was." The article listed a number for those interested in applying to become his traveling companion. Magda could feel the rush of elation, dumping the paper on a nearby desk she quickly called the number listed, hoping that no one else had already been selected. To travel with the David Vincenzo would be quite the feather in her cap, much more so than Edgar. A male voice answered the phone, and Magda quickly explained that she was calling in response to the article. Her heart almost fell when it was mentioned that there had already been several responses, and soared back up when she was informed that so far none had passed the test. With a deep breath Magda calmly replied with an almost purr that she was more than confident that she would be able to pass the test. Thirty minutes later Magda had an address and a flight number. All those years reading Vogue and insider journals had paid off. As soon as Vincenzo opened his mouth she realized her horrible mistake, this ... this person of questionable style was the Vincenzo she'd spoken to, the Vincenzo of the article, and he was decidedly not the David Vincenzo. She was stuck though, at least for now. The article hadn't been completely wrong, he was a fashion designer, although if his personal styling was an indicator not a great one in Magda's opinion, and he had planned on showing during fashion week. Unfortunately, Vincenzo explained someone had left his racks of clothes outside the tent and they'd not only gotten soaked during a storm but that they'd also been struck by lightening and completely destroyed. Due to the bizarre accident he wasn't going to get to show and had already been removed from the program; however they might as well enjoy the time and check out Les Champs before returning to his home in Twinbrook. It had been a whirl wind of activity the last few day; crepes at the cafe, sight seeing, the museum, and now the winery. Magda's head throbbed, how much had they consumed. She didn't want to share the bed with Vincenzo, but it had been made clear that that room was the only one left for the night. Magda's head throbbed just what had gone on last night, and why was the clerk calling her Mrs. Devlin and congratulating her on their nuptials. There was no way that she would have married this man, just none, she could barely tolerate him. A quick chat with a book clerk sent Magda in a direction she might not have considered if she wasn't feeling desperate. Her attempt at the secret signal got her in trouble with the next clerk. Thankfully Vincenzo opened his mouth, and the clerk with a pained sympathetic look nodded towards a spiral stair. Magda pleaded her case only to be told that nothing could be done while they were still in Les Champs. The man gave her a thin slip of paper with an address in Twinbrook. As Magda climbed the stairs, she missed the ghostly whisper cautioning her to be careful what she asked for. It was late at night when they finally arrived back in Twinbrook. Magda looked apprehensively around as the taxi passed what appeared to be the good part of town and headed towards what looked distinctively like the bad part and a swamp at that. One look at her new home, and Magda swore to herself that there was no way in helz that she would stay her longer than the 24 hours it would take to get an annulment. The plan for an annulment had been a bust, now no matter how much it creep-ed her out she needed to follow up on that address, but how with Vincenzo following her like a lost puppy exclaiming how he couldn't believe his luck to be married to such a gorgeous woman. Magda pulled up the address on her phones gps, the gym ... really, oh what a stroke of luck for her. Magda should have realized that something was up when Vincenzo had been hesitant to go out in public, but she was to focused on herself to see, yet again, the warning signs of impending doom. Dealing with mystics was nerve wracking, and what had he meant when he had intoned as sown shall be reaped. A very nervous Vincenzo had dragged her from the gym before she could give the treadmill a whirl, he sounded like a deranged mad man muttering under his breath about racket's. As Magda watched her light dinner swirl down the toilet she heard male voices shouting, and one whimpering. The men were angry, something about thousands lost and repayment was expected. The simpering voice was begging for mercy ... my wife's purse ... Not enough the angry voice declared luckily for you the Lancaster woman likes your work. Magda wanted to run out and grab back her purse as it dawned on her that Vincenzo was the simpering voice, but another wave of nausea sent her instead flying back to the toilet. Could this day get any worse Magda wondered to herself as she wearily climbed the stairs. Yes. Yes the day could indeed get worse, a condemned sign was tacked to the door of the shack. As she sat on the edge of the rickety bed staring at the disaster left by whomever had spirited Vincenzo away she was wondering how the next day would fair when she spotted a manila envelope sticking out of the up turned drawers. Cautiously opening it, hoping it wasn't even worse news, she noted the post mark was from during their time in Les Champs. "Regarding our wager, you were right, and so as promised I pass onto you the deed to our families estate in the islands." Enclosed along with the brief note was a worn property deed and a travel voucher. Magda was so excited by this small turn of good fortune that she missed the one way travel stamped on the lower corner. It took several days of rough travel to reach her newest destination. During which time Magda caught a news report of a man being arrested for pretending to be a minister in Les Champs, and seeing Vincenzo's and her own names among the list of those scammed. That was a tiny relief she decided, that they hadn't actually been married. Magda also learned that the island was in the colder north not the warmer south she had assumed. She also had more than enough time to worry more and more about her unexplained nausea and the ominous words ... as sown so reaped. The boat pulled up near a beach and a dingy was lowered to the water. Magda gave the captain a quizzical look, surely there was a pier or dock to disembark at. He was quite firm that this was her stop. As she stepped off the dingy onto the beach the sailor was already pushing back off towards the ship, and was calling back that they would sail by once in awhile to see how she was fairing. Her heels sinking into the ground, Magda slowly made her way up the hill towards the line of trees, surely a road and people would be on the other side. Magda's throat went dry and her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the run down building in front of her. A very quick circle of the property made her realize that not only was there no road, there were no other people either. She was completely alone on a deserted island with nothing for shelter but a rundown house. Taking a deep breath she stepped through the door to survey her new home, and almost ran back out as insects and mice scurried away from her. Magda grimaced as the stairs ominously creaked as she climbed them. After her short tour she counted herself lucky the roof was intact, and someone had left a few cans of outdated soup in the cupboard along with some batteries. Magda cringed inwardly as she tried to clean up in the decrepit sink, as the only programs the radio or rusty tv could get where children's programs. Magda sat on the edge of the bath wondering if she'd died and was being punished . She barely swallowed the last cold greasy bite when her stomach rolled, and she prayed to the heavens that she wouldn't have to hug the filthy rusted thing that was the toilet and loose the only edible bit of nourishment around. As the master has decided it is done, will she learn, though? The woman whispered into the night before rowing back to the waiting ship.
|
Categories
All
Archives
July 2019
|