There's so much that happened this last summer. Mom is such a good gatherer that she always finds the most valuable birds, insects, rocks, and more for the science center's research team. Dad continues to work as an art critic, he's even received an honorary degree to acknowledge his abilities as an artist. He's gotten so critical that sometimes he doesn't even finish his own work. He says it's because he realized he's repeating himself with the subject matter. There have been a few times when Tara would beg off of game night. At first it seemed like there might be a big fuss about it, but when mom saw the research that needed to be done for Tara's school work she agreed that Tara could be excused from family game night. Mom was thrilled when a shipment of solar panels came in on the ferry, and had just finished upgrading them when Tara asked mom about boys, video games, and how to tell the difference between a crush and true love. Which prompted dad to grilling Tara's best friend and crush on the front porch. Mostly they talked about music and family. Dad seemed content that Dusty would respect Tara as a person, and her goal of becoming a one person band. Dad and Tara accompanied Colm to school for an award ceremony. Mom wanted to go but I had a bad tummy bug and was extra fussy. A few days later per Colm's request we had a private transition ceremony. He's my big brother and one of my best friends, but he's also a loner so it's been hard for him to express his feelings to mom and dad. Mom always gives him hugs and tells him it's okay to prefer solitude to hanging out with family, so long as he doesn't completely shut himself off from the world. He grins and grumbles that as an acclaimed sci-fi author it's really hard to stay anonymous. Not long after Colm's birthday it was my turn to celebrate the big transition. This year my birthday just happened to fall on leisure day. I was hoping for a big swim party but the weather wasn't in my favor. Nor did the day start on a good note, another burglar tried to break in. Mom and dad wish we had a local police station, but for now we have to settle for ferried in day officer's. Drama aside I had a good time at my transition party, as did the people that my parents invited. Mom says I transitioned at just the right time. I don't know, I've read the "Where Did I Come From" book in our school library. I think my parents might have planned the timing of mom's latest pregnancy. On a whim, mom took a suggestion from dad and tried vending produce for a day at the little farmers market behind the new zero waste grocery store and book market. When she got home she said it was the longest most boring day ever and definitely not for her. Myself, I love to dress up and pretend I'm on great expeditions or a dinosaur protecting it's eggs. Other days I pretend I'm exploring outer space. Always when I'm pretending, I also pretend that I'm bringing back fabulous finds for the museum that dad helped get built. I know that mom has made a donation to the gem displays. She says it's part of arts education program on site. That allows people to work on skills so long as they donate at least one creation per session to the museum. Mom likes the gem cutter they have in the small studio by the zen garden. This is my baby brother Paul Jr, mom and dad spend a lot of time with him. He cry's a lot if he's not in his swing. He doesn't just take up a lot of mom and dad's time, he also takes up Tara and Colm's time. Baby's are a lot of work and stinky when they fill their diapers. Dad spent a whole weekend teaching Colm how to drive. I spent the weekend interviewing mom and the rest of the family for this assignment, Colm helped provide pictures, he draws a lot better than I do. According to mom our home was really trashed when they first moved in, and not all of it was due to meteor damage. I suppose the big excitement now that the ferry service is restored to three times a day, and people are starting to see the island as a good place to live, is the news of the young girl living alone at the Danilova house. Dad and Colm both saw her crying over a fresh grave in the yard when they were practicing Colm's driving skills. I've heard mom and dad talking about some of the rumors. One of which was if the girl, Natalya Danilova, could prove to the courts that she could adequately provide for herself as an "emancipated" minor while staying on the honor role they, the courts and child services, would let her stay in her home. I know I'm only a little kid, but I think it would be scary to loose my family and have to live alone. Here ends the journey with the Stones. I am leaving the Stones after 11 full sim weeks. I will be starting the next renovation at week 12 day 1. All family members are friends or better with the following two exceptions. Colm has trouble maintaining friendships due to his loner trait, despite ltr to maintain friendships. Paul Jr is only 4 sim days old, and as such is only good friends with his parents as they are his primary care providers. The house is fully renovated, and thanks to the gatherer trait every 4/5 sim days when Fern goes out and around the island she brings in anywhere from 3 to 6 thousand simoleans on top of what she and Colm bring in from book royalties. Colm has donated about five thousand simoleans to charity, to cover for items that were recolored. Almost everything that can be upgraded has been upgraded. The house which I tried to keep to a semi Victorian theme, is just under 80 thousand fully furnished, or 45 thousand empty. I've loosely matched the children's rooms to their traits, favorite color (grey), and ltw's. Tara's ltw is one sim band, and Colm's is illustrated author. Siobhan doesn't have one yet, however her traits are brave, explorer, and virtuoso. Sark is ending with 7 traits, thanks to both the rebel faction and his honorary fine arts degree.
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There's not to much to be said about our second year, at least that's Tara's opinion. Colm has a different perspective on our second year on the island. While they didn't get any new classmates a few of the houses finally got settled into. Tara asked mom to help her with a science project for school on weather patterns. Colm had paid attention in class, but Tara hadn't wanted his help. Tara said that the project gave her a chance to talk to mom about growing girl changes too. Mom winks at me whenever Tara says that, as if she knew all along that the project was a cover up. Both Tara and Colm grumbled about school being year round. While Colm preferred to work alone, he had to admit that their homework got done faster when they worked together. Dad continued to paint wherever he could. His paintings were getting better and better. Folks were starting to take notice of his art where they had ignored his music. Dad even got contracted to paint some murals at the warehouse. Everyone raved that his "Elven Queen" was a masterpiece. That fall when Tara's big transition day rolled around she asked mom for chocolate cake and a small party. If mom wanted to freak over Tara's rebellious fashion style, dad talked her out of it. According to dad by not making a big fuss they didn't draw attention to the wrong aspects of Tara's self exploration. "I am not big on the idea that some guy might be oogling our daughter over what she wears, but I want her to be free to express herself safely." Dad paused for a moment. "Do you remember some of the girls at your high school? I remember a few from mine. Their parents were super strict, so they constantly snuck around and wore worse that what Tara's wearing. One girl was so oppressed by her parents she ran away and ended up on the streets as a prostitute, the other ended up raped at a party and pregnant. I don't want that for Tara, I'd rather let her explore and teach her how to be confident of herself." Mom hugged dad "We had more than a few like that at the parochial school I attended. I'm not a fan of what she's wearing, but you're right it could be worse. I think maybe ..." mom paused for a long moment "I think just maybe part of her outfit choice is due to a lack of stores out here. Even with regular ferry service it took 3 months for a new pair of jeans to arrive." According to Colm if they had any further talks about Tara's clothing choices it wasn't where he could hear. Colm suspected that Tara's new look was more about being thrifty than rebelling, while Tara says it's a little bit of both. Tara and mom were both in shock when dad gave Tara his guitar as a birthday gift. Mom had found a music box, with a gnome instead of a ballerina, at Mr. Peoples store, that she gave Tara for her birthday. Mom and dad took turns teaching Tara how to drive. All three swear that they saw someone moving around at the Danilova house. If mom and dad had hoped that Tara would pull fewer pranks as a teen, they were quickly proved wrong. As Tara booby trapped everything she could think of, no one was safe from her pranks. When the new library opened across the street from us dad was asked to paint murals near the entrances. As fall moved towards winter our family along with the rest of the islands residents started spending time in the new library. The odd design around the outside of the building is a tribute to the science center for helping with construction costs. When it got to cold to paint outside dad continued to paint inside. Neither Tara or Colm can figure out why or how dad changed but he did, and so did mom. Somewhere along the line dad stopped being scared of commitment and appreciated the outdoors more. Mom while still not perfect about cleaning was less of a slob. When dad asked mom to go steady Tara and Colm bolted, to much grossness according to them. Mom and dad started insisting on more family time, at least once a week we had what they called game night. The rest of the week everyone was busy with school, writing, even mom was writing some guides on where to find stuff for the science center, and after school activities. Tara was on the phone with one of her best friends at school when dad suddenly dropped to one knee in front of mom one winter evening. She rolls her eyes whenever she tells me that parents are weird enough without the added mush of getting back together. Colm says it's even weirder that they didn't just have a private ceremony. "I don't get them Siobhan they eloped the first time they got married, but this time they waited to finalize their vows." Mom's guides to the island were popular and she found that even though writing was stressful, she enjoyed it. So she began a novel that while labeled as fiction is a romance based off of her and dad's relationship. Her guides only earn her pennies, but the novel is earning her almost as much as Colm earns from his sci-fi stories. When snowflake day rolled around mom and dad threw another gift giving party. Tara rolled her eyes whenever mom and dad would steal a kiss under the mistletoe. Everyone enjoyed the gift exchange. We all had a chuckle when Tara, Colm, as well as mom all gave dad a new guitar for the holiday. As winter moved towards spring the days sped by. Sometimes on game night dad and Colm would play chess while mom and Tara cheered the game on. The attempted robbery wasn't the highlight of the end of winter, rather mom and dad throwing pre-wedding parties was. Tara and Colm only know that they invited friends over, because we weren't allowed in the house during the parties. Tara was allowed to go wherever she wanted, but Colm and I were taken to the library. I suppose Colm could have gone to the winter festival if he had wanted, but he liked the quiet of the library more. When a talent scout approached mom and dad about Tara's skating ability, and asked if they like to sign Tara up for competition skating, they asked Tara if she'd like to compete. She said that she wasn't interested in competing and just liked to skate for fun. More than the library got built that year. Someone had a new house built at the far end of the island, and a small spiritual center was built next to the graveyard. Mom took a tour of the center and talked to dad about having their wedding there. Dad took a tour as well and agreed that it would make a nice location. Then one spring day after Tara and Colm were done with the school for the day, mom and dad invited as many of the people they knew from around the island and renewed their vows, once again becoming Mr & Mrs Stone. Their wedding was the talk of the island for a few days. As big of a deal as a wedding is that wasn't the big talk of the town. Dad's art work had caught the eye of a big art dealer. Dad was invited* to work for a museum as an art critic, dad agreed. At first mom was worried that dad's job was going to require traveling the globe. Dad smiled and reassured her that not only did he not have to leave unless they wanted to as a family, but that part of his contract was to help build a museum there on the island. As his way of reassuring mom that he wasn't going anywhere dad made it a point to help mom water the garden every evening after work. He also promised mom that he had no problem with her hiring a sitter during the day to watch me if she wanted to go collecting while he was at work. After all the map she had made of the island was so precise that it took her almost no time at all to collect stones and minerals for the science center. Mom used her money from collecting to build her and dad a small master suite, with a deck, above what had been their room which she turned into a nursery play room. Spring practically flew by with mom making small changes here and there through out the house. * I'd forgotten that when a sim reaches level 10 of university based faction they get offered certain jobs. The bulk of the money from Sark's job will be used to build a museum, through tce build here interaction without actually owning the museum/art gallery lot. At this point Fern had enough ltr points to get her the collection helper, so her collecting is very concentrated. In two to three hours of collecting she brought in over three thousand simoleans between gems & small animals. So the family is no longer struggling to make ends meet, and hasn't been for a while now thanks to the book royalties.
When Colm reaches teen he'll be getting the good trait so the family can make donations to charity's. It's hard to explain what happened during that second summer. Tara was almost a teen and even she didn't get it. What is agreed is that dad started talking to mom more as they gardened together, and that this time he was genuinely interested in her answers. Tara and Colm both remember this conversation. "Do you really want to start a produce stand?" Dad asked. "Yes ... No ... I don't know." Mom admitted. "Then why were you so determined to start one last year?" Dad asked. "Income source mainly, plus I love being outdoors." Mom answered without any hesitation this time. "What's different this year? I know it's not a sudden income source." Dad responded. "You mean besides gardens taking a lot of work?" Mom laughed "We both know I'm not very good at organizing, or being miss perfect Suzie homemaker, it turns out those same skills are critical for running a farm stand." Dad chuckled with mom "Yeah your right, and my lack of focus on any one goal for to long doesn't leave me in a strong position to help or criticize on that front." As dad was leaving the garden he turned and called back "I almost forgot, Mr Peoples wasn't able to order any floaters in, so we won't be able to teach Siobhan how to swim in the pool." Just because there were no safety wings for me didn't stop mom from taking the occasional dip as I played near by. Dad was almost always someplace nearby working on murals or playing his guitar. Every once in a while mom would take me with her to the warehouse grounds while she picked flowers. When dad would ask her about her day, she would comment that it went well, but that Mr Peoples and his girlfriend Tiana were still at a rocky stage. With the weather so nice mom and dad would let us kids stay up late on Friday's. When Colm's 10th birthday rolled around Dad asked him if he wanted anything special or a party. The only thing Colm had wanted was for dad to play guitar while he painted. According to Colm dad's music helped inspire his art work. According to Tara mom and dad would have lots of conversations when they thought us kids were preoccupied. "Sark it really bothers me that there's not much for the kids to do here, let alone adults. I know planning isn't my thing but we need something more for them here." Mom said. "We have plenty for them here at the house ..." Dad had started to say when mom cut him off. "No, that's not what I mean. I mean they need someplace beside home and school to go, same for their two classmates." According to Curtis mom's voice had a tone to it that he'd never heard before. "Do you want to move back to the city, the Y has lots of programs." Dad sincerely asked. "No!" Mom was so emphatic that it startled Tara and Colm "I like it here, despite the lack of almost everything. What I was thinking is if there was something more like a rec center or mall then maybe more people would stay and help resettle the island. I mean there's a lot that needs to be fixed because of that danged meteor, but there's a lot of charm to being here." "An art gallery would be nice" Dad commented. "But you'd be showing to the same people over and over again. Yes the ferry has picked up service but not many people are coming over, or if they do they don't stay past a few hours" Mom replied. If they talked more Tara and Colm don't know because they had moved outside. Mom and Tara had a long talk about being an almost teen. The upshot was that mom gave Tara a bit more freedom to roam when she didn't have to be at school. Naturally as a rebel Tara would skip breakfast at home and get herself snow cones at the festival for her first meal. I'm pretty sure mom knows that Tara does this, 'cause I've spotted her wink at dad. Dad's a whole different story. He got to where he was constantly hovering around mom. I guess mom didn't know what to make of his sudden change of behavior, but she yelled at him and waved her arms. Tara and Colm were at school so I don't know what mom said, she won't tell me other to say it wasn't important. The upshot was that dad would spend part of each day painting murals around town. Colm sold another book, he now had three books to his name and was receiving regular money from the publisher. Mom cried when he insisted that he didn't need a college degree to become a best selling author and illustrator. Mom cried even harder when she found out that Colm wanted her to hire a cleaning service. "I'd have done it already mom, but the secretary at the firm won't take me serious because I'm only 10, something about legal age for contracts." Colm had told mom. Dad had walked in on the tail end of the conversation. He whispered something in mom's ear, and now we have a maid, and everyone's happier. As often as dad was about there were also the days when he wasn't, and mom would brush it off as not a big deal and that dad needed his space. "Why don't you open a daycare?" Dad asked mom out of the blue. "That would fall under lack of organizing, besides I'm not interested in raising other peoples children." Mom responded. "But your so good at bringing out the good qualities in children." Dad replied. "Our children Sark, just ours, I don't do so well with other peoples kids for more than a short time. It's why I dropped the education courses in favor of the art class where we met." Mom replied. "Plus, a daycare doesn't solve the problem of an all ages place for kids and adults." "There's the festival grounds." Dad replied. "True, but they have nothing for toddlers, and limited hours." Mom pointed out. That Tara's big transition was creeping up rapidly became apparent when she started pranking stuff around the house. Dad was sitting with me when he heard mom scream from the bathroom. Dad has admitted that he wondered if mom's scream meant that she no longer wanted more children. Another weekend rolled around, and with summer dwindling to a close Tara wanted a pool party. Colm not so much, to many people around makes him uncomfortable. They both knew that mom and dad had been discussing the issue of someplace for families to go again. They were trying to decide which would get more support, a park, a hangout or a library. Tara heard mom say that they might be able to get extra money for a library from the science center. What made Tara pause before entering the room, was dad's response. "A library would be a good choice, because it could have something for everyone, which is really good for families" Tara and Colm spent five minutes trying to figure out when dad had become so family orientated. They finally decided it must have been a gradual shift over the summer, as they realized that he had gone out of his way to do more with them. Once Tara had recovered her shock of dad's changed attitude she decided she'd better ask about a pool party quick. Tara never asked, instead she bolted out of the kitchen making a gag sound "They're being gross ..... " Colm peeked through the doorway "gross". Mom and dad both swear that there was no sudden declarations of love. Mom however did invite dad to share her bed if he wanted. The house started to change again, suddenly the neutral space between the two got filled in, walls added and removed.
Dad still wasn't keen on the idea of commitment, but family, our family with mom, had become very precious to him. Tara and Colm both swear that you can tell that mom and dad really do love each other, by how they hold hands and flirt when they don't think us kids are watching them. One of the last purchases before the end of summer was a car. Dad and mom didn't always agree on everything, but they both felt that teaching Tara how to drive when her big transition arrived in a few months time was going to be important. With the arrival of spring came the return of limited ferry service. The mainland businesses sent over enough materials to build a large warehouse, but the politicians wouldn't let them send enough supplies on a single ferry to fill the ware house. After a teleconference with the businesses it was decided that the warehouse could be used for community events in the time being to keep squatters from setting up camp. Even though the weather was slightly warmer Tara still dressed up as an astronaut whenever possible, going on imaginary missions and overcoming all kinds of dangers. Dad once asked Tara if she wanted to join the military, and she replied probably not they had to many rules, she just enjoyed pretending. Dad put up a mural for mom, she often wondered why he put out a tip jar when working inside the house. Tara and Colm admit that as nice as it was to have both mom and dad together at meals it still felt off some how. In Tara's words "I know we were just kids, but even we could feel something was off with dad's sudden attachment to us and mom, when before he hated being in the same room with her." I only have mom's version of what happened at the spring festival the day dad asked her to go with him. Mom stands firm that she thought he had asked as a friend and nothing more. She hired a sitter to watch me for the day, and then headed out with dad. She says the day started out good, and they were actually having fun, especially skating like they used to years ago. But then dad spotted a Vintage Love Doctor Machine, and insisted they test their relationship. Mom says she could tell by dad's humming that he was thinking of his music and not her as they approached the machine against her better judgment. Mom won't say if she's still mad at dad for trying to make out with her. She only says that when I'm old enough I'll understand. What she will tell me, and dad nods in agreement if I ask him, is that she told him under no uncertain terms would she allow him to break her heart again with a misguided sense of need just because they'd lost Paul, whom they'd both loved, a few months earlier. One of the local vendors even confirms that mom was yelling at dad and told him he had to decide what was more important in his life, being footloose and fancy free or being there for family no matter what. "I've made sacrifices for us and our children too! Don't you ever forget that Sark Stone! And since the ferry is running again feel free to leave whenever the fuck you want!" mom had yelled at him before storming out of the warehouse. I asked the vendor, one of Mr. Peoples cousins, if he was sure those were mom's words multiple times. He just nodded and claimed that mom was right furious that day. All I can do is wonder at just how mad must have been, because I've seen her mad and I've never heard her use more than fudge or fiddle sticks. None of us are to sure how much that fight impacted on dad. What we do know is that at least this time he did go back to sulking and snarling at mom, as he had in the past when they would fight. Colm thinks that dad might have actually been weighing mom's words over and over. What we do know is that dad settled into his own routine's, but some of that included helping mom with her garden, along with asking her for her input on how best to finish his side of the building. That first spring was also when Colm published his very first book. He said that their confinement on the island had inspired him to write several sci-fi books centered around the island. With most of the snow melted mom was able to start hunting for materials for the science center again. She was really good at finding valuable minerals and rocks. Spring Equinox arrived and everyone went to the festival to have fun. Well everyone except me, I was home with a sitter. Dad played guitar while everyone danced. Tara and Colm participated in the egg hunt. While Tara didn't find anything Colm did, he found a fancy egg and an odd gnome in a rabbit suit. Colm displayed them for a few days, before selling them to Mr. Peoples. He gave the money to mom to help with the renovation. She used it to order building materials from the mainland. Dad and Tara sort of got mom's fascination with the vintage look of the old railway. While none of us are one hundred percent sure if we agree with mom, the home is a lot warmer now that mom was able to get good insulation to go in the wall behind the half bricks she used on the interior. Mom told dad to relax, she didn't plan on bricking the full interior, and eventually she might change her mind on the final look of the whole home. Colm dragged dad to the new chess table every chance he got, that dad was willing to sit and play. He liked to bounce story ideas off of dad. He had already started his second book. Part of the many changes that happened that spring was Colm and Tara getting their own rooms. In turn they started helping even more with chores around the house such as giving me my bottles, or tidying up the meal dishes for mom. Tara says it's because they were getting better sleep on their new beds. That dad didn't play guitar as much and had suddenly shifted his focus onto murals and street art couldn't be missed. Dad would sometimes come hangout with mom and watch gardening programs on the new tv. They frequently discussed the rumors that there was someone living at the seemingly abandoned Danilova residence. Not that anyone ever saw anyone on the property, but sometimes if you stood still long enough it seemed as if someone was looking out the windows. As the last days of spring fluttered away, dad got mom to let him paint a whale in our dining area. In return for the work she had done on his side of the lot. It would be a fare stretch to say that they were friends by this time, but instead what they had could definitely be called comfortable casual acquaintances. Neither kept their doors locked to the other, but they also respected each others space. If dad recognized the silk flowers as the ones he'd given mom on that ill fated attempt of a date, he didn't say anything, although his lips would sometimes twitch up into a smile as he worked. Mom had done some really nice work on our split home, while maintaining the old rail stations identity. Mom claimed that before she did anything further for the walls they should probably invest in some flooring, maybe even the in heat variety. She had spent hours with dad discussing what he thought he wanted and needed as a single man. She said that for the time being she'd leave the stairs, because dad might want an upper deck for parties once his cooking skills grew. Dad expressed gratitude for the shelves to display grandpa's inventions. On our side, as I had mentioned mom had managed to make rooms for Tara and Colm. Since I was still a toddler she hadn't made me my own room yet. Downstairs was all closed in finally, no more going outside to get upstairs. Mom had salvaged enough of the original paneling to do the entire first floor. From the outside the overall look is nice, and will be even nicer when she's able to get better siding for the upstairs, according to mom. She even humored dad when he had requested a pool on his side.
Mom complained about the final frost being hard on her garden, yet we still got more than enough food from it to feed ourselves. Winter wasn't just cold, there was also thick fog and snow. Mom's side of the property wasn't really any warmer than dad's side, yet he and grandpa spent most of their days in mom's living room playing domino's. Mom may not have thought her side was all that spectacular, yet dad was always going on about how nice our side was. If dad wasn't playing domino's, or painting on the walls, he was playing guitar. Things were going fairly well. Mid winter the science center asked the school to have students try to find butterflies that might not have left. Colm decided to give the challenge a shot. Everyone, including Colm, was surprised when he was able to find half a dozen butterflies. The downstairs was always cold, and mom moved all my toddler stuff, as well as Tara and Colm's toys, upstairs; but even with the heat rising it wasn't to much warmer, and mom was always cold. The lack of heat was so problematic that dad got sick. He ran a fever for a long time, both mom and grandpa worried for him. Tara overheard grandpa telling mom that if dad's fever didn't break he could die. Colm would sit and do his homework near dad. He told me that dad would frequently mumble about music as he tossed and turned. Eventually the fever broke, but not before everyone but me, had a milder version of it. Now when dad plays guitar his music has even more energy to it. Mom says it's as if dad's trying to convey his gratitude for surviving through the music. Dad even started to help with meal preparation. Tara and Colm overheard mom telling grandpa how she tried to keep up with housework, but it just wasn't in her nature to clean. She was trying, but it didn't come naturally to her and she knew the mess bothered him and dad. We often wonder, especially mom, if that conversation is what led to grandpa spending so much time in the cold at his work bench. Mom managed to find some wanted materials for the science center despite the several feet of snow on the ground. She asked Tara and Colm if there was anything they would like as belated birthday gifts. Tara asked for a globe, she liked looking at all the different places on the map and learning about their music and culture. Colm requested a computer. He said "Since we don't have a book store, I want to write stories for us to read to go with the pictures I paint." As the days crept by, Tara would ask mom about the stuff she had done as a child. Mom talked about going to the theater with her parents. Grandpa became so preoccupied with his workbench that we barely saw him for meals. Instead of asking him to help more mom and dad left him alone and took on all repairs on their own. Mom and dad would often thank each other for doing something, only to have the other brush it off as no big deal. "It was so weird, they were always trying to be extra nice to each other if any of us kids were in the room, but if they didn't think we were around ..." Tara started, "... if dad didn't realize we were nearby, he would constantly glare at mom, or tell her to get lost." Colm finished. Both mom and dad have expressed remorse on not checking on grandpa more. No one is sure what he was trying to create, and with no medical staff on the island his exact cause of death is still unsure. One of mom's contacts at the science center thinks he electrocuted himself. Dad shut down, sold grandpa's work bench, and closed his side of the station off from everyone. Mom, was beyond grief stricken, and because dad wouldn't even answer the door or his phone she was left to plan without him. Mom insisted on a wake. She had grandpa's remains on display, in a simple urn. Everyone was surprised when dad showed up. Tara and Colm both insist that dad hasn't been the same since grandpa passed. Colm thinks that grandpa's unexpected death did what nearly dying from fever hadn't done. Yet what that is no one will explain to me. Tara says, she's never seen mom cry as much as she did during the wake. That dad sought her out to try and comfort her was a big shock. "What shocked me more than dad pulling mom into his arms, was seeing dad cry on moms shoulder." Colm told me. After the wake dad hired a sitter for me, and everyone went to the graveyard, where grandpa was laid to rest beside Grandmother AnnMarie. Dad thanked mom for handling all the arrangements. He also apologized for being so hostile towards her over the last year. Tara and Colm both insist that that day was pivotal in mom and dad's relationship, it was the day that everything really changed. Dad was no longer openly hostile towards mom, and all of his interactions with her weren't forced politeness. A few days later snowflake day arrived. Even though everyone was still mourning grandpa's unexpected passing mom insisted on a party with a gift exchange. She invited Mr Peoples, several classmates of Tara and Colm, as well as a few folks from the science center. Opening gifts from grandpa with his handwriting on the tag was hard. Mom and dad gave each other funny looks when everything they opened from grandpa had mistletoe in it. Mom said she was humoring grandpa's memory when she hung a single sprig in the living room, the rest was sold to the science center. Colm bawled when he opened his gift from grandpa to find a bicycle. His tag read "Great adventures lead to great stories. Love Grandpa" Tara tried hard to keep a stiff upper lip, but she broke down and cried when she found a bike from grandpa too. The note on hers read "A little something to help you explore the world. Love Grandpa" They keep the tags taped to the bed frame by their pillows. Tara and Colm frequently would do their homework on dad's side. Tara explained that sometimes when dad was painting he would start telling them stories of grandpa. Tara said that the furniture on dad's side was just a little bit nicer. One day a stray cat showed up, and took a nap on grandpa's old bed. Colm was slightly surprised when not only did dad not shoo it away, but dad put out a bowl with some food and a post with rope attached for the cat to sharpen it's claws on. We didn't see that cat again, but dad still puts out cat food just in case. As the weather finally started showing the first hints of spring, mom scrounged up enough to get a proper table and chairs. She did her best to keep everything clean, but more than once she was overheard mumbling that she wished she could afford a maid. For the record, No! I did not plan the demise of Paul Stone, aka grandpa. Sadly while there are two perfectly good showers on the lot, both were occupied when he had his building mishap. Yes, I did grumble, mutter, and possibly let loose a few swear words when grim showed up; even more so when I didn't have the option to beg for his life. If anything, I'm very grumpy about it as I've had to scrap some plans I had on a back burner for possible story line. As the house stands per the end of winter. From what I've been told that first year wasn't all the best. Mom worked her small garden for as long as she could. She even found some new seeds to plant. This of course meant that I spent most of my time in the playpen, mom didn't want to risk me getting sick. Colm and Tara both think she might have been fighting some mild depression, because she sometimes went days without changing out of her pajamas. While, maybe they are right I think grandpa's note "Mainland still refuses to send ferry; even the science center is running low on supplies." might also explain why mom didn't change her clothes often. Mom wasn't the only one trying to fight off the blues. Dad started marking up and painting on the ground and walls with whatever he could get his hands on. Grandpa though took a somewhat more productive route. He started spending days scrounging through the dump near the abandoned warehouses. He even found some solid pieces of furniture, that had only needed minor repairs. Mom, dad, and grandpa made a deal where at least twice a week grandpa would stay home from the junkyard so mom could scavenge. I sometimes think that first year, they enjoyed being pseudo bachelors. While mom was stuck home with me, Tara, and Colm; dad and grandpa were free to come and go as they pleased. While dad had found and installed a bio security system, mom never once barred them from her side; and always made sure their was plenty of good food in the fridge for them and us to eat. Mom's scavenging turned out to be far more profitable than dad's dumpster diving sessions. Her primary goal was to find small animals and birds for the science center, so the scientists could determine if the meteor was having adverse affects, beyond the thick fog that usually swirled around most days. Mom would also collect any wild flowers, minerals, plant seeds, and stones as she could find. Gardening and gathering was so easy and natural for mom, that she began to express doubts about her desire to raise a large family. About once a month dad would get all paternal, and insist on taking care of us kids, provided mom left a precooked meal in the fridge. We've always wondered was dad rebelling against himself. He would tuck me in. He would even clean mom's space up. Tara and Colm once overheard dad tell mom that there was nothing sexier than a woman who knew how to make repairs. Tara confronted dad about 'possibly' leading mom on. Tara claims that she doesn't remember everything that dad said, but that the bottom line was to let the adults handle their business, and that dad still loved her even though she was being a 'nosy prat'. By the time the first full frost hit everything had gone though a lot of change. The solar shower was gone, both mom and dad had managed to get their hands on proper showers and installed them inside. Dad had gotten a temporary cover over grandpa's workbench, and was working on enclosing the back section of the platform so that we'd be out of the elements when working on the easels. Mom, was salvaging all of the bricks every time she added on to our side. "I love the look Paul, I've got over a dozen idea's sketched out, but none I love. For now my priority is enclosed from the elements with a little room to move around in." Tara and Colm always listened in on conversations. According to Tara it was the only way to find out what was going on, because "the adults didn't want to worry the kids". "The thing is sis, the not knowing left to much to our imaginations, and made everything far scarier than it needed to be." Colm confided in me once. Dad was going stir crazy, and took to exploring the catacombs. It never yielded anything other than dad needing a shower badly. Found this in grandpa's journal. "Sark went to the catacombs again. I'm not sure if he's trying to find a way to the mainland or get himself killed. He gave up on raising the ferry once he so the long gash down the side from running up against the docks." Tara and Colm overheard grandpa and dad having a shouting match one day. Even though mom keeps the windows partially open they didn't hear everything that was said. Both swear that they did hear one snippet clearly "... if you hate it here so much then spare us your antics and just leave, go live in the abandoned mine if you have to but go, I ...". Tara and Colm swear they never heard the rest, and the only note I've found in grandpa's journal is "Sark promised to stay out of the catacombs." Colm says that dad started helping them more with their schoolwork. Whatever went on that fall, Tara and Colm tended to take their meals away from the adults. Both have said "While the table was silent, or conversation polite, there was always an uncomfortable tension in the room. Especially if dad said anything about being tired of the monotony." Tara admitted that she took advantage in the change to get dad to play dominoes with them the way it had been before the divorce, before I'd been conceived. "It wasn't the same though, Siobhan, even though Colm and I took care for mom and dad to be opposite of each other. Mom always avoided direct eye contact with dad, and never discussed anything beyond the weather." Tara confided in me. "It was as if she was trying to not force her presence on him." As fall drew to a close, mom scored an ancient tv from the dumpster, along with a couch. She even found and fixed a toy oven for us kids to use. Just in time for spooky day dad managed to find a costume chest buried under an assortment of used suitcases at Mr. Peoples store. Tara said that dressing up was a fun way to relieve the boredom. Mom had found some toddler books for me. She frequently says that she wished she had worried less about fixing the plumbing, and sat to read with me. "Siobhan, everything but lost time is replaceable or fixable." I think I get what mom mean's when she tells me this. I love her more than anything, and it pains me to see her cry. She thinks she hides the crying well, but us kids can always tell. The last clear day before winter set in that year dad went and played his guitar at Mr. Peoples store. While grandpa helped mom move our beds upstairs. "It's not pretty Paul, but it gives us elbow room, and the children will stay warmer up here during the night since heat rises." The lot so far at the end of their first fall. There is no more furniture, besides the outside trash can in the neutral space. A second floor of sorts is up on Fern's side. I've got several possible end goal floor plans in mind, they however are contingent on factors. ;) My name is Siobhan, mom and dad always pronounced it pronounced Shi-wan, and I'm going to tell you about my families journey, such as I know it, such as it was told to me. I can see the confusion already, why A.D. it doesn't match the usual notations for after the meteor that everyone else uses. I used A.D. as short for After the Divorce. In a way you might say my parents divorce is what saved us all from the meteor. It all began with my Grandpa Paul Stone buying an abandoned railroad station. He and my dad Sark had gone to pick up some supplies and when they'd returned they found my mom, Fern, standing on the platform with me, Siobhan, and my older siblings Tara and Colm. That my dad was less than pleased to see my mom, was an understatement. Grandpa sometimes hinted that he was happy to see us turn up, but he kept his feelings under wrap, except for the odd note here and there in his workshop journal. Once my dad had stomped off, after telling my mom that she had to stay on the far platform, grandpa had assessed the supplies, then after a brief discussion with my mom. It was agreed that a second trip to the mainland would be necessary. It was the return from the second trip that both turned the world upside down, and saved our lives, along with the life of Mr. Peoples the owner of the consignment store. He used to be the ferry operator, but now the ferry rests below water just off the docks. Industrial island wasn't all that much to start with but it had been in the process of being revitalized when everything went to pot. A few folks had gathered at the stadium for some big community revitalization speech by a politician from the mainland. The big hole in the ground is where the stadium used to be. The few remains that could be found where laid to rest in the cemetery. Which is where Mom and Dad finally convinced Grandpa to put Grandma AnnMarie's ashes. The impact wave rocked our ferry causing most of the extra supplies to go overboard. That my crib and the bunk bed for my siblings didn't go overboard was a relief for all. No one said anything as they watched the ferry slip under the water, but they all knew that the islands renewal just took a huge step backwards. As they climbed the road up from the docks Mr. Peoples said that it would probably be a while before there was new ferry service; "water and weather's going to be to unpredictable for a while" is what Grandpa attributed to Mr. Peoples in his workshop journal. Mom and Grandpa where both happy to learn that even though there wasn't a teacher per say on the island, there were learning computers that still worked at the school. All of us island children would be able to remotely access lessons and homework, and keep up with our mainland peers that way. Dad didn't care much one way or the other, he was in a funk. He was more concerned that his path to rock and roll fame had just been cut short and once again he was stuck living with someone whom he didn't want to be around, let alone live with. Mom promised Grandpa that she would do her best to keep out of dad's way. She confided in Grandpa that she still loved dad, but understood that at best maybe they could be friends again someday. "Paul, it's never been that I don't love him. I do love him to the point of pain." Mom said "But he hates being tied down. His dislike of commitment is so strong that confinement for to long makes him physically ill. I can't do that to him again, now that I understand why he was so unhappy while we were married." "Would you marry him again if he asked?" Grandpa inquired. "I don't see him asking, but I'm willing to spend the rest of my life with him without marriage if he wants." Mom responded "However my priority has to be keeping it civil for the sake of our children. I still remember how much my parents used to fight before their divorce, and even after which is why I love my stepdad so much." Grandpa nodded and wandered off to work at his workbench. The old railway station wasn't much to look at when we first moved in. There wasn't even any roof over the room where Tara and Colm's bunk bed had been set up, or the bathroom. There was an abandoned fire pit. Grandpa suspected it had been built by some transients. Mom, ever the outdoors woman was quick to note signs of wild life. "Once we get really settled in and start moving a lot of stuff around, including salvaging what we can from the dead plant life, the wildlife will probably vanish." Mom told Grandpa. "In the meantime though the kids and I will catch what we can for the science center on the smaller isle across the bridge." Even if the mainland had been reluctant to restart a regular ferry service it was quickly discovered that more had survived than had been destroyed, which gave everyone hope for the future. Mom was very happy to find that someone had planted some vegetables near the far end of the main platform. She checked with Grandpa, and he gave her permission to harvest what she needed and wanted. "Paul I know you don't care if I work the garden on this side of the old track bed, but I think Sark might get touchy about it, so I'm also going to plant a garden on the far side." When mom saw that dad had taken an interest in teaching me how to walk she asked him if he minded watching me while she tried to catch some of the butterfly's flitting around. Mom took his grunt as a yes. Mom managed to catch a few, which she took to the science center. The scientists got so excited over one of mom's catches that they offered her a large sum of cash in exchange for her catches. She declined the money and instead bartered for an old fridge, some of the produce they had which was suppose to be ingredients for feeding the lab animals, and a few boards to cover the opening above Tara and Colm's bed. Mom didn't mind if us kids slept outside, but she did want to make sure that we stayed dry if it rained. While mom had been collecting insects, grandpa had gone dumpster diving. His luck had been more modest than mom's. Grandpa found a decent loveseat, and a few small items which he traded to Mr. Peoples for a worn counter. Dad wasn't happy that grandpa and mom agreed to share the counter until she could get one for our side. He however didn't complain to loudly, because mom was sharing the food she'd gotten with him and grandpa. At first mom was happy to see that larger animals had survived. That is until she realized that the first place they would probably forage for food was the garden. Grandpa was an inventor so she discussed with him ways they could make some fencing from the dead brambles, shrubs, and trees. Mom was firm that a good fence would be the only way to ensure that her garden survived so they could have food for future meals. As a general rule of thumb grandpa preferred to keep his inventions for us to play with. He however decided that he didn't need to keep as many as he had. Grandpa talked Mr. Peoples into putting the extra toys on display. Neither was sure if anyone would actually want them, but good sturdy toys never go out of fashion. Mom kept me inside whenever it rained, while Tara and Colm where at school. She kept me occupied with nursery rhymes and stories, which helped me learn how to talk. Dad braved the weather and tried playing for tips at the hatchery. Even though a few scientists were around no one was ready to part with what little coin they had. All summer dad tried playing for tips at different spots around the island. His playing improved, but that was all he gained from his guitar that first summer. Eventually he started doing as mom and grandpa had been doing all along, and started dumpster diving as well as collecting the odd bits of stone, flower, small animals or birds, and insects as could be found. Mom and grandpa insisted that school work had to take priority over hunting for collectibles. Neither Tara or Colm have ever hinted if they wished otherwise, after all weekends were always theirs to do as they wished once homework was done. I suppose mom could have been mean about things like the solar shower, and put them behind locked doors, but she kept telling grandpa that it was in everyone's best interest to have it in neutral space, ie outside where anyone could use it. By the time the end of summer and leisure day rolled around Dad had managed to get himself a proper bed, two art easels for us kids to use, and a xylophone for me to play with. Grandpa had scrounged some more furnishings, even a phone not that anyone called us that first summer. Grandpa, mom, and dad had made an agreement that as a group, they would keep a base of 200 available at all times for bills. I was fully trained in my primary skills of walking, talking, and knew how to use the potty by then. Mom had managed to find enough valuable gems to get a counter, stove, and dishwasher. She had also gotten a table and some chairs for our side, but put them in what was being called the neutral zone. Grandpa moved their table and chairs outside too. It was made clear by grandpa that whether dad joined us at the table or ate inside alone was up to him. Sometimes he joined us, but mostly he waited until we had eaten before he sat to eat. Mom had traded some of her produce for flour. For leisure day as a special treat she made pear pancakes. Pancakes was enough to even get dad to come join us for breakfast. Well mom, Tara, and Colm that is. I was probably in the playpen with a bottle. Dad even hung out and talked to mom about her garden, that day. For some reason, mom wanting to open a fruit stand once I entered school upset him, and he took the last of the salvaged wood and put up a fence. Mom had to reassure Tara that just because their dad had fenced off his and Grandpa's side didn't mean he didn't love her, Colm, or myself. After all she, mom, and grandpa had agreed to maintain a neutral space with the tables, and shower. "Mom, will you and dad ever get back together?" Tara had asked. "I don't know that answer, Tara, right now your dad and I aren't getting along very well. We've managed to work out a few small disagreements." Mom replied. "Is that why you and grandpa put the temporary roof over part of the neutral space, and why dad hasn't actually locked the gates like he said he would?" Tara inquired. "Yes, Tara love. Now you tell me what after school program did you decide on?" Mom asked, putting a stop to any further questions from Tara. "I signed up for study club, since music classes are just for teens. Colm signed up for art class." Tara answered, before wandering off to see if she could find anymore lizards near Mom's garden. With grandpa's help mom moved the second set of stairs from the far end of the platform to the end where the over pass used to be. "Thank you for helping get the stairs moved and anchored for safe use. As much as I'd love a greenhouse or some planters for inside, I have to make sure the kids have a proper shelter Paul." Tara listened in as her mom and grandpa talked before heading off for their day's chores. "I'm putting away most of what I've grown this year, so we can have fresh produce during winter. There has been some interest in the coffee beans I'm growing from the science center." Mom had paused and scuffed her worn sandal on the tarred surface. "Paul, do you ever worry what will happen if any of us get sick or seriously injured, what with no medical services out here?" "I hadn't given it to much thought, Fern." "It's why I haven't encouraged the kids to explore more, I worry about what we would do if they got hurt." Mom sounded so worried that Tara scrapped her plans to explore the beach below the science center. She's rebellious like dad, but somehow mom being scared made her cautious. "Paul, you have been a big help to me and the kids, and I can feel the chill of fall starting to creep in. If I'm able to get more materials will you help me add a second floor for sleeping quarters?" "Fern, you know I'm willing to help you as best I can." "I know Paul, but Sark is still so angry with me, and I don't want to take your time away from him or your projects anymore than necessary." "Ah, my sweet girl, Siobhan, tomorrow is the first day of fall, I hope you won't mind being indoors all day." Sort of where the house is at before the first day of fall. The only major difference is a space of 2x3 has been added to Ferns side so that her bed could be moved inside near the crib for the upcoming cold weather.
The toilet got moved to the bathroom by the kids room, and the second urinal got moved to Paul and Sark's side of the lot. Not much change on Paul and Sarks side outside of added furniture from dumpster diving and funds earned from collectibles. The roof over the middle, neutral space is temporary for the first winter, and will be gone with the spring. |
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