Mum told me that she grew up in a house full of bored elders, and that she was so happy to see that I had a housemate who was sort of my age.
He was Peter Racket, an artist with a heart of gold. That's all I thought of him when I was a child. Peter was my best friend since I could speak.
Mum also said that she never left Twinbrook as a child, and she was determined to change that for me. I was seven when she dragged the whole family sans Felix to Shang Simla so we could all get some work done.
As for Felix, he and his girlfriend had different matters to attend to.
Anyways, mum and aunt Gwen practiced martial arts and didn't really do much else for the whole trip. Grandpa and dad didn't do much at first.
Though grandpa was very comfortable in his immortality. Strutting around in his pajamas playing Gnubb, or insulting Peter while still in his pajamas. Eww, grandpa, no. Just no.
Me? I painted with Peter, or by myself. I spent days just painting and listening to photography tabcats while painting and hardly sleeping. Mum said that mastering the arts would make for a great life-long goal. I agreed with her, partly.
I ended up finishing that life-long goal with that painting, when I was seven and vacationing in China.
I wanted to say that the rest of the vacation was fun with Peter, playing tag in the streets of Shang Simla. Well, a lot of it was. It was far more pleasant than what happened at home while we were gone.
Mum was quite busy over the vacation. She set plenty of goals for herself. Sparring with aunt Gwen. Meditating in the garden. Breaking stones. Working off her baby fat. Dad, however, was insanely bored. As was aunt Gwen once she and mum were done sparring. I heard about Gwen's situation; she was widowed and a bit of a hopeless romantic. I don't think anyone disapproved of her trying to find romance.
However, that woman was looking in the wrong place. Dad, how could you? He said it was all Gwen's idea. He said that there was absolutely no way that he'd willingly cheat on mum. But the slight smile on his face was apparent from across the room.
Dad, how could you so royally mess up?
And somehow, mum forgave him. Maybe he apologized profusely, but within a day they were back together in the hot tub.
I loved mum, but how could she be stupid to go back to him? Even angry Felix sounded so much better than that cheating scum. That's what I used to think. I hated dad from that moment on, and never had a chance to forgive him.
With nothing left to do, I just had fun until I was a teenager. Mum had different plans for herself.
I played gnubb with Peter at the summer festival.
And mum worked.
I went rollerskating at the summer festival with Peter.
And mum worked.
I took silly photos with Peter (pretty good composition for a photobooth, by the way).
And mum got promoted again, and refused to stop working.
I played tag with uncle Felix.
And mum got a gig, and still worked until she was close to the top.
Faced with my 14th birthday, I had no idea what would unfold after that.
---
(Thomas and Gwen was entirely autonomous. Like, I turned my back for five seconds and they were smooching in the bedroom. During my fourth attempt, Lolly was a Grave housemate and she had a thing for older, married men as well. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Yeah, more fluff with Ozzy and Peter. This is probably the only time a Grave will have a childhood friendship like this, and I never properly enjoy my sim-children and their friends.)
