Arnessa’s StoryArnessa: This is the secret part of my life that I took to the grave but I’m willing to share it now that my sweet Hector has joined me in the afterlife. I couldn’t tell anyone before. He would have been so shocked and embarrassed by my past.
Here I am, my teen-self! As you can see, I already love books and music. It looks like I want to be a Musical Genius but actually, back then, I was aiming more at being Chief of Mischief!
You don’t believe me? Well, at this point in my life, I was just recovering from breaking my leg, sailing over the Hideaway Falls. That’s why they put a bridge in – to stop anyone else doing it.
(aged down from the original Arnessa Thebe with a Boho makeover)
I was on a warning from my very proper parents – no more scandal! So when I broke the village fountain – it was a hot day – too far to slog to the beach – how was I to know it was so delicate – the warning turned into reality. The breakage was covered up and repaired but I was sent over the ocean to stay with my Uncle Eetion and his wife Queen. This is the only photo I have left of them together. Aren’t they cute? I really miss them…
(in gallery by latribe, based on characters from The Sims2)
Aunt Queen. It’s a funny name, isn’t it. Used to be popular back in the day. My mother said Uncle Eetion only married her because we’re descended from royalty – Princess Cordelia, no less – but they really loved each other. Anyway, Aunt Queen was quite Materialistic and they’d moved to Tomarang to start up a rental business. I could stay with them in their house but they were setting up some rental units in the town which I could help run. They could keep an eye on me and help me get through my last week of High School, hopefully graduating with honours.
That was the deal and I thought they’d be really strict about my studies. But when I got there, they were much more relaxed. I think it was the Tomarang influence. It’s difficult to stay very focussed on anything in that hot, humid atmosphere. I’d joined the cheerleaders and the only time I could practise was in the slightly cooler night.
School was OK but, as I said, it was hard to concentrate. Uncle Eetion helped me do my homework outside while Aunt Queen got food from the Night Market. I did eventually get up to a B, by the way, but definitely no honours!
I made some friends at school. This is Luna, who is very cool. I got a bit of a pash on her. The old guy is the janitor here. His name is Mr Lum, Tai Lum. He told me about his grandson Lau who was coming to stay for his last week of High School but Mr Lum only had a 1-bed flat. I told him about our family rentals that were nearly ready so he said he’d be in touch.
I told Aunt Queen about it the next morning and she said that the rental was ready. She’d got to go sort some things out at the bank and Uncle Eetion was busy in the garden so could I go and show Lau the place and take the contracts in case he liked it.
Here he is – Lau Lum. I said it sounds funny when you say it all together. He said “You can call me Laurie, Dollface”. Well, I didn’t really know if he was joking but he said he wanted to see the flat so I invited him in.
I tried really hard to keep a straight face which was difficult because I do like Mischief and “Laurie” kept making jokes which I don’t really like. But I stayed professional – I was determined to show Aunt Queen so that she would send a good report home. Laurie took the room and moved in that day.
I took Friday off school. I’d just been promoted to B grade the day before and hadn’t studied for those exams. I was really hot on C grade stuff. But there you have it! I went to ThrifTea to see if they’d got anything interesting for me to wear to Prom. They hadn’t. It was either too formal or too casual or really not my style. I threw a few items together which would have to do.
Anyway, who should be there but our new tenant, also looking for Prom clothes! Laurie came over straight away and said “Dollface – you’re the only gal I know in town. Will you go with me to the Prom?” As friends? Sure. I didn’t have a date so…why not. I wasn’t very sure about my new name – Dollface – but part of me quite liked it.
Saturday – and I suddenly realised - it’s my birthday. Uncle Eetion and Aunt Queen were throwing me a big party and made it clear that Prom was out of the question. I went to see Laurie to let him know. I thought he’d go without me but he said he’d like to come to my party instead. Plus, this! Oh! I fell hard, yes I did!
It was time for my party but I hadn’t got dressed before the cake was ready. Uncle Eetion said to blow the candles out now and then go and get changed while the guests had a slice.
I could here Aunt Queen wondering where I was downstairs “Where is that girl – all the guests are here” “She’ll be down in a minute” Uncle Eetion said. But Laurie had sneaked upstairs after me and I wasn’t listening too hard…
“You’re the best” Laurie whispered as I heard Aunt Queen explaining to all the guests that I was from Tartosa where they didn’t dress for parties. She’s more proper than my parents in some ways but yes, we do normally dress for parties but I wasn’t really thinking too hard…
I really wasn’t thinking too hard at all. You remember the Free Love movement? Love is not free – not like that anyway. The next morning I had some news to share with my Aunt and Uncle. Aunt Queen was not pleased, muttering about my pirate ancestry. “There’s only one thing to do and it needs doing now”, she said. She invited Mr Lum and Laurie round to “sort things out”. I knew what she meant. In those days, being an unmarried mother was not an option. Laurie would have to marry me. I was both stunned and excited. I really liked Laurie but I hardly knew him. I probably should have thought about that before…you know.
Things did not go according to plan. Mr Lum turned up on his own and was appalled by my “condition” – I wasn’t ill! I was expecting his great grandchild! He said Lau had been sowing some wild oats while he was here and had been sent back home to his fiancé! His fiancé since he was 11! He couldn’t marry me – he had family commitments at home. I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or devastated. My emotions were all over the place.
“Right” said Aunt Queen and came up with a new plan. I had to wear her spare ring on my wedding finger plus dress more conservatively as if I was actually married. I’d have the baby, give it up for adoption and then return home with no-one there being any the wiser. I felt like I was in a dream. I took up knitting, for goodness sake!
Then, a few nights later…”It would be in the middle of the night!” Aunt Queen said. She said a lot of sharp things but she never left my side. Took me to the hospital, didn’t panic like I saw some of the fathers doing. She put me down as Mrs Thebe which was a lie but I was concentrating on my breathing too much to argue.
And then I had him – my own sweet Hector. As I stared into his beautiful eyes, I knew there was no way that I was giving him up. So he came back with us to our Tomarang home.
Aunt Queen was not happy and kept going on about plans to make it all respectable and what were we going to tell my parents. But Uncle Eetion had always wanted a Big Happy Family and, whenever I put Hector down, I always came back to find him being cuddled. I thought we could make it work, me staying in Tomarang although I’d miss my home.
Sadly, the stress of the situation aggravated Aunt Queen’s heart condition and one day, as she was trying to work out a respectable story with Uncle Eetion, she collapsed and died.
Uncle Eetion did not recover from the shock of his bereavement. He spent the days in his dressing gown and wouldn’t engage with anything, not even Hector. Finally I worked out what needed to be done.
Yes, we all moved back to my parents home, me, Uncle Eetion and baby Hector. We told my parents that I’d married a man named Haruki Laurent (lie) but that I’d lost him (true) after getting pregnant with little Hector. I was keeping my own name of Thebe because of it’s local history but that Hector would keep his father’s name (lie). Poor Uncle Eetion did not outlive his beloved Queen for long and we lost him too. Hector grew up as part of our privileged family and no-one knew his real origins. I did become a Loner after my adventures but that just made keeping my secret easier. Tomarang became a beautiful memory but I love the glow of Tartosa’s Ocean plus I adore the macarons!
So you see why I couldn’t tell my tale while Hector was still alive. He always asked me about his father but I always changed the subject. He thought I was sad about losing Haruki/Lau but, to be honest, I’m happy with the life I’ve led and wouldn’t have it any other way.
NotesThis version of Arnessa’s life and Hector’s origin is my own imagining to explain the various snippets that Arnessa and others let drop about her both through Grapevine Gossip and bottle messages. I hope you enjoyed it and, like me, love Arnessa even more through her own eyes.
