The Flowers waiting for Grim - Completed

[Schipperke]

Prologue

In Twinbrook lived the Flowers family.  Family patriarch Dan Flowers had made his money as a purveyor of garden supplies.  When his company, Flowers' Fine Fertilizers, became successful, Dan and his wife Hyacinth purchased a large house and started fertilizing their own garden, so to speak.  Soon the house rang with the loud happy voices of children.  Lily, Petunia, Daffodil - there were many little Flowers.  People used to tell Dan it was a shame that he was the odd man out, being the only one without a floral name.  They naturally assumed that Dan's name was short for Daniel, and Dan himself never corrected that assumption.  The truth was, his name was just as floral as any of the others.  But he wasn't proud of being named after a certain yellow flower that flourished in his father's lawn, and kept that information to himself.



Time passed, as it will, and everyone grew older, as they will.  The children were almost grown up.  Dan and Hyacinth were looking forward to retirement.  Then one day Hyacinth gave her husband some surprising news:  a change-of-life baby was on the way.  Neither had wanted another child, and Dan groaned inwardly as he thought about the potty training and nights of broken sleep.  But he resigned himself and tried to support his wife through a difficult pregnancy.  Finally it was over and a baby girl was born - make that two!  Nobody had anticipated twins, and Dan felt a twinge of resentment at these little interlopers that had come along to interfere with his retirement plans. 

Hyacinth never recovered from the difficult pregnancy and childbirth.  She died a few days later, leaving Dan to look after the two daughters he didn't want.  Marigold and Sunflower were quite different from his other children.  Really, they were very good little girls.  But Dan blamed them for causing his wife's death and ruining his retirement plans. After his wife's death, Dan felt he had no real reason to carry on.  He died not long after his beloved Hyacinth, leaving Marigold and Sunflower to be brought up by their older siblings.  

[Chopsticks]

How sad . I can't believe you called a sim Dandelion! What does a hyacinth look like by the way.

[Schipperke]

Chapter One

Like their father, the older Flowers children blamed Marigold and Sunflower for causing their mother's premature death.  Obviously the babies were responsible for Dan's death as well.  Daffodil, Petunia, Azalea and Lily had been expecting dates, parties and travel.  Instead they got diapers and toddlers expecting to be fed regularly.  The resentment and blame grew.

As our story begins, the four older children are now elders.  Daffodil, more commonly known as Daffy, for reasons that have a lot to do with his character:



Lily, who shares the family traits of Insane, Slob, Evil and Mean-spirited:



Petunia:



and Azalea:



None of the evil sibs has ever had a job or a relationship outside the household.  None of them has taken any interest in the family business which is now on the verge of bankruptcy.  If Daffy, Lily, Petunia and Azalea hadn't had someone to pick up after them the house would have become unliveable long ago. 



Meet Marigold and Sunflower.  The twins somehow managed to avoid inheriting the family traits.  Good and neat, their difference is a source of constant friction between them and their older sibs.  They are Adults now, and their role in this house is to serve their older sisters and brother. 



It's pretty much impossible to tell them apart in those outfits, but they do have different-coloured hair and one of them has freckles.  

[samoht04]

Woo! Another Schip story!  Is it a little bit Cinderelly but without the Step Mum and theres Two Cindies? 

[MissMaths]

Great start to an interesting story Schipperke! Is this gonna become a challenge as well? Samoht, in Cinderella there's only two ugly sisters, but here there's two sisters and two brothers. So it's two identical Cindy stories put together, minus the Step-Mum. LOL.

[samoht04]

Samoht, in Cinderella there's only two ugly sisters, but here there's two sisters and two brothers. So it's two identical Cindy stories put together, minus the Step-Mum. LOL.

Good Point! 

I also feel so sad for the fact that everyone blames them for the Death of their Parents, it's not as if they chose that or wanted to. They grew up completely without their Parents. 

[MissMaths]

Yeah, I agree. It's so harsh, I mean if a woman dies in childbirth it's not the child's fault, the same way that if a child is stillborn then it's not the mother's fault. It's just so sad.

[TheChronicR]

Fascinating start to yet another story, Schip! Loving the characters. Fabulous!

[Schipperke]

Thanks very much for the comments.  This part is really just setting up the background to the story.  I hope you'll like what is to come.

[MissMaths]

Just like the beginning of the Riches Galore one? Will this also be a challenge in its completion?  Cos I sure hope so

[Schipperke]

Will this also be a challenge in its completion?  Cos I sure hope so

We'll have to wait and see how it turns out.  Because at this point, the truth is - I don't know!   

[MissMaths]

YAYZA for indefinity!
And that is a word when I use it

[Gogowars329]

I feel so sorry for Marigold and Sunflower being treated like slaves by their older siblings. Great story though.

[Schipperke]

Chapter Two

It had been decided that Sunflower should get a job at the diner.  The family desperately needed money, and the four evil slobs looked forward to improved meals.  Thus Sunflower was able to escape from the household for brief periods of time.  Marigold, however, was needed at home to pick up, clean, repair, and serve.  She had to content herself with memories of her time at the LeFromage Art School when her talent was praised and nurtured.  Not that she had any time for painting these days.

Then one day a caller arrived for Petunia.



A few days later, Daffy disappeared.



Then it was Azalea's turn.



Lily was next.



Marigold and Sunflower don't really understand what's happening.  Their socially isolated existence has never prepared them for this.  Nobody ever cared enough to explain to them about death.  Marigold tackles the figure in black:



Marigold:  Who are you?  What have you done with my sisters and brother?
Grim:  I am the Grim Reaper.  Your sisters and brother belong to me now. 
Marigold:  But why?
Grim:  Everyone comes to me in the end.  Soon it will be your birthday.  You'll be old and bent, and then it's just a matter of time.
Marigold:  Time?  Time for what?
Grim:  Time until I'll be back for you and your sister.  Wait for me, girls - I'll be back soon!
He disappears in a puff of black smoke.

Marigold and Sunflower are left alone to grieve for the siblings who abused them.

[Chopsticks]

Yay, a Generations story. I'll have to content myself with reading this for the next two and a half weeks.