Fairchild 3.3
As Drake left the awkward year of thirteen and entered his fourteenth, he took an interest in girls. A particular red-headed girl to be exact. Drake was a dedicated young man and especially seemed to already have an idea of the sort of life he wanted. I could see in his calculating mind that he was searching for a wife. He was quite mature for his age. He was so much like his mother. The only trait I saw of Leo's was his determination to get what he desired. But Drake was so compassionate that he seemed to have turned a negative trait into something positive.
I often swam to relieve myself of stress and to reflect upon my life. My children were growing quickly and Leo had started to mellow with age. He still glared at me with conviction but I tried to put the past behind me. I had once feared of his retaliation but I found myself relaxing slightly. Sometimes I still wondered if the past would come back to haunt me once again. Lauren did seem to influence and make him a better person. They were still so much in love and it warmed my heart to see such a thing. I had thought my brother's heart was made of stone but Lauren seemed to have broken through it.
It was no surprise, then, when Lauren announced that she was pregnant a few months later. I prayed that the peace would last.
Time passed without much excitement until Carson's birthday. I was preparing for the celebration when I heard a familiar voice at the door. It was Yoosung! I wondered what he could have possibly wanted. After he moved out he had stayed his distance. I was puzzled to think of what he wanted. I felt stung by his very presence. He was a reminder of a time passed. Still, I was very cordial to him, even when he told me it was Leo who had invited him. It was like a stab in my back. Leave it to Leo to be so inconsiderate of my feelings. Perhaps, I thought, he did it on purpose. I tried to put that out of my mind as quickly as possible and focus on little Carson's birthday.
Drake cooed over my child dotingly. It was true that Carson was very cute, but it was Drake's dedication and love for him that really touched my heart. Yoosung left soon after the festivities were over, without a single word uttered to me. I was a little sad, for I did miss him sometimes, but another part of me was also glad. Having him around was like a ghost.
Carson really started to show his personality soon after his birthday. He was a very neat baby, orderly even. He was sociable and very active. Always playing, laughing and running amok. He was an ornery child and I hoped very much that it didn't mean that he'd be like his uncle, rather than like me or his father Remi.
Still, I hadn't much time to worry about such things because of all the children that needed caring for. As a result, the house took a bit of a beating in return.
One day, I spotted Leo and Lauren embracing in the bathroom, door open, of course, when I noticed something peculiar happened. A ghost showed up and shoved between them like a shaft and left Lauren quite surprised and frightened her. I couldn't help but notice a bit of red on top of the ghost's head. Could it be that mom had been watching the whole time and wanted to inflict some payback to my malevolent brother? She may have been mean and neglectful herself, but I was still her child and I hoped that she wouldn't wish the kind of harm Leo had bestowed on me. Even through Leo's silence, I still longed for some sort of justice. I hoped, perhaps, he had seen the resemblance and realize that mom was watching and was not proud of how he had treated me. He looked spooked for a few days, but after that he seemed OK.
Soon, it became clearer that he was not very affected by it.
I was going about doing my chores and making sure Lauren was OK. Leo had been neglecting her for some time and I wondered if the merit of having a better half finally wearing off. My suspicions were confirmed when I heard a knock on the back door. I had a strange feeling about it so I hid in the hallway. There I saw Yoosung, looking peculiar and sneaking being greeted by my brother Leo with a passionate kiss! Oh how I wanted to jump out and let them know that I knew what they were up to but I didn't dare. The last thing I wanted was to give them any reason to harm me or further scar the children.
So I kept it all to myself. I watched Drake go on and woo ladies in quiet disdain at first. Until one night when he had booked two dates in one night. That was when I stepped in and gave him a lecture about responsibility. The last thing I wanted was for him to become a man who played women, like his father. He explained that he was merely trying to find the right woman and confessed that his father told him that it could be only done by dating as many girls as possible. Hmph! Only Leo would give such ridiculous advise. I told Drake that if he wishes to find the right one, he must treat each girl with respect and dignity and eventually it will come to him. He will surely know who is right for him when she comes along.
He slowed down after that. Actually, he went back to the girl he had dated when he was merely thirteen. She was such a nice girl, too.
Finally came the day when Lani would herself become thirteen. She was so much different from her cousin Drake. Serious and acted out quite a bit. I supposed she got it from her father Yoo, the dreadful man that he was. When she turned thirteen she grew into her own, craving knowledge and books. She was quite ambitious and knew what she wanted from life. She fancied to attend those fancy parties we could never afford and looked ever so admirably at men who wore suits so neatly and in place. But she always told me she hated the fat ones because they looked like penguins. She was particular, alright. I feared for her more than any of the other children. I feared that she had too much of her father in her.
She loved to watch the ocean and dream up the way she wanted her life to be. It was in those calm moments that she looked the most devious.
A few days after Lani's birthday, Lauren's water broke and she went into labor. It felt she'd been pregnant for years, with all of the birthdays that came in between, but it was in fact only nine months.
They had failed to tell me that twins were born, so I didn't know until they came home from the hospital three days later.
One was named Natalie. She had her parent's black hair, a mix between the two parent's skintone and her father's eyes.
The nanny they had hired not too long ago, seemed to be upset by the whole thing because she quickly remembered Carson's rather mischievous ways.
The other child's name was Camille. She looked identical except had her mother's light skin. Lani in particular seemed to be intrigued by the whole thing.
The year passed quickly, filled with diaper changing and long nights soothing the twin's cries. Everyone had to pitch in to help, especially since Carson himself was still a toddler.
It was a huge relief when Carson had his sixth birthday and would be going to school. The house felt like it was tearing at the amount of people who resided in the house. We were all too grateful that we had one less diaper to change. Still, Carson still proved to be a feisty little man.
I think it brought Lauren to her wits end and I found her bathing in the kitchen sink because all of the bathrooms were full! It was a pity seeing her go through such stress!
And it didn't help matters that all of the children practically sent us to the poor house and we couldn't pay our maid anymore so she took it upon herself to take something from us.
It wasn't long after Carson turned six that the twins turned one years old. They were twins but they were very different.
Natalie's hair was long and straight, never cut, except at the bangs. She was messy and shy, yet she had a lot of playful energy. She was like her mother in the way that she was absolutely the sweetest little thing you'd ever see.
Camille seemed to like her hair shorter and preferred to have cute hairstyles, rather than allow it to run wild like Natalie. It was the only neat thing about her because she was even more messy than her twin sister! She was, unlike Natalie, very outgoing and active around the house. Always causing trouble if she could help it! But she was also very serious-minded. She didn't like to be tickled or played around with too much. But she was just as sweet as her sister. These twins seemed to have little in common with their father and I couldn't have been more delighted by it.
Still, I saw Leo and Yoosung together often, while Lauren busied herself with the twins. It angered me so! How dare they do this to Lauren and worse to their children! It was obvious that their wide eyes caught glimpse of what was going on, even if they didn't fully understand it. Drake never talked about it, but I could tell it bothered him too. Lani seemed to laugh at the whole thing, however. Sometimes her attitude and apathy was enough to make me want to scream.
Then one day, I finally had enough. Lauren was off doing errands and I was doing my daily chores when I heard some noise from the bedroom. I was not naive, I knew what they were. Leo and Yoosung, making love in the bedroom! How could they do that in the bed that Leo and Lauren also shared? So when Yoosung was sneaking out the backdoor I caught him by the hand tightly.
"How dare you do this to the family? After all that you have already put us through!"
He laughed. "Oh silly woman. This is none of your business." He sounded much like the Yoosung I had grown to fear so many years before.
I quivered slightly. "No, this IS my business. You are reeking havoc on this family once again---just when we were settling down. I will not have you in this house!" I shouted despite my growing fears.
He yanked his hand away and glared at me. I, no longer allowing him to make me afraid, glared back.
Seeing that I wouldn't relent, he growled an incoherent reply---something about Leo would be upset---but I wouldn't allow him to scare me with his threats. I jabbed him in the stomach telling him that I would not only reek havoc on him but Leo as well. I told him I would tell Leo's precious wife what was going on and arrange to take away his children. I knew this was Leo's soft spot. He would never want his wife to know the truth or have his children taken away. He loved his wife and children despite it all. It was nice, to finally stand up for myself and all that I held dear. I knew that he would tell Leo this and that they would leave me alone. Too much at stake and Leo was only interested in starting fights he could win.
Best of all, I no longer feared either of them. I was a strong woman who didn't need a man for any reason and could hold my own. Besides, Leo was nearly fifty and knew that he couldn't fight like he used to. I thought I heard Leo later yelling on the phone, with no other than Yoosung but I didn't worry. I knew it was over. Finally over.
Meanwhile, Lani and Drake were getting close, despite all the differences. If they knew of all that went on, they never hinted, but I could hear them whispering about, like they shared an abundance of secrets. I was glad of their closeness, hoping that Drake would rub off on Lani, rather than the other way around.
Time pressed on quickly. Years passed, we all aged, and soon it was Leo's fiftieth birthday. Everyone was there, including Drake's new girlfriend. Him and his other girlfriend had long since broken up.
Leo entered elderhood gracefully, looking more distinguished than ever.
Lauren, ever the wonderful wife, seemed to have love him more than ever, especially since he had started to pay more attention to her.
Then finally, Remington Jr. became a teen. He seemed to pride himself on having many friends and loved being friendly to everyone, especially girls. He especially seemed to be keen on girls with brown hair and had a flair for the arts. But, maybe because of Lani being his main tormentor, disliked girls with glasses. He was very sensitive and always had been. I feared he was too much like me. I just hoped he would fair better in life than I did.
Then Natalie and Camille became children a few years after that. Truly our lives had become somewhat ordinary in so many ways that there was not much to tell other than birthday announcements. And I was glad. Oh how I was glad. I felt that my life, had become whole again. Any drama that I would concern me now, would be the ones of the many young ones we had in the house. Although Leo never said it, I could tell that he was sorry for what he had done. With old age came great wisdom---and a wife who had taken to scolding him when he was rude. She truly made him a better person. I could finally put the past behind me and focus on the topsy-turvy world of the growing children amongst us.
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Notes:
-Yes, that is the last of Rosa's narration. Who will continue the tale? Well, you'll have to wait until next time!
-I hope this wasn't too choppy. A lot of the drama did calm down so a lot of this entry was birthdays.
-I love this family hardcore and decided that even after the Poverty challenge is completed (after the youngest child of Rosa & Leo died), I'm going to continue---it will mold into the Legacy/I'm-surrounded-by-idiots challenge. ;P
-Somehow jobs didn't really make it into the storyline so much yet but believe me, there were MANY promotions and drove me crazy! Jeez oh weez. (in case you don't remember, it was -1000 points per promotion. Yeah, it was a good thing there were so many children to balance it out is all I have to say. LOL.
Thanks for reading!
Previous installments:
|Prologue|
|Fairchild 1.1||
| Fairchild 2.1| Fairfield 2.2|
| Fairfield 3.1| Fairfield 3.2|