When The Phone Rings – Pt. 4

Season: Winter
In this post:Dorain Kauker, Allyn Kauker, Kenneth Tyson, Teresa Flores-Tyson, Jose Flores-Tyson

Kenneth had been coming to the house everyday for weeks.  Trying to prepare them all for this moment.  He knew that one day he would have to step back into the role of father.  He just never expected it to come so sudden of fast.  Never expected it to happen like this.

How could one expect something like this.  Elevators just didn’t crash.  It almost never happened.  The one time it did it took the life of a child, someone’s father, and even a grandmother.

He would have thought that by now he would have gotten use to the unexpected happening to him.  But everytime it happened it was a shock to his system.  It stopped his heart and like the most powerful earthquake imaginable it knocked his world off it’s axis.

Never to be the same again.

“Are you sure?”  He couldn’t seem to stop asking that question even though their answer was always the same.

Allyn and Dorian looked at each other.  Knowing that Kenneth did not mean any harm.  He just didn’t know what else to say.  They knew, he knew from experince that all the condolences in the world would not make their pain go away.

He was trying to offer them an out.  A way to back away from their plans.  A way to lessen their pain and the childrens pain.  They had looked at it from every angle and had come to the same conculsion each time.

“We love them like they were are own.”  Dorian explained again.  His voice deep with plain.  “But we have to go.”

“Kenneth, we are not doing this to hurt them.”  Allyn voice was pained.  Kenneth hate himself for bring up the subject again.  “But the memories here in this house.  This town.  Of Cephus.  Of Maria.   Are two much for me.”

He hadn’t expected that the mention of her.  This was about them and their son but of course her memory would still be there.  Their family photo hang proudly behind his back.

“I know.  I just…”  He paused not sure where to go from here.

“I just want you to know that you’ll always have a home here.  If you decide to come back.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll go get the children. So, they can say their goodbyes.”

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• Have you ever written an update and looked at and then realized that it needed to be changed?  Then after analyzing it for days you realize that you don’t now how to change it?  This was that update for me.  I have been looking for this for a couple of day and I wanted to change something but couldn’t figure out what.  So, I gave up and pushed published.

When The Phone Rings – Pt. 3

Season: Winter
In this post: Victoria Hale, Dominique Keyes, Tiffany Keyes

It amazed her, the little things that seemed to through her day into a downward spiral.  The day would start out nicely, well nicely as possible since she received the call that Anton had died in an elevator accident.  Dominique would get out of bed determined to make this day different, better than the last.  It never worked as planned, something always ruined it for her.  She knew that somewhere the gods were having fun at her expense.

Today, had started out like all the rest.   Dominique was determined to finally take her mother and sisters advice and try to move forward with her life.  As they said, she was the only parent Tiffany had.  She had to pull herself together.

Breakfast was cooking on the stove, Tiffany was upstairs getting ready for school. Everything was going great, exactly like she planned.  She was setting the table when she happened to past a calendar on her way to the kitchen to get the glasses.

It hit her like a blot of lighting.  It had been a month.  A whole month.

Dominique barely made it through breakfast.  She put on her best happy mommy smile as she packed Tiffany off to school.  Then she headed into the house to call Mildred and notify her that she wouldn’t make it into Half Cafe this morning.  After getting off the phone with Mildred, she called her job to tell them she wouldn’t make it into the office this afternoon.

Instead, she headed to her room and took up a position that had become way to familiar over the past few weeks.

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Victoria was getting the feeling that maybe she had failed her children in a very fundamental way.  When Dewayne had died all those years ago, she completely lost it.  Had become completely unglued at the seams.

As she watched Tiffany get off the bus, she wondered if she would have even shown a small amount of strength, back all those years ago would she have found herself in the position she was in now.  Waiting at the top steps to greet her grieving grandchild while her mother spent another day in bed “resting”.

“Where’s Mama?”

“Upstairs, taking a nap”

“Again.”

Yes, again.

Victoria patted the cushion next to her and waited for Tiffany to settle in.  Dominique should have been the one seating here comforting this child.  But because of her negliagnce her daughter couldn’t cope.  Maybe, if in those weeks after Dwayne’s death she hadn’t locked herself up in her room, her daughter wouldn’t be doing the same thing now.

“Mama’s sad because daddy’s never coming back?”

She hadn’t expected that, didn’t know how to answer.  Didn’t want to answer.  Her granddaugther had asked a question and so she answered the only why she knew how.

“Yes.”

“But, I miss daddy too and I don’t sleep all day.”  The confusion, the pain, were all there.  In the voice and face.

She drew her close and held on.  Held on to Tiffany as tight as should have held on to Dominique all those years ago.

Victoria said the only thing that came to mind.  “I know baby, but your mama needs just a little bit more time.

When The Phone Rings – Pt. 2

Season: Winter
In this post: Victoria Hale, Dominique Keyes

When the phone stared ringing Dominique had at first decided to ignore it.  Today was her day off.  The first day off that she had had in months.  She never thought her husband, Anton’s little coffee shop would have turned out to be so much work for her.

She wondered how she did it sometimes.  Holding three jobs, no four jobs.  Wife, mother, secratory, and coffee shop manager.  She was exhusted and determined not to let anything interrupt the only piece of alone time she had been granted in a long time.

She let the phone ring and go to voicemail.  Making a mental note to listen to it after lunch.

Only to have it ring again, five minutes late.  She let it go to voicemail.

Like clockwork, five minutes later it started up again.

This time she answered.  Who ever was at the other end was determined to get her attention.

Dominique doesn’t remember calling her but her mother is there.  She heard her call out her name from the bottom of the steps.  She couldn’t find the strength to answer.  She just hoped that she would know where to look.

The sounds of Victoria footsteps on the stairs, let her know that her mother was getting closer.  She silently urged her on, hoping that some special psychic mother-daughter connection would let her know how desperate she was for her warm, stable touch.

Her appearance in the room was like a valve being released.  No words were needed.  Just the soft swish of her jean covered thighs rubbing together and the muffled sound of heels meeting the carpet.

Dominique squeezed her eyes tightly together.  Trying to hold back the tears.

I must be strong.  I must.

Her senses wee on overload.  The shifting of the bed as her mother sat upon it, upset her balance making her sit up taller and straighter to keep from tilting over.  The sound of her mother’s breathing was like church bells right in her ears.  The feel of her loving arms wrapping around her body felt like a vice grip, squeezing her tight.

That was the final straw.

The tears began to fall.

They sat there, for hours or minutes.  It didn’t matter, time had no importance. Victoria held her oldest child tight, trying to soothe her pain.  Knowing that she was working in vain.   Dominique tried to control the tears, to stop their flow.  Hand gripped tightly on her knees barely keeping in the sobs.

Victoria finally let go.  Not because she wanted to but because she realized how much time had really passed.  Tiffany should be returning from her aunts house at any minute.

She stood by the window and stared at the lake not that far away.  She could see that same lake from the porch of her house.  And just like she had many times before, her daughter was now searching that same lake for strength.

Widowhood was the one thing that Victoria had hoped she and her children would never have in common.  At least, not in her lifetime.

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• Anton Keyes is the second (and final) ROS death this round.  Again, I hated killing him off.  I didn’t have any plans for the Keyes family but I thought that they were just adorable together and hated taking him away from his wife and daughter.
• On the other hand it makes for a great storyline.  I have no idea what I am going to do with Dominique now.  Anton was on the top level of the business track and they are deeply in debt because of the house and the business he just brought.
• No pictures of my favorite, Tiffany, this time.

When The Phone Rings – Pt. 1

Season: Winter
In this post: Dorian Kauker, Allyn Kauker, Teresa R. Flores-Tyson, Jose C. Flores-Tyson, Cephus Kauker

Dorian couldn’t decide if he loved his schedule or hated it. Morning time seemed to be the worse part of the day in a house full of children.  No one wanted to wake up for school.  The boys always argues when told to brush their teeth.  For some reason that he could not grasp, the bathtub would always leak when it was his turn to use it.

The saving grace for working in the on Saturday afternoon was the fact that he got to take care of the important things.  Cephus had his last counseling session in Eaton and as was custom he was going to take him.  The social worker would drop to an weekend recreation program where Dorian would pick him up after work.

Allyn wasn’t good a handling these types of things.  She worried about the kids way to much.  Asked so many questions the counselor said that she was looking for problems that weren’t there.  Cephus was fine and had adjusted to his new family much better than expected.

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She almost missed the sound of the phone ring.  They kept meaning to buy one for the second floor but like other non-esstenitals it got pushed to the bottom of the list or completely forgotten, until that moment when she was rushing down the stairs trying to catch it.

“I’m coming.  I’m coming.”  Allyn said like the person on the other end could hear.

They had heard the ringing downstairs.  They knew that Allyn went down to get it.  She had said she would be right back.  Then nothing.

“I’m going down to check on her.”  Teresa grabbed her teddy bear from the bed.  She felt uneasy and needed it reassurance.

Jose looked scared, something was making them both scared.  Neither could put their finger on it.

“Wait here, I’ll be back”

“Teresa.  I don’t…. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Teresa headed down the stairs, her footsteps much lighter than normal.  She didn’t know why but she felt that she shouldn’t make her presence known.  At the third step she came to a sudden halt as what sounded like a sob broke through the air.

Was Allyn crying?

The hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention.  She didn’t want to go any further.  Another sob and a sniffle broke the silence.

Maybe, Jose had been right.  Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.

“Cephus, Cephus, Cephus, Cephus.”  Teresa heard Allyn repeating over and over.  As harder louder sobs came out.

Teresa turned and headed back up the stairs.

“What does that mean?”

Teresa petted the fur on the teddy bear, wondering if she really should be the one telling him this.  “He’s dead.”

“Don’t say that, Teresa.”

“He is.”

“You can’t know for sure.”

Teresa looked at her brother over the bears head.  She felt bad now,  he would’t even look at her.

“I can”  She said before cuddling the bear to her chest.

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• Cephus is the first of two sims that are going to die this round.  All with the thanks of ROS. 
• I really hated doing this because even though Ally and Dorian are just minor characters I really wanted them to have and Happily Ever After type life.  I could just see them as model parents and grandparents.  Based on how I think of them, I doubt that they will adopt or have more kids.
• This death also made me feel bad for Teresa and Jose.  They really have suffered the last couple of rounds and now this.  Jose and Cephus were best friends and I thought of there relationship as brotherly.

Helping Hands

Season: Winter
In this post: Craig Vincent, Leo Deppiesse. Patricia Vincent, Curtis Vincent

“Really, Dad? Really?” Curtis questioned as he watched his father pull a book from his jacket pocket.

“First you make us walk here because you don’t want to waste gas.  Now you pull out a book.  What the hell?”

“Shut up , Curtis.”  Craig warned reading the same sentence for the fifth time.

“I don’t think I have ever seen you read a book.  Let alone while walking.”

“Shut up, Curtis.”

“I don’t think you are making the statement you think you are making.  If you’re going for the whole ‘I disapprove of you marrying my daugther’ vibe.  Maybe you should have brought a gun.  Not a book.”

“For the love of all that’s holy.  Shut up, son.”

When Patricia had asked him to help Leo to set up their future home he had said yes.  He didn’t wanted to spend time with his future son-in-law, but he had a hard time saying no to his little girl.

He closed the book that he had been trying to read on the walk over.  Curtis was right it was kind of silly.  Taking the steps as slowly as possible, he came to the front door and opened it.  Not bothering to knock.

“Oh, for crying out loud.”  Craig stopped in his track taking in the scene before him.

“Curtis was right.  I should have brought a gun.”

Leo hid the jump rope behind his back as quickly as possible.  This is not the way he had planned it.  Today was suppose to be the day he bonded with his future in-laws but instead he got caught jumping rope in his empty house like a little girl.

“Jumping rope is good for the cardiovascular system.”  Leo said by way of explaination.

“Yep and it also make you look like a little bitch while you’re are doing it.”  Curtis joked patting Leo on the back as he surveyed the little one bedroom cottage.

“Whatever”  Craig grumbled before heading towards the single bedroom.  “Let’s change and get his over with.”

While Curtis and Craig changed, Leo set up the paint cans.  He and Patricia had searched dozens of stores and home repair centers before they found just the right decor for their new place.

“Where is the beer, Leo?”  Curtis asked heading for the fridge in his work clothes.

They had a few beers.  Then started painting and putting up wallpaper. While the conversation was limited, Leo did welcome the help.  Craig’s years of experience in construction make everything go by quickly.

They stopped only for lunch and a few more beers.  While Leo checked to se if the movers where on their way with the funiture.

They had told him they weren’t far away but after hours of waiting and nothing more to do.  Curtis and Craig baled on him.  Not an hour after they were gone the funiture movers showed up dropping the contents of his new house on his lawn before speeding away.

“No overtime .  Sorry, man.”  The driver of the truck said when he tried to complain.

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Leo had told her, the house was not quite ready for her to see.  Her father and brother had avoided her questions when she asked.  Worried, she stopped by and decided to take a look for herself.

“You just couldn’t hold your horses?”  Leo smiled when he answered the door.  “Could you?”

From the doorway, it looked good.

From the inside, it looked great.

From the bedroom it looked even better.