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A Lustig Tale
SALTPASTILLEN
Posts: 2,639 Member
This is an entry in Blythelyre's Extended Family story contest:
Go to this page to find an extensive family tree. (The main tree includes Serena Eldrige, click on her and you will be able to find all the characters in this story)
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/676400.page
During this story you will get to follow the Rysava-Eldridge family through the generations. My aim is to make it to the 4th generation before the end of the contest. The family I introduce in the next chapter will count as generation one, even if the story includes some back story about their parents and grandparents as well.
Chapters
1.Introduction
2.Aurora Springs, a long time ago, part 1
3.Aurora Springs, a long time ago, part 2
4.Vagabonds
5.Getting to know the neighbors
6.Time flies
7.Heartbreak in Bridgeport
8.Letters
9.Town jump
[url=hhttp://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/30/685939.page#11148968]10.They grow up so fast[/url]
11.Passing the torch
12.Aftermath
13.Revelations
14.Heini opens a window to the past
Go to this page to find an extensive family tree. (The main tree includes Serena Eldrige, click on her and you will be able to find all the characters in this story)
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/676400.page
During this story you will get to follow the Rysava-Eldridge family through the generations. My aim is to make it to the 4th generation before the end of the contest. The family I introduce in the next chapter will count as generation one, even if the story includes some back story about their parents and grandparents as well.
Chapters
1.Introduction
2.Aurora Springs, a long time ago, part 1
3.Aurora Springs, a long time ago, part 2
4.Vagabonds
5.Getting to know the neighbors
6.Time flies
7.Heartbreak in Bridgeport
8.Letters
9.Town jump
[url=hhttp://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/30/685939.page#11148968]10.They grow up so fast[/url]
11.Passing the torch
12.Aftermath
13.Revelations
14.Heini opens a window to the past
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They are on the way to Aurora Springs. Aurora Springs, the town Zdena’s whole family comes from. A family she barely knows anything about since her mother refused to speak of them as she was growing up.
Why? Well, read on and you’ll find out.
Farmers in Aurora Springs are a peculiar breed. Endless work and little pay means they are constantly eking out enough to live on in the harsh climate of short summers and long cold winters. In the early morning Bodil makes her girls breakfast, they are the reason she and Arne slave on the farm. Their girls are going to have a better life than them. A life they could only dream about.
The aftermath of war can be seen everywhere, the once thriving dairy farm now only houses one working horse too old to sell for profit. The cows were all sold during the blockade, and now calves are too expensive to come by. Arne does his best trying to train the one thing that could pay for the girl’s schooling, but it’s an uphill battle.
There isn’t really enough time for it anyway. There is always more work to be done somewhere else on the farm. The orchard has to be tended, it’s a reliable source of income after all, and there’s still a mortgage to pay off.
Between the orchard and the money they get from selling Bodil’s eggs, they get by. But it’s backbreaking work that seemingly never stops.
Arne spends his evenings in the study working on the ledgers and trying to find a way to save a penny or two for the twins.
Bodil works just as hard in the kitchen. Baking a pie or two to sell at the market in town helps make some extra money. Money for clothes and books and all the other things teenage girls need.
Britta is the rebel twin. She spends her days dreaming about a life far away from the farm. A life where things such as music and laughter are not only to be consumed on Sunday afternoons when you are free from chores but embraced and celebrated as a way of life.
Ulla has dreams too, she’s just not as vocal about it. She has a way of getting what she wants in the end by always winning the argument, and she can’t understand why her sister is always railing about the “man” when it never does her any good.
A perfect example is the chores they have to do. No one likes weeding the vegetable patch, but will complaining about it really get you out of it?
Why? What will this give me? I hate pumpkin pie!
All that screaming and Britta still has to get her hands dirty. And her sister finishes way earlier than her and gets to go off and paint her silly pictures too. Life really isn't fair. Poor, poor Britta.
Life would be almost unbearable if she wouldn't sneak away from time to time. The 🐸🐸🐸🐸 camp in the woods is a refuge, a place where she can be herself and forget about the monotony of life.
LOVE the intro!! Can't wait for more!
I feel I'm in a mix of Sweeden, Denmark, island and Norway... I feel home
want more
I'm glad you like it, I have a few chapters of intro left before the "real" story starts.
I'm glad you feel like home. I have one more chapter ready to go before going back to take more shots.
There might be one other reason she’s been there so often lately. His name is Keiski Rysava, a young handsome man with a silver tongue.
Your music is poetry speaking directly to my soul Britta, you are too good for toiling on a farm, you should be a princess traveling the world by my side, he whispers in her ear.
The words enflame Britta’s heart and in a moment of reckless passion she embraces her 🐸🐸🐸🐸 prince.
To travel the world by your side would make me the happiest woman in the world. We could see cities and ancient wonders. Nothing would keep us chained to the earth my love.
They spend a blissful summer in each other’s arms before the gypsies leave for their winter home in more southern climes.
Maybe too blissful? Because 9 months later Zdena arrive.
My precious little girl, I can’t wait till your father comes back, he will take us with him and together we will travel the world!
But when spring arrives the gypsies never come!
Britta is enraged. Was all those sweet words only lies? What will her parents say now? They already complain about her having a child out of wedlock, and now the father have gone missing. She can feel her heart break piece by piece.
To dull her sorrow she takes up drinking, she puts away her guitar and takes up mixology instead. But it’s only a temporary fix, every morning her heartache returns with renewed force.
Her late nights also make her sleep most of the day. No time for chores or work around the homestead. No time to take care of her sweet little girl. It’s an untenable situation; she can’t go on this way.
Arne and Bodil don’t know what to do. All their hopes and dreams of Britta making a better life for herself seem bound to fail. She won’t work, she won’t take care of her daughter, and all she seems to want to do is mix drinks and try them out herself.
We can’t let her do this to herself Arne, she’s hurting both herself and out granddaughter!
But what are we to do Bodil? She won’t even come downstairs!
You have to talk to her, father to daughter. She has to get a job to support herself and Zdena, she can’t expect us to pay her way, the harvest is rather poor this year and her sister has found work at the library, why shouldn't Britta be able to find some work too?
I will try my best darling, but how will I make her see reason?
That evening a tense Bodil watched Ulla teach Zdena how to walk. She tried to look relaxed and smile when Ulla throws her worried glances.
Maybe I should talk to her first, mother? I haven’t really been here for her since I’ve been working so much. She is my twin and we used to talk all the time…
Ulla, don’t take on any responsibility for your sisters actions. You are both adults and she has to realize that she is a mother now and that means she needs to act like one, starting with thinking more about her daughter than herself.
In the study words get heated. There is arguing, accusations, shouting and then…SLAP!
They both become quite because they know this crosses a line they can never uncross. This is something that can’t ever be undone.
Arne stays in the background feeling awkward. He doesn’t want Britta to go, he still loves her, but his pride won’t allow him to ask her to stay. Bodil hugs her granddaughter close; will she ever see her sweet little Zdena again? And her daughter, will she even write to tell her they are doing well? They have grown so far apart this past year, if only there was some way to turn back time…
You have to write and tell me how you are doing sister dear. If you need anything just let me know, Ulla tells Britta as she hugs her close.
Britta doesn’t say anything but she squeezes her sister as hard as she can. She’s feeling so ashamed right now, she can’t even bare to look at her father. How could she ever face him and her mother again, she just wants to run far, far away from all this shame, guilt and pain. Maybe if they start over, just her and Zdena, life will get better…
Ah, one wonders if she'll ever see her prince again.
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Yes, life really isn't fair to some sims....
AND...I have updated the family tree. http://www.familyecho.com/?p=NJNBK&c=19l9miv9iz&f=540668649355740776
All sent to you on your contest thread!
Now all that time spent mixing drinks comes in handy. Britta gets a job picking up odd hours at the beach bar and best of all – no one asks any awkward questions. And if they do, well Britta has a plan for that. She’s changed her last name to Rysava, bought a cheap wedding ring at the volcano pawn shop and practiced telling the story of how her husband died in a house fire.
Britta has sworn off men, but some men won’t take no for an answer. Neither will they be deterred by a wedding ring.
And some women will always put the blame on another woman, regardless of whose fault it really was. Having come up on the bad side of the islands crime boss, there was nothing left to do for Britta than pack up her daughter and their meager belongings and hightail it out of there.
Aurora Springs, Sunlit Tides, Hidden Springs, Appaloosa Plains and now Lucky Palms. Zdena has lived in more places by the age of 7 than most adults. She can’t understand why her mother has to move all the time… And she’s the one with 🐸🐸🐸🐸 blood in her veins!
This time has to be different. She’s starting school soon, and she really would like to make some friends. Good thing there is a wishing well in this town. Maybe it can turn her mother’s luck around?
I hope we can stay here for ever and ever! I hope we can have a real home and not live out of our suitcases! I hope there is someone out there that wants to be friends with me!
Lucky Palms offer lots of employment opportunities, Britta gets a job as a cocktail waitress at one of the casinos. The pay is good and all she has to do is wear tight shorts and bring high rollers their drinks. Oh, and maybe flirt with them a little too.
She even gets to sing as part of the entertainment! Having the chance to express herself through music makes this one of the best jobs ever. And Zdena is doing so good in school too. Maybe she should send that letter to her sister she’s written, to show them that she’s managed to straighten out her life by now?
Four years without a man is a long time, and Carlos has sweet talked her for months now, a little on the job romance couldn’t hurt, could it? Zdena wants a proper family, maybe it is time to take a chance on love once more?
Oops! Britta’s bad taste in men comes back to bite her in the butt once more. It turns out Carlos is already engaged! To this angry woman, who also happens to be the casino owner’s daughter. Now Britta is out of both a job and a man…the letter remains unsent.
Poor Zdena, all those wished and only one of them came true. But she has to leave her new friend behind as they move to Twinbrook. Will she ever have some place to call home?
Mom, you promise we’ll be staying here for the rest of High School – right?
Zdena, why would I lie about that? Just because things haven’t worked out before doesn’t mean they won’t this time.
That’s what you said in Twinbrook and Sunset Valley and Riverview and Starlight Shores too! Why can’t I just go live with my grandparents if you can’t stay in one place loge enough for me to even make a friend?
That’s enough sass form you, young lady. The topic of your grandparents is not open for discussion, you know that! Now time for bed, you have to register for school tomorrow and I have my first day of work.
Bridgeport High is huge! How will I ever find my way?
Starting a new school always sucks, but when you are doing it mid-term the last year of High School, it’s even worse. Everyone has all the friends they need and no one has time for the new girl. I just hope I’ll be able to get my grades up to get my diploma…
Britta is very optimistic about her new job. Sure it’s only a mixologist gig at a bar. But it’s a lesbian bar, which means no men to get her in trouble. This time she's determined to not let her daughter down!
Yeah, life is pretty rough for the both of them. I'm such a mean simmer.
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That is my goal, I need to move quickly if I want to get anywhere at all. I just couldn't leave the story of how Zdena came to meet Joseph out, it was to good in my head.
I'm glad you wrote it like this, it's kind of like her life. So much happening, so fast. I can't wait to see how Joseph saves her from her mother... :roll:
I also feel slightly bad for Britta now...nice job!
I'm glad I could show you how Britta really isn't so bad, she's just one of those unlucky sims that life treats unkind. She means well, but things don't always turn out the way she hopes.
Almost done with the next chapter - Joseph to the rescue!
Ryan was a patrol officer keeping the streets of Bridgeport safe both day and night. He enjoyed his job, and didn’t let the lure of promotions make him become a workaholic. He wanted to teach his son to value family over money and career ambition, and in order to do that he needed to be home with his family. Staying a patrolman was good enough for him.
Serena came from a large family and she always wanted a large one herself. Unfortunately their efforts had only produced one son so far, a son she had stayed home to raise. Now that he was almost grown up she had gone back to work pushing papers and printing reports at the business tower, everything was on track, if only she wouldn’t feel so nauseous all the time. Was she coming down with something?
The Eldridge family had a sweet life. But, even a well-adjusted and happy teen will feel bored sometime. If only something would happen, anything to make time move faster.
Wait! Who’s that?
Zdena didn’t know what to think when the boy she had spied across the road showed up at
her bus stop the next morning. She was even more surprised when he started talking to her! In all the other towns she’d been invisible in the beginning. Maybe this was a sign things were about to take a turn for the better?
Joseph: Hi! I saw you move in yesterday. So, what year are you in?
Zdena: Um, I’m in senior year.
Joseph: Cool, me too – do you want me to show you around?
Zdena: Sure, I’d love that!
Scratch that, this was going to get better. And my good was he cute!
The Eldridges welcomed the Rysavas into the neighborhood with open arms. They had bbq’s together, helped each other collect their kids from after school activities and enjoyed each other’s company.
Serena and Britta became close friends, and Britta even told Serena the truth about her past. She was almost the twin sister she was missing so desperately. Serena didn’t judge but gently encouraged her to contact her family again, maybe it was time to turn a new leaf and forget all that old hurt, now that life was good for her and Zdena? Serena also shared some happy news of her own, she was having another baby!
Under the watchful eyes of their parents Joseph and Zdena were growing closer and closer. They spent as much time as possible together and when prom came around Joseph asked Zdena if she would go as his date.
When she immediately said yes, he whipped out the bouquet of roses he had hidden in his backpack and asked her to go steady with him.
You can guess how she answered…
…yes! She’d love to. And she gave him his first kiss too!
It was a proud moment seeing their children off to prom.
They make a cute couple, don’t you think Britta?
You’re right, Serena, they are adorable together.
Mooooom, stop talking about us as if we weren’t here!
You’ll have to bear it kids, now get in the car I’m driving you over to the gymnasium.
Dad, did you have to sign up for chaperoning duty?
Of course I did, now don’t grumble and help Zdena to the car like I told you about.
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Joseph went straight back to the school bench when he joined the police academy. The hours were long and the lessons hard, sometimes he thought he’d crumble under all that extra pressure brought on by being a policeman’s son, but he persevered.
Zdena didn’t have good enough grades to apply for a University scholarship, and without a scholarship there was no way she and Britta could afford the tuition. And with the job market being what it was for sims just barely finishing High School she had to make due with part time work at the grocery store for now.
Since Joseph was staying in the Police Academy Barracks for the three year program and Zdena working odd hours the few times they could get together were spent out on the town enjoying themselves. A few stolen moments here and there was all they had before it was time for Joseph to go back to the academy and Zdena had to go to work at the grocery store again.
While working in the produce section Zdena realized she wanted to know more about vegetables and fruit. Britta wasn’t so keen on Zdena showing their farming roots, since she had tried so hard to get away from it herself. In order to avoid fighting with her mother, whom she was still living with, Zdena volunteered at a local public garden where she could hone her skills and learn from other horticultural enthusiasts.
While Zdena was working in the gardens Joseph was working on his muscles. The long hours on the exercise machines would mean success in apprehending burglars, but they were a pain to get through
Joseph barely had time to see his sister grow from a toddler to a young girl. But he made sure to spend at least part of his free time with his family teaching his sister all she needed to know. He was proud to show off his new uniform, signifying he was now done with the academy and ready to hit the streets solving and preventing crime.
The summer after Joseph’s graduation he and Zdena tied the knot in a simple family ceremony.
It was the happiest day of their lives. And as a wedding present they received a down payment on an apartment from Joseph’s parents. Finally they would have a place to call their own!
The next couple years passed quickly, with Joseph advancing to the position of traffic cop and Zdena taking horticulture classes at the science center in between her work at the public garden and her new job as hostess at a newly opened conference center. Before they knew it Joseph was turning 30, and they decided it was time to start a family.
It took a while, but eventually a new family member was on his or her way.
They broke the good news to the family at Sunday BBQ night. Everyone was happy, and Britta even cried a little.
Some months later Jiri, a healthy baby boy, joined the family
This happy news made Britta think about her family back in Aurora Springs once more. Maybe it was time to take out all those letters she never sent, and write a new one?
Once the letter home was posted she wrote a letter for Zdena too, it was time she found out what really happened all those years ago. She planned on giving them to her as soon as she got a response from home.
They celebrated Joseph’s birthday early that year because Serena, Ryan and Britta were going on a trip to Isla de Paradiso together. They had been talking about doing it for ages, and now that Cecelia was old enough to stay home alone. She was going to crash on Josephs and Zdena’s couch and get some extra money for babysitting. It was only going to be 2 weeks after all, nothing permanent.
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Thanks! The police academy took rather long to set up, but I like to have pics to go along with my story so I had to make it. I only furnished the minimum though - saved a lot of time!