The Broke Legacy: Generation 1.1.

[simgaroop]

For the next eighteen months, things were quiet in the Broke household.




Mom quit her job as a waitress and spent all her time taking care of us. Sure, that meant that money was even tighter than before (and I had to sleep in the hall), but Mom always said that no amount of money could replace a mother's love.




Dustin became a teenager during those months. He still was a troublemaker. Dad's death affected him badly.




His grades were pretty low, so Mom was always lecturing him about the importance of school and the job opportunities that'll open for him once he finished High School.




But despite his bad reputation, he still conquered one of the prettiest girls at school: Angela Pleasant, daughter of one of Pleasantview's most respectable families.




And of course, there was me, the new member of the Broke family. The reason why we were currently living with Dad's scarce bank savings.




Of course, I wasn't aware of our difficult financial situation. I was a very happy toddler, always accompanied by my Mother's love.




She was always there for me, to play...







And to teach me everything I needed in order to grow smart and healthy.




And I was a pretty lucky boy, for my big brother was the best story-teller in Pleasantview.




But Mom was feeling lonely. She missed Dad badly and wished for a chance to give us the father figure we needed. That's when she ran into an old High School flame. He was a very handsome guy, quite the heartbreaker among the town's single women.




Unfortunately, my mother's heart was among them too.




He promised her he'd be by her side forever. That he'd be a father for Dustin and me. Mom believed every single of his words.




So much that she gave herself completely to him.




He disappeared from her life after that night. She was so worried that something bad might had happened to him.

A couple of months later, she found out she was expecting a baby. His baby.




She called the Caliente Sisters. Mom knew them from the restaurant she worked at, for they were frequent clients there. Nina was surprised when mom told herthat she was expecting Don Lothario's baby.




- "Poor Brandi"- she said- "Don made fun of you too! He's married now to that rich Goth girl from the other side of town."




Mom was crushed. She vowed she'd never let that guy know about his child's existance. He didn't deserve it!

She never loved another man again.




The months went by, and soon it was time for my transition into childhood.




Unlike Dustin, I was what you'd call... a nerd. I was excited about going to school for the first time and I still remember how happy I were when I returned home that day with the first of many A+ from the rest of my school years.




Speaking of Dustin... he wanted money, badly. He wanted to buy flowers for Angela, new clothes for Mom and toys for me. He was a lot like Dad in that way.

He met this guy, Gordon, who introduced my brother to the crime scene.-"If you work with me for just a couple of hours a day, you'll have enough money to help your family, dude."




Another reason for Dustin's sudden need for money was our brother's arrival. Mom named him David and just as she had promised, she refused to tell anyone but us about his father's identity- "David's my son and your brother. That's all there is to know."




I was thrilled to have a new baby brother, even if that meant that Mom wouldn't spend as much time with me as before.




But I was able to find new ways to entertain myself, though.




Yup, David and I shared the hall as our bedroom since the beginning.




Still a nerd, though...




Just as Gordon promised, Dustin soon found his pockets full of illegal money, but he didn't care. He was looking fine in those new clothes!




So what if he spent the nights outside instead of doing his homework? School didn't pay, after all.




Angela and Dustin were closer than ever, despite what her family thought about their relationship. She spent most afternoons with us and let me tell you, that she was also a great story-teller.







Of course, she was there for David's first birthday.




And that day she brought home her little cousin, Lucy Burb.




We had a lot of fun that day! And after that, she visited with Angela almost daily.




It wasn't long before we became best friends.




David looked so much like Mom that it was impossible to guess who was his father.




As soon as he was older, I taught him every xylophone trick I knew from when I was a toddler.




Dustin also spent time with him.




And he read stories to both David and I every night.




And he taught me to play catch.




Really, I couldn't believe it when Lucy told me her family's opinion about my brother.




Dustin wasn't a criminal! He was the best big bro in the world!




He just worked very hard with his friend Gordon to buy us ice-cream now and then!




Mom still spent some time with me. We watched TV together in the afternoon, while David took his nap.




He slept a lot during the day, because he spent every night awake and crying out loud in his crib.




I even had to spend some nights with Mom for a while, because his screams wouldn't let me sleep.




We never find out the reason behind his weird nightly behaviors, though...




A couple of years went by, and soon it was David's time to become a child.




Yup, still Mom's clone to her relief.




Mom was still as pretty as always. It's a pity that she didn't want to have a boyfriend like Angela did!




I was still pretty much the same, just a little taller.







And eager to introduce my brother to my favorite childhood games!




But one day, something happened.
Dustin wanted to write a romantic poem for Angela and was using a very old notebook he found in the bookcase for that.
Suddenly, he discovered some notes... from our father.
That day, Dustin read the truth about Dad's death.
The way he stupidly sacrificed his life for our sake...




Dustin was crushed and so angry at our Dad.
But mostly at himself... for not being able to save him that day.




Dustin read the notes to Mom and I. She was as schocked and angry as Dustin.
I... didn't know what to say.




Dustin covered the small pool from the backyard and we constructed a small shrine for Dad.




We thanked him for everything he did for us.
David was there too, for the memory of Skip Broke was the closest he'd ever have for a father.

That day, I learned about the importance of family. It had been there, all my life, in the way Mom gave up her dreams of becoming a policewoman to take care of us and the way Dustin risked his life every night so we could have something for dinner.




Not long after that, I grew up.




Now that I was older, taller and hopefully wiser, I was ready to work for the thing I dreamed of the most: Having a big, happy family and to grow old besides a woman who'd love me as much as Angela loved Dustin... and Dad loved my Mom.




I didn't have the best taste for clothing, though...




Anyway, I already had in mind who was the girl I wanted to form a family with...




Lucy Burb, my best friend. The prettiest, nicest girl in the whole town. There was no one like her.




We still were pretty close after all these years.




But no matter how much I told her she's so pretty and how much I read her romantic poetry...




She still considered me only a friend.




So I approached the love expert in my family...
- "I don't know what to do, Bro. Lucy just won't notice me!"
- "That's because you are a dork!"
- "What? I'm n...!"
- "Yes, you are."
- "But then...?"
- "Chicks like Angela and Lucy are special. I know everything about them... those sweet, girl-next-door kind of chicks. They only want one thing..."
- "And that is...?"
- "They dig bad guys!"
- "Bad guys? But..."
- "Really, Beau, you've got potential. But you are a mess! I mean... you've had that same haircut since you were five, dude. You need a change..."




So I followed my brother's advice and became a "bad guy".
- "Not like that, dork! You also need the attitude!"




Much better!




So yeah, I was ready to woo the girl of my dreams!
Beware, Lucy Burb, because here I come!