The Broke Legacy: Gen 4.4 (Part 1)

[simgaroop]

Previous Update: Gen 4.3.





After Mom's death, we tried our best to go back to our normal lives.
The kids were sad, of course, but with time they got used to their Grandmother's absence.




On the other hand, Dad wasn't ready to move on.
Of course, he tried to make us believe he was fine.
Every time one of the kids was near, he'd put a huge, fake smile on his face.
But even five-year-old Timmy knew that his Grandfather wasn't happy at all.




He no longer worked on his laboratory, or played his guitar.
We hadn't heard him laugh in several months.
He was so distracted that he often left the oven on or the shower running.
There were many accidents and flooding around the house because of that.




One night, he sat down with Helena to talk about "The Future".
"I don't have much time left, my sweetheart. I just know it... I can hear Bella calling for me. Before I go, I must teach you everything I know about the Graslaxian culture... things that I never told my children, for they aren't direct descendants like you and me... I must tell you about our mission... about what you must accomplish..."




"You are scaring me, Grandpa! Don't talk like that!"




Puck and I agreed that the constant reminder of my Mother around the house was what had my Father so depressed.
So, we decided that it was time to start a new life. To leave behind the sad memories that plagued Dad's mind.
He was a healthy man, and I knew that Mom didn't want him to spend the rest of his life like a zombie.
I knew she'd want him to enjoy his final years, to cherish their memories together as something joyful.
We sold our house, and bought another one in the middle of Strangetown.
It was almost as old as our previous home and amazingly cheap.
And for some odd reason, it hadn't been inhabited in a long, long time.




Puck and I could barely believe our luck.
The house was not only beautiful, but it was also furnished.




It felt so odd when we first entered our new home.
The furniture was old, of course, but it was in such a great shape that it seemed almost new.
It was as if time had stopped inside the house.
As if the people who first lived in this place never had time to... really live in it.
Quite frankly, that thought disturbed me a little.




The house had three floors and plenty of rooms to accommodate our family.
It even had a basement where I installed a new laboratory for my father.
I hope this would motivate him to research and work on his old projects again.




We gave most of our old furniture to Natalia and Andrew.
Puck was right: It would be stupid to throw away the furniture of this house if it was in mint conditions, despite being bought so long ago.
Some strange force made us keep everything from the previous owners. Even the old antiquities and junk stored in the attic.
It was as if we wanted to respect their memory... despite not knowing who they were.




I'll admit I was anxious when we finally moved to our new home.
Mom had only died a couple months earlier, and now we were leaving my childhood home.
So many changes in such a short period of time.
I was afraid they'd affect my children too.




But thankfully, the children got used to their new house and life quickly.
For them, it was just the beginning of a new adventure.
A new house, full of rooms and places to explore and make their own.




Before I knew it, #45 Road to Nowhere became our home.








We were all able to go back to normal.
Our lives went on...




And as for Dad, while it was true that he'd never be his old, cheerful self again, he eventually found a reason to move on.
Away from the painful memories, and surrounded by his family, he was able to see things more clearly.




Bella got a second chance in life... and enjoyed it to the max. I should do the same with my own life, for her sake and for my family.
So, he went back to his beloved pastimes.




I was so relieved when he went back to his research in the laboratory.
Despite being almost 80 years old, he was still as curious and thirsty for knowledge as he had been during his youth.




That was trait he inherited to his grandchildren.
Specially Rose Mary.




Those two spent a lot of time in the garden, just like when Rosie was a toddler.
"Is there something in your mind, little lady?"
"Actually... I wanted to ask you something, Grandpa."




"I'm curious about our next door neighbors. They haven't come over to say hello to us yet... and there are so many exercising machines and treadmills in their garden and..."




"That house, my dear Rosie, is the main reason I wasn't exactly pleased when your parents decided to buy this place. The Grunt family lives there..."
"The Grunt family?"
"Neither your mother or your siblings know about them, for you were all raised in the town's outskirts. But my father, Beau, told me many stories about the Grunts. He was under General Buzz Grunt I's orders when he was in the army... back when I was born."




"The Grunts have lived in that house for several generations. All of them have followed succesful careers in the Army. They are a respected family in Strangetown and well known because of a quite particular trait."
"Which is...?"
"Their hatred against our race, Rosie. For more than a century, the Grunts have persecuted the Graslaxian population in Strangetown. They consider us a parasite race and a menace to the Earth's well-being. It's not well known what exactly originated their feud against us, but my father once told me the most popular theory.
You see... General Buzz Grunt I was the strongest man in Strangetown during his youth. No one could beat him in a fight... until he met Pollination Technician #9. It is said around Strangetown that Buzz Grunt I's grudge against Graslaxians originated after he lost that fight. He then passed those feelings on to his son, Tank Grunt I, who in turn despised P.T.'s son, Johnny.

I also got in trouble with Tank Grunt I's son, Chip, when I was in High School. Your Uncle Andromeda used to fight with him a lot. But then, we went to College and never saw him again. I only know that Chip wanted to leave Strangetown when my good friend Sirius Curious joined the Army, but he didn't.

As far as I know Chip's eldest son, General Buzz Grunt II currently lives inside that house with his family, but I've never seen them.

Trust me, Rosie, your mother and her siblings were lucky to live away from the Grunts when they were kids. And it'll be better if you stay away from that house too. I don't want them to hurt you... ever. I know you are excited about having neighbors for the first time, but if my father's stories are true, you won't find friendly faces next door.

Just give it some time... I'm sure you'll make new friends soon.




My father was right, because we soon got our very first visitor.




Her name was Amanda Bruening. She had met and married her husband in Sim City, but moved to Strangetown when their daughter was born.




"I'm so glad to see this house finally inhabited. My husband wanted to buy it when we moved to this town, but then one neighbor told him that it was haunted. I don't believe in such non-sense, but my husband refused to take any risks that could harm our newborn baby girl so we bought the house across the street.
I still think that this house is too nice and too cheap to remain abandoned for so long. Seriously, Wanda, you made the right decision."




Puck was a bit superstitious, so I didn't mention Amanda's story to him. I'm pretty sure he'd had asked for a refund to the person who sold the house to us.
Besides, I agreed with Amanda. And I had already dealt a few years with my mother's haunting, after all.

Anyway, my first week at our new home couldn't be better. I already had a new friend!




Amanda and I decided that our families should meet. So, I invited them for dinner that night.




"Wanda, I'd like you to meet my husband, Sterling..."




I could barely believe my eyes. It was Sterling! My boyfriend when I was a student at La Fiesta Tech.
It'd been what... 10 years since I last saw him?
Despite our abrupt break up, Sterling and I remained friends during my last year at College.
I was now glad to see that, just as I had found Puck, he also had found someone special to spend his life with.




That night I also met Sterling and Amanda's daughter, Marsha.
She was almost six, just like Timmy.
She was an adorable little girl!




We had a great time that night.
Somehow, Puck and Sterling got over their stupid feud from so many years ago.
Well... Puck still didn't like Sterling very much (if at all), but at least they were now able to share a table and to be civil towards each other.
That was good enough to me.




"Marsha is a very nice and smart girl, don't you think Timmy? And the best part is that she's your age! You always complain when your sisters play together and forget about you. With Marsha across the street, you'll always have someone to play with! Why don't you invite her over?"




"Hmmm... That sounds great, Mommy! I'll call her!"




Just as I expected, Timmy and Marsha got along very well.
They spent the whole day playing, catching butterflies and talking about school.




But what I never imagined is that that day also marked the beginning of Marsha's strange obsession with my son.




Who knows what happened inside that girl's mind?
Since that day, she could barely take her eyes away from him!




Unlike her siblings, Helena wasn't interested in making new friends.
She knew plenty of ways to entertain herself.
From playing in the bathtub to splashing in the puddles,
Helena was a bunch of energy!




She also frequently played chess with my father.
They talked about Graslax and their history as they played.




Unlike our kids, Puck and I were as busy as always.
Puck and Andrew's law firm was well known around Strangetown, so they were now representing important people from this town.
Puck was currently working on a new case, defending a pop star who was being accused of plagiarizing the lyrics of her new album from an independent singer from Pleasantview.
It was quite a scandal, because the pop star claimed that she'd been writing her own lyrics since she was a little kid, so this could destroy her career.
Because of that, Puck spent many afternoon studying and practicing what he'd say at the Courtroom.




I re-opened my Beauty Salon, so I needed to win new clients among the neighborhood as soon as possible.
I still worked in the videogame field, of course, but it was currently a slow season for gaming tournaments.
That left me plenty of time to practice my stylist skills.




Pretty soon, we were well known around the block.
I had already memorized all the names and faces of our neighbors.
Well... almost all of them.
But that didn't last for long.

__________________




Rosie was playing with her dollhouse one warm Saturday morning.




Suddenly, she heard the faint sound of someone stepping on the fallen autumn leaves on the ground.
She looked up: A blond boy, perhaps a year older, was watching her as she played.




When he realized he had been caught, his round face paled.
He was visibly embarrassed.




The boy took a few steps back, ready to run away as fast as he could, but Rosie stopped him with a very simple question.
"Hey! Do you want to play?"




The boy sighed.
"I... I don't know... I'm not even supposed to be out here and..."




Rosie was confused by the boy's reaction.
"Say... I've never seen you at school. Are you visiting from another town?"




"Actually I was born here... I just don't leave my house very often. My Dad teaches me everything I need to know..."




"Whoa! So you've never gone to school?"
"Yeah..."
"But then... how do you make new friends?"
"I don't have any friends... Dad says I don't need them..."
"That's silly! How are you supposed to play soccer or baseball if you don't have friends?"
"My father says those activities are just mindless distractions and..."
"Hey! I have an idea! I can be your friend... if you want to."

The boy smiled shyly."I'd like to have a friend..."
"Great! I'm Rose Mary Broke... what's your name?"
"My name is Buck Grunt..."
"Grunt? As in..."
"Yeah, I live next door..."

Rose Mary giggled- "Really? It sure took you a long time to say hello then, Buck! So... wanna play?"




Since that day, Buck and Rose Mary became good friends.
For the following year, it was common to see Buck playing with Rosie around the house.
They were quite an unlikely pair: Rosie was a very playful and active little girl, while Buck was the most serious kid I'd ever seen.
Rosie taught him all the games she knew, from soccer to checkers. They played with her toys and her dollhouse. They made mud pies in the garden and built kites in the summer. Every single new activity that Rosie came up with was a new adventure for Buck. It was as if this ten-year-old boy didn't know the joy of just... being a kid.




Marsha Bruening was also a constant guest at our house.
Unfortunately, Timmy wasn't exactly fond of her.
Marsha was just too clingy... too affectionate.
She'd often try to hug and kiss him.
Timmy hated how she always left his cheeks covered with her drool.




Eventually, Timmy tried to get rid of her.
"Hey Timmy! Wanna play with me?"
"Can't... play... *cough* I'm... dead..."




"I'm busy, Marsha. I have to study for tomorrow's exam..."
"Oh, don't worry about me! I'll just stay here and...read the newspaper. Yeah, it's not like I'd just stare at your lovely profile or anything like that... Ummm... so the Llamas won the Championship..."




So, Marsha spent most afternoons in our house.
The rest of her free time, you ask? She spent it calling Timmy.
Soon enough, it became a common thing to listen to Timmy's name being called around the house... six times a day... at least.




"Timmy! Phone!"




"Timmy! Come inside! It's Marsha!"




"Timmy! Marsha's calling you!"




"For the last time, Marsha, I'm going to school tomorrow! You don't have to call me to remind me of that!"




"Hi Marsha! Do you want to talk to Timmy? He's not home... he went to the Antartica... Huh? What do you mean you can see him from your window?"




"Tim...."
"Oh just give the phone, Grandpa. I give up..."




"Why? Why won't she leave me alone?!"




Personally, while it was true that Marsha was a bit clingy, I always thought Timmy was being way too melodramatic.
Marsha was a nice girl who genuinely liked him. There was nothing wrong with that.
Rose Mary didn't agree with me, though.
I often caught her being mean to poor Marsha.




Puck usually said that it was just sibling jealousy.
Bottom used to be a pest to Puck's first girlfriend, Hermia, when she was Rosie's age.




Despite Timmy's drama and Marsha's slightly annoying phone calling habits, those two got along very well.




Amanda Bruening and I often said that Timmy and Marsha would end up married in the future.
Timmy would get really angry when he heard those comments, though.

________________________




A few months went by.
The date for the Pop Star's trial was every day closer and Puck was really nervous.
This would be a very important trial. Andrew often told him that their professional future depended on its outcome.
Puck brought a litigator home and placed him in the attic. He rehearsed what he'd say to the Jury on his free days.




"Ummm... what are these books doing here? They look like photo albums..."




"Hey Daddy! Look! I've got an A in Math!"
"Me too! And I got a B in English!"




The kids discovered Puck's litigator and adopted it as their new toy.
Puck, of course, was not amused.
Listening to the kid's belching all over the house was not nice at all in his opinion.
I, on the other hand, thought it was pretty funny.




Besides the litigator, the kids also adopted the attic as their headquarters.
They spent more time up there than inside their rooms.
They even did their homework there.




Rose Mary and Buck were the ones who spent the most time in the attic.
Whenever Rosie ran out of ideas for new games, those two would sit up there and talk for hours.
She told him everything about our family. About my Grandfather, and how he had left Pleasantview as a teenager.
The places he visited before finding a new home at Strangetown.
And of course, his encounter with the Graslaxian race and the birth of my father.




"Hey Buck, Grandpa told me that your family has lived in the same house for years. And that all of them have worked in the Army..."




"Yes, that is true..."




"Besides that, I really don't know much about my Grandparents. Most of their life records are stored at the Army Camp as classified information and I've never asked my Dad about them. "
"Why not?"
"Dad is always busy. He follows a strict schedule. Everything must be done at the right time and place. The helicopter that picks him up for work always land at 700..."
"Yeah, I've listened to it..."
"And it always brings him back to our house at 1800. By then, lunch must be ready and served. I'm the one who's in charge of it and it must be prepared with the ingredients he brings home every Sunday. I am not allowed to buy extra ingredients at the market. Dad says they don't have the right nutrients and aren't as fresh as the ones grown at Camp. Ripp is supposed to clean the kitchen at 1845, but he never does it on time... if at all."
"Who is Ripp?"
"He's my older brother. I have another one called Tank. Dad is really proud of him."




"Why?"
"Tank is the perfect son. Or so says Dad. He's the first one to get up in the mornings, the one who gets the better grades at our home school and the one who works out the hardest in the training area."




"Dad says that Tank will become a great General one day. That he's disciplined and a really hard worker, traits that any good soldier needs to succeed. He says that Tank is a worth Grunt successor."




"Wow! Your brother must be amazing!"
"Oh, he is! Well... Ripp often says he's an idiot who doesn't think outside the box."




"Ripp thinks that Tank is just a puppet, raised to be a perfect clone of our Father."




"Tank can be a little scary, sure, but he's a good brother. He's always worried about what I eat and he's teaching me how to defend myself. Dad often says that the people out there are dangerous and that they will always try to harm us, so we must be ready to fight back."




"Tank and Ripp... don't get along very well. They are like the opposite sides of a coin, Rose Mary."
"How come?"




"Well, Ripp doesn't want to be a soldier for starters. He thinks that our Dad is out of his mind... "A fucking paranoid" as he often says... please excuse the bad word!"
"Don't worry Buck! Please continue..."




"Ripp hates being locked up inside the house. He says there's so much in this world to see and that our Dad is being irrational by not letting us explore it. Ripp has always wanted to go to school, to go to the movies, to have a girlfriend, but Dad doesn't allow it. Ripp doesn't obey our Father anymore. He sneaks out at night, he refuses to do housework and to study the "stupid military shit" that Dad asks us to read. Therefore, his grades are horrible. He does anything he can think about to piss both Dad and Tank off.




"As much as I love Dad and Tank, I prefer to spend time with Ripp. He brings new books home and reads them to me. I've learned about new cultures and countries through his tales. I agree with Ripp... there's so much to see out there. I don't want to spend the rest of my life inside this house, only leaving it to go to the Military School and then to the Boot Camp.




"But... why is your Dad like that?"
"Dad says he wants us to be safe. He says that there are evil people around the town and he doesn't want them to harm us. Mom never agreed with him. They fought a lot when I was very little. It seems that Dad wasn't always like this. Mom always asked him to leave the past behind. She eventually got tired of being locked up inside the house and left us one night... She never came back.

Ripp was very close to Mom. He blames Dad for her disappearance. He says that Dad scared her away. I think that's the main reason why Ripp is so angry at Dad and Tank."




"I... barely remember my Mom. Almost all I know about her, I learned it from Ripp's stories. My brother says that she was a great woman, an Adventurer who explored the whole world. She met Dad in a distant country and fell in love with him. Mom and Dad were deeply in love... but as I said, Dad changed and locked her up like a caged bird..."




"I'm also tired of being alone in my house all day. Now that I've met you, Rosie, I don't want to play alone anymore.
I'm afraid of my Dad's reaction if he discovered that I've been leaving the house every afternoon... while Ripp is locked up in his room watching TV as loud as possible to piss Tank off.

Funny thing is, they've never noticed my absence... when Dad's not home, they spend most time fighting and arguing.
I always get worried when they fight. I'm afraid they'll end up hurting each other one day.




"I've always looked for ways to just... forget about them when they fight. Most of the time, I look for Ripp's books and imagine I'm having an adventure in one of the distant lands described on its pages..."




"Sometimes, I just went to the observatory. According to Tank, our great-grandfather built it many years ago to spy on his mortal enemy, Pollination Technician Smith..."
"Yeah, I know about that story... could we just... not talk about that for the moment?"
"I'm sorry... I know that my family hates aliens like your Grandpa and Helena... but I don't..."
"I know, Buck..."




"Anyway… when I'm up there, I feel like if I were flying up high like a bird."




"Sometimes, Ripp joins me there. We often make plans for our future. Ripp says he's going to save as much money as he can and that we'll leave this town forever. That we'll explore the world just like Mom and have wild adventures. Oh! And meet lots of pretty girls!"
"Your brother is so silly!"




"Maybe... but I must admit it sounds like a better life plan than being a soldier"




"I'm just... so bad at it. I've tried to work hard to impress my father. To be as good as Tank..."




"I've only earned quite a few bruises from my training..."




"So... are you really going to ran away from your home when your brother saves enough money?"




"No, Rose Mary. Perhaps Ripp will run away some day... but I'll stay right here."
"Why not?"
"For two reasons..."
"Which are...?”
"The most important reason is because I know that despite everything, Dad really loves me. He just doesn't know how to act like a normal Dad, you know? And I'd never want to hurt him like Mom did..."




"Oh... look at the time! I must go home now!"
"Thanks for sharing your story with me, Buck."
"No problem, Rose Mary. I'm really, really happy to have you as my friend.

Actually... you are the other reason why I'll stay right here..."

_____________________

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