Chapter 15 - Shockwave - part 1

at #2 Heritage Trail (continued from chapter 11) same time period as Chapter 14

Pendillis Genester Ryan Wilson (gen 2, knowledge, age 50) was a happy and contented woman. Her second husband, Cleve Wilson (popularity, age 49), was a constant delight to her and she was even enjoying what she knew would be her last pregnancy. Even if she were still able to get pregnant after this child was born she wasn't going to. Six children were enough. She wanted time to enjoy the family she already had. Cleve was agreeable with that. One child of his own would be enough for him. Finally at 8 o'clock one morning as Pendillis prepared to have a shower the labor pains hit. All the older children wanted to stay home and watch but Pendillis shooed them off to school.


With only Cleve in attendance she gave birth to her last child, a son. Cleve was ecstatic as Pendillis placed the child in his arms. Pendillis insisted on giving the baby a variation of Cleve's name and called him Clever. (Rhymes with Beaver)
There was no doubt as to who he belonged to. He looked just like his older brothers and sisters except for his lighter coloring.


As soon as possible, Pendillis called up her mother, Hester, to tell her of the birth of her latest grandchild. This made 20 grandchildren for Hester. Hester promised to visit soon to meet this new prodigy.

A few days later it was time for second son Fletcher's next transition. The immediate family plus a few friends gathered for the event.


Fletcher knew just exactly what he wanted to do in life. Learn as much as he could, be a gourmet cook and see the ghost of his father. His love of fine food was already apparent in his appearance and he was well on the way to the first two of his goals although he might have to wait a long time for the third as BJ had only appeared twice since he died way back when Fletcher was 6.


One of the guests at the party was third daughter Vesta's boyfriend, Acanthus Baxter. Acanthus was a scion of the second leading family in Heritage. He and Vesta both enjoyed the same things, especially parties and lots of friends. After the cake (which Fletcher had baked himself and was delicious) the young couple had retired to the backyard to play on the swing. Out there in the dark, with no one watching, they had shared their first kiss.


A few weeks later it was time for both Cosetta (child of eldest daughter Bertillis) and second daughter Janeesis to transition on the same day. Of course a big party was planned but Cosetta suddenly began feeling shy about transitioning in front of everyone. She got so anxious about the whole thing that she managed to trigger transition early without any ceremony or anyone watching. Afterward she snuck off to her room to dream about the big family that she wanted when she was grown up.


Cosetta stood out from the crowd in this household, looking nothing like her mother or aunts and uncles


Later that evening Janeesis (knowledge, age 20) had her transition to adult at the family party as planned. She decided to pursue a career in education as her father, B.J. Ryan, had done.


The festivities were cut short by a phone call from Kester, informing them of Hester's death. Pendillis retired to her room in tears and the rest of the family spent the evening reminiscing about Hester.

Over the next few weeks Janeesis began seeing Jonathan Ternynck, a young man that she had met when Bertillis brought him home with her one time before she moved out. Janeesis and Jonathan had been friendly ever since then but now their relationship began getting serious.


It wasn't long before they had their first kiss.


Soon it was time for Clever's first transition and daddy Cleve gave him the toss.


Cleve spent a lot of time with Clever. He loved kids and enjoyed doing things with them. He had been an active part of his stepchildren's lives even before he married their mother. But Clever was his own and that made everything he did with the boy more special. So he spent a lot of time teaching and playing with him.



at #3 Heritage Trail - same time period (continued from chapter 12)

Estarr Genester Jitmakusol Platz (gen 2, knowledge, age 53) was currently as happy as a hog in mud. She might be approaching elderhood but her three younger children were keeping her young. And combined with her job as a restaurant owner, kept her very busy. She was blissfully unaware of husband Chandler's ongoing affair with her niece, Bertillis, and spent her time between her restaurant and her family.
Chandler (fortune, age 51) himself was only 2 years younger than Estarr. He couldn't understand how he could be so addicted to Bertillis. Estarr was his first and only love for so many years, from high school, all through her marriage to Korey. He was never interested in anyone else, just devoted himself to building his landscaping business and making money. Then finally, when over 40, marriage to Estarr and the arrival of his three darling children who were the light of his life. And he loved his stepchildren as much as his own. Then Bertillis became an adult. And life had not been the same since. He had become quite adept at making excuses for being out beyond regular work hours but since he owned the business, they were always plausible. And really didn't occur too often. Not as often as he would have wished but so far he had never gone without being invited. He had kept that much pride. But his frequent gifts of money to Bertillis had caused him some problems with his business. He was having to economize in some areas. Like going to work in a clunker.


His elder son, Chalmer, had had his second transition shortly after the baby twins had become toddlers.

Chalmer was so excited that now he was old enough to go to school like his big sister Bethesda.


The ghost of Estarr's first husband, Korey, continued to roam on a fairly regular basis, though it was a long time before anyone saw him. Toddler Calder was the first person who did and he never told anyone because he could not yet talk at the time and by the time he could talk he had forgotten the incident. (Besides Bethesda's thinking she saw Korey at the twins' transition.)


Estarr's two eldest children, Jeekoby, age 24 and Bethesda, age 16, were both romance sims. And both still chafed at the restrictions that family life placed on their aspirations. But they were finding ways around it. Jeekobey could always go to a girlfriend's place. Brittany Parker was about the only girl he was seeing.

But Brittany had no curtains on her bedroom window and that window was right in line with Estarr's telescope. Not that she ever looked into people's bedrooms with it. But Bethesda did.


Getting away from parental supervision was harder for Bethesda. They didn't let her go out much but they did allow her to have friends over at reasonable hours. So that had to do. And it was occasionally possible to avoid the eagle eyes for a few minutes. Long enough to get that first kiss with boyfriend Ratna Sartor.


Bethesda thought no one saw. But Korey saw, and he didn't like it. And he let her know it in no uncertain terms.


That didn't stop Bethesda from doing it again the first chance she got. And this one wasn't nearly as tame as the first. Bethesda was getting a lot of ideas from using that telescope.


Finally the day of the little twins second transition arrived. A simple family party was planned but even that was cancelled when a phone call informed them of Hester's death. The transitions took place but pictures were forgotten. Later Calder posed with his teddy bear for a picture but Carissa hid in the closet and refused to come out until promised that she did not have to have hers taken. No one ever did find out why she was so fearful of it. She couldn't have explained it because she was so young at the time. But it was the emotions released when the news of Hester's death arrived that did it. Her mother's and big sister's sudden burst of weeping. The distress emanating from big brother Jeekobey. Her father's concern. Carissa was an extremely sensitive child and she started crying too. Somehow she subconsciously associated all of this with picture taking.