Chapter 4 Family Matters-Part 1

The months following Abhijeet's death were eventful ones for all of his children and for others as well. All three of his daughters' lives were turned upside down as one marriage for each ended and another was begun. The Enabler family became increasingly enmeshed in the lives of the Genesters, despite their great differences.

By the terms of Abhijeet's will, Kester found that he was appointed executor, and as part of his duties he was trustee of the funds set aside for his infant aunts. He had to make sure that they received their check each month and that it was used to care for the children. That proved to be a harrowing chore. His first view of the Enabler home showed him a sadly run down building with no landscaping and not even any exterior paint.


The interior was just as bad and the discord within was awful. Kester was admitted to the house by the man he knew was his father but had never met before. That would have been a moment to dwell on if not for all the noise. Babies were crying and two adults were yelling at each other and the man appeared ready to strike the woman.


Hawer intervened then and introduced Kester to them. They were his sister Platal and his cousin Chader. Platal was the one that Kester had come to see. From what Kester had heard of the argument she had apparently asked Chader for money and he was angry about having to support another man's children. What Kester brought with him solved that problem for both of them. He explained to Platal that she would be receiving money every month for the children's support. Then Kester got to meet the little girls. When the adults' yelling had stopped so had the children's wailing. When Platal took him into the next room to see them, he found them sound asleep on the floor.


He was surprised to find that they were already toddlers. Somehow he had expected them to still be babies. The elder baby, Leda, seemed quite fussy and demanding, but also seemed to be Platal's pet.
.

The other little girl, Lyra, waited contentedly to be cared for and put in her crib. Kester suspected that she did a lot of waiting in this household.


About the time the little girls were falling asleep in their cribs, Kester heard another baby crying in a different room. Soon a blond woman came into the living area carrying an infant. She was introduced as Mabal Enabler, Platal and Hawer's cousin and Chader's sister. Kester remembered seeing her when his grandfather died and wondered who the baby's father was but did not feel free to ask. Mabal said the little boy's name was Sager, but volunteered no further information.


Finally Kester completed his business and returned home, thankful for the tranquil atmosphere that was the norm there.

Not too long after that, Genesis and Hawer finalized their plans. Genesis had put off leaving due to Soressa's extreme distress over her grandfather's death. Genesis wanted to be sure that Soressa would be okay and able to weather this further change in her life. Soressa was 16 now and Genesis hoped she would be mature enough to understand what was happening or at least to forgive. But when Genesis approached Soressa with her plans and asked her to move with her, Soressa refused and became very upset, berating her mother for breaking her father's heart. Genesis had to leave alone, with her daughter's revilements ringing in her ears. She had told Kester the evening before. Considering that it was his own father that she was going to, he didn't know whether to be sad or glad. Sad for Soressa's sake he thought, and perhaps for Robi's. Though he had never been able to become close to Robi for some reason, even though they shared so much with their mutual love of knowledge. But now he guessed he would get the chance to know his own father better.

Genesis met Hawer and they went to the house that they had picked out in advance.


The house was newly built and had taken all of the couple's savings. (Most of which was Genesis's.) The interior was mostly unfinished and they didn't have enough left to finish it. It took their last simoleon to buy the basic furnishings they would need.


Hawer asked if she would mind if his cousin Chader and 10 year old nephew Viggo moved in with them. Chader wanted to get away from Platal and he and Hawer both thought that Viggo would be better off away also, as Platal was likely to just let him run wild with the little girls to care for. Genesis was surprised but said it was fine with her. She knew Chader had a steady job so could pay his and Viggo's way. She hoped that Robi would soon agree to a divorce so that she and Hawer could marry, but if not, "c'est la vie".

Genesis hadn't had the nerve to tell Robi in person that she was leaving him. Instead she left him a "Dear John" letter. He was understandably upset but said nothing to anyone else in the family, instead going about his normal routines, perhaps spending more time stargazing. Even with Soressa he acted as if nothing was changed, until she confronted him about it. He then told her that he still loved her mother but if she were no longer happy with him then he did not wish to stand in the way of her happiness.


It wasn't too long after though that Robi decided that he no longer felt comfortable living in Genesis's former home. So he bought a plot of land and started construction on a small house. As soon as a few rooms were framed in he and Soressa moved in. The roof was only canvas over the beams of the few rooms that had been framed. But they each had a bedroom and one bath was finished plus a small kitchen. Only the most necessary furnishings could be purchased.


Robi had kept in touch with Mabal Enabler and knew that she had given birth to a baby boy. Now that Genesis had left him, he felt justified in moving the two in with him rather than just making child support payments. He wanted to be as much a part of Sager's life as he had Soressa's. And if he and Genesis could arrange a divorce then he would marry Mabal.

Robi invites Mabal to move in

Soressa was horrified when Robi told her. She had been doing a lot of crying since her mother up and left her and her father. But she was equally astounded and upset to have this strange woman and her baby move in with them. And her baby, a little boy named Sager, looked just like Robi! And they were sharing Robi's bedroom too! Arghh.


Soressa was really, really upset with both her parents. She decided she was going to stay in her room and totally ignore all of them.


So Robi and Mabal took the opportunity to get reacquainted.


Later Robi started getting to know his son.


A few weeks later Sager had his first transition. No party as the family was still adjusting to being together and Soressa was steadfastly staying in her room except to eat and go to school.


With Genesis, Robi and Soressa gone, things were even quieter at #1 Heritage Trail. Prester got less attention but he was so busy exploring his world now as a toddler that he didn't mind. Kester was busy with his job and medical school and Kaylynn with whatever it was that she did all day. Hester had her painting and her boyfriends and now seemed to find more time to visit with her other children. Estarr especially called on her mother quite often. She was very lonely since her husband Korey was killed. Besides her mother she began visiting with other old friends, some who she had not seen in a long time. One of those was Chandler Platz, her old high school sweetheart. She confided her loneliness to him and cried on his shoulder.


They started seeing a lot of each other and he finally told her that she held a place in his heart that no one else had been able to fill, which was why he had never married. Then one day he surprised her with a ring. He told her he had bought the ring with his first job, before they had broken up, and he had carried it with him ever since. Overcome by such devotion she agreed to marry him.


That evening she told her children the news. They were both happy about it, Jeekobey especially. He missed having a father in his life and quickly set about making friends with Chandler.


The engagement was short and a small, private wedding was soon arranged.


They weren't married long before Estarr became pregnant. At 46 it wasn't something that she really wanted. But Chandler wanted a child of his own so she agreed.


Korey had been a quiet spirit all the months since his death. Even when Estarr remarried his urn had remained in a place of honor in her bedroom and he had not appeared. But when she became pregnant he began roaming, frequently waking up Chandler.

Korey finds his old bed has been moved upstairs to Jeekobey's room. Could that be why he haunts?

But what of the third daughter's bereavement? Isn't she still happily married? Stay tuned for part 2 of Family Matters.