Chapter 8 - Politics and Romance

Politics and Romance normally mix like oil and water. But Lester Genester (gen 2 - romance - age 52) seemed to be able to balance the two without upsetting his electorate. He recently embarked on a successful mayoral campaign and became the first mayor to bear the Genester name. He was now easily the most well known person in Heritage. He thoroughly enjoyed the perks of the office, like going to work in a helicopter.


He still lived in a fairly modest home though since despite an excellent salary for some years now, he spent most of it on his children and his many girlfriends.


He was STILL single though past 50 years old and was considered a prime catch by all the single women in the nation. Each new girlfriend thought that SHE would be the one to win him. However he did not plan to ever stop playing the field. He thoroughly enjoyed his lifestyle. He did draw the line at intriques with married women. If former girlfriends gave up on marriage plans with him and wed someone else, they were out of his life, which was as it should be. If he were not in the prominent position he was in, he might have done differently, but he wanted no scandal to tarnish his name nor irate husbands after him. But he was very egalitarian in his selection of women.
He loved 'working girls' with their willingness to please and no demands.


He loved upper crust worldly women.


He loved middle management types.


And he loved women in uniform.


In fact there weren't any women that Lester did not love, as long as they were willing to love him back and not try to tie him down. He just loved women.
His closest relationship was with Kay Bachman. She had been his campaign manager for years and now that he was in the top position she was his office manager, top aide and Chief of Staff. He spent most of every working day with her. And she often accompanied him home to finish up some project they were working on and wound up staying all night. He was always comfortable with her and could say anything he felt like. She was as independent as he was and didn't seem to mind his other women. You might say she was his "office wife".


When Lester had any spare time, he engaged in the family hobby - painting, though he wasn't nearly as good at it as his parents or his sister Pendillis.


His daughter, Spring Thayer, (gen 3 - family -age 26) was so different from her father that one could almost wonder if she were truly his. Quiet, serious, reserved and very shy, she had great difficulty in getting to know new people. She finally was admitted to Police Academy which had been her dream since she was a young teen. It had taken a long time working as a security guard before her name worked its way up the waiting list, but once admitted she completed the course in record time and graduated with the highest honors. Since then her rise in the police department had been meteoric with five promotions in five pay periods. She had definitely found a place where her abilities were appreciated. Meanwhile her adolescent dreams of romance and motherhood had yet to bear fruit. She did have two boyfriends. Alvin Futa was one. Homely and possibly even shyer than she was, he yet shared many of her interests and was a steady worker. He would undoubtedly be a good husband and father. She had her first kiss with him and it was his first as well as hers. But they were both too shy to take the next step.


Her other boyfriend was Bordeau Pander. She had met him once when the family had gone shopping together.


Her brother and father would chat up anyone they came in contact with and they usually monopolized the other person's attention but when they met Bordeau, he had immediately concentrated his attention on Spring. She had quickly fallen under his spell. Handsome and flashy and a consummate romancer, Bordeau was always available as he did not seem to have a regular job. She was not sure how he made his living, something about investments, but she did know that being with him was always thrilling. She didn't mind that he frequently borrowed money from her and kept forgetting to pay it back. He had virtually swept her off her feet and could do no wrong in her eyes. He had taken to spending a lot of time at her house too, even staying when she was at work and ingratiating himself with her father and brother. She finally succumbed to his romancing and allowed him to spend the night with her. He didn't officially move in but it seemed pretty close to it.


Needless to say with her concentrating on Bordeau she seemed to have completely forgotten Alvin and he seemed too shy to compete for her.

Young Laser (gen 3-popularity-age 17) was doing well in school though not from desire. He was not really interested in studying but just did enough to keep his dad and sister off his back. He would rather party any time. It was a rare day that he did not have at least one friend over after school.


Most of his friends were boys and he did not think much about having a girlfriend, though with his looks, the girls certainly paid attention to him.
He was beginning to think about what he wanted to do after he graduated as that day was fast approaching. He thought being an athlete might be exciting but he was not really all that athletic. He might go into politics like his father but that did not really appeal to him either. Being a DJ might be neat. He could attend lots of parties that way. Well, he had a little while yet before he had to make a decision. And anyway, Dad wouldn't kick him out if he hadn't yet made up his mind by graduation. He could just kind of knock around for a while, maybe see the world a bit. Meanwhile, let's have another party, even if it is only relatives.


Lester regularly contributed to the support of his other three sons: Fester Copur, Dexter Bruenig and Tesler Go. Fester was 13 now and something of a punk.


He still lived with his mother in a small house on Vintage Road


Lester had never been there. Kay picked Fester up for visits and delivered the child support payments. She told Lester that the home seemed pretty decent but there seemed to be more than one family living there.


Dexter Bruenig was 9 now. His mother Marsha had married a young photographer, Christopher Stompel, and they now had a baby. They also lived on Vintage Road and Kay said their home was lovely and the family was charming. Not only that but Christopher seemed to have established a good relationship with Dexter and was assuming a fatherly role. Dexter was already taking art lessons.


And Christopher encouraged the boy to do his best in school, often helping with his homework.


Tesler Go was now 7. He and his mother, Tosha, still lived with Christy Stratton and Brandon Lillard and their children, where Lester used to visit Tesler and Tosha. However, Lester was no longer visiting at the house since Tosha was involved with another man. But he did keep check on the child through Kay.

Kristor Stratton 'conducts' appropriate background music as Brandon explains the facts of life to young Tesler.

Spring and Laser were becoming acquainted with their younger brothers when Lester had them for visitation. The visits also enabled the three boys to get acquainted with each other. Spring especially envied the younger boys their having contact with both of their parents. Laser didn't remember his mother so well so did not miss her presence in his life much but Spring well remembered her mother and sorrowed that they no longer had contact. Yet she did not feel comfortable in getting in touch with Meadow. After all it was not Spring who left Meadow. She felt that Meadow's long absence of contact meant that Meadow did not want Spring in her life and she was too shy to force it. Perhaps Lester needed to spend some time encouraging Spring to be more outgoing. Goodness knows there was nothing shy about him.

Lester's youngest sister, Opalessa Genester (youngest gen 2- Popularity- age 25) lived right next door to him. She had been out on her own for several years now and was making lots of friends and working toward owning her own restaurant. She also had a romance boyfriend but had no thoughts of marriage. She was enjoying life way too much to want to settle down with one person. Though she would have liked a roommate. But she thought she would prefer another girl to room with.

Opalessa's simple home

And what of Spring's other family? Her siblings are growing up without knowing their elder sister. Soon after the Cormier's fourth child (and Ricky's first daughter) was born, second son Forest had his teen transition and what a handsome young man he was.


Then it was Marsh's turn (third son) and without fanfare or party, he transitioned to child.


Then it was baby Valley's turn for her first transition. And this time the family had a party. Their very first. Only family and one of Marsh's school friends but it was very exciting for them. Meadow was already expecting her next child at any time.


Meadow spent a lot of time bonding with all her children, even when she was expecting. She was an excellent mother, a good cook and managed to keep a house full of kids looking fairly clean. And on top of that she had a job when she was not on maternity leave. Here the family spends a quiet Sunday morning at home.


Labor Day arrived again and Meadow gave birth to another daughter. She was named Leigh.


Field was old enough now to be thinking seriously about what he wanted to be in life. And he decided that he needed to go to private school. Ricky, being a scientist, encouraged this desire and soon arranged for the headmaster to come for dinner and an interview. The visit was a resounding success despite the family's very modest home, and all three boys were accepted into the elite school.


Marsh wasn't sure how he felt about having to wear a uniform to school but after Meadow told him how grown up he looked in it, he decided it was okay.


Will any woman ever capture Lester? Will Spring marry Bordeau as she is dreaming of? What kind of 'investments' is he involved in? Will Laser settle down and choose a career or will he slack his way through life? What kind of life is in store for Opalessa? Why has Meadow excluded Spring from her family's life? Will they ever get together?

Stay tuned for these answers and more. Eventually.

Next episode: Divorce, two proposals and more births.