The Hutchins and Mojica Renovacy Chapter 9

Chapter 9. Growing Pains “It feels a bit odd, to be thinking of selling this,” Regina wrote on her blog.
“It’s been part of the family for so long, been played with by nearly everyone. But we don’t really need it any more – and we always need money! Four hungry teenagers, four adults, one horse – that’s a lot of food!” “Nice tee shirt,” Uiara said to Tesni.
“I like it too. Thrift store special!” Even Tesni’s gardening clothes had a certain style to them. They’d all come in from an early-morning gardening session, hungry for breakfast, pleased to find that Reggie had it ready for them. “Reggie – you need some new clothes too.” Regina pulled a face.
“You do,” Tesni insisted. “I know that’s not the same pair of dungarees you wore last year and the year before, but it practically is. The store put them aside when some arrive in your size – they said to tell you there’s two new second-hand pairs in. If you can have new second-hand! I’m going to take you shopping. I’m the best bargain-hunter in the family.”
Tesni was, too. There was no denying that! Tesni was so clever too, Henrietta thought. She’d been totally right about life being easier once Henrietta was a teenager. Charlie was gaining in confidence too.
“Eugenio,” she said, suddenly braver herself too. “Will you teach me how to paint?”
“Yes, if you’d like to learn,” he said, through a mouthful of pancake. Not much got between Eugenio and his food!
“Thanks.” She smiled happily. “This is perfect,” Viriato said, smiling happily. The teens were all at the prom (and having a great time! Charlie, to his surprise, had been crowned prom king. Tesni had had a hand in that).
It was probably just as well that Viriato didn’t know that Tesni was having a great time at the prom with Marcus…
“We need to think about your futures,” Viriato went on. “I mean…”
Desmond cut across him. “Well, we both know what we want to do, don’t we, Uiara?”
Viriato tried to take charge again. “I thought you’d like to have the summer not working…”
Not working! They’d been up at 6, day after day, after day…Hadn’t he noticed how hard they’d worked all summer?
Viriato sensed a chill in the atmosphere. He tried again. “I mean, if we’re going to send Tesni to university between us, we need to start saving now.”
Uiara looked him straight in the eyes. Desmond’s cheerfulness faded.
“Viriato,” Uiara said firmly. “Have you asked Tesni what she wants to do?”
“Well, she’s too young to know for herself!”
“Have you asked us? We’re not children any more you know.”
“Yes you are!” The words had burst out of Viriato before he realised what he was saying. The two of them stood up and walked out of the door with that wordless empathy that still sometimes existed between them. Viriato couldn’t believe it! He glared at Uiara. How dare she look at him with that worrying sympathy? What were they thinking of? What could he do? “How are we going to get Viriato to see that we’re serious?” And it wasn’t like Uiara to be the uncertain one.
“If Queen’s Hope starts winning things?” Desmond offered tentatively. “She’s lying much further up the field now in every race. If we can bring home some money – that might convince him.”
“I don’t think it’s just about money though. I think it’s deeper than that. And we’re not the right people to help him.” She sighed.
“Good luck with the race anyway.” “Will you come and meet me?” Viriato on the phone to Fern. “I’m at the usual place.”
As Fern rang off, she was worried. She’d never heard Viriato sound quite so upset before. It could be time to talk to her father about him. The school bus was just leaving as Uiara came downstairs, more than a little hungry for breakfast! But first she just had to admire the trophy that Desmond had brought home the day before. Only a beginner’s race, but Queen’s Hope was really beginning to hit her stride now. And there’d been a cash prize too – now Viriato would have to admit that their plan wasn’t just a pipe dream. “That was amazing,” said Regina between mouthfuls. She was hungry too. “I’m so proud of all three of you.”
Reggie recognised the team, thought Uiara. Herself, Desmond and Queen’s Hope – it was all three of them working together that had won that trophy. But would Viriato?
Regina paused and glanced at Uiara. “You’re looking very serious. The mare didn’t strain anything, did she?” “No,” said Desmond. “She went like a dream – all that careful practice has totally paid off. We lay a close third until the final stretch, then I set her alight and she went like a rocket. I think we could have led from earlier on actually, but I wanted to be sure she had something in reserve for those final furlongs…”
He went on at some length and in great detail! They’d done it again! And this time round they’d won an advanced racing competition! Next level – and maybe next year – was the international circuit maybe. And they’d won 1400 simoleons in prize money too. Queen’s Hope had now earned more than she’d cost to buy (though maybe not her feed bill as well!)
Another couple of wins like that, and he and Uiara could think about buying some jumps and teaching her to jump as well. For now, they’d just head home together. The sitting room (the one with no seats in it!) still looked pretty bare apart from Viriato’s, Uiara’s and Desmond’s graduation certificates hanging on the wall. And the racing trophies that Queen’s Hope had won. Three firsts and a fourth place that season among her many races, and the mare was bringing in money. And they’d used it to extend the house again, at the back.
“Hey girl, you built this,” Desmond said lovingly to the mare as he groomed her. Queen’s Hope whickered gently. The upstairs space had gone to the girls. Uiara, much to her delight, had gained Tesni and Henrietta’s old bedroom, with a Jack and Jill bathroom that she shared with Regina. Only a shower in there so far, but they’d put a bath in when they could afford it. Tesni and Henrietta got a new bedroom – and new beds! No more bunk beds for then any more. Tesni’s prom queen crown sat next to her bed, just like Uiara’s still did. (Charlie had hidden his prom king crown in a drawer, but was secretly really proud of it.) And they had their own bathroom too! The one with a bath. Uiara sometimes borrowed it, but she always asked permission first if the girls were at home.
No-one else’s bedroom had been decorated yet – the building work was the number one priority – but it hadn’t seemed fair for Tesni and Henrietta to lose their pretty room and gain a bare one. The downstairs space had been turned into a hobbies room – a little empty at the moment apart from Henrietta’s easel and Desmond’s ever-growing collection of race trophies. But maybe this Christmas they’d buy something else for it. “Come for a walk with me? Desmond’s racing again today, but I didn’t feel like watching this time.”
“Sure. Just let me save this…” Regina was glad of the excuse to go outside – she’d had enough of gazing at the screen for now! “Eugenio’s in there, painting,” Uiara said as they drew level with the art gallery. She came to a halt.
“Reggie – can I ask you something? Lots of somethings, maybe?”
“Of course you can.” “When we were little – I just took everything you did for granted. Never thought about how it was for you. I mean, people said how amazing it was of you to take us all on, but that went over my head really. But I’m not a child any more. Reggie – what’s been hard? I want to be able to appreciate you properly, because I think that’s what you deserve.”
The question rocked Regina back on her heels. As did Uiara’s evident sincerity. She deserves an honest answer, Regina thought. A kind one, but an honest one. They stood and talked as the moon slowly rose, and Uiara began to see some of what Reggie had given up for them.
“I feel like I missed out a bit with Charlie and Henrietta – just having time with them. Tesni and Eugenio were so young too, it was all one sleepless blur.”
And then later: “Mothers’ Day. I never felt I could put up the cards they made for me at school, because you five had lost your mother.” Neither of them mentioned Viriato, but he was there in the back of their minds.
“My birthday. The twins never gave me a card because who would take them to buy one? My birthday was – is – Aurora’s birthday too.”
And that was true, Uiara realised. The first couple of years afterwards, that date had been so hard for herself, Desmond and Viriato. She’d never thought about Reggie losing out as well. “You’ve given up so much for the five of us. Reggie – what’s worrying me is what have you, Henrietta and Charlie got? I mean Mum and Dad left us to you, but it’s meant you haven’t been able to work, don’t have your own home. It doesn’t seem fair.”
“You really are so like your mother! She thought of all that in advance. Come on, we’d better head for home and I’ll tell you all about it on the way.” “So that’s it, basically,” Regina said, coming to a halt at the end of the explanation of Aurora’s and Lincoln’s detailed (and complex!) settlement.
“Aurora covered all the bases, all the likely eventualities. The house is split into 34 shares, because Tesni was 1 when I took you all on. Because I have Henrietta and Charlie and no husband, then if I stay until Tesni is 18, seventeen of those shares belong to me, Charlie and Henrietta if you decided to sell up.”
She paused and took a deep breath.
“And if it’s a choice to sell – or to buy me out – that decision has to be made by all of you, unanimously. And you can’t do it until Tesni is 18, either. If we had to sell for financial reasons, that’s a bit different, but I still get the same share.” She waited, a bit nervously, for Uiara’s response. Viriato would have gone through the roof about this. “But that’s wonderful!” All Uiara’s worries were lifted in a moment.
“You – and Henrietta and Charlie – won’t ever be homeless!”
Uiara hugged Reggie, and it seemed to her that the stars above their heads were singing like her heart. The first frosts were just beginning to nip the air. The foundations for the last extension to the house had been laid: it would be a laundry room and general storage area leading off the kitchen, with more bedroom space above. It wouldn’t be finished until the spring. “The weather’ll beat us, see,” said the builder. “But we’ll do as much as we can before that happens.”
It was coming up to Regina’s birthday, but for once she didn’t feel sad about it, didn’t feel the same wrenching of her heartstrings. That long conversation with Uiara had helped a lot. She didn’t feel so alone, she realised. It felt like she and Uiara were on the same side somehow. “We need to do something about Reggie’s room.” Uiara was hurt by how bare it was.
“Yes, like lose that dreadful painting,” Eugenio said, embarrassed by his early efforts.
“No. That means a lot to her,” Uiara said. “You gave it to her because you loved her. Let’s surprise her somehow – it’s her birthday soon.”
“I’ll take her out,” Tesni said. “I want to talk to her anyway.”
“Okay,” said Uiara. “Desmond and I will organise the rest – and Eugenio, Henrietta and Charlie can help us do it.” Another day, another walk, another niece talking to her! Not such a bad way to spend a birthday, Regina decided. This talk was much more about Tesni’s plans though and Tesni wanting Regina to understand where she was coming from.
“They’re going to put up the rents on these units next annual meeting.” That would be in June. Regina didn’t ask how Tesni knew that – she had an amazing network of friends, and her information was usually accurate. But Tesni told her anyway.
“Marcus told me. His dad was talking about it over the dinner table to his mum. It’s not super-secret.” “I can get a five year fixed lease at a very decent price at the moment. Next year it could well be twice the price and only for three years. Desmond and Uiara say they’ll take the lease out for me – off Queen’s Hope’s winnings – and I can pay them back later. But only if you’re okay with that. I really do want to do this – and I’ve learnt lots already from my part-time job. You can ask my boss if she thinks I can make a go of it.”
“Let me think about it a bit, and talk to Desmond and Uiara, check their figures for the whole project. But I’m not saying no.” For the second time inside a month, one of her nieces hugged her enthusiastically.
“Thank you Reggie! You’re so fair! And seeing as it’s your birthday, can I take you out for a coffee and a cream cake?”
“I’d love that.” “This is for me? You did this for me?” Regina’s eyes filled with tears as she looked round the transformed bedroom.
“Yep,” Uiara said smugly. “Happy birthday!”
“I got that picture framed,” Eugenio said.
“We bought the flowers,” said Henrietta and Charlie.
“I chose the décor,” said Tesni from behind her.
“Queen’s Hope paid for it,” said Desmond, “but I didn’t let her help move the furniture in. Us men did that.” And Charlie looked visibly proud at being called ‘us men’.
“It’s with love from us all,” Uiara said. “To say Happy Birthday – and thank you for all you’ve done for us.”