“I thought you were going to re-glaze this window, not board it over,” Clara commented.“Ah. You see, I’ve had some major ideas for the front of the gallery. But it’s going to mean having different windows. I’m still weighing up the cost versus effect ratio – and then I have to bring it to the board and see what we all think.”
“Tell me more.”
“Come round again tomorrow, and I’ll be able to show you a rough draft by then.”
A companionable silence fell again in the studio. Lucie was taking charge of the art side of Clara’s education, and they were both enjoying it.
“So this is the design I’m thinking of. But with a lot more colour! Would you be up for helping me paint it on the outside? And what would you like in exchange? Cash? Food? Clothes? – though I do like that outfit! Is it new?”
“Completely! Jeans by Patience (I babysat), jumper from Marianna ditto, and lovely warm new boots from Marcus and Annette. I think baby-sitting might have featured there as well. Yes, I’ll help you paint, and yes, there is something I want. Need, actually, but I think it’ll have to be Rafe or Leo.”
“I know! Sculpture lessons! To go with my art lessons!” They both laughed.“No,” Clara said. “Maths lessons. I want to sit some exams. I think I need some qualifications. And I want a paper trail for later on in my life. Patience or Honey will organise the exams for me, but I have to sit them. And pass them. Patience will help me with the English, but she says her maths is a bit rusty…”
Lucie looked down at the determined face turned up to hers.“Of course Rafe or Leo will help you out,” she said warmly. “They’d probably really enjoy it actually. They’re not sorry they quit their jobs – it was all a bit soul-destroying, actually – but they do like playing about with number. And come the exams, we’ll take you over to the test centre too – our vehicle’s a bit more reliable than Marcus’s old van! It’ll be Newborough, won’t it?”
“Thanks,” Clara said, and that was all, but her eyes said more.
“That is going to look so spectacular! The design’s amazing – and you and Clara are doing a great job on it. It’s coming along quicker than I thought it would.”“Yes, because we start with a stencil. Getting the guidelines right is the fiddly bit, but Clara’s not the slapdash type any more than I am. And then we’re colouring in – I do the edge, Clara fills in; we’ve got a good rhythm going.”
“Are you going to carry this on for the floor above?”
“I might. But I’ve actually got another idea for that, only it’ll affect the windows we use, so I need to run it past you all.”
Clara meanwhile had changed out of her painty gear and was concentrating, hard, on a maths lesson with Rafe.“Well done! You realised the significance of the minus sign in front of sin x.”
“How does pumpkin pie sound?” Leo called from the kitchen. “Clara, are you free for Christmas day or has someone snaffled you already? We’ve got Old Tench and Artie coming as well.”“Marcus and Annette nabbed me ten days ago! But thanks for the offer.”
“Come round the next day and help us with the leftovers then?”
“Sounds good. The way Marcus and Blake eat, there won’t be any left-overs!”
“Okay, horse, I think we better call it a day. Don’t want you injuring yourself. Let’s head home. Tell you what, horse, I reckon you’re getting better. Not so sure I am though.”
“See, the thing is, horse, I’m not as young as I once was. I reckon I can train you, school you, but I’m not so sure about riding you. That Blake, he rides too heavy. And Clara, she’d be right for weight, but riding’s not her thing at all. Reckon we’re going to have to find someone else to ride you once you’re ready to race again.”
“Okay, time to write the last of my Christmas cards and letters. And Minnie’ll post them for me.”Artie still liked using a fountain pen, still liked writing by hand. And he’d saved this letter until last.
“Time to write to Bess Preston, let her know what’s going on here, how my year’s been. I know she’ll be interested…”
He changed seats so that the light was better.“Dear Bess. You’ll never guess who’s turned up here in Two Lakes. I’d say like the proverbial bad penny, but Tom says he thinks she might have changed…”
“…I was glad to hear that the grandchildren are doing well at school. We’ve got a proper school again now, and a real teacher – and all of four pupils, but there’s more on their way. So far there’s only Miss Hazelton’s and Mrs Bridges’ old classrooms all smartened up…It’s kind of nice being back here, me and the horse. I think I need to find someone else to ride him though. I’m getting too old for falls…”
Writing to Bess, and re-reading the last letter she’d written to him, had brought her back to him so clearly that it was as if she was there in the room with him while he cooked. Trouble was, he could hear her comments too. “Arthur Campbell, why haven’t you done something to smarten this room up?” Nine years old and with pigtails, this Bess was, hands on her hips and determined to make her point.“I’ll grant you it’s clean enough, but those walls and cupboards are a disgrace. Can’t you even afford a lick of paint…?”
It was a good job there was no danger of her calling round – but maybe he should do something about the room.
He’d drop those letters off for Minnie tomorrow, and maybe ask her to get some paint for him. White for the ceiling. And maybe she could suggest something for the walls too.
Minnie had changed her flower barrels for little fir trees in pots. That looked real Christmassy, that did. And it looked like she had some new stock inside too.
“Say, Minnie, whose table have you borrowed here?”Minnie laughed. “Lucy and Mike’s. She says they can eat in the kitchen just fine for now, but I have to get it back to her before Christmas day, as they’ll surely need it then. But I needed something to put the Christmas plates on – I figured this year there’s some folks at last might be thinking they could afford some Christmas plates. So I put one of everything out, so people could see them and order them. Lachlan and Marianna now, they’re giving their children a plate each as a Christmas present – don’t let on to them; it’s going to be a surprise – and Marcus and Annette have chosen some too. We’re doing okay now, Annette said, and I’d like to start some Christmas traditions. This’ll be Mary’s first Christmas…”
“I’ve got my post for you. I need some Christmas presents as well – that Rafe and Leo have invited Tom and I round for Christmas dinner. Be nice to take a gift. That Amber, she’s real keen on making a garden round that old factory – maybe something for the garden would be good.”“Well, that’s why I got this stock in. I figured everyone round here gardens one way or the other. And it doesn’t hurt to kind of encourage the birds and so on. Julie’s kids were telling me all about that – they’ve been learning about it at school.”
“Well, hello there Taylor. And how are you doing? Are you enjoying school?”“Oh yes. I will really miss seeing Miss Glaze over the Christmas holidays. She’s just so nice and kind. I’ve come in to choose a present for her from all of us. Daddy says I can ask Minnie for help if I’m not sure. What do you think she would like?”
“Well now, why don’t we go and have a look at what Minnie’s got? But I remember what we used to buy our teachers and nearly all of them liked the same thing.”
“What was that?”
“Chocolate. All for except Miss Kirk. But she was nothing like your Miss Glaze, so I reckon you’ll be fine with chocolate. Did your daddy tell you how much you could spend? There’s one really pretty box here.”
“There you are, my letters for the post, and thanks for taking them, and I’ll have that insect house and the hanging bird feeder – and if Tom comes in, can you tell him that I’ve got the presents taken care of, and he owes me.”“Well, I tell you what, you pay half now, and I’ll get the other half from him when I see him. Posting those letters is no problem at all, and I’ll check if there’s any post for anyone here as well. I’ll wrap these things up for you now if you like – I got all my family to save the big bits of paper from last year’s presents just so’s I could do a gift-wrap service this year! Come and choose a piece from under the counter. Is there anything else you need?”
“Paint! White paint for the ceiling. And advice too. What colour do you think I should do the walls?”
“Well, we’ve got my little brother’s famous pumpkin pie for dessert. But I think I kind of need a pause first.”“We had a pause while we washed the plates up so that we could use them again for dessert,” Lucie pointed out. “But I think I agree with you. That was one amazing meal though!”
“And you’ve made it look real Christmas-like. Seems to me I kind of recognise those candles,” Old Tench said, his eyes twinkling with enjoyment.
“We’ve loved having you both here today,” Amber said to Artie. “And also hearing all the stories of your pasts. Seems to me neither of you were the sober, honest, upright citizens I see today when you were young.”“Heck, no, we wasn’t,” Old Tench said, snorting with laughter. “Specially not him!”
“You’re a fine one to talk. What about your great trick-or-treating idea? That time you and me and Bess and Ludovic Meithers…”“Now don’t you go tellin’ that story…”
“Oh please do,” both girls said at once.
“Well, we went out with three different costumes on, one on top of the other. Top costume was just a ghost-sheet thing…” The story was funny. It was odd, though, to think of the town so full of children trick-or-treating that no-one noticed the stunt they had pulled.
“…And we had such belly-aches afterwards,” Artie finished.
The table was cluttered with empty coffee mugs, chocolates and much-appreciated presents. The day had been a huge success all round.“Well, I guess we’d better be headin’ off now,” Old Tench said, just a little reluctantly. “Come on Artie, that horse of yours’ll be gettin’ lonely without you. And tomorrow I’ll come over ‘n give you a hand getting’ started on that decoratin’ of yours. Can’t have that paint sittin’ around too long else it’ll be dryin’ in the pot.”
“This has been a lovely first Christmas here for us,” Lucie said softly. “And I’m so glad you came. It’s felt like – oh, I don’t know how to say this, but as though we’ve been sharing in the history of this town, the Christmasses that have gone before.” And the other three murmured their agreement too.
The factory building is by CycloneSue at TSR.
The Christmas plates and other gifts are by Sandy at ATS3
Artie and his house were a gift to me from LMC6254, for the Summerfest gift exchange. Link here:
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9394755
