With Fiona getting up there in age - she is finding that her energy level isn't the same as it was before. She sleeps a full night, yet wakes up with only half the energy level that she usually had. Her days are lonely without Simis there and she is longing for the day that she can rejoin her husband; though they had only met late in life. Simis was her one true love and losing him broke Fiona's heart. The only thing that is currently keeping her going is River and her grandchildren, but they are off at boarding school and it's not the same as having them home. She knows that River has her children and her husband and she knows that she can finally rest. One of her deepest fears was River not marrying a husband that would remain faithful to her, but Haruo had proven himself, that he was the type to stick around, no matter what.
The move to Riverview was hectic and it was hard on Fiona, but it helped to be back in her old hometown. She didn't know where River's father had run off to, but it was so long ago, she couldn't trust her own memory as to the circumstances of their marriage falling apart...and frankly with the family that River had married into, his absence mattered not a whit.
The kids came home temporarily from boarding school to know where they were living now. And Bella and Aidann made a graveside visit to Simis's new resting spot after bringing Mayumi and Simis with them (though they no longer show up in the family tree...as ghosts or anything - THANKS EA! :P ) Bella was heartbroken, but at least she still had Michael around and her surrogate family: the Chikamoris. The LIttle-Flemings had also moved to Riverview to allow Michael and NIcolle to carry on their romance.
Hiroko kept up her martial arts training as well as her friendship with River and Fiona... After all, they were all family; and family stuck together, no matter how tough the road of life got. And it was going to get harder as the generations would go.
The new house didn't have enough space to put all the portraits together, so the big wedding picture of Haruo and River took center stage in the Living Room, while a room on the second floor of the basement ended up becoming a makeshift portrait mausoleum.
Of course, River and Haruo kept their marriage strong with intimate moments including spending time watching the stars.
Fiona because of her declining health, spent a lot of time reading, but occasionally managed to get enough energy to ride her bike. But she knew these moments of strength would be fewer as her time grew short.
One morning, a long-haired Asian Sim opened the gate of the new home in Riverview and walked through. He stood a long moment at the fountain, with an air of "I have returned...finally..." Sporting a "circle beard" he grinned widely as he saw the person he'd wanted to see, Yasunobu, giving him a big brotherly hug. Yasunobu was happy to see his younger brother who had returned home from spending his life travelling the world. "Satoshi..." Yasunobu exclaimed slapping his brother on the back. "We hadn't heard from you for years..." "It's a long story, brother." Satoshi replied as he looked over at River playing the electric piano in the entranceway, intrigued at the beauty of the woman. Satoshi had always been a bit of a party animal and playboy. It wasn't long before he was engulfed in yet another hug, this time from his nephew, Haruo. "Uncle...welcome home..." Haruo had been a little toddler when Satoshi had left for his adventures. And Satoshi was shocked to see a full-grown young adult nearly mature adulthood. He gazed over his nephew's shoulder, while being hugged, to see the wedding portrait of his nephew with the familiar beauty beside him - the same one that was playing the piano in the entranceway. No...he would not tread on a sanctified relationship. "I have been gone too long..." Satoshi whispered just loud enough for his nephew to hear. "I missed your wedding, Haruo-chan, to this beautiful lady of yours. Forgive me, nephew". "Uncle, you've been forgiven long ago." Haruo replied. "Let's just the two of us go out and have some lunch and perhaps we may run into other members of our family, that you haven't met."
Before they ate, Satoshi had to stop in at the bookstore to gather a book to start working on his LTW which was to have golden voice, golden fingers. He had to master charisma and the guitar skill.
They ate at the Little Corsican Bistro and met up with Michael McIrish-Bachelor who was happy to meet yet another family member. They talked for several hours. Satoshi, tired from his travels, begged off and headed home while Haruo and Michael had a conversation in front of the bistro.
River worked out at the training dummy and finally mastered her Sim Fu; a joyous occasion for her.
The same afternoon that River mastered her martial arts, Satoshi decided to take a drive along the riverfront, with Haruo's Vaguester - after asking to borrow it, mind you. He parked it and went fishing.
Satoshi did find that he would definitely need to find himself a car.
Fiona was still hearbroken about Simis - the love of her life - their time together so short.
"Sors immanis et inanis, rota tu volubilis, status malus, vana salus semper dissolubilis,"
Fate – monstrous and empty, you whirling wheel, you are malevolent, well-being is vain and always fades to nothing,
The lyrics of Carmina Burana spoke volumes as to how Fiona was feeling about the endless rotation of life. Fate ever present in the back of her mind...that her life was at its final chapter and soon...would fade to blackness...nothing.
No comments:
Post a Comment