The updates may be a bit farther apart because this is going to be harder to write than The Tale of the Blue Knight story I wrote. I'm trying to paint the picture before I get to the main part of the story and I hope I do ok. But once I get rolling... It'll be good. And there will be some other special stories popping up as well...thanks.
On the path.
It had been six years since Milanrus left home in search of his destiny. He had gone to many places helping people, rescuing those who needed it, but he knew there was something more. Something waiting for him somewhere. Every year he'd go home and tell everyone about his adventures. He'd been to off to one corner of the world helping a group of people trapped in an avalanche, he was out to sea and rescued a boat full of people by hooking his tow line and pulled the ship back to shore.
There was a terrible hurricane and a small plane full of people were in the middle of it. He got as close as he could. The rain and wind made it hard to keep his ship steady. Then he dropped a magnetic clamp to the plane and keep his airship steady. Then he reeled in closer and managed to steer the plane above the storm and land in a nearby city. His name was becoming known every where he went. He had received many accolades and he was admired. He loved it. He was living the dream. And every time he returned home people loved hearing his tales as much as loved telling them. But somehow he knew there was more out there.
One year he returned home, after he regaled the people in his adventures, he suddenly noticed things were changing in the village and the people. Geldon and his sister had grown a bit more. And Jenna, sweet Jenna. She'd always be the first one there waiting to greet him. They still had their usual 'bad timing' to start a relationship. For the first three years she'd waited for him to return home to her, but he always left again. He said he knew there was something out there for him. It just wasn't the time but he had to be there for when his destiny called. He had to keep helping people. It was on the eve of when he was going to head back out again and Jenna needed to talk to him.
"I don't know how much longer I will wait, Milanrus. It's been a very long time. Do you love me?" She stood close to him and gently rubbed his arm.
"I do, but I can't do this yet. It's hard to explain. I have to stay on track, stay focused."
Jenna looked down. "I won't be here next time you return. I can't wait anymore for you. I have to live my life. I'd hoped this was not going to be like this. That you wouldn't be gone as long as you are. You are only here one maybe two nights a year. That is not enough. I want to start a family." She started crying. "I want you. I love you. I always have but you never saw it. Not until you came back the first year." Milanrus stood there silent. He didn't know what to say. She took his hands. "Please stay." Her eyes pleaded.
He wanted to but the pull was too strong. He had to do what needed to be done. He kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry." He let go of her hands and left for his ship. He stopped and looked at her one last time. He had a feeling he wouldn't see her for a very long time to come...
Castle Point. A very wealthy community where only the richest and best of the best lived. Children attended the finest schools, crime rate was ironically low, no one was impoverished and it was a great place to live. There was one family especially who had been there since their child was born. The mother, Roberta Rotten, who worked at the Castle Point bank and The father, Richard Rotten worked for a law firm, Dewey, Cheetham, and Howe. They both had hectic schedules and their paths crossed just enough for a night cap or two.
Roberta had tried for the past three years to have her husband home on their son, Robbie's, birthday. So she decided this year to be a little sneaky about it. Robbie came running in the door all excited.
"Mommy! Mommy! Guess what?"
"What is it dear?" She turned to him with a smile.
"I had my first cupcake at school! It was my birthday cupcake!"
"Oh, that's wonderful, my little cream puff. How did it taste?" She asked in a very motherly tone.
"It was really delicious! Yeah and then the teacher gave me a present!"
"What was that dear?"
A book on how to build and invent stuff. But it's for kids because, you know, I'm not a grown up yet." He scrunched his nose. "But they have a whole series of books that I can get later. And I can make up plans and maps and stuff. It'll be fantabulous!"
She laughed at his new made up word. "You're so smart coming up with new words. Mommy has another surprise or two for you after dinner."
"When's dinner? When's dinner?" He jumped up and down.
"Just as soon as your father gets home dear."
"That could take forever." He bowed his head.
"Now you let mommy take care of that. Why don't you go and play with your toys and I'll call you when it's time for dinner." He went running off to his room. His mother went to the refrigerator and pulled out a cake and started to decorate it. About an hour passed and she looked at her watch. She had a worried look on her face. She placed a well timed call to her husband and happened to mention that she had really good news and was making his favorite meal.
"What did you do this time?" He asked not having faith in her good news.
"You know, just because I have a nice meal and a surprise does not mean I did something wrong."
"Can't you tell me over the phone? I have a lot of work to do."
"You are never home until after bed time. We never see each other.
"I am trying to make partner. It's very hard work." He grumbled back.
"Just come home. We can talk then." She hung up.
He hung up the phone and sighed. "Well, what ever she did, I'll get a good meal out of it. That means I have to go home early." He looked at his watch, and walked out to meet his secretary. "Cindy, we need to cancel our dinner plans."
"Oh but Richard!" She protested.
"I have to make an appearance at home once and a while." He took her in his arms. But that means a business trip on the weekend." He sung and placed a passionate kiss on her lips.
She smiled. "Ok, lover. One business trip for two." She smiled and went right to the phone.
He gave her a wink and a click of his tongue and walked outside. He sighed again, looked at his briefcase and left for home.
At home-
Robbie was playing with some of his erector sets and looking at his book trying to come up with a new invention from the two. As he was building he was also talking. "This is my new invention, the Weather Krazer maker 3000! Anytime the weather is too cold, make it hot. If it's too hot, make it cold. It will make life so easy. And there is a special setting to make your work day go faster so dads can be home with their families."
He turned the knob he made to that setting and looked at it sadly then set it down. He turned the pages of his book and he became more and more fascinated. There were all sorts of things to build in the book. From wooden toys that spin or fly to robots to crayon dispensers. There were airplanes and bottle cap shooters and even an inventors log book. He loved his book. He decided to try to make the air plane with his erector set parts. He was very good at building things. He played alone a lot when he was home.
His mother always made cake whenever his father wasn't home for dinner, which was a lot. He'd kept asking his mother for a play date with someone, but it was never the right time. Sometimes he would often run around the back yard by himself or draw or play in his room. When he did see his father it wasn't for very long. Maybe in time for him to say goodnight, which was usually a pat on the head and a 'be good tomorrow, son.'
On the rare weekends he was there, he would sometimes get called into work or just want to relax and read his paper. He always showed his father things he built or pictures he drew. He was happy because at least when he did draw pictures he put them in his briefcase to hang up at work.
Robbie, upstairs in his room, could smell dinner being made. He could smell broccoli, which he hated, he could smell pizza and something else he couldn't place. Suddenly he heard the garage door open. "Daddy!" He yelled and grabbed his airplane and ran downstairs. The door opened and his father walked in. "You're home! You're home!" He ran and hugged his fathers legs.
"Robbie, we've talked about that. Don't run into me like that. I've had a hard day at work."
"Sorry daddy. But look what I made!" He proudly held up his airplane.
He looked down at it. "That's nice, Robbie." And gave him a pat on the head. "Where's your mother?"
"She's in the kitchen." He followed his father to the kitchen. "But look! I also got an inventors book for my birthday!" He held it up.
"Birthday?" He did not look happy. "Roberta!" He pushed open the kitchen door.
As soon as he opened the door, the whole kitchen was decorated with streamers and a sign that read 'Happy Birthday Robbie!'
"Wow! Is that for me?" He asked.
"It certainly is, pumpkin." She squeezed his cheeks.
"But Roberta, I didn't even get him a present." He said smiling gritting his teeth.
"Oh yes you did, silly. It's right here all wrapped up in the superhero wrapping paper."
She started avoiding eye contact with him. She could tell he was not happy, but she was determined to have a happy birthday for her boy. After dinner of pizza for Robbie and steak for his father, they had her famous sticky, icky, gooey, chocolate, yummy cake. Robbie opened his presents. He got an indoor trampoline and a kids tool work bench. Robbie was very excited. He hugged his parents. His father was a bit stiff but he hugged him.
"And now the best news yet!" His mother was very excited."Robbie, you know how you've always wanted a playmate?" He nodded. "Well...you're going to have a little brother or sister!" She was happy.
"Wow, really! When?"
"Well he or she won't get here until the end of the year. It'll be so exciting! We'll do more as a family, we'll go to parks more, it'll be wonderful."
She looked at her husband who held a blank expression then he cut and started eating another piece of cake. His beeper started to go off. He took it out of his pocket and read the message. "Damn. I have to get back to the office. One of our corporate clients is ready to pull out on a deal." He took a swig of his beer and got up. And patted his son on the head. "Happy birthday, Robbie." He grabbed his briefcase and headed out.
"Wait!" Robbie ran over to his little desk and pulled out a drawing and handed it to him. "Its for your wall at work!" He said proudly.
His father took it and put it in his briefcase. "Thanks." And he left.
Robbie watched him leave looking a bit sad. He looked down and went back to the kitchen. His mother did the the one thing she did best to try to make things better.
"Robbie, have another special cake."
"Ok." He went back to the table and put on a weak smile.
"Don't worry, my sweet. Change is good. You'll see. Once the baby is here, things will be better..."
Four years later...
The kids were home. Robbie was running around chasing his sister. They were so close. Robbie helped take care of his sister a lot while his father was working. In fact, he saw him less and less as the years passed. His father was getting ready for a big business trip overseas and his mother wanted to bring the kids to see him before he left, so she packed them up and they headed over for a surprise lunch. It was a moderate office space, mahogany double doors with a sign that read Dewey, Cheetham, and Howe.
"Alright children, let's go see daddy."
They opened the doors and went inside. There was a receptionist desk with a young lady, filing her nails and chewing gum sitting there, board. She looked up. "Welcome to Dewey Cheetham and Howe. How may I help you?"
Roberta looked confused. "Where is Cindy?"
"Huh? Oh, she quit."
"Oh. Well, I'm here to see my husband, Richard Rotten. I'd like to go to his desk, please."
"Uh...sure. Go ahead."
She looked puzzled, which confused Roberta. But she went through the office doors and headed to his desk. As she passed she got a lot of strange looks from the other staff that was there. She just smiled politely. "Come children, this will be such a surprise." She rounded the corner to his office and opened the door. There were degrees on the wall and paperwork scattered about. "Why don't you sit here and I'll look for your father." She headed back out.
Robbie looked all over and saw none of his drawings. In fact the one he drew a couple days ago was in the trash. He picked it up and looked sadly at it then crumpled it and put it back in the trash.
"When are we gonna see daddy?"
Robbie looked at his little sister and smiled. "I don't know, Rikki. Don't get your hopes up. But when we get home we will play, ok?" She hugged her brother.
Roberta went up to one of the staff. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Richard Rotten. Do you know where he is?"
The gentleman looked up, surprised. "I beg you pardon?"
"Richard Rotten, my husband."
"Um, just a second." He picked up his phone and dialed. "Hello, yes. Carl. Richard Rottens wife is here...yes. I'll send her in. Why don't you go see Carl. Third door down the hall."
"Thank you." Her brows furrowed. She walked to the office door and knocked.
"Come in."
She opened the door and went in.
"Mrs Rotten. Please sit down. You don't about your husband?"
"I know he is going overseas in a business trip. We came here to have a surprise lunch. Why?"
"Mrs Rotten, I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this but...your husband..." He got a solemn look on his face then told her what happened.
She listened as he told her that he had been having an affair with Cindy, his secretary, for a number of years now and that they both quit and had run off overseas. As she listened and all she could think about was her children. How was she going to tell Robbie and Rikki. She sat there and didn't say a word. She wanted to cry but didn't. Not yet.
She stood up. "Thank you." And walked out back to her children. She opened the door and took a deep breath. Robbie was on the floor with his sister having a make believe tea party. "Come along children. Your father is not here. Why don't we go to Fun Zone?" They both stood up and cheered. She was going to give her kids a happy day no matter what.
First thing Monday morning, she went to work after the kids went to school. On her break she was ordering lunch and it said her card was declined. She checked her account and all her money was gone, save for maybe ten dollars. That was her inheritance, all her money. She dug deeper and found out her husband had forged her signature and took everything. She reported it and they investigated but there was no trace of it. She checked her other accounts she made for the children for when they were old enough. She was relieved to see they were still there. But that was for their future. One thing was for sure, after this month they could no longer afford to stay in Castle Point...
Later that night she had a talk with her children and told them that their father was not coming home again he left and took all their money and they were going to have to sell most of their stuff and move out of Castle Point. They really didn't understand why, nor could she explain it. But she said change is good. That maybe it was meant to be. She had looked at some places and it looked like LazyTown was their best option.
"We will make a new beginning there. It'll be...what's that word you made up last week?" She looked at Robbie. "Ah! It'll be super duper octoliciuos!" She said trying to make him smile.
"But what about all my friends?" Rikki asked with a hint of sadness.
"You can make more new friends sweety." She looked at Robbie who just sat there quiet. "Robbie? Are you ok?"
"I hate daddy." And he got up and went to his room.
Roberta didn't like the fact that he said that. In fact she had taught them not to hate, but right now, she did too.
It was moving day. They sold all they could. Save for toys and clothes some basic furniture and such. And they got in the car and drove. Along the way Roberta and the kids sang songs and played car games, doing anything she could to keep their spirits up. As they were driving she stopped and pulled up to a sign. "Look my dears. Next stop, our new home, LazyTown."