Ch 1.2 Days of childhood
Annika couldn't help it, she loved her job, now as much - or even more - as on her first day here. When you came to work, you never knew what was going to happen! Today was her turn to water the plants for example. She was so happy about this that she was actually whistling while working.
The work at the science center was much more social than she had thought, not that she minded. It was just the calculating attitude that bugged her. If you managed to talk to a right person you could get promoted quickly - sort of thing. She had always considered herself as a fair person who played by the rules and was good to other people. Sure, she would have had it easy here if she actually played by the rules, the problem was that she didn't like these rules.
"I saw you whistling at the greenhouse just a moment ago" her colleague started, "so you like this place?"
"Yes, I like it here", Annika said carefully, there was something in the air that told her to keep her tongue, "the daily tasks are interesting."
"Are they know? How about some more interesting tasks? You are clever scientist who could easily climb up the career ladder here, you have the skills for more complicated tasks too", the colleague continued.
Annika stared at him, "I know that and I will continue doing my work as well as possible to get there."
Her colleague laughed, he actually laughed, "you think you can reach that point just by working? If the boss doesn't want to promote, you aren't going to be promoted. It's not what you know, it's who you know, as the saying goes. I wouldn't get on the wrong side with me if I were you", there was now something threatening in his voice that made Annika shiver.
Annika wasn't used to stand up for herself - she had never had the reason to do so. But now she was downright angry.
"I don't think you are the boss here, right?", she asked her colleague.
"No, but closer to him than you are, I would say", the colleague replied, "I can put a good word on you - or the opposite, it's really about you."
Now Annika had enough and she took out her freezer, something that she had just made and was eager to try it onto someone.
Her colleague stared at the freezer, "you dare to point that thing on me!"
Annika was glad there was some fear in his voice and she pointed the freezer on him.
"I will talk to Hank myself about who is getting promoted here and who isn't when he comes to our birthday party, if you are so interested about it, ", she said and zapped the guy with the freezer, "good day to you too."
She had just done something that she wouldn't usually ever do and probably would never again but it felt good! She smiled as she walked away, the day had just become even better.
Luckily at home things weren't that full of drama. With two kids around the life was surprisingly easy. Greta and Nickolas managed more on their own, took care of homework, were able to get something to eat if the parents weren't at home cooking dinner etc. On the other hand, they weren't teenagers yet, Annika and Hugh thought that when they were, there would be more drama.
So when the kids asked for a second cat, the parents caved in quite easily. They adopted cute, fluffy maine coon girl named Pepper.
After some hissing and finding out who was the boss here...
...they got along just fine.
"Mum, dad, Pepper just had two kittens, you have to see this! Mum, dad... Mum? Dad?" and she turned on her heels and ran away, completely shaken, she wasn't sure what she had just witnessed but she was sure it was something she wasn't supposed to see. She also knew that whatever it was, it was something that made her parents deaf to the whole world, she was pretty sure they hadn't heard her entering the bedroom.
There indeed were two kittens, Whisper who was a complete copy of her father.
And Tofu, image of his mother. Also his personality was close to Pepper's, he was playful, very affectionate and if it as someone running around the house, it was Tofu.
And if you saw someone fully asleep in middle of the floor, it was Whisper. Even if there were two kids shouting next to her in panic.
"Why are you yelling?" Nickolas asked sleepily when he woke up on Greta's screaming.
"There is a monster under my bed, I saw it."
"Neh, there is nothing", Nickolas didn't understand the fuss, "come one little monstie, come here, you silly little thingie!"
"Just look, loooooook!", Greta told him and when he just glanced under the bed, she continued, "look properly!"
Nickolas didn't see anything, not really but it was so dark under the bed that who can tell? He wasn't entirely sure that there wasn't anything anyway.
"We must get mum and dad, now!", he started yelling too.
"I won't go there, ever again", Greta told him firmly.
"Why not? We must get them! You definitely saw something, didn't you? We must get them!"
But Greta was saved from telling as both Annika and Hugh rushed to the kids room to see what was it all about. After very thorough checking under the beds and some calming down everyone returned to their beds. Rest of the night was peaceful, but that wasn't the only night. Nickolas had realized that there was something in the world that he couldn't make jokes about, after all if you wake up in a middle of night, your imagination can cook up anything. So if it wasn't Greta who woke up screaming, it was he who woke everyone up.
First time ever the climate started cooling down and to everyone's surprise the leaves started turning red and yellow. They had heard rumors of such thing happening but they never thought it would happen here. Here where everything had been stable for years, decades almost. Greta and Nickolas had never seen anything else before than summer. They were both wondering if this meant that there was going to be winter with snow too. How cool would that be!
But for now the leaves kept everyone busy. The family tried to rake them away from their yard, Annika even managed to burn one pile but that was just one pile, the rest was usually raked to a leaf pile and promptly spread around. Even Hugh couldn't help himself, he just had to kick the leaf pile, just a bit to try it out. The cats were interested about them too, but that might have been just because they probably were good hide outs for mice and other little critters.
The autumn had several chilly but sunny days to spend outside. It was a weather that almost invited one to go and explore the neighbourhood. When everyone had a day off, they took a trip to Brindleton Bay as they had heard it had new roller skating park. The kids had never left Willow Creek before so they were than eager to go and explore new things.
"I can't do this, I really ca-a-a-a-an't", Greta shouted while trying to stand and move on her roller skates, this definitely wasn't something that she could do. Something that Nickolas found amusing, it was great to be better in something than his sister - for once.
"Relax, keep looking forward, slide and just...", Annika jumped slightly twisting in the air.
"Ok...", Greta answered uncertain, "I think I will just try to stay standing" and landed immediately on her butt.
"Hi Terry", Nickolas said without looking up, "have any typing tips?"
"Not really, not my thing", Terry Tam replied, "you ready soon? Only my birthday party is starting."
"Guitar spells like s-u-c-k-e-r", Nickolas laughed even though no one else found it that funny. Greta for example didn't understand why someone would play typing game and then intentionally misspell everything. Nickolas had claimed that he could win the game if he wanted to, it was just more fun like this.
"Your WHAT?", he then asked realizing what his friend had just said, "you have birthday party here?"
"Yup, I thought it would be great that way!" Terry said eagerly.
"Ok, did you ask mum and dad?" Nickolas asked.
"My mum took care of it, she was sure you lot won't mind."
Nickolas wasn't quite so sure about it.
"So where is everything I need?" the caterer asked, "ingredients for the cake for example", the caterer asked.
"Greta, you know where to find everything, sure you have everything that we need?", Terry's mum asked.
"I know nothing about it, you talk to my mum and dad... Now don't disturb me, I have a game to win."
She liked Terry but how did his family have the nerve to invite themselves for a birthday party in their home, then ask ingredients for the cake? Even Terry's sister was here just like nothing had happened. Greta however didn't have more time to think about this, she was just about to win the game against Terry and at the same time complete her Whiz Kid aspiration.
"Ok, this is too much, I won't work if it is like this! Cats on the table, guitar behind my back! ENOUGH!!!", the caterer lost her nerves completely when Whisper was hissing to her from the table and Hugh was playing a song written by himself.
"If you come uninvited, you aren't welcomed, if you come uninvited, you will be hissed at, if you come uninvited, you shall be disturbed", Hugh jammed behind her.
"How do you think I can work like this? Is that your husband who was singing for me? And that's your cat who jumped onto the table and was hissing at me? I won't work like this! I won't cook anything, you hear me!" the caterer shouted.
Annika stared at her, "Umm... I didn't ask you to be here...". She liked Terry's family and was usually good natured but she too had a problem when someone invited themselves to her home. She also remembered how it had felt last time she stood up for herself.
"You either cook something, or you don't. But this is our home and we will live here the way we want. It's up to you", and she turned on her heels leaving the caterer wondering what to do next.
"Look, I'm a horse,big ugly horse!" Terry yelled at Nickolas over the music.
"Ha ha, I'm a seaweed... no, I'm a snake who is going to bite you!" Nickolas yelled back.
The kids didn't mind anymore who invited who, they were friends and they were having fun.
The party was going as parties do, people chatting, eating and having fun.
"Should we get rid of that baby chair mum? It is embarrassing to have it here, my friends always ask if we still have babies. Well, we don't, not if you don't count Nickolas", Greta pointed out.
Annika stared at the chair, they had indeed forgotten to store the chair after the kids grew up.
"Maybe we have to store it somewhere and add one regular chair here - at least until there is new generation in this house", Annika smiled at her daughter sadly.
True, she hadn't thought of the whole chair, it just belonged there but she had almost forgotten how it was when Greta and Nickolas were still toddlers. How she then hoped that the kids would grow up fast and how she now hoped the time hadn't passed so fast. What had happened to her babies?
"New generation? You mean like me or Nickolas having... babies?" Greta said the last word grimacing. "That's ages away."
"Maybe, but we can still store it", she said aloud but thought to herself that if the years would go as fast as the ones before, it would just blink of an eye and Greta and Nickolas would be adults.
#newteenintown #ladiesjustwait #guysbeware #thetownisours
The party wasn't really a success, not even mediocre. The caterer hadn't managed to bake a cake or cook anything else either. Luckily the guests helped themselves with the leftovers from the fridge and had great time overall. But Annika and Hugh were relieved the party was over and everyone went to bed as soon as the last guest was out of the door. You could clean tomorrow.
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