Author’s Note #1: So, at this point, some major disasters reared their ugly heads in my game. My game, which never crashes, did. Followed by a succession of Error 12’s. And finally, a meteor strike. Through all of this, I lost Liev’s parents twice, the house three times and Mango once. (On a side note, you should have seen Mango’s face when he saw the meteor. He was like, “Ooooh, pretty!” Then, kablooey! It seemed to come as quite a shock to him when he died.)
I could have cried. After reinserting Liev’s parents back into the story and seeing them get killed by the meteor and after having rebuilt and remodeled the house so many times only to see the meteor destroy it again…. I just couldn’t go on with it. Clearly, the game was trying to tell me something.
It did occur to me that I didn’t have to save the game after the meteor strike and I could just pretend it never happened. But in the end, I came to the conclusion that I am merely an observer and teller of tales. So, I decided that this was something that actually befell our characters; it was going to be reflected in the story in some way.
After I finally made that decision, I went back and did some slight re-writing of previous chapters before they were published to reflect Mango’s future absence. To my delight, this has created a new mystery for the story! It may not be solved until a future generation, but it’s exciting to me, just the same. Because of all of this, I’ve had to cut out some of the material I had planned which may make it appear that the sims have aged a little faster than they should have. I apologize for any disappointment this may cause.
Okay, fasten your seat belt because here we go full steam ahead!
Entry 20:
Well, I’m a full-fledged adult now. And this is where we live. It’s been so long, you’ve probably forgotten all about me. But, I dug you back out for a reason. I need you now more than ever, Journal. It’s my plan that you should keep me sane once again.
You probably heard about the meteor strike and the fire that came afterward. There’s nothing quite like losing everything you own to make you realize what’s really important in life. Thank goodness for my inheritance and insurance because without them, we’d probably be living in a cardboard box.
Things got so weird almost immediately following the meteor. Scientists descended on our lot like a swarm of busy bees, collecting samples and shooing us away. When Liev asked what the deal was, he was told this was protocol after such an event.
So, here we are now after several months in a hotel.
As it is, this is a pretty nice place to live. It’s near the kids’ school but not in the city. We were forced to sell the livestock which about broke our hearts but the animals just wouldn’t have the right kind of life here.
Last time you saw Leonardo , he was a rambunctious little toddler.
Now he’s a rambunctious child. More about that in a minute. He takes most of my time, so believe me, you’ll hear plenty about him.
Jilly was a strikingly pretty little toddler with a shock of thick, black hair. My little Snow White, remember?
This is her now. She’s still the apple of my eye. And she covers for her brother quite a bit. Again, more about that later.
Jillian Day likes to be herself. She’s precocious, well-mannered and a bit on the quiet side. When she gets going (usually to defend Leo), she can be quite animated.
The younger twins are now toddlers and as sweet as ever.
This is Daylynn.
And this is Rachel.
Rachel is not usually this clingy. She only really gets this way when she’s tired. I have to say, though, that I really don’t mind. With how fast my first set of twins entered and exited the toddler stage, I know I need to hold these little twin girls as much as I can because I won’t be able to in just a short while.
I’ve gone through some changes for the better. I know, I know, it’s called growing up and maturing. But for me, it’s more than that. Since Liev’s mother enlightened me about postpartum depression, I’ve been feeling loads better. I see my doctor regularly and now that I know what the problem is, I can deal with it.
I’ve also thought more about forgiveness and what it means to me. I can say that Keniesha and I are on the road to recovery for real this time. I can’t wait until next weekend because she and the twins are coming over for a barbecue.
Liev is still really into his music. He went back to work as a P.I. since there is no longer a farm to take care of. In the evenings, we like to gather around the piano.
Liev has been giving Leo piano lessons and it seems like Leo really has a knack for music as well.
Check this out!
My first published work. I know it looks goofy, but it really seems to fit the essence of …. me. Crazily enough, it’s gotten a good reception. I’ve been told that it “relates” to people. So, I guess I’m not the only clueless person out there.
With some encouragement from my editor, I’ve been working on my next book. I feel like I have plenty of stories in me, I just have to find the time to write them.
There are a few other things I need to catch you up on, Journal. The biggest thing is the terrible news that Mango disappeared. Into thin air, it would seem.
I finally had the chance to talk to Keniesha about my fears that she and Mango had been having troubles. She admitted this was true… to an extent.
Turns out the kind of troubles they’d been having were not the sort I had imagined. I thought for sure there was another woman. But Keniesha denied this quite firmly. She explained that Mango had gotten into some sort of predicament.
I tried talking to her about it again on the phone tonight. “What do you mean ‘predicament?'”
She sighed. “I’ve tried to explain but it’s hard when I don’t know what I’m even talking about.” There was a long pause. I knew if I kept quiet, she’d eventually continue. She just needed time to put her thoughts together. “Memphis, I’ve never told anyone this… but one night, I had just gotten the twins down to bed and I overheard him on the phone.”
Here it comes, I smugly thought as if I knew everything there was to know. She heard him on the phone with a woman, sounding too familiar.
“It was weird… he wasn’t speaking English.”
This surprised me. Mango acted sometimes like he barely had a grasp on combining words into simple sentences in English, how could he possibly be able to speak in another language? “Well, what was it? Spanish or German or something? French?”
“No…. no, it wasn’t anything I recognized. It was strange sounding.”
“Did you ask him about it?”
“Of course. He said he was talking to his grandmother and that she didn’t speak English. But he didn’t explain what language they were speaking. I don’t know… it seems like there was a lot he was keeping from me.”
It sure did seem that way. Keniesha had noticed other things here and there, too. She said that one thing about him that really bugged her was that every time they passed by a window in town or a mirror, he would stop and stare at himself. I could have told her that he’d always been just a little too in love with himself, but that wouldn’t have helped her now.
And, of course, they had started arguing. I mean… ARGUING. He wouldn’t eat anything she cooked even if she’d managed not to burn it. She couldn’t stand how picky he was. And there were times he would leave for hours on end even when he had a day off but he wouldn’t tell her where he’d been. Over time, he had gotten really secretive in general.
Another woman was all I could think of. But she really didn’t think so and I reckon she knew him best.
And then, he’d disappeared. Not long after the meteor struck. Just. Like. That. Like he’d never existed at all.
The police had never found a clue. No one at work knew anything. And Liev, who was the best bet we had of finding him, hadn’t had any luck either.
“I’m so sorry, Sis,” I empathized.
We spoke for a while longer and then I realized the kids hadn’t been told to go to bed yet.
When I went upstairs, I heard one of the kids messing around with the faucet in the bathroom. I believe I mentioned earlier that Leo is a handful. Quite the corker. He likes practical jokes.
“What are you doing?” I asked as I knocked on and opened the door.
Leo, barely able to contain himself, had obviously been up to something. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out what.
“Hey, Ma, do you need to wash your hands?”
As soon as I saw the faucet, I knew he’d booby trapped it to spray all over as soon as it was turned on. This kid must think I was born yesterday.
“Leonardo Prescott Capra! Now your dad is going to have to fix the faucet! Why do you constantly do stuff like this?”
His face turned red but I could tell he was biting his lower lip to keep a smile from curling his lips. “I thought it’d be funny.”
“Well you thought wrong, young man!”
“It was just a joke,” he grumbled.
“Well, it’s not funny! How many times do I have to tell you to quit these pranks of yours? Honestly!”
Realizing that getting all worked up was getting us nowhere, I took a deep, cleansing breath and put my hand firmly on his shoulder. “Listen. You have to stop doing things like this. It is just unacceptable.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
And if I didn’t know him better, I would have believed him.
I sent him to bed then checked on Jilly.
“Why aren’t you in your pajamas?”
She looked at me very seriously. “Well, I knew Leo was going to be in big trouble and I figured I should stay dressed in case we needed to get out of here quick.”
“‘Ly.”
“Huh?”
“Quick-LY.”
“Oh yeah. In case we needed to get out of here quickly,” she said brightly.
I couldn’t help but smile a little. “You know, you don’t have to always come to Leo’s rescue when he’s naughty.”
“Well, I do so!” she claimed.
This was a hopeless battle. “I love you, Jilly,” I said as I gave her a big goodnight hug and sent her to bed.
It may seem like I’m being hard on Leo. But that child…. if there is an adventure to be had, or a scheme to try, he’s totally on it.
A list of things he’s done recently? I’ll show you but a few….
Exhibit A: He painted his sister’s purple bike white. Even the seat. Come to find out, Liev had been painting the fence and had left the bucket of paint and his brush out to answer the phone. That’s all the time it took.
“I dunno, something came over me,” Leo said each and every time he was asked why he would do such a thing.
He stole a street sign which we found in our garage.
He was pretending to be in prison and made tally marks across my walls.
He was pretending to live in a haunted house and partially boarded up his bedroom windows. Thankfully, Liev heard the pounding of the hammer and caught him before he could finish the job.
We don’t know where he got this parking meter or how he got it here, but there it is in his room.
Leo loves tracking mud all over the place.
I clean it up.
He tracks it in.
I make him clean it up.
He tracks it in.
Another day has passed since starting this entry. Today, instead of working on my book, I had to go to the school to pick Leo up because he’d gotten into another fight. And he had the black eye to prove it.
He provided his typical excuse yet again when asked why he did this and what the fight was about.
“I dunno, something came over me.”
And Jilly? She’s his partner in crime. The cover up; the silent partner. The witness who swears he didn’t start it. They are in cahoots, those two.
Author’s Note #2: The book generator can be found HERE. I came across it by accident and couldn’t resist using it. The only thing that was a problem was trying to decide which book fit Memphis best because it came up with a few that I really thought were funny.
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ERROR 12 the nemesis of SIMS 3 hahaha. But I’m glad it all worked out at the end. Now the kids are grown. They look super cute, and Leo is a handful. Cant wait to see what the other twins will turn into… hehe.
Thank you so much. 🙂 Yes! Error 12 stinks big time! Leo is definitely a handful, and that may only get worse with time. haha
Ohhhhh! I am sorry you had trouble with your game.
But now I am so excited ehehe. Is Mango an alien? 😀
Poor Leo def is a handful to take care of.
Thank you! It was soooo bad, but this ended up all right in the end. 😀 That’s a good question about Mango. You will find out what happened to him in a future generation. It ended up being some of the most fun I’ve had writing.
Leo…. Ooooh, boy, is he ever. haha
Oh nooooo! I’m sorry your game went haywire on you. Those meteor strikes can really put a monkey wrench into things.
What I do, especially when I’m using a lot of poses and need to use the Move Objects cheat is use a clone file for pictures. The main file is used used for gameplay. This cuts down on the glitches, it seems. I don’t know if that would help you at all but it works out well for me. 😊
Hmmm…speculation about Mango. Dang, I was laughing when you were talking about his reaction to the meteor. I like your mystery element. Seems his disappearance, the scientists congregating on the lot, and his strange behavior are all tied together. It seems to me he’s from another planet and got called home. This would explain why he disappeared without a trace. I guess time will tell. At least Memphis and Keniesha are talking again but I highly doubt that things will ever be the same again. Too many hurtful things said can cut too deeply.
Oh geez, Leo! LOL! I’m surprised Memphis isn’t indulging in a glass or two…or three…of wine every night. That kid needs to run around he block about ten times. LOL.
Hahaha! Your comment cracked me up. That’s a really good idea about using a clone save. I have a way better system now and way fewer problems, too, thank goodness.
That’s a great guess about Mango. I wish I could say more but… spoilers. LOL
You may be right about Keniesha and Memphis. I think Memphis would like to think things will go back to how they used to be, but I’m sure she’ll always find the memories of that time painful.
You’re right about Leo! Send that kid on a jog or two! LOL
Loved Memphis’s enumeration of Leo’s many prizes! He looks so much like his father!
LOL Leo’s antics were killing Memphis slowly. 😛
Aww, as someone with my fair share of computer troubles I know the struggle you wrote about in the beginning all too well. Props for being able to twist it into something to propel your story forward instead of holding you back 🙂 <3
Wow, this Mango business took a much shadier and unexpected turn. Poor Keniesha.
Also, Leo is proving to be quite the amusing child, I like that Jilly has become his partner in crime XD
Thank you so much. <3
I really loved Leo and Jilly's relationship. And I love that you're reading this because I can look back on it fondly. 🙂
I absolutely LOVE this! I love that you took something that happened in game and made it work for you. I know how frustrating it can be when the game throws these wrenches at you, but you adapt really well and I love where this story is going. Also, Leo, Leo, Leo… Adorable!
Thank you! This had me pulling my hair out! LOL But the show must go on. 😀 I love Leo. haha
Haha, it’s so funny when sims put their kids in the corner! When I was doing the chapter about Jared’s past, his horrible dad was always yelling at him and poor Jared was just standing up for himself and yelled back. The result: in the corner! Lol poor kid!! 😂
LOL! What’s so weird is that you’ve lost control completely at that point. If momma or daddy sim wants their kid in the corner, there’s no stopping it! LOLOL
Hahaha exactly!! Sim parents are too strict 😂
😅 😂 😃
Aaaah Leo! I love reading about characters like that, he sounds like an adventure haha! I’m really looking forward to read about his antics as he grows older! 🙂
And Mango, I know that you got hit by a meteor, but that doesn’t give you the excuse to treat your wife like that! XD I wonder what his disappearance is about though…can’t wait to find out!
LOL! Thank you. 🙂 You know, Memphis was always putting Leo in the corner. One time when I was playing, she put him in the corner twice in one sim day! lol
I love your Mango comment. haha That had me laughing in agreement.
Leo Leo Leo tisk tisk tisk
LOL! He’s a corker!
Geez! That book generator is really great, thanks for sharing! I’m enjoying your legacy immensely – Memphis and Liev’s got their hands full now, but I can’t wait to find out how Leo turns out as a teen…
Thank you so much for reading and also for commenting, freja64! 🙂 It’s lovely to meet you. That book generator really cracked me up. lol
Lol! I’ve already used it to make a book cover for Ernest Simmingway’s memoirs! I picked one that wasn’t soo funny…
LOL! I’m glad someone else found some use for it also. 😀
Is Mango an ALIEN? :O (My mind jumps to aliens very easily)
Also my word Leo you are a menace and I love it =p
Haha! I’m afraid it will be a long while before I address the Mango Mystery. 🙂 Leo is so much fun to write. 😀
“Well, I knew Leo was going to be in big trouble and I figured I should stay dressed in case we needed to get out of here quick.” LOL
LOL Thank you 😀
Love the way you’re handling what the game threw you!
Thank you so much, cathytea! 🙂
As hard as it is, I think you made the right decision about the meteor. One of the things this game offers us is a chance to take our stories in directions we’d never choose. Did Phyllis and Val die in the story, or was it just Mango who disappeared? At first, I thought they had, but on second reading it sounds like you just kept the final meteor that took out Mango.
A while back, another sim-friend of mine had two meteors hit, one right after the other. Did you save and quit right after the meteor hit? I’m trying to figure out if there’s some glitch in the game might cause it to repeat the event. Meteors are so rare.
Leo is a Klepto, isn’t it? A parking meter?? And the toddlers are wearing glasses? That seems like a sign of pretty poor eyesight. Toddlers can’t usually be trusted with glasses.
Thank you so much! The meteor really threw me for a loop (yes, I did end up saving right after some of the shock wore off!).. Looking back, I’m kind of glad it happened even though that meant I had to cut some things out of the story that I wanted to do. As you said, this gave the story a chance to evolve a different way. As for whether Phyllis and Val or not, at the time, i left that open because I wanted to explore their story more, but it ended up not working out. Oh, Leo is definitely a klepto. haha Thank you again, Echo!
Surprises in the game can be either amusing or annoying! You seemed to have found a good solution to what the game threw at you!
That is so true about surprises in the game! Thank you! 🙂
I had a problem with meteors one time. Turns out it was caused by something EA had done! Don’t get them often now. I love the kids! You’ve written them well!
Thank you so much, Michele! It seems as if when I first started playing Sims 3, I got hit by meteors quite often. One time, I spent several hours making a sim couple and the moment after I put them in the game, a meteor hit and I lost them. Then, I went for quite some time without any meteors, so this one surprised me! 😀
I just knew Jilly was going to be beautiful. It’s a shame because I was looking forward to the parents storyline and even more a shame we didn’t get to see the meteor! LOL But Leo is going to be a lot of fun. I wonder where that will take you?!
I liked Phyllis and Val a lot and wanted to explore the story more with them, too. I sure wish I’d gotten pics of the meteor. It took me a moment to realize what was going on. By the time, I realized, I think I was in shock! haha If only I could show you Mango’s face, though. I still crack up thinking about it, cruel as I am. 😛 Thank you for reading and leaving feedback, too, Jesse. 🙂
Leo is quite something. And I have to admit, he’s creative with his activities. Too bad about Mango, but it looks like that relationship was already heading to the dogs.
Yes, I suppose you’re right about Keniesha and poor Mango. Leo is probably the most rambunctious sim I’ve ever played! lol Thank you for reading and commenting. 🙂
Wow!! Doom and drama! I guess when the story gave you lemons, you made some good lemonade!! =) I am interested to see the ‘real’ Mango…I figured he was a little too feather-brained to actually attract Keniesha. Hopefully, she will not be too frightened or repulsed by what she find out. Hmmm. As for the kids, my daughter and step-son are only 6 months apart, and people used to think they were twins. They were just like these kiddos, covering up or co-conspiring all the time when they were 4 and 5 years old! Good story…more, please!! =D
Hi, Marj! Yes, I am the lemonade-making type! haha Your daughter and step-son sound like they were a riot! Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting.
Haha Leo is such a troublemaker! I mean it would be really annoying for Memphis (who looks nice as an adult) but his troublemaking is nothing but creative! And I wonder where Mango has gone… outer space, maybe…
Leo is so funny in the game. 😀 And Memphis does get annoyed by him at times. I always have to wait while she scolds him. The other day, she scolded him, then put him in time out twice. 😛 I’d never had that happen in my game before; time out twice in one day! Thanks so much for reading and giving your feedback!
Haha Leo is such a prankster! He really has a gret imagination though. I like where this mystery about Mango’s disappearance is going, makes me think about aliens XD
Hmmmm…… ya’ never know! lolol 🙂 Thank you for coming by and commenting, too. 😀
Oh that Leo one😩
😂
Right? lol 😀 Thanks for stopping by and commenting!