Saturday 22 March 2014

Chapter 22 - Gen 2 - Tapestry


When I open my eyes and wake up on the couch the next morning, I just lie there for a while not sure I'm ready to face the day, yesterday seriously gave me way too much to think about!!

The first and only thing on my mind is the purple old man, the Grandparent from hell, who slept in my room last night.  How can the world be so small and me so unlucky to end up crossing his path?!  I really don't know why I've never been told about him ... surely they should have warned me about him, especially with us landing in the town where they know that he lives.

I really don't like anything that Storm told me about him either and if I never see him again it will be too soon!!  I am just hoping that he has woken up sometime during the night and taken himself off home so that I don't have to see him ...

... but I am never going to be that lucky am I!!


When I do finally motivate myself into moving, I am far from happy when I stroll into the kitchen to find he is still here and sitting quite comfortably at the kitchen counter.  After what Winter had said last night I am even more surprised to see an empty plate sat in front of him like he's just eaten breakfast.  He's sat drinking coffee while he casually chats with Winter like they are old friends ... when I know they are not.

I certainly didn't expect to find this, I thought she wanted him gone first thing!?

He glances up at me and smiles as soon as I walk into the room, I don't worry about my eyes because I'd slept with my orange prescription contacts in just in case I forget to put them in like I do sometimes.

"Oh ... it's the piano man!!"  he says and starts laughing as I walk slowly across the kitchen feeling his beady eyes on me.  Dad has always said that he can see some of my Mother in me, I really don't know what he sees, but I just hope that the old man doesn't also see it!!

I walk straight over to the coffee machine ignoring him.



"Thanks for picking me up off the pavement son, most would have just left me there!!"

After everything that Storm had told me last night I am quite surprised he even has thank you in his vocabulary, but I guess he thinks I'm a pure orange berry, I know his attitude towards me would be totally different if he knew who I really am!!

"I'm not your son ... and maybe if you didn't drink so much you wouldn't find yourself on the pavement with your head split open in the first place!!"  I snap at him as I pour myself a coffee, I glance over in his direction and he looks at me in surprise, so does Winter who then frowns at me disapprovingly as she tries to hands me a plate of pancakes which I ignore, sitting down at the counter.

"What's up with you this morning ... the couch too lumpy for you?"  she laughs trying to lighten the atmosphere that I'm creating, as she places the plate of pancakes on the counter in front of me.

I tell her I don't want the pancakes and sit drinking my coffee while I stare at the old man ... I only have to look at his face to see Prelude and Mulberry ... now I know, I can actually see it ... I can't see my Mother though!!  I presume she must look more like the Grandmother, but too much has gone on for me to even remember what she looks like, I only saw her briefly at Storms funeral.

I can't get out of my head how Storm said he had treated Affair and my Mother and the things he's said about her ... I'm really not surprised that all of his children and his wife are together and away from him in Sugar Valley ... rebelling ... probably doing exactly the opposite of what he would have wanted ... I'm one of 10 Grandchildren that he doesn't give a shit about ... so why should I give a shit about him, especially not after the hell he must have put my Mother through ... it's no wander she has blocked out her whole life before her coma, I shouldn't imagine she wants to remember it!!

"So Winter tells me you are lodging here for about 6 months with your brother ... are you planning to put down your roots in this town?"  he asks me, I wander what Winter has actually told him about me and River and what's with the small talk ... I thought she wanted him gone first thing!


"Not if I can help it ... I really don't like this town or the people living in it ... I can't wait to move on!!"  Winter cuts her eyes at me  "Although as landlady's go ... I guess you are the best we've had so far on our travels"  I smile at her, she just rolls her eyes at me.  "It's the first time we've ever had our own colour room before!!"

"I have to say, I was a little surprised to wake up in an orange bedroom and walk out into a blue house!!"  he says laughing  "I thought I was still drunk!!"

"I always like my long term tenants to have there own colour room, it makes them feel more comfortable ... lucky for me when these two turned up on the doorstep ... my last long term lodger was orange too ... so I didn't need to decorate!!"  Winter smiles at the old man.  I like her little white lie, I know that she decorated that room orange because of River, so that when he's here if anyone questions their relationship, it looks like he has his own room.

"Winter was just telling me about your brothers accident ... it could have been very nasty!!"  I look over at her for a moment, I can't even imagine what she might have said to him.  I am really not enjoying this, it's bad enough that I have to sit here talking to him in the first place, without not knowing what I'm supposed to be saying!!

"Yeah, the worst thing is we are now hauled up in this town for way too long because of it ... we would have been long gone by now!!"  I say as I take a sip of my coffee glancing at Winter.  I look down at the old mans hand which is irritating me, he is drumming his fingers on the side of his mug which is now sat on his leg.  I spot the wedding ring on his finger.

"Won't your family be worrying about you stopping out all night?  I bet your wife and kids must love you being hammered all the time ... you have been propping up that bar like a professional every time I've been into work!!"  he just laughs at me, he finds it amusing.

Winter doesn't find it the slight bit amusing, I catch her out of the corner of my eye pulling faces at me.  I'm guessing the mention of his family has panicked her ... this is when it could all come out ... and she doesn't know that I already know exactly who this man is and that I don't have the slightest intention of telling him that I'm related to him.


"All of my children live miles away from here in some dead beat town and the wife ... actually she's left me, she's gone to live with one of our sons or daughter, I'm not sure which."  he says as casual as you like as he takes a sip of his coffee, looking at me over the top of his mug ... yeah if only he knew who he is talking to!!  How dare he call Sugar Valley a dead beat town when its a hundred times better than this town!!  This town is full of berry holes like him who just abuse each other!!  "So I live alone now."  he mutters

"Shame ... but that kind of serves you right for being a bad tempered drunk doesn't it!!"  I say putting my half empty mug down in front of me as I'm getting up off the stool.  I walk off out of the kitchen and into the living room ... probably a bad move on my part, I should have just gone to my room, I can still feel his beady eyes on me as I can see him watching me through the fish tank glass.

I'm not sure I could have stayed in the kitchen for much longer without saying something I shouldn't and the very last thing I want him to find out is who I really am.  I can't get my Mother out of my head ... just looking at him sitting there so innocently is making me angry, it's been a long time since I've had an outburst but I can feel my head starting to go, if I let it go I will definitely be saying way too much, so I have to walk away.

 I sit down on the piano and start playing it quite angrily.


Storm sits down on the couch by me and is laughing his head off but he's telling me I really shouldn't be trying to rile that man up.  I hadn't realized he was even around to hear any of that, he said he didn't want to spend the night in the same house as that man and said he'd go out and see if he can find where the homeless girl is sleeping now, she no longer sleeps outside the hospital, I think we have scared her away from there.

"So did you find the homeless girl?"  he starts smirking at me and says he has, she has quite a cosy base in the woods which he nearly missed because its quite well hidden, he says he'll show me later.

"Guess who I was talking to last night!!"  he smiles at me  "Levi ... your blue homeless friends son ... he wants you to pass a message onto his Dad for him"

"Oh No Storm, I'm not starting that shit!!"  I start to have a go at him, I don't care if Winter and the old man are still watching me, I explain to Storm that he shouldn't have told the spirit that I can see and hear them, I told him what they do when they find out about me, they don't leave me alone asking me to do stuff.  "If I get a string of spirits pestering me I'm going to fade you!!"  I snap at him, he starts laughing ... he's already faded, I suppose that was a silly thing for me to say!!

"I didn't tell him, he's seen us talking ... all he wants you to say is that him and his Mothers spirit are getting very upset watching him sat there in the cemetery all the time ... they want him to pull himself together and move on."  He told me that Denim's wife and sons spirits are still here watching him and neither of them can rest until they see he is happy again.  When I ask about his two daughters spirits, Storm says they aren't there anymore they have passed over.

After we finished out conversation I decided to take a shower, as I walk out of the living room Winter is just seeing the old man out, she closes the door behind him.  Straight away she calls out to me and comes tearing across the hallway towards me stopping me from going into the bathroom, she looks angry.

"Are you always so rude to people??  There was seriously no need for any of that!!!"  she snaps at me quite angrily "I don't get you sometimes, you pick him up out of the gutter last night like you care ... then you snap and snipe at him this morning like he disgusts you ... what the hell was that all about??"



"Don't pretend like you don't know!!"  she frowns at me

"No I don't know ... you tell me!!"  she snaps at me

"You know as well as I do just exactly who that man is ... Grape Orchid ... it doesn't take a genius to work out that I'm related to that purple berry hole!! ... but then you knew that already didn't you ..."  she just stares at me saying nothing  "I can just imagine it ... you and River have had strict instruction off Daddy to keep me well away from that man and not tell me anything about him!!" 

"Something like that."  she mumbles

"See that's where you are all stupid ... and if everyone would just stop treating me like the idiot child and just tell it to me straight instead of hiding everything from me ... I wouldn't get myself into half the situations I get myself into!!!"  she looks at me wide eyed "A bit of warning would have been nice ... If I'd known sooner that the Grandparent from hell lived in this town then I might have been able to have avoided him ... I wouldn't have brought him home ... I'd have just left him in the gutter!!"

"I don't get it ... how did you find out?"  she asks looking very confused  "You haven't been speaking to him in the night have you ... he doesn't know who you are does he?!"  she starts to look worried.

"No and if he had found out who I am - it would have been all your faults!!  Storm told me all about him last night before it became way too late to stop a disaster happening!!"  I see her frowning at me and she mutters Storm? " ... and if you don't already know who Storm is yet, ask River!!"  I snap at her quite angrily.

I already know she probably isn't the one I should be getting angry with ... it's Dad ... but she knew and she's been hiding it too ... as has River ... I dread to think what else they are hiding from me!!!


As I go to open the bathroom door I hear her cry out.  I turn to look at her, she has her hand on her stomach and is pulling a face.  Oh Fudge!!

"What's wrong?!"  I frown at her worrying now something is wrong with the baby.  My mind flashes back to my Mother when Cotton came early.

"Nothing, he's just playing football with my insides again ... he's got an evil kick on him!!"  she grabs my hand  "Here you feel."  she says and places my hand on her stomach.

At first I wasn't too sure how I felt about it ... it made me feel sad wandering what Honey would have looked like with a huge stomach like Winters.  Then I felt a constant thumping underneath my hand which started to fascinate me because I can feel the baby kicking my hand ...

Then Winter distracts me saying she is really worrying about him coming early, she knows she's probably being silly but if that does happens it could end up disastrous for all of us especially with her cutting it fine by staying here until she is eight months pregnant because of how long River is going to be bed bound.


I know why they are doing this and taking this risk ... again it's because of me ... there is nobody here but me to look after River when he comes out of hospital and they don't think I am capable of looking after River here on my own.  I'd also put money on the only reason River is actually coming out of the hospital to finish his recovery at home is so that I am not left alone in this house on my own.  They seriously don't trust that I can look after myself.

"I might have a solution that lets you go to Sugar Valley as soon as you need to, now even!!"  she raises her eyebrows  "You don't trust me to look after River on my own so all I need is someone here to help me right?!"

"Well yes, but who Tapestry there is no one, nobody is going to want to drop their life to help look after Mango till he is back on his feet!!"

"I know someone who would be more than happy to drop his life ... just to get a roof over his head so he can sort his life out!!"  she frowns at me  "He's homeless ... he has lived on the streets for five years ... he's a really nice guy ..."

"Are you joking?  A homeless guy?!"  she starts laughing

I explain to her about Denim, what happened to him to put him on the street, the loss of his whole family in a horrible accident and how he ended up on the streets because he couldn't cope with the loss and from what I can see he still isn't coping with the loss because he doesn't have a life ... if he had a life he could move on ... he just needs to be given a break!!


"Do you enjoy collecting hopeless cases!!"  she laughs at me when I've finished telling her about Denim "You can tell you are a doctors son!!  I bet you used to bring all the injured animals home for your Dad to fix when you were a kid didn't you!!"  she continues to laugh, I'm getting a little irritated because I don't think she is taking this seriously.

"Denim isn't a hopeless case, well he might be right now, but all he needs is a break ... a roof over his head, then he can get himself a job and put his life back together ... without somewhere to live he can't get a job ... he's stuck in a viscious cirlcle ... he seriously is a nice guy ... and you do have an empty spare room and he could help me with River, so you can get off to Sugar Valley and I'll pay for anything he needs out of my wages, I've got nothing else to spend it on!!"

"You are serious about this aren't you!!"

"Meet him at least ... let me bring him round ... please!!"  she stands there for a few moment like she's thinking about it "He's blue ... you should help your fellow blue people!!"  she laughs at me and calls me an idiot.

"Okay ... I'll meet him ... but I need to speak to Mango about this first ... so don't get carried away ... I haven't said yes yet ... I'll think about it!!"  she smiles at me

She tells me to bring him round tomorrow because she doesn't have work.


I head straight to the hospital to speak to River about Denim and have the Grandfather situation out with him,  I know he's probably not the one to be getting angry with either, but he's been hiding it too and he must have known about my Grandfather living in this town since the beginning of our trip.

If only they had told me about him in the first place, who he is and what he's done, his aversion to mixed and colourless berries, and that it's dangerous for him to find out who I am.  I could have caused a load of trouble without realising because once again I'm being kept in the dark ... if I'd known he was in this town in the first place I would have made a point of completely avoiding him.  Now it's too late ... the initial contact has been made and I don't know how I'm going to get rid of him, he is one of the regular drunks that I see every day when I go into work he is bound to talk to me now from time to time ... the only way for me to completely avoid him now is to quit my job ... and I enjoy that bar and that job!!

River told me he was sorry ... he had to trust what Dad told him because he knows me better than River knows me himself.  As far as Dad is concerned I don't know my Mothers parents still exist and as long as I didn't bump into Grape Orchid to get to know him, neither of us would ever have known each other exists. Dad didn't think I could be sensible enough to keep away from him if I knew I had a Grandfather in this town ... he thought I might get curious and even go looking for him.

Dad really does think I'm an idiot doesn't he!!

Dad was far from happy when he found out Jazz was sending us to Rainbow Valley, he tried to get Jazz to send us somewhere else but Jazz wouldn't have none of it ... this is the safest town vampberry wise for us, it is far too hot during the summer months even at night for them to entertain coming to this town, besides Winter is here to put a roof over our heads, we have a safe house to live in until we can go home, there was always the risk of us running out of money or being caught out in a motel if we had gone elsewhere ... it has also worked out for the best because of him being laid up in the hospital for this long ... this is the best place for us to be right now, regardless of Grape Orchid living in town.



I asked him what else they are hiding from me ... he says nothing ... he looks uncomfortable when he says it ... I don't believe his nothing, I know there is more ... there always is!!  but I let it go because I don't want to start arguing with him now, I need to talk to him about Denim.

"I've been talking to Winter, she's worried about the baby coming early with her not being able to go to Sugar Valley when she needs to ..."  he interrupted me laughing

"I wandered how long it would take you to bring that up!!"  he starts laughing at me  "She's just phoned me  ... I hear you've been making friends with a homeless guy!!"  he raises his eyebrows at me, I thought oh here we go, I'm in for a lecture!!

I was quite surprised that he didn't lecture me, he actually likes the idea in principal, he's been trying to talk her into going anyway he thinks we can manage on our own but she's just over fussing.  He's never been happy about the risk they are having to take especially with her flying when she's eight months pregnant, she really needs to be going in a few weeks time and he says he's coming home on Tuesday which surprised me because they hadn't told me.

He is just worried about whether Denim is really going to be okay.  It's easy to say Winter is moving to Apple Hill where the babies Dad is supposed to be until after the baby is born, the only other thing that worries him is my eyes ... he can't find out about me being a mixed berry.

I left the hospital in a better mood ... I thought I would have to fight them both and the answer would be no straight away, but they are both thinking about it, and they both want to meet him which is a good sign.


I found myself wandering around the streets looking for Denim ... I need to find him to tell him about coming round tomorrow to see Winter.  He wasn't in the park or on Main Street with the other huddle of homeless folk who tend to hang out behind the shops waiting for food to be thrown out ... I suppose I should have known where I would find him ... sitting in the cemetery.

"You still not found that colourless girl yet?"  he laughs at me when I sit down next to him, he made me laugh telling me that whatever that girl had stolen from me would probably be long gone by now, of course she hadn't stolen anything from me that has just been my excuse for looking for her I couldn't tell anyone the truth.

"No, actually I was looking for you!!"  he frowns at me  "Just fancied a chat ... I guessed I might find you here somehow!"  he just smiles at me and tells me that he visits every day and even sleeps here sometimes when the weather is nice and the grass is not too damp.  This seriously can not be healthy for him ... he's prolonging his agony spending way too much time here ... he is not letting go and I'm sure he should have done by now.  I remember what his sons spirit had said to Storm.

"You know I'm not sure this is good for you spending all your time here ... I know your wife and kids wouldn't be happy seeing you do this to yourself ... they would want you to get on with your life, they would want to see you happy!!"  he looks at me for a moment.

"I guess you are right but that's easier said than done!!  I don't have a lot else to do with my day!!  I suppose if I had some sort of life I wouldn't be sat here all the time" 

"I might be able to help you with that!"  I smile at him  "I've had a word with my landlady ... it's not for definite but there is a good possibility ... she's thinking about letting you move into the spare room so you can sort your life out."  he looks at me really shocked.  "She wants to meet you tomorrow to check you out."

"Are you serious?!"  his eyes are really wide which makes me laugh, he sits there just staring at me I don't think he knows what to say.


We sat chatting for hours while I explained to him about Winter being pregnant and needing to move to 'Apple Hill' where the baby's father is very soon and about River being in the hospital and he's due out next week and that I will need someone to help me look after him especially when I'm at work because he'll be bed bound for another 2 months and I'm not completely reliable anyway because of my own medical conditions which I also had to explain to him.

He said he was more than happy to help me with River even if she doesn't let him move in ... it will give him something to do to occupy his mind.  I believe he would too, even if he cant move in, I can just feel that he is a really nice guy and doesn't deserve to be where he is - I just hope Winter agrees to put a roof over his head to give him the stepping stone he needs to sort his life out.

I gave him some money for food, which he didn't want to take off me at first, and my watch so he could tell the time to be round our house at 10 am in the morning.

I left him in the cemetery standing there a little dazed.

I hope to berry Winter and River both say yes!!


Storm is showing me where the homeless girls hide out is hidden in the woods.  We walk quietly through the woods, between the trees, trying to avoid stepping on any twigs or anything that will make a noise which might alert the homeless girl that we are approaching her hideout.  Of course this only applies to me, Storm floats he doesn't actually touch the ground, but he has to stay completely silent, we can't talk to each other because she can hear the both of us.

Storm waves to me and points at some bushes, which he floats through, I follow him, it's not so easy for me, I'm having to try to fight my way through the bushes quietly.

"It's okay, she's not here."  Storm says suddenly appearing in front of me.  I continue to fight my way through the bushes now no longer caring about the noise that I am making because she isn't here to hear it anyway.  "This is where she slept last night ... she had that rug over her and she was sleeping with a teddy bear"  he starts laughing.  I think his eyes must have been playing tricks on him ... a teddy bear!!  She is a grown woman!!  I think ... I still haven't managed to work out if she is a teenager or an adult because she is so thin and delicate.

I stand staring around and can not really see what he means by it being cosy.  She has built herself a camp fire which looks like it hasn't been lit in a while. I can see what looks like a really dirty rub lying on the floor under the trees which Storm says she sleeps on, the small area is surrounded by a circle of bushes that hide it's existence, you wouldn't know it was here without coming through the bushes. There really isn't anything cosy about this.

We don't hang around, planning to come back after dark, and spend the rest of the day until I'm due into work walking the streets looking for her again without success.


I look over towards the bar when I walk into work, and as I suspected there he is, Grape Orchid, propping up the bar as normal sitting in his usual seat slurring his words.  I had hoped that after last night the landlord would have barred him from coming into the bar ... but there he is as large as life sitting in his usual spot and I can imagine that he's probably been sat there since he left our house this morning.  I don't even go over to the bar to get myself a drink, I don't want to give him the slightest opportunity to talk to me again.

I sit down at the piano straight away and start playing, trying to get lost in the music so that I don't have to think about Denim sleeping out on the street again tonight, wandering if Winter will let him move into the spare room, the homeless girl who has the worst of both worlds being homeless and colourless, Honey, the babies, home, and especially not Grape Orchid!!  They are all pushing my buttons and I'm worried my head is going to go.

I am managing to shut everything out quite successfully until I am disturbed.


"Well Tapestry ... it seems you have more than two strings to your bow."   I hear a male voice speaking to me over the music.  I think I recognize the voice behind me but can't think who it belongs too.  I look up and see the over dressed flash git from the park now standing next to the piano ... great this is all I need!!  

"You surprise me you are also quite the pianist ... I didn't put you down as a flavored water kind of guy either ... the guy behind the bar told me ..."  he says as he places the glass of water down on the piano ... what the hell does he want now.  This is the last thing I need after the day I've already had!!  I'm already not in a good mood and I really don't like this bloke!!

"Thanks ... Did he also tell you that I'm busy working?!"  I tell him hoping he'll clear off, I don't know why but he gives me the creeps.  "So don't even ask me to start singing again!!"  he starts laughing and continues to stand there ... great!!

"I know you are more than capable of playing and talking at the same time so I'm not going to stop you working!!"  he says as he puts his hand on my shoulder  "However, the landlord says you are due a break so I can pinch you for ten minutes while we have a chat!"  I don't believe his nerve!!

I look over towards the bar and the landlord smiles at me and puts his thumb up.


I jump up off the piano stool a little irritated, first that he's touched me and secondly that he has the nerve to arrange a break for me when I don't need or want one yet.

"So is it just the guitar and piano you play?" he asks me before I have a chance to say anything.

"No, bass, drums, violin ... "  he asks me if I play them as well as the guitar and piano "Pretty much so I'm told."  he pulls a strange face then laughs saying I must have spent my childhood constantly having music lessons  "I've never had a music lesson in my life ... Look I'm supposed to be working, is this conversation going anywhere?"  I ask him wishing he would hurry up and get to the point.

"Well Tapestry ... I'm still waiting for your phonecall ... I don't usually have to chase people around or remind them to phone me!!"  that guy behind the bar talks too much or this one asks too many questions ... he even knows my name!!

"I've been busy!!"  I frown at him  "Anyway what do you want with me exactly?"  I ask him quite irritated, he just laughs at me for a moment.


"I'm sure you must know, I can help you put your musical talent to far better use ... it's wasted on the park and a place like this!"  he puts another one of his cards on the piano next to the glass of water, telling me just in case I lost the last one.

"You're wasting your time mate, I can't read it, I'm dyslexic, so you can give me as many of those cards as you want but I ain't going to be phoning you so you may as well just spit it out while you've got me here!!"  he starts laughing at me quite loudly telling me I've got some attitude.

"Did you just say you are dyslexic?!"  he frowns at me ... I know exactly what is coming out of his mouth next ... I'm sick of having this exact same conversation with everyone.

"Yes ... and before you ask no I can't read sheet music ... I play everything by ear."  an expression crosses his face that I can't really read.

"Interesting ... Maybe I should introduce myself seeing as you don't appear to know who I am."  he's so up himself, he looks quite miffed that I am not acting like I know who he is or licking his shoes like I should imagine most people do, that is of course if he is who I think he is.

"I already knew who you are ... Gilbert Grape"  I smile and he smiles back  "I just don't get what you would want with me!!"  his eyebrows raise for a moment.

"I'll just cut to the chase shall I ..."  his face goes really serious  "I'm not sure you even realize just how well you play the guitar and piano, I have some famous artists signed up to my record label that don't play half as well as you do ... or sing for that matter ... son if you keep hanging around on the streets like you are doing it won't take long for one of the other labels to pick you up ... I want to make sure it's mine ... I want you to come to my studio's ... I can do a lot with you ... I think you have a good recording voice and you play your own instruments better than most ... I can put you a band together or turn you into quite a successful solo artist."




I look at him for a moment like he's gone mad!!  Is he for real or is this some sort of joke?!  I couldn't have heard that right!!  When I don't say anything he smiles at me and I just continue to stand staring at him.

"You do want a career in music don't you son? ... you'd be stupid not too!!"  he says frowning at me.

"I've never really thought about it ... you're having me on right!! ... You have to be ... this has to be some big joke I'm nothing special!!"

"You let me be the judge of that!!  I say you've got something ... and it's not often I'm wrong!!"  he laughs at me quite loudly again as he watches the expression on my face saying it makes a refreshing change to find someone who doesn't realize how good they actually are when he has to fight his way daily through a load of delusional people who think they are good when they really aren't.

I'm stood again like an idiot looking at him like he's gone mad, while he just keeps laughing at me.  I swear he's had too much to drink or something ... he can't be talking about me!!

"You've got my card ... I'll let you have a think about it ... Do you work here every night?"  he asks and I tell him I'm just here on weekday nights. "I'll pop by in a couple of days then and we can talk more, if of course you don't call me first!!." he smiles at me

I'm a little speechless, my head is still reeling from what I think he has just said.

This has got to be some sort of a joke!!


"Well, I'll let you get on ... my son is waiting impatiently to eat, he's always hungry that boy!!"  he laughs as he tips his hat at me. "I'll speak to you soon"  he says as he walks away.

I carry on standing there in a daze for a few moments wandering if I have just made all that up in my head, as I watch him walk away, he tells the barman to shout him when his table is ready and sits down on a chair not too far away from the piano.  I notice there is a man standing by him looking in my direction who I presume must be his son.

His son is just standing there staring at me, he smiles at me when he sees me looking at him then sits down next to Grape.  I can't help but stare at Grape's son, he seems ... familiar ... like I've seen him before but I can't quite put my finger on who he is.  Have I seen him somewhere round town?


I sit down and start to play the piano again, but can't help keep glancing over at Grape and his son occasionally, I'm trying to work out who his son is ... I know I've seen him before!!  It is really starting to bug me because I feel like I should know him.

They are busy talking most of the time when I look over at them, but I notice sometimes they are just sat watching me, or glancing at me while they are talking.  They are starting to make me feel a little uncomfortable.

I am glad when I hear the barman shouting them to tell them their table is ready and they go off to eat.  I don't even look to see where they are sitting hoping that I will be able to forget about them so that I can relax.  Who am I kidding!?  How am I going to forget about them ... Grape has filled my head up with things that I seriously can't believe I heard him say to me.


Storm sits down on the nearby table, he's laughing  "Ewww get you!!"  he thumps me pretty hard in the arm and I swear at him quietly under my breath "I told you you could sing!!  You should phone him, in fact ... don't be an idiot ... if I was you right now I'd be over there snapping his hand off!!"

"Slow down ... I don't believe he actually said what he did yet!!"  he laughs at me

"Oh he said it alright!!  Man you are so jammy ... Grape chasing YOU around!!"  he starts laughing  "I hope you are not going to be stupid ... Tap you need to phone him ... you need to go for it!!"

"How can I?!  Think about it ... I'm not really in a good place right now am I ... and I'm a mixed berry with a colourless Mother from Sugar Valley remember and it's not like I can keep that a secret forever ... as soon as he finds that out he'll run a mile anyway, so whats the point!!"  I hate talking to him while I'm in public just in case anyone sees me.

"You should talk to River!!"  I told him I plan too first thing in the morning  "I didn't know that Rocky was Grapes son did you?!  That's really surprised me!!  I can't believe ROCKY is in here!!!! Isn't it funny how they always look different in the flesh ... Rocky he's a lot taller that he looks on the tv!!"  

Fudge!!  Rocky!!  I knew I'd seen him before!!  Now my head has totally gone!!  How did I not recognize him straight away.  I should have!!  It's not like I don't know who he is or don't have any of his albums back home ... I've actually got all of them.  I would never have expected to see him in real life and especially not to walk into a bar like this!!

Storm goes off on one rattling his head off  "You know he's always bugged me ... you cant see it, but now I see him in the flesh, I think it even more ... I swear he's a mixed berry!!

"Don't be stupid!!"  I laugh at him

"Straight up Rocky's eyes and hair ... they are more teal than green ... Grape is as green as ... stood together they look like they are two totally different coloured berry's, except Rocky has Grapes skin colour"  I ask him what colour is teal, I've never heard that one mentioned before  "Teal is a strange colour, it's like a mix between blue and green, some say its a shade of blue, some say it's a shade of green ... his clothes are black and teal too, I don't know how he gets away with it in a colour coded town!!"

I shut my head off to his rabbiting ... all this talk of colour really doesn't mean anything to me not being able to to see it and I really don't like all the stupid rules in the colour coded world, so I stop listening to him.


It doesn't take long before I'm disturbed again a pint glass is put down on the piano.  What now!!??  I think I can already guess who it is going to be by Storms mouth ... a string of fowl language starts flying through the air as he moves off the table and onto a nearby chair.  I look up to see the last person I want to see.  Grape Orchid.

"There you go son, I thought you might be getting thirsty, you need a proper drink ... water is for girls!!"  he says as he stands behind me, I hope he doesn't plan on standing there for too long.  Storm reminds me just to humor him and not to wind him up, hopefully he'll soon clear off ... I think he's worried I might wind him up and we end up fighting.

"Don't touch that beer either ... there is vodka in it!!"  Storm tells me, I didn't intend on touching it anyway. I look up at the pint glass sat on the piano and start laughing, it's no wander he's always so wasted if he is mixing vodka with beer.

"Thank's, but you'll have to drink that pint ... I don't touch your poison ... I'm happy with the water."  I say to him and he just laughs at me

"You are a 'girly wuss!!  Look at you with your long hair, I bet you are gay aren't you!!!  You should drink it ... it will put hairs on your chest!!  Men don't drink water!!!" 

This makes both me and Storm laugh for quite a few reasons ... especially him saying 'girly wuss' which is one of Preludes favourite saying, he constantly calls it Parsley because he thinks he is too soft!!   It is pretty obvious where Prelude got that saying and his bad drinking habit from.

I carry on playing trying to ignore him, hoping he will get the hint and go away, but he doesn't.


"You in a better mood now?" he asks and I tell him not really, I presume he's on about the way that I acted with him first thing this morning.

"That blue woman of yours says you're a grouch when you first wake up!  How would she know, that's what I want to know ... I hope there isn't any colour mixing going on there!!"  Oh Berry!!

Blue woman ... he knew Winter's name this morning?!  Is that how she explained my bad attitude with him this morning.  It actually reminds me that I did always used to be a moody git when I first woke up, but I haven't done that for a long time ... and I hadn't even noticed!!

"She's definitely not my woman ... she's my landlady and I'm a grouch all the time, I'm surprised she said only in the mornings!!"  I start to worry about his colour mixing comment, and remember Storm saying he would dob me in if he knew I was a mixed berry - that's the last thing we need the police sniffing around if he really is suspicious and says something  "And you're right by the way I am gay!!"  he starts laughing and calls me a wuss

I turn to look at him when he shouts out quite loudly suddenly, He's hopping on one leg while he's holding the other because he's just walked into the table Storm tells me.  The old man is paying more attention to the glass he has in his hand, trying not to spill his drink.  I laugh at him as I watch him hop backwards hitting the table again, which makes him fall backwards and he ends up landing on his back on the table, the pint in his hand spills all over him.  he sits up and wobbles a little then almost falls off the table, he manages to steady himself then just sits there clutching his pint glass staring at it angrily because there is only now half a pint in the glass, the other half is dripping off him.

"Wow!!  I've wasted half my pint!!"  he starts swearing and arguing with himself because of the beer he's lost ... I think he's more wasted than I thought he was.

"Oh Berry!!"  Storm bursts out laughing  "The guys a FOOL!!  How can we be related to that!!  It's no wander my Dad is demented!!"  he is sat there having hysterics at the old man who is still sat swaying on the table muttering to himself.

I'm struggling, it hard not to laugh with Storm because the guy is a fool!!   I'm also finding it seriously hard to believe that this man is my Mothers and Mulberry's Father!!  Prelude I can believe ... he's already half way like him when he goes off on his drinking binges.


"So do you know Grape?  I saw him over here talking to you?"  he asks and I just tell him he might have a job for me  "You want to watch that one, he's a very slimy green fella ... he only see's $ signs that one!!"  he starts laughing which turns into a five minute coughing fit before he sits quietly for a while drinking.  Why doesn't he just go!!

"You are a strange one ... you talk to yourself a lot don't you!!"  he starts laughing at me.  "Are you a fruit cake?"  He must have been watching me to see me talking to Storm, probably this morning at home, and here tonight.  I hope Grape hasn't seen me doing it!!

"I prefer my own conversations, I don't feed myself bullshit like everybody else does!!"  he starts howling at me, he sits there for ages chuckling away to himself before he goes quiet too busy drinking

"Never trust anyone who's green, blue or orange!!"  he says suddenly

The stupid old berry hole!!  Does he not see I am orange?!  The bar man had said last night he was sick of him coming in here causing trouble ... I should imagine his mouth starts all the trouble, he really doesn't seem to care what he says to anyone!!

"I wander why he said green, blue and orange?"  Storm says, I just frown at him  "Think about it ... Mom is green, Ice is blue, your Dad is orange!!  I wander!!" He could have a point, I'd not even thought about it.

The old man just sits there on the table for ages waffling rubbish, sometimes he's talking to me, most of the time he's talking to himself, most of the time what he is saying doesn't make a lot of sense either ... I'm not even sure he's still on this planet!!   I just pretend that I'm listening and make the odd comment, but most of the time I just ignore him hoping he will go away.

When his beer glass is empty and he's also drained the one he brought over for me he gets up and staggers off over to the bar to order himself another drink and thankfully stays there and doesn't come back.

I'm secretly sitting here hoping he will start another drunken fight so I can try and help persuade the landlord to bar him permanently ... if Grape Orchid keeps insisting on bugging me every night, I'm seriously going to have to consider quitting this job and finding another one.

I seriously don't want to be around him and I definitely can't afford him to find out who I am.


Storm has been quietly sat watching Grape Orchid making a fool of himself at the bar for ages because he's arguing with one of the other drunks accusing him of drinking his pint while he wasn't looking  "It's coming!!"  Storm says and laughs ... I've been listening to him shouting waiting and hoping for a fight to start. "You are being watched again by the way!!"

I look up and Grape and Rocky are stood close by just watching me.  They both smile at me.

"Do yourself a favour son, don't encourage Orchid ... he's a wrong one that one!!"  Grape says to me  "Even his own family have all legged it because they can't hack him!!"  I can't help but laugh in my head ... this is getting silly!!

I can't help but think there is a third strike for me ... being a mixed berry, having a colourless Mother, Grape Orchid being my Grandfather ... actually four strikes if you throw in my brain disorder ... Grape is definitely going to run a mile when he finds that lot out!!  For the first time I think I can understand where Mosaic is coming from when he resents our parents for what he is ... being a mixed berry, he can't go off to Uni and chase the career he wants, because he's trapped in Sugar Valley like the rest of us having to make do with what is available to him which is far from what he wants!!  I would love a music career, it is probably the only thing that I can do with my future, but I've never really thought about it because realistically it's never really been available to me.

Grape and Rocky walk past me on their way out and they both say goodnight and Grape reminds me he'll pop by in a few days to speak to me.  Now I'm a little star struck watching Rocky walk out of the place, not quite believing he would be in here in the first place, let alone speak to me ... he only said goodnight and smiled at me ... but he's a rock god!!!

I can't believe that Grape seems to be serious about this either ... and I definately wasn't hearing things, Storm heard it too!!  I really need to talk to River about this!!

I played the rest of the night until midnight in peace.


After work is finished me and Storm set out from the bar, its after midnight and we make our way to the woods.  I'm not messing about anymore this has gone on way too long, if the homeless girl is there tonight, she is going to listen to me whether she wants to or not, I'm hoping she'll be asleep so we can pounce when she's not expecting it, even if both me and Storm have to pin her down to get her to talk to me, she can scream all she likes in the middle of the woods I doubt anyone will hear her.

The darkness is making me very nervous, and I'm really not comfortable especially going into the woods where it is even darker ... I can't help but think about the vampberrys, I think they are always going to haunt me after dark.

It's getting pretty dark as we make our way deeper into the woods, I keep my eyes on Storm, his bright transparent figure almost shines in the darkness. It is almost impossible for me not to make a noise, because of the darkness, I can not see the twigs that I can hear snapping under my feet as I tread on them.  We get to the bushes that her hang out is hidden behind, Storm holds his hand up, telling me to wait while he disappears through the bushes silently.  He isn't gone for long when I hear him shouting.

"Tap you need to come here ... QUICKLY!!"  he shouts.

I make my way blindly through the bushes, trying to push them aside as I move through them, some of them springing back hitting me pretty hard.  I stumble out into the clearing tripping over some low branches, almost falling on top of the homeless girl who is just lying out cold on the ground close to the bushes.



"I think she's sick!!"  Storm says as I stare at her.  "Or faded!!"

Great!!

She is lay flat on her back on the ground, she doesn't appear to be moving at first.  I look at Storm wandering if she is still alive.  I crouch down close to her nervously and try to find a pulse in her neck like I've seen my Dad do loads of times.  It takes me a while but I find one eventually.

"She's still alive!!"



I touch her forehead and she feels really hot like she's got a fever. I slide my hand under her neck planning to pick her up off the floor, as I lift her head slightly she starts to cough a little and I can feel her start to shake slightly as she starts to mumbling almost like shes delirious ... she looks really sick ... she opens her eyes and looks at me for a moment, her eyes almost roll to the back of her head before she closes them again, she definitely is not capable of running anywhere and she doesn't even struggle as I scoop her up off the floor.

"I need to get her to Winter quickly!!"  I say to Storm as I stand up with her in my arms, she's as light as a feather, I'm not even going to struggle carrying her home, there is nothing to her but bones.  She suddenly throws up all over me  "OH Gross!!"  Storm starts laughing at me as I pull faces at my jacket which is now covered in her vomit.

"Winter is really going to love you, especially after last night!!" he starts laughing at me

"I've got no choice, I can't take her to the hospital, she's colourless, they won't treat her they will just turn us away ... you heard what River said about how they treat people who lack colour in these colour coded towns!!"  We start making our way out of the woods and back home.

I walk past a few people who stop and stare disgustingly at me, giving me really strange and not very nice looks for carrying the colourless girl through the streets.  All I can think is ... Morons!!  I think I know they would have just left her there to fade!!


I can't help but wander how Winter is going to react to the colourless girl, she's been raised in a colour coded town, she's even said herself she'd never seen a colourless person until recently ... she's going to make me angry if she reacts badly to her because of her lack of colour, I wander if she realizes when she moves to Sugar Valley she will be living in the same house as my Mother?!

When I walk through the front door I can hear that the television is on, I'm really surprised that Winter is still up, lay on the couch watching a film.  I make my way quickly into the living room still carrying the homeless girl.

"Winter she needs your help ... I think she's sick!!"  she looks up, automatically jumping to her feet when she sees the homeless girls in my arms.


"Tapestry .... NOT AGAIN!!" she shouts



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Rocky belongs to Whitewaveldc
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7 comments:

  1. "Not again!" Lol...He has such a good heart!

    My boy is a Rock God! Awesome! Great chapter.

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  2. O_O Wow what an excellent story. I loved reading every minute of it. You've gained yourself a new fan and devoted reader. I was disappointed that I couldn't read Generation One Chapter 24. Did you not publish that one for a reason? I was kinda confused since it skipped a large portion of the story but none the less I loved reading every minute of it. Out of all the characters I must say that Mango Sr. and Tapestry are by far my favorites. I love their personalities. I'm thinking of writing my own Rainbowcy and using Mango in the story. He's the perfect Sim for what I'm thinking of. I hope you update soon and publish Chapter 23 (Gen 2) I'm looking forward to reading it. I was wondering if Crystal is available for download? She is just adorable. ~^_^~

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    1. Thank you :D I'm glad that you are enjoying it!! I'm really sorry I did publish chapter 24 Gen one - i just forgot to put the link on the index page. But a little tip for you when you get to the bottom of each chapter - you will see Older and Newer post links ;) that way you wont miss anything - Chapter 24 gen 1 was one of my favourites - and you should read it now the link is there lol
      Yeah Mango Sr is my FAVOURITE character - I'm addicted to him and can't leave him alone LOL
      You are welcome to use Mango - if you do start your rainbowacy - let me know I'd love to read it :D
      Crystal I'm not sure I will have to ask - she is not my sim - she belongs to Whitewave and she let me berry her and thin her out - I'll get back to you on that one :)
      And the next chapter will be out later today :D
      Thank you for reading and commenting xx

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  3. LOL, Tapestry is like a humanitarian or something, all these people he keeps bringing home. It must be driving Winter crazy. o.O Maybe he can finally talk to the homeless girl, she was making me nuts running away all the time, but I understand, LOL. Haha, the record producer guy seems nice enough, I mean, of course, he sees money, but it could help Tapestry too. It would be difficult being in the public eye and having all of his crazy family history, though, but Rocky does seem like he might be mixed, like Storm said, so maybe Gilbert doesn't mind that sort of thing.

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    1. He is very kind hearted - but then so are all of the people who are brought up in a colour mix world - I hope that the contrast between the two worlds is coming through without me saying it.
      You are very observant ;D Rocky is the key to Tap having a good future!!

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  4. Lol! "Not again!"

    So much happened in this chapter, wow. I would be shocked if Rocky wasn't a missed berry. The observations that Tap and Storm made about his appearance seem to line up with that. It will be interesting to see if Tap takes Gilbert up on his offer.

    Grape is really a piece of work. I just don't see any redeeming qualities about him. I hope Tap gets away from him soon.

    I really hope that Denim takes this opportunity and refocuses his life. He's greived for way too long and needs to learn to live without them; that he can live his life and still remember them at the same time.

    Good for you, Tap! Telling everyone that they need to stop treating you like a child! He's really grown up a lot.

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