The Broke Legacy (Part 5)
It happened the day Wanda turned five.
In the blink of an eye, she grew into a lovely and happy girl.
My parents were so proud of their grandchildren.
Mom was so happy, that she couldn't help it but kiss Dad right then and there.
"Yuck! Can't they do that somewhere else?"- complained Andrew.
"I love you, Beau", she whispered, just as an unexpected visitor crashed into the party.
It was Wanda who noticed it first- "Daddy! Who is that?!"
"What's wrong, sweetie?"- asked Mom, still unaware that her life was finally ending.
My blood froze when I noticed who I was facing again... exactly five years after his last visit.
"Lilith Broke..."-it hissed- "It's time for you to join your predecessors..."
"No! Please! Not her! Not Lilith!"
"Your time is up, Lilith Broke. Say good-bye to your family, until the day they join you in the Great Beyond."
That scene broke my heart. Dad was crying his eyes out while Mom whispered "I'm sorry... I'll be waiting for you, Beau" over and over again.
This was a nightmare... taking place right in front of my kids' eyes.
That bastard Grim Reaper!
He couldn't take her away! It was not time!
She needed to see the kids grow up!
Molly was about to give birth to her third child anytime now! That kid didn't deserve to not meet his awesome Grandmother!
But the Grim Reaper didn't care... and took Mom away.
She died right then and there.
The kids and Dad cried for hours...
Me... well... I felt numb.
And I was so angry!
It wasn't fair!
That bastard Grim Reaper had hurt my children one last time!
Who was next on his list? Dad? Me?
I wouldn't let him leave my kids alone in the World.
I'd find a way to bring their mother back!
I'd win against Death!
I swear it!
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Our mother's death was a huge blow for the Broke family... and Strangetown in general.
Lots of people cherished Lilith Pleasant, not only because of the many things she achieved as the Mayor, but also because she was kind and open minded.
She always fought against the Federal Government. She wanted all the "special" residents of Strangetown to enjoy the same rights as the normal ones.
That's why many people from around the town came to her funeral.
Molly was devastated. She was so sad, because Mom would never meet her second child, a girl who was due in just two weeks.
Molly and Andromeda had already chosen a name for the baby: Halley Curious.
Their son, Saturn, was also sad for his Grandmother.
Despite not being our real mother (because well... we aliens lack a "mother"), Lilith Broke always felt like one for my pal Andromeda and I.
And well... I guess it's obvious how close Icaro and Mom always were.
Not to mention Henry... I felt pretty bad for him, because Mom was the only parent he had left.
Wanda was silent the whole ceremony.
And Andrew... well, I hoped this loss wouldn't affect him as much as I feared.
Of course, no one was as devastated as Dad.
Lilith Broke not only was his wife. She had also been his best friend and mentor during his difficult adolescence.
He often said he was not sure if he would be able to move on without her.
So yeah... we were all pretty sad.
But then, something happened.
It all started while I was comforting my siblings.
Perhaps Mom was gone, but as I hugged Molly, it felt as if she were still right by my side.
Soon, the sadness was gone, and I started joking and playing with my sister.
The same thing happened to Dad.
The mere sight of his sons and daughter was enough to make him smile.
Even Andrew's tears were gone as he spent the rest of the afternoon playing with his Uncle Icaro.
Who afterwards told me that my son was a little... intense when was playing catch.
Little by little, the tears were gone and replaced with laughter and games.
So, as you can see, Mom's funeral was the rare occasion in which the whole Broke family was reunited for the first time in years.
Once again, we were the little family that lived in that shabby shack so many years ago.
No matter how much things had changed since then, or how far away we might live from each other.
We were still a family.
We were still together.
And that was Lilith Broke's biggest legacy.
And that's when I realized that we shouldn't be sad for her departure.
Her spirit would always be with us any time we were together.
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And, trying to stay true to her example, Dad, the kids and I moved on.
Well... to be honest, while I wasn't sad anymore about Mom's death, I was still angry with the Grim Reaper.
He had taken my wife away before she was able to create a legacy like Mom's.
My kids would be unable to grow with her example and love.
And I knew there was something I could do to fix that horrible mistake.
Therefore, I spent countless nights studying paranormal books.
And doing research on the Internet.
That's how I discovered the existence of a group that studied everything about the Grim Reaper and the Great Beyond.
The group had a webpage with members from around the world.
But to my surprise, the group's main base was located her in Strangetown.
A town whose habitants had a closer contact with Death.
There was even a legend that among us Strangetown citizens, walked no other than Death's Son.
Of course, so many nights awake and studying left me exhausted in the mornings.
And my job as a Medical Researcher required a lot of energy and concentration.
Therefore, I became a liiiitle addicted to caffeine.
Nothing like a triple shot of Espresso to start every morning.
Dad didn't like my new schedule.
"You shouldn't spend so much time awake, Cosmo. If you don't sleep well, you might get ill. And the kids need you..."
"I won't get ill, Dad! I know what I'm doing! I'm a Doctor! And it's precisely for my kids' sake that I'm studying this much. I... I want to give them back the family they deserve..."
The kids were fine.
Wanda didn't mind being the only female in the family.
She spent a lot of time in her room, playing with her doll house.
She also tried to spend some time with her brother, playing his "silly boy games".
But Andrew rejected her most of the time.
When I asked him the reason, he told me her "weird, black eyes" still scared him.
I spent many afternoons retelling Andrew everything about our race and how I was born.
He was especially thrilled when I told him my adventures in the Graslaxian Spaceship and how I met his mother there.
I was glad, because despite not looking like it, Andrew does have alien blood. And he should be proud of it.
He became closer to me and Wanda after a few weeks.
Andrew was a little trouble-maker.
Not matter how much I tried to keep the house clean, he was always creating a mess.
Dad always said that my son inherited Uncle Dustin's personality.
I encouraged him to be a good example for Wanda, like the big brother he was supposed to be.
"Don't worry, Dad! I'm gonna be a good example for my sister!
But despite his promises, Andrew never worked on his homework.
He never studied and couldn't care less about school.
"Not now, Dad! I'm tired from school! Not to mention that I'm completely bored too! It's like my teachers suck my fun-meter so much that they leave it in the red! I just can't concentrate like this!"
Wanda was a bit easier to handle.
She didn't enjoy her homework either, but at least she did it.
Her grades weren't precisely great, but at least she would pass the school year.
But Andrew...
He was failing.
I was afraid he'd be forced to repeat fifth grade.
Dad and I realized that these kids needed constant tutoring.
So, I gave up my paranormal studying nights in order to help my kids with her school work.
Thankfully, Wanda cooperated with us, and soon the Broke's nerd tendency hit her.
She even enjoyed reading and therefore began to spend some time with me during my study nights.
Her topic of choice: Romantic Fairy Tales.
But no matter how much I threatened him or how much I tried to talk some sense into him, Andrew just refused to make his homework.
I didn't know what to do anymore!
_______________________
Men! They just don't know how to handle their own kids!
It's a miracle they haven't killed themselves yet!
Well, I guess that if you want a good job done, you've got to do it yourself.
But first...
Sleep well, my sweet Beau.
And don't be sad anymore.
I'm having a great time with our loved ones.
Brandi says hello.
And Dustin wants you to hurry up, but I told him you've still got things to do.
Bella is fine, Cosmo.
She misses you so much.
And she's devastated because she won't see her kids grow up.
Cassandra and Alexander are keeping her company.
Don't worry about her...
So here's the little trouble-maker.
Wake up, Andrew!
"Huh? Who is there?"
"How many times did I tell you how important is to study?! You want to make your family proud, don't you? Little boy, if you don't get back to those school books, I'm gonna give you a lesson! Don't think that just because I'm dead I can't still punish you!"
"Ahhh! I'm sorry, Grandma! I'm so sorry! I promise I'll study! Please don't get mad at me!"
Little Andrew is a good kid deep inside.
I'm sure he's gonna be all right.
So this is little Wanda... my... she has grown so much!
"My dear child! I'm so glad to see you!"
But I guess Wanda didn't remember me... so I'm afraid I scared her.
Well, I guess my job is done.
Take care, my good family.
I'll be keeping an eye on you...
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The following morning, Dad woke up with a huge smile on his face.
He had a wonderful dream involving Mom.
He was especially cheerful at breakfast.
"It felt so real! Like if your Grandma was actually by my side! I know it's stupid but..."
Nor Andrew nor Wanda told him about the huge scare Mom's ghost gave them.
I asked them to not do so.
It seems that Mom's huge scare worked like a charm.
Andrew promised he'd be a good student from now on.
Just like Wanda, I spent many nights helping him with his school work.
It was obvious he didn't enjoy it, but he made a huge effort.
And soon his grades began to improve.
By the time he finished Elementary School, he had a solid B+ average.
And soon came the day he turned 13.
So yeah, as I said, four years after Mom's "visit", things were going fine.
Andrew was ready to transition into his teenage years.
I inwardly feared that moment, to be honest.
It was amazing how much he resembled his mother.
The older he got, the more I could see Bella's features on his face.
Around that time we adopted a puppy.
Me named her Tessa
Andrew and Wanda were also closer now.
They often talked about their mother, as if they were trying to re-build her picture with their faint (or in the case of Wanda, non-existent) memories of her.
Andrew began to enjoy reading.
He often read the Graslaxian books to Wanda.
Sometimes, she asked him to read her other kind of books.
Andrew wasn't precisely fond of cheesy, pink novels.
But Wanda adored them.
I guess so many pink novels kept her "girly" traits alive.
After keeping her hair short for the first years of her life (because neither Dad nor I had idea how to comb a girl’s hair), she asked us to let her grow hers out when she was seven.
She spent a lot of time in front of the mirror, trying new hairstyles.
I'm not sure, but I guess she was good at it.
She even once looked for Bella's old make-up and dressed up as a Princess.
Errr... I wasn't fond of watching my ten year old daughter wearing make-up, but I let her play her fantasies.
It was the least I could do for her.
She was still an avid reader.
And by the time she was in fifth grade, she was an A+ student.
I was so proud of her.
Andrew had really matured a lot.
Despite the dark make up and that piercing (that nearly drove poor Dad insane), he was a good kid too.
He was responsible of Tessa.
He often made dinner (although his cooking skills weren't precisely great).
And he still enjoyed music as much as he did as a child.
He still didn't enjoy schoolwork, he often said it was because the contents taught at school were boring and useless.
He wanted to learn so much more. He wanted to know about the Graslaxians!
He wanted to learn to cook unique recipes! He wanted to create a masterpiece or to play as many instruments as possible!
His search for knowledge was beyond an academic desire (like mine). He wanted to be as skilled as possible.
Of course, that meant he had to get accepted at College.
So he spent countless nights studying with Wanda.
And while his grades weren't precisely stellar, he hoped he'd get into College.
So yeah, things were pretty stable... for now.
As for me, well... I was fine.
After spending the last 15 years working at Strangetown's Hospital, I was finally promoted to Chief of Staff.
My life-long wish was finally true! I've managed to transmit to my fellow Earthlings everything I knew about Graslaxian Medicine.
Not to sound vain, but my research had saved many, many lives in the years I'd been working as a doctor.
Really, I had every reason to be completely happy.
I had a great and strong family and the job of my dreams.
But one day, as I returned from work, I felt... empty.
Was this it? Was this everything I had left in my life?
I never stopped with my paranormal studies.
And soon I was a well known member on the online community.
They were especially impressed by my knowledge about extraterrestrial life.
And the leader wanted to meet me as soon as possible.
Angie Horowitz visited our house the next day.
"You could be a great addition to our group, Cosmo. Your studies about the Graslaxian culture are just what we need.
If you join us, we could teach exactly what you've been looking for. I know you long for a reunion with Death... and we might teach how to do it..."
"You'd really do that? I... I'd do anything to get that chance! Anything!"
"I'm glad to hear that, Cosmo Broke, for you may have to quit what you cherish the most..."
Later that night, I prepared some cups and coffee and called Dad downstairs.
I was sure this discussion would last the whole night.
"So... I see you spent the whole afternoon with that gypsy woman... I remember she was the one who brought Molly and her first boyfriend together, with the help of her crystal ball and all of your sister's savings. What a bunch of non-sense..."
Dad nearly choked on his coffee when I informed that I had quit my job as Chief of Staff to join the Paranormal Cult of Strangetown.
He didn't say anything. He just stood up and went to the bathroom.
I followed him.
"Dad?"
"Are you out of your mind, Cosmo S. Broke? Don't you see what you've done? You've just... quit the job of your dreams to follow a bunch of stupid beliefs?! I... I never liked when you spent so much time on the computer, but I never thought this would go so far! What kind of example is that for your children?! Do you still believe you can bring back Bella?! You have to let go the past! I... I don't know what to think anymore!"
Dad was so angry at me that he didn't talk to me for weeks.
But I didn't mind... I knew this was the right decision!
I was hired as a UFO Investigator (what else?) with an even better pay than when I was a doctor.
And I enjoyed this job so much! I've learned everything from this planet's life! It was time to learn about its death!
Dad eventually forgave me.
He still wasn't happy with my choice, but he accepted it.
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And three years went by...
Wanda was so happy.
It was finally her turn to enter her teenage years.
"I wish for a boyfriend! To find a great, true love!"
Wanda became a beautiful young woman.
She really inherited a lot of Graslaxian features.
She looked a lot like some of the female Graslaxians I met during my years in the ship.
After many, many evenings studying (and with the help of a couple of special classes), Andrew finally achieved top grades!
We gave him some drums for his 16th birthday.
He nearly drove the neighbors insane.
Wanda was still a good student, but didn't spend as much time reading as she did as a child.
She had found a new passion.
Videogames.
I blame Henry, top game designer, for that.
She sent the kids a sample of his games and a new console for Christmas.
Andrew liked them, but Wanda loved them.
Every evening, just as I returned home from work, I found her playing in the living room.
She played so much, that we often found her asleep in the sofa the following morning.
And on Saturday mornings, she always got up early... to play some more games.
Well, Wanda loved to play any kind of games.
I guess she was a lot more laid back than Andrew and I.
She often said that life was made to have fun.
So she would have as much as fun as possible.
And if it was playing videogames, even better!
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A couple of years later, it was time for Wanda's first day at High School.
Just like every morning, everyone woke up early and went downstairs around 7
Except for Wanda.
I was already up and making breakfast, and there was no sound coming from her room.
"Hey Wanda! Hurry up or you'll be late for school!"
"Why is she taking so long? I don't want to miss the bus!
"Be patient, Andrew. There must be a reason why your sister is taking that long..."
"Errr... yeah... and now I see the reason..."
"What are you talking about...? Oh... my! What have you done to your hair, Wanda?!"
"Do you like it, Grandpa?"
And Wanda's odd make-over marked the beginning of the huge tide of changes that would sweep the Broke household the following year.