Ch. 2 - The Secrets Part 2

 
Sunday, 05:00 pm, Valentin and Madeline were in front of Alexis’s Relics Store.

Theme Song: "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg

“Valentin, do you remember this place? This is where we first met. You once helped me when a thief stole my wallet."

"I remember.” 
“So?” 
“So... ?” 
“So... don't you want to take me for a coffee or something?"
"Madeline, I- ”   

 

“I really need to go now. I have to meet someone.”
“Someone? Who?"
“My girlfriend.”

"Girlfriend? I thought you haven't had a girlfriend, Val.”
“I was.”  
“Who is she? Do I know her?"
“She is…..”
He was about to answer her, but he noticed Annabelle going inside the store.



"Annabelle!"

"Annabelle?" Madeline turned her head around. From the corner of her eyes, she found a girl with a long brown hair. 

“Annabelle? Hello! my name is Madeline. I've just arrived from Sunset Valley. I came here with my daddy. He owns the famous hotel here. Hôtel Fleur Eternelle. I guess you might have already known since my daddy and I- " Madeline said at length.


 
Annabelle wasn't really listening. She turned her head around and saw Valentin running.


"Hello...?" Madeline waved her hands. "Are you listening?"

"Ugh, what were you saying?"
  

 

"Do I know you?" 

Madeline tried to smile, pretending that she had not noticed the boredom expression on Annabelle's face. "My name is Madeline. I'm Valentin's friend. Are you his girlfriend? If you don't mind, I would like to have a coffee with him. We haven't chatted for a while and coffee seems nice, so-"
 

 

“Hey!" Annabelle cut her off. "Madeline or whoever you are, I don't know what you're talking about, but you've got it all wrong here. I'm not his girlfriend and if you wanted to have a coffee with him -- he's already gone by now.  "

"What?" Madeline turned her head around. She didn't see any sight of him -- not in the store nor in the park. Guessed that Annabelle was right.

 

Valentin was in a rush. He was driving his old scooter to the Nectary. He didn't lie to Madeline at some point. He was in a hurry to meet someone there. He promised to pick her up at the Nectary at 5 pm. He was fifteen minutes late and when he arrived there, she had already finished harvesting the grapes. That time was harvesting time, and once a year, the Nectary invited everyone to harvest their grapes there.

The view around the Nectary was beautiful. Red and orange hues filled the sky as the sun started to hide below the horizon. The nuance of rural was so adhere and the field was filled with ripe grapes ready to be picked. One or two pickers were still there to harvest them. They  hummed -- singing a legendary folk song. 

"It's beautiful," she whispered -- standing in the field and looking at the sunset drowning between the clouds. It was so beautiful that she wasn't aware of his arrival.

Valentin stood behind her, watching her closely. He pulled out something out of his pocket.  "She would love this." He smiled and put it again.

As he walked toward her,  the flashes of old memories slipped back into his mind.

 

 

"Valentin,  see this? Isn't it beautiful!" 

Rosaline and I were hanging out in the school yard when she caught a red butterfly with her hands. I was so tired that I didn't feel so excited about it.


"Yeah,  can we go home now?"  


It was time to go home.

Rosaline loves  butterflies. She asked me to see it. I thought she's going to keep it, but she opened her hands and  let it flew up into the air.

There are things which I haven't known until now, but I know that Rose is not my biological sister. Her real mother is Eve Lisle. She and her mother stayed in our house in Sunset Valley when Rose was still a baby. Ms. Eve is a nice woman and was very close to my mother. She  liked to give me presents at Christmas, but I never saw her again after the New Year's Eve when I was six. It took quite a long  for me to really understand that she had died when Rose was four.

The accident was reported in newspapers. Mom kept the clipping about it in her diary until one day... I found it.  

 

The fire spread fast that made the firefighters unable to extinguish it until the next morning.  Ms. Eve was found in a burning car not far from Old Pier Beach. She was found with an unknown man whose identity still has not been revealed until now.



Rose was thrown out of  the car right before the car got burned. The rescuer team found her behind the bushes. 

 

My parents kept this information hidden from Rose and they  locked Ms. Eve's room. Her room was filled with lots of photographs of her, a man, and Rosaline when she was a baby. I don't know if the man in those photos is the same man who was found in the car. I don't even remember his face. I was so young at that time, but I knew that mom planned to tell Rose about it after she grew up. She wrote it in her diary. Unfortunately, mom  never had a chance to tell her about it.

Now... the only one knows about it is only me. But how am I supposed to tell her that my parents are not hers and her real mother had died years ago? And not to mention, her father whereabouts. Is he the same man who was found with Ms. Eve? Or... is he still alive right now? If he is still alive, he seems not to care about her since he  never  tried to find her. 

My parents took care of Rose like their own daughter. Mom and dad even gave her our family name and since then, I have a little sister who always followed me around at school. At first, I couldn't get along with her, especially when she started her elementary school. 

Until now, I often laughed at myself  remembering how childish I was. I thought she  was trying to take  all the attentions from me. Mom and dad often praised her for all her good grades and how nice she really was as mom's little helper. 

I agreed that she's nice and smart. In fact, she's nice to everyone. I could not deny  that and I admired her for that.

 

 But, I ran out of patience when a boy named Rick annoyed me and calling me stuffs. Rick Peterson was a bad news. I still couldn't figure out  why he often did that. 

 

"Loser!"  Rick said to me with an annoying face.  Rose and I were  hanging out in the playground and suddenly Rick came to me with harsh words. 

"What - what did you say?"

"Loser! You're -an idiotic- loser!" 

"Hey, don't call me that!" 

"Why? You always hang around with your little sister there. Why don't you dress like a girl instead? Even your sister is smarter than you." Rick mocked and laughed at me. I was so upset. No one could ever insult and called me a loser.  I lost my patience and things were getting into high tide as Rick jumped at me.

"Val!" Rose tried to break us off. "Stop this!"   

 I lost the brawl  and she was helping  me to stand, but I refused her.  "Just stay away from me!"

I yelled at her and ran -- leaving her alone in the playground. I caught a glimpse of confusion in her eyes. I felt so terrible. I went to Miraj Alvi's house and stayed there until the afternoon came.

Since then, I avoided her most of the time. Whenever she tried to talk to me, I  found a way to escape her.

... until the day I saw Rick was about to do something bad to her. I might have ignored it, but, I could not let that happen. 

" Rick, leave my sister out of this!" 

Rick and I got into a fight again.

The last thing I knew, our teacher came and split us off.

 

"Take that, Rick!"  This time, I  won the fight.


"Valentin White, Rick Peterson! What are you two doing? Come to the principal's office at once!"

As I went inside the principal's office, I could not imagine how mom and dad would have reacted. I had already disappointed Dad with my bad report card and now this ... I didn't know what else to explain to them.

"Valentin, could you explain this?" The principal glared at me behind her round glasses. I glanced backward and realized that Rose was still following me there.  

She raised her little right hand. “Mrs. McKenzie, can I explain this? I saw what happened.” 


The principal turned to her. “You certainly may, Rose.” 

“Mrs. McKenzie, Val was only trying to help me.  I went to the locker room and found Rick rummaging through Val's locker. I smell something bad from inside it."

 

"We argued. Val was there only to help me.  Please believe me, Mrs. McKenzie. If you like, we can go there and see what Rick has put inside the locker.”


The principal stared at her. “Okay. We will go there. Valentin, Rick, the two of you may come  with me."

The principal went inside the locker room and found my homework filled with stench.


"Rick, do you have something to say about this?" 


Rick said nothing. He bowed his head down in fear.


"Rick Peterson, I asked you again. Did you put this inside Valentin's locker?" 


"I-  I did, Mrs. McKenzie." 


“You did?" The principal glared  as she took a deep sigh. "Everything is clear now. I will have a word about this to your parents . Rick, you should write in your book that you will not rummage through your friend's locker, be nice towards everyone- and all must be written one hundred times. As for you, Valentin-" The principal turned her glare at me. "You still did the wrong thing by fighting in the locker room.  You should stand outside class to think about what you did until Miss Eliza come to pick you up. Someday, you must learn to handle your emotions.”

I stood outside class  until the school bell rang. Our teacher, Miss Eliza, hadn't showed up when everyone had left. I continued to stand there until unexpectedly, Rose came and stood beside me.

“What are you doing here, Rose? Shouldn't you be in home by now?"
  
“I want to accompany you. Time will pass quickly if you're not alone." 

 
As she stood beside me, we didn't talk. I peeked at her with  my left eye, but... "Ouch!"  I groaned as I felt the pain on my knees. 


A red scratch emblazoned my skin. It must be from the fight with Rick Peterson. Rose noticed me trying to hold the pain with my hands. 


"You're hurt?"

"Nah... It's only a scratch."

"Val, I think you should sit now."
  
"Miss Eliza may come here in any time soon."

"Yeah, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind."


I couldn't argue.  I walked toward a bench nearby and sat there. 





"Good thing I always bring this with me." She took a plaster out of her pocket and pasted it on my knees. I watched her as she cared my wound carefully.

 

"That's it. I hope it's not going to be so painful  again tomorrow morning."  

She's  nice. I know. 

I felt so ashamed of myself. I felt my cheek turned red from the strange beat in my chest. I realized I was so selfish. I thought she was going to take all the love from me, but the truth was, I should have feel abundance of love from mom, dad, and then from her. I should have felt overwhelmed with love instead of jealousy. 

"I'm sorry. I yelled at you. I didn't mean it. I'm glad that you are my sister."

 

"I love you too, Val." Rose embraced me with a  warm hug. 

I was glad that Miss Eliza forgot to pick me up. She came  not long after that. 

 

Since then, I promised to be there for her as a brother and as a friend.

  

And  now... as I watch her standing beside me all of these years, my feelings for her have grown into something more -- more than as a brother or as a friend. I once doubted it, and tried to run from it, but now... I'm so sure than ever.

I couldn't stop it --  though part of my head said that I should. 

But, my heart said I shouldn't. I shouldn't stop it. It's illogical. Love can never be logic.


All that I know now is that  I want to cherish all the days I have with her.

 
Even If I cannot say how much I really love her, it's enough. Just to know that she's okay and happy is enough for me.

I'm already happy.

 
"Thank you, Val. This bracelet is so beautiful."

I gave her a butterfly bracelet since she loves butterfly so much.  
 
I want to make her happy, every day, every morning, every night.

 

Like she always does...

... makes me happy with her smile.
 

Someday, I will tell her everything, but until that day, I will do the best I can do in everything to be the man suitable enough for her. I will build a well-established life for both of us.

 

The road isn't  easy, but there's always a way out. I have applied for a job at the law  department. Even though, I haven't received any reply for my applications yet, but I'm not going to give up on this. I'll do everything I can do for both of us.

This week, I have delivered Titanium and Nectowhiz Computer Chip from Lea Dutiel to the Nectary and they gave me $800 for it.

 

I'm still collecting gems and  sell them to the Alexis's Relics.

 

Though lately, I only found low quality gems with low prices. 

 

On the bright side, I met Adolphe Chevalier who has just moved in to France with his family. He and his wife, Mrs. Na Xiao Chevalier, offered anyone in the town, an intensive and free course of Martial Arts for two weeks. I thought it was a good opportunity and would be useful for a career in Law Enforcement so I took the opportunity. 

At first, I have to practice with training dummies to balance the coordination of my hands, eyes, body stances, strength and breathing rhythm.

 
Then...after a week of intense training, I finally earned my first belt.

I was so excited and as a return for their kindness, I repaired their broken TV. Mrs. Chevalier was so grateful that she made us a moon cake. 


At the end of the second week, they held a sparring test to evaluate whether their students would be suitable enough to receive the second belt. I am the only  student there, so I have to do spar with both of them. 

 

My fist spar was with Mrs. Chevalier. I was so nervous. I have never had a fight with a woman before. I hoped Mr. Chevalier wouldn't mind if  I accidentally hurt his wife.

But after I tried to attack her, I know shouldn't have worried because Mrs. Chevalier had fully mastered the Martial Arts Skill.

"Lesson No. 1, Keep your emotions inside! Don't let your opponent finds your weakness!”

I managed to hold on, but I lost the breathing rhythm and almost ran out of energy.

"Lesson No 2, don’t forget to balance your strength and let it out at the right time to attack your opponent!"


That was close. Maybe I could defeat her after all.

 

"Lesson No 3, Stay focused. Don't let your opponent controls the situation!"
 

Mrs. Na Xiao Chevalier won the spar  with the score of 2:0 

I was  glad that Rose wasn't  there to see me got defeated. 
 
Mrs. Chevalier  complimented the improvement of my Martial Arts Skill and she  told me a secret about Mr. Chevalier's weakness. I must admit that Mrs. Chevalier is nice and.... err quite beautiful.

 

I walked outside to find Mr. Chevalier and then I saw him in the backyard -- breaking some rocks. 


 Breaking some rocks?!

I was wondering how would I be able to get out  of their house in one piece?

 

Yet, I was still feeling so excited.

  
I pledged to myself that I should not be defeated.

 

I used everything I have learned...

...and everything I could do.

 

  

Even though-- in the end -- with a hit over my chest, I lost the spar.

 

"It's an honor to do sparring with you, Monsieur!"

"It's an honor for me too, Kiddo. Congratulations! You deserve to receive the second belt."


What? That was unexpected. 


"You have made lots of improvement. Remember to keep your heart and soul pure and you will master the true wisdom and skill in Martial Arts!" 

"Thank you. Mr. Chevalier!"

 

 

Today, I want to celebrate my new belt. I've earned a little cash, so I went to the grocery store to buy  ingredients to make Grape Pancakes. 

 Pancake is Rosaline's favorite food, if you're wondering. 

 

Girl, this is such a simple cake!

 

Oh, I'm so good at this.

"Qu'est-ce que vous voulez manger, Madame?" (What do you want to eat, Madam?)

 

Whoa, what the heck?

 

Voila! Look delicious! I hope she's going to like it.

Perfect.

All of these doesn't look too much for a little celebration. It will  only  be a simple dinner  in our backyard with Pancakes and Juice. 

I can imagine her sitting over there, eating this pancake that I made for her. Oh, I wonder where she is. She said she would be a little late because Mr. Fouchier and his wife had asked her to babysit again. She told me not to pick her up because Mr. Fouchier would drive her home tonight.

 

She's very late. 

 

 

I'm  so tired. I'm going to sleep for only five minutes. 

Rose, come home soon...

To Be Continued….

Notes:

Sims cannot find a job in vacation place All they can do to find money are completing challenges or selling vegetables, fish, gems, etc.  Rose working as babysitter and Valentin as a cashier in General store are only for story telling purposes. => They are able to do so with mods like The Register (Twallan's) . 


I chose to let him learned the Martial Art skill without going to China for story telling purposes too.  However, I stopped him from learning Martial Art after he received the second belt. And I just want to say : "I can't wait for Ambitions!!" (Although I want season so much)