prequel stories #8: reconstructing the founders, part 2

In April of 2006, a group of young college graduates decided to start their brand new lives by settling in a once-quiet little town called Lakeside Heights. Until now, there has been little record of who these people were, apart from a few aged photos and the basic public record of their family tree. This effort is to reconstruct their lives as best we can, through their family who might remember them.

***

Charlie Bradshaw, and his wife Mirabelle: survived in the Bradshaw, Gibson, Riley-Kim, and Buchanan families.

A conversation with Cody Bradshaw and Madison Riley.

"Our dad, Charlie Bradshaw," Cody says, "He was a fine man. You wanna see our dad, you just look at Andy. Identical. Not just in looks, but just a fine man all around, a military man just like Dad. Who'd of thought the runt of the family would turn out better than his big brother?"

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself," Madison says.

"But he did," Cody says.

Madison nods.

"He should probably be the one doing this interview," Cody says. "But you know, he's kind of unreachable right now."

"Charlie and Mirabelle," Madison says. "Oh how in love they were, you never met a sweeter couple. Those pictures must be from just before they were married."

"You look just like her, Maddy."

"Oh, I don't know," Madison says. "She died in my first year of college, and it just broke his heart. She was only fifty four years-old. Andy was only fifteen then, the poor kid. I know, he's not a kid anymore. He never really talked about it though."

"But dad lived to be an old, old man," Cody says. "He came to live with me in the end."

"You always like to mention that, that he lived with you in the end, like either me or Andy had that option."

"Well anyway," Cody says. "He did come to live with me in the end, and he was eighty-eight when he died, a right old man."

Cody says, "Don't you remember that was also the year that jerk husband of yours broke up with you? Mom was on her death bed. I remember that."

"He wasn't my husband then, he was just a kid, and he didn't know mom was sick. I know, you always hated my husband."

"Your husband was always an idiot. I'd beat him up all over again if I could."

"He beat you up, if I remember correctly."

"And that's okay," Madison says. "I haven't liked any of your wives."

"Well," Cody says.

"Yes, well, it was good seeing you again, Cody, take care of yourself."

"You too Maddy. Give the girls a hug for me. Give Bryson my best," he says.

"Best what?"

"Oh, I wasn't going to say."

***

David Riley, and his wife Mallory: survived in the Riley-Kim and Buchanan families.

A conversation with Bryson Riley.

"My mother played the piano," Bryson says. "Not professionally, but just as a hobby. My father didn't play. It was always one of those things he said he wanted to learn. He bought our piano, some big showy thing that he placed right in the grand foyer. It might as well have been another statue, for all he cared. Like all the other things he said he was going to do, but never did, while he went around doing whatever else he wanted."

"They were... fit for each other, I guess you could say. My father, the playboy, the business failure, and my mother, the trophy wife. She was a decent woman, but if I had to be honest - and that's the point of these things, right? She was pretty vacant. They had money, but that didn't make them fine people."

"I was never husband of the year, Maddy would tell you that. But my dad, he didn't even try. The stuff he got away with, with my mom. It's not like I didn't know it went on."

"But then, he never knew I knew, and never would have even cared what I thought, one way or the other. Or her either. I don't know if she ever had any boyfriends of her own. If she did, I didn't know about that. Maybe they intended it that way. Less fighting, less trouble. But I'll take the fighting, when I deserve it. Maddy's too smart for anything else."

"But my dad, he left a lot of debt when he died. This "empire" he claimed to have built, it was all false. It was a show. Everything on credit, nothing substantial. He was rather young at the time, when he died, which meant I was pretty young when I had to clean up his mess. Thirty-four years old, voted the youngest "business tycoon" in Lake County history - how about that for the record books?"

"But then, all of this, everything we have, every penny, me and Maddy built it from the ground up, and nobody ever knew the difference. We didn't need to defame my parents like that, for their failure. The past is the past. But since you're asking, this, it's all ours. So at least there's that. My girls are happy and loved. Maddy's at the peak of her career, and she still loves me, after everything. My work and my girls, that's all I need. I'm a lucky man. Luckier than my father ever was."

***

Jessa (Briggs) Nova, and her husband Castor: survived in the Nova, Phoenix, Hathe, and Day families.

A conversation with Abigail Collins and Jeremy Nova, Stephanie and Willow Day.

"We had some good times, didn't we? When we were kids."

"Sure we did," Jeremy says.

"Mom was a lot of fun," Abby says. "She was a bright soul, so creative and full of life. I see a lot of her in Sophie. Sophie wanted to come, but she had a luncheon to cater, the busy woman. Just like mom."

Jeremy nods. "She worked until the day she died," he says. "She was an artist."

"You never would have met your grandmother," Abby says, turning to Stephanie. "I don't think any of you kids had come along yet, when she got the cancer."

"Maybe Sophie was pregnant with Hayden and Jack?"

"Maybe," Abby says. "We were old enough though, the three of us. Well, you know, you're never really old enough, but we were okay, in our twenties and thirties by then. You met your grandpa Castor though," Abby says to Stephanie.

Stephanie nods.

"He also died of cancer, but quite old."

"Trista too," Jeremy says. "Cancer."

"Not Rhianna though," Abby says. "She was a car accident, the poor girl."

"They can get cancer out there," Stephanie says. "That's why they have to wear those stupid suits."

The room is quiet for a moment, except for the sound of Willow kicking the side of her high chair.

Abby says, "Well it's good they're wearing them then, isn't it, sweetie?"

Stephanie nods. "I guess."

"Dad, he was in cancer research, toward the end," Abby says.

"You take after Dad," Jeremy says. "The brains."

"Well that's it then, if I do," Abby says. "He was so charismatic though."

"He was quite the cad in his day," she says. "Do you know how many girlfriends he had in college? Mom said quite a few. Maybe more than you did."

"I didn't have that many," Jeremy says.

"You had enough," Abby says.

*******

notes: do you guys miss Aunt Abby? I miss Aunt Abby. Not enough excuses to get her in a story, lol!

So I don't think it's probably normal in most families, but in my experience at least, it's quite normal to sit around and listen to the elders talk about everyone who got cancer :\

Cody and Madison, man, I'd just like to say, when I sat them down together, I had no idea it would come out so bitter!

I also finally made it through responding to your comments in who are you? thread, and I added my answers too, so you all can take a peek at that again if you want :)

ETA: I only just realize that Stephanie couldn't even be bothered to get out of her pajamas for the interview, lol! I give her mommy-brain on my behalf. Willow's still a baby - I don't think I dressed myself properly until my kid was two or three ;)