Chapter 1.45

Chapter 1.45- Advice

Yet here, Laertes? Aboard, aboard, for shame!
The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail,
And you are stay'd for. There- my blessing with thee!
And these few precepts in thy memory
Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar:
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg'd comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in,
Bear't that th' opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are most select and generous, chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all- to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell. My blessing season this in thee!

William Shakespeare- Hamlet

            Galen’s birthday party still went on, sims dancing, singing, laughter ringing above the persistent drive of a booming bass as Layla slipped away to the relative peace of her room. It was still noisy of course, but at least Layla felt like she could move, like she could breathe in the sanctuary that was her room.

            Having a party at all unnerved Helen a little as well. Watching the mess accumulating, having strange sims in her house put her on a knives edge, and she sympathized with her daughter. After all, it was her birthday too.

            So Helen followed Layla wanting to make sure she was alright. And with a few other questions that needed airing for a mother’s peace of mind.

            “Have you finally made up your mind where you’re going to go?”

            For weeks Layla had been on a seesaw driving Helen, Buck, and Phedra crazy with decisions that lasted only 5 minutes before she’d rush back to one of them declaring that she couldn’t do what she had first proposed and now had another destination in mind, another path to attempt.

            Some days she wanted to go island hopping, other days she wanted to visit and see the jungles and archipelagoes of the southern wilds. When Phedra had heard of her indecision she had invited Layla to visit her in the Bush and Layla threw it into the mix with everywhere else she wanted to see along with the frigid plains and tundra of the far North.

            Finally, the day before, Layla had went out for a very long time intending to do some thinking. She had left very shortly after breakfast and hadn’t been home when the family had finally retired for the night. No one had worried much though. Layla was more at home outside than in.

            “I think I did finally come to a decision,” Layla told Helen, confidence making her voice strong. “While I was thinking I realized that a lot of my indecision isn’t really a want to see it all. It’s more of a I just don’t know where to go. I don’t think I really want to travel the way Phedra wants to travel, I just don’t want to be here.”

            Helen nodded in surprise. She hadn’t known that Layla felt so strongly against the town, her birthplace. She just assumed that she had felt the pull of the outside world, as Phedra had.

            “And being outside really helped me come to realize what I want most,” continued Layla. “What I want most is another outside to explore, but with a home to go to.”

            Helen smiled as she thought she could see where this was heading.

            “So I’m going to take up Uncle Trigger’s offer to move to their town.”

            “Have you told Daddy yet?”

        “Not yet,” Layla shook her head. “I figured I’d call Uncle Trigger to tell him of my plans myself with Daddy on the line at the same time. That way I can actually talk to him a little of what I think I’ll need for my house.”

            Tenderly, Helen smiled at her baby girl. “I think that’s a wise idea.”

            “But now I’ve heard your plans a little more clearly I have a few things to say to you,” Helen added soberly. “Don’t go too wild when you’re finally on your own. People can judge awfully hard on young ladies living on their own in a new town.”

            “Mom?” said Layla. “Mom do you really think I’m going to be throwing wild parties?”

            “I’m not just talking about parties. I’m talking about men. I’m talking about shopping. I’m talking about my daughter acting responsibly. You’ve never had to pay the bills. You’ve never kept up with a car. That’s all on you when you’re out there.”

            “Even what you eat when you first get there,” Helen continued. “People are going to be watching. And you’ve always been a pretty healthy eater, but you’ve always eaten at home. I don’t want you to start eating because you’re lonely. Or because it’s all more than you can handle and you’re stressed. There are healthier ways of dealing with that than with food. I’m always just a phone call away. So is your dad.”

            “I really don’t think I’m going to turn to food-

            “-You never know.”

            “Don’t forget to be generous to strangers. You never know when you’ll need something in return.”

            “Have I ever been stingy? Geez, where is this coming from?”

            “And being generous is not just a tangible thing. You’ve got to talk to people Laydee. Be a Lady. Don’t close yourself off. You’re just depriving the world of a chance to get to know you. And in turn you close yourself off from meeting some very interesting people.”

            “Don’t forget to check the locks on your doors and windows every night before you go to bed, and each time before you leave the house. We want you to be safe.”

            “Mom, this is nice and all, but-“

            “And check around the outside of your house at least once a day to make sure there’s nothing suspicious going on.”

            “Really?”

            “When you move in and the neighbors come over to visit, be sure to write their names down. Then you can run a background check later.”

            “Do you do that?”

            “Don’t put all your information online either. There are people in there that are out to get you.”

            “The internet isn’t something you go “in” Mom. We’ve been over this before. It’s not a real place.”

            “And above all sweetheart, don’t forget to be sweet. I’d hate for city living to turn you all sour.”

 

            “Ok,” Layla was astounded by some of the ‘advice’ she was getting. “Ok, I get that I should stay far away from the nacho bar when I’m having a bad day but I got a little lost somewhere between ‘sleep with one eye open’ and ‘love thy neighbor.’”

            “Just be you. The best you you can be.”

            “That should be pretty easy,” sighed Layla. “I have no plans on being anyone else, that’s for sure.”

            “Perfect! I’m glad you know that,” Helen beamed. “But don’t forget that sometimes people will want to talk to you and ask your opinion. When they do you should always ask yourself how would you like to take your own advice.”

            “Oh, this again.”

            “Judging others is easy, and you should remember that others will judge you just the same.”

            “I feel like I’m forgetting to tell you something…”

            “Maybe you need to tell me how the clothes don’t make the man?” Layla was being completely sarcastic.

            “Yes! I believe that was one of the things I wanted to tell you. I don’t care how expensive someone’s clothes are, or how nice they look it’s not a reflection of how they are inside. Get to know them before you decide if they’re really as nice as they dress.”

            “And finally, my love,” Helen bent down to better be on her daughters eye level. “Don’t ever give simply to expect something in return. The same goes in reverse. If someone gives you something, you should expect to return it.”

            “Mom?”

            “Hmm?”

            “That makes absolutely no sense.”

            “Yes, it does,” Helen blinked. “It’s that old saying ‘Neither borrower nor lender be.’”

            “But you said- what you said was-“ spluttered Layla. “Never mind. You’re right.”

            “Of course, I am,” Helen was smiling again. “And then for a few final words for me darling daughter before she ages up and leaves me behind.”

            “I’m not leaving you behind.”

            But Helen simply raised her eyebrows and plowed on. “I want grandbabies from you.”

            “Whoa, now!”

            “You need to let someone in. And you need to know what love is really like.”

            “If it wasn’t for your dad I would never have known love myself. And it changed me Laydee, really changed me. And I’m not saying it will change you but your life will be so much richer for it.”

            Frowning, Layla thinks of Anthony for a moment. Anthony would love for her to love him.

            “It’s a many splendored thing for sure. And I want you to know it. But I also want you to know what it really is. There’s a lot of imitators out there that will leave you cold and dark. Don’t confuse those with the real thing. You’ll know when it’s love.”

            “And speaking of your dad,” Helen’s face was more solemn, her tone less light. “Baby we’re getting old as I’m quite sure you’re aware.”

            Layla nodded as her curiosity was again roused.  

            “You are going to be moving half a world away from us to start a new life for yourself. And we’re so excited that you are doing what makes you happy.”

            “That being said there is going to come a time when your dad, or myself, will become sick, or will get hurt, or something else altogether and you will hear it from Galen.”

            Heart sinking, Layla wasn’t sure she wanted to hear this. Anytime she’d thought about her parents dying without her there she’d nearly brought herself to tears.

            “When you do get the news do your Daddy and I a favor and don’t rush back here. Please.”

            “When that time comes there is no need to rush. There will be no need for anyone’s intervention. It’ll just make it harder on everyone involved. Do you understand?”

            Slowly, heavily, Layla nodded, frowning.  She hated to think that this would be one of the last times she might see her mother. But she also understood. And then she understood why her mother thought she had to rush to give her all this unneeded advice. She was trying to make sure Layla had it. Layla was a terrible socialite and with her activities she might never call, and simply forget to ever actually answer when her parents called. You just never knew when it would be the last time you’d see someone.

            “Alright then,” Helen nodded.

            “SHE SAID YES!!!!!” Galen’s voice rang through the room over the noise of the crowd in the living room, interrupting the serious moment.

            “Hmmm, seems he went ahead and proposed tonight then.” Helen chucked.

            Layla just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

            “Laydee bug, we’re so proud of you, your Dad and I,” Helen went on as though her son got engaged every day. As though this conversation with Layla was more important. “So very proud that you’re doing what makes you happy. I’m just sorry I didn’t know sooner that you were uncomfortable in this town. Maybe there would have been other opportunities we could have given you a long time ago to go elsewhere.

            “But this is now. And right now I’m so excited to see you try your wings like Phedra did. And different from Phedra, too. Be happy Laydee, and you can never let us down.”

            Blushing a little Layla looked down, just as a familiar feeling started in her stomach.

            Seeing the sparkles start to envelop her daughter, Helen stood aside to give Layla more growing room.

            She’s taller! Her hair is pulled off of her face. She’s about to leave her old life behind.

            Layla Sixkiller is ready to take on the world.

            “Very lovely, dear,” Helen says quietly. “I’m going to go and check on Galen now. Happy Birthday, darling.”

            Turning away, Helen left the room, gently closing the door behind her as she entered the swirling party beyond.

            With only one more loose end to tie up Layla finds herself a little sad about leaving her home. Not the town, no, just the small house she grew up in.

            And since she had finally been allowed to redecorate the room to her liking it had become even more endearing.

            Hopefully, wherever she ends up, she can find a place to make a new home. After all, isn’t that where her heart is supposed to be?

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            I totally should have given Layla freckles. If this looks wierd, I'm sorry. I hit publish while I was still revising and editing html by hand and just decided to leave it up as it's almost time to take my son to Speech and Physical Therapy sessions. So, please, be kind if there are any horrible typos and tell me immediately so I can erradicate them!

            There is a better pic of Layla without the awful full moon lighting under the Generational Goals tab up top. The only reason Galen and his party didn’t look that bad was the moon hadn’t risen yet and so the lighting was nice and normal.

            At every high school I attended, inevitably, someone would want to do a production of Hamlet. I was cast as Polonius every time I auditioned. And so though I know most people just dismiss him as a bumbling fool I kinda love him. Obviously, Helen’s advice to Layla was heavily patterned on Polonius’ most famous speech from Act I. Buck probably would have fit the speaker better, but he was really enjoying the party so I had Helen do it instead.
            Also! Bloopers from the party are up. There are two.