Trisha Traveller: Week 4

Click here if you want to re-read Week 3.

After having spent a week with Tina Traveller, we now focus on her mother, Trisha, who is 61. By the way, her lifetime want has changed - she now does not want to earn 100.000 Simoleons anymore, but instead would love to be a Mad Scientist like her daughter will hopefully be some day. Of course, it is too late for her to achieve that; but I'll try and make the rest of her life as good as possible for her.

Trisha still lives in the house left to her by Carlos Contender, the true love of her life. It is lonely there all on her own, and more than once she has been thinking of having her daughter move in with her, now that she has graduated.

That Monday morning, she feels rather unwell. One more reason to call her daughter, she thinks. Maybe seeing her mother so frail will soften her heart.

And in fact, Tina does not hesitate one moment when Trisha asks her to move in.

Maybe it's also got to do with Tina having seen for herself how hard it can be to get comfortable financially, maybe the prospect of getting to use her Mom's flash car to drive to work was a contributing factor... anyway, she's here for good now (and that is one household less for me to play next round, yay!).

After Tina has left, Sharla Ottomas walks by and is greeted by Trisha.

The two ladies take advantage of the pool in the back yard for a while.

Then Tina thinks she should be getting the place in order, now that Tina has finally agreed to live with her, and does some badly needed gardening.

Where will Tina sleep? That's easy! The upstairs gym Carlos was so proud of has never meant much to Trisha.

It is converted into a spacious loft for Tina, where she can sleep, study, has her own bathroom and even enough room to entertain her friends, if she likes.

I must say I quite like it. It has a modern feel about it. The empty space is going to be filled later on, as I am sure Tina will roll wishes for things to buy.

Tina is making herself useful while Trisha prepares dinner. Their first evening together goes well.

The same can not be said about the first night Tina is under her new roof: A burglar appears!

The alarm wakes the ladies, and they both come running to watch the officer fighting the resisting burglar.

Sadly, the burglar escapes, but fortunately, he never had time to steal anything.

Tuesday sees Tina come home with a promotion to Project Leader.

Her mother loves parties, and this as good a reason as any to invite some of her best friends over.

Do you recognize everyone?

"Poor girl, she works so hard..." Trisha thinks when she finds Tina asleep on the sette. She gently wakes her daughter, telling her that the guests have arrived and the food will soon be ready.

Out in the back yard, Trisha grills bass. She fondly remembers all those great barbecues she and Carlos used to host for their friends. "I wish he could be here now... but then, Tina wouldn't be here, I guess," she thinks.

The pool is a bigger hit with the party guests than the jaccuzzi!

On Wednesday morning, Tina comes out of the bathroom to find her mother making her bed. "Mom... you really don't need to do that," she says. But Trisha insists she wants to do all those little jobs so that her daughter can focus on her carreer. "And now, I'll make you a nice cooked breakfast, to give you the best start for your day at work," she says.

While she is on her own during the day, Trisha keeps busy doing most of the household chores, and only takes a break to sit on the front porch with her beloved crosswords.

Looks like that cooked breakfast worked, because Tina comes home with a promotion to Inventor.

She now has to work on some skills and chooses the sunny back yard for her reading. Tina sits next to her daughter, enjoying the closeness they finally seem to develop again.

They even have pillow fights again, just like they used to do when Tina was little!

On Thursday afternoon, Tina has a rest on one of the deck chairs by the pool after work. Her mother does not sleep; she is busily planning yet another party.

Once again, a group of friends gather, and this time, it was Tina has made the calls to invite them. Most of them are friends from uni, but she also asked Titania Summerdream, who is more a friend of her mother, so that she would have someone her age to talk to as well.

Tessa Ramirez seems to think it is pretty silly of those two Secret Society members to attend a summer pool party in all their gear, warm blazers, long trousers and so on.

But she joins them for the meal eventually, pretending not to notice Tina and Chloe doing their "secret handshake".

When Trisha wakes up early on Friday morning, she discovers someone has kicked the rubbis bin over. I never saw it happening and have no idea who did it, or why.

Tina is growing more and more fond of her loft. She has a nice view across the back yard and to the hills beyond from her bedroom window; nearly all household tasks are taken care of for her, and she can really focus on her career.

While she is at work, Geoff Greenman walks by and is greeted by Trisha.

She woke up so early today that she needs a nap by the pool in the afternoon.

Tina works longer hours than before, and it is already dark when she gets home. Trisha has been waiting up for her on her favourite bench on the front porch.

"Mom, you shouldn't have..." Tina sighs. But she is happy - there has been another promotion for her, and she is now a scholar.

Saturday morning, Trisha once again makes a cooked breafkast for her daughter. "My Mom is doing all those things to make up for having left me behind when she split up with my Dad," Tina knows.

"I am so glad the two of us are friends again," Trisha says, and is rewarded with a smile from her daughter.

Not having to work today, Tina makes sure to do her share of chores. Especially those who will increase her cleaning skill are important for her, since that is useful for her career.

It wouldn't be a Saturday if Trisha wasn't hosting a party! Titania seems to be thinking "Look at that Jessica, why would a woman our age insist on wearing PINK hair?" But look who's talking - Titania herself does not find it strange in the least that she always has a tiara on her head, and face paint!

The other guests seem less inclined to thinking much about each other.

Upstairs, Tina's loft has seen some additions. She now has a chess table and chairs there, a love seat and a book case for studying.

Some of the party guests sit down for Trisha's home made Hamburgers in the sun.

The others choose the kitchen table.

Trisha is happy with how the party went. This surely wasn't her last one!

On Sunday, Tina spends some time on the phone catching up with her friends.

Watched by her mother from one of the deck chairs, she then goes for a refreshing dip in the pool.

Later, when Trisha falls asleep, Tina decides to surprise her mother and makes burgers for just the two of them.

It turns out to be the nicest Sunday Trisha has had in a long time, a true mother-and-daughter bonding experience. Trisha is now 68. How long will she be around to enjoy her daughter's company? Tina still has not met any man catching her eye; is there anyone out there for her?