The Broke-McGreggor-Household: Week 4 or 5

The previous week at his household can be read here.
Note: For some reason, I seem to have not played - or not written - one week at this household. I know that I am now in Round 5 of playing New Maximiliania, but there seem to be only 3 chapters (plus a family album) for this household. Therefore, I am not sure whether this is actually their fourth or fifth week. Sorry about that!

The McGreggor farm, seen here from the back, has long been the home of not only Leod McGreggor (now Broke - only by name, not by finances!)...

...but also of his wife Brandi Broke and their dogs.

Brandi's lifetime want is to raise 20 puppies or kittens, but with the less than easy life she had as a young widow with small children, she never got round to getting started on her LTW until she moved in with Leod. So far, she has only managed to raise three, and I doubt there will be many more. Leod, on the other hand, has been doing very well: his LTW is to have six pets reach the top of their career, and five of them have already managed that.

Living with Brandi, Leod and the dogs are two of Brandi's four sons: Beau, who is an aspiring World Class Ballet Dancer...

...and Benvenuto, who has recently returned from college with a degree in Art. It should serve him well on his way to Media Magnate. Benvenuto's twin brother Brent is married to Sandra Roth and lives with her and her family at the Roth house. Dustin, Brandi's eldest, is married to Emily Lee and lives with her and his half-Alien son Lee somewhere else in New Maximiliania.

On this Saturday (the week at this household has always started, for some unknown reason, on a Saturday), Brandi is 73 (same as Leod), and her lifetime bar looks as if she won't be around for very much longer. Since she is still so very far away from reaching her LTW, I allow her to summon the genie by aid of the magic lamp left to the family some time ago. She only makes the one wish, that of peace of mind, which is instantly granted. Now Brandi is on Permanent Platinum without having made her LTW come true.

Sadly, one of the dogs, Alegra, dies that afternoon. She has been a faithful friend to both Leod and Brandi, and also to the boys, and reached a ripe old age of - I think - nearly 30. Her tombstone will be put in the pet section of the Gamesend Grounds cemetery.

There is a lightning rod in the garden, but still one of the trees is struck during a thunderstorm. Fortunately, it is raining heavily, so that the flames are put out before anything worse can happen.

Sunday is a beautiful day, true to its name.

Abby returns from work with a promotion to Rescue Pet - she has reached the top of her career, which in turn...

...means that Leod has reached his LTW, just as he is pulling a huge rainbow trout of the farm's own fish pond. Congratulations, Leod!

Tiffany, who has been just as faithful a four-legged friend to the family as Alegra, dies that afternoon. Now only Toto, Goldy and Abby are left.

Maybe you remember that when I last played Angela Pleasant's household, I had her give away as many as possible of her mother's and her own hand-crafted robots to family, friends and neighbours. This toy robot made it into the Broke-McGreggor household. They never last very long before they need repairing, do they!

Meanwhile, Leod works at his collection of bugs. So far, I have not had one Sim who owned a complete collection. How about you?

Brandi invites her eldest son Dustin (blue t-shirt), his wife Emily (pink t-shirt) and her grandson Lee over.

Just as Leod is having a drink of water...

... the Grim Reaper and his Hula Girls approach him from the side, and what was meant to be a cheerful gathering of friends and family turns into a very sad evening for all involved. Leod was 76.

Brandi cries in front of Leod's portrait.

On Thursday, Benvenuto goes to work for the first time. He starts as a Horoscope Writer. Maybe he thinks of his older brother, Beau, wondering who will be the first of the two of them to reach the top of their respective careers. He is promoted to Sports Columnist after his first day.

Brandi feels close to Leod when she works the farm he loved so much, and offered to her and her young sons as a home when they were in dire straits. She makes her Golden Gardening Badge that afternoon.

Beau decides it is time to get some more summery outfits for himself and his little brother, and heads to the "Papaya Regime".

Several New Maximilianian ladies are there, but Beau is not particularly interested in any of them.

At home, Benventuo changes into the short-sleeved shirt and lightweight trousers Beau brought for him, and then proceeds to make himself a nice dinner. He just loves to eat, as you can see :-)

Wednesday starts sunny and bright, and Beau relaxes by fishing.

The nice weather does not stay long; soon, there is yet another thunderstorm, and hail forces the boys to seek cover in the barn.

Later on, after the clouds have passed, Brandi is once more taking care of the vegetables, when she...

...turns into a Plantsim! If I am not very much mistaken, she is the 3rd Sim ever in my game to turn into a Plantsim. Leod was the first, followed by Gabe O'Mackey, and now Brandi.

But all of a sudden...

...the vegetable patch becomes rather crowded, when Grimmy and his girls make their fourth appearance of the week. Brandi dies at the age of 78.

Her sons take it very hard. Brandi was their world - Beau is well aware of the struggle she went through to raise them all decently, and he misses her dreadfully.

Benvenuto can't remember life before they moved to the farm, but to him, Leod was like a father, and now he has lost both his parents in the course of a few days.

On Thursday, when he wakes up, still in the same familiar room, in the bed he has slept in ever since he outgrew his crib, next to the wallpaper he loved when he was a kid, at first he thinks everything is as always. But then it hits him: his Mum died yesterday, and now there's only Beau and himself and the three dogs left on the farm.

Breakfast is a very subdued affair that morning.

Beau tries to cheer his little brother up by talking about the time when they all had to hurry in the bathroom every morning in order for them to all catch the schoolbus in time.

Benvenuto has to go to work, which is a good thing because it helps directing his mind to something else than the loss of his parents. Beau has the day to himself, working only in the evening, and is glad for any distraction. He gives a warm welcome to Pleasant Servo.

Benvenuto is promoted to Investigative Journalist.

Beau returns late at night with a promotion to World Class Ballet Dancer (here still in his Flamenco Master outfit) - he has reached his LTW, 15 days before elderhood. How the "boys" both wish their Mum and Leod were still around to celebrate with them!

Benvenuto has been used to working on the farm ever since he was old enough to hold a trowel, and has the Silver Gardening Badge. Most of the time, it is he who takes care of the vegetable patch and the orchard now.

Beau does his share of farm work, too; he looks after the dogs, cleaning their houses, washing them and making sure their food dishes are clean and well-filled all the time.

At the kitchen table, the two boys talk about the day-to-day things that need doing on the farm. Benvenuto admits he has been feeling as if under dark clouds ever since their mother died, but is slowly beginning to feel better.

We leave the Broke boys with a look at Beau in his World Class Ballet Dancer outfit.

How long until Benvenuto will reach his LTW? Are either of the two going to find themselves girlfriends? Will they ask one or both of their brothers to join them at the farm with their families?