Chapter 1 Jade- Plenty of Bad Stuff

**It’s really hard to go back to thinking and speaking like a five year old!  Please forgive my silliness in my attempt to be a child again.

 

So my parents………….

Boy is that weird.  Calling Jin and Sun my parents when they really aren’t, even though they are.  It’s a little less weird with Mama Sun, because it’s almost like being adopted. But Jin is my brother, who acts like my father, while still reminding me he is just my brother. Talk about confusing!  I wonder if it is just as confusing for him?

The day of my trans…transi, the day I grew up to child, we all sat down to have “the talk” where they told me about my real mom and dad.  My mom sure was pretty.  I wonder if I will grow up to look like her.  My brother looks good, I guess, but I don’t know things like that.  All I know is that Mama Sun sure seems to like him.  They look at each other a lot, and a lot of times when the other one isn’t looking.  They get this goofy look on their face that I don’t know what it means.  They smile a lot at me too, espeshealy when I see them looking at each other.

(Ooops, spelling mistake.  Spell check says especially.  Another word to add to my spelling list for this week.  Sun makes me do that for my writing class.)

Jin gave me this computer program to write in and he said I can write anything I want and they will never look.  He said our parents gave him one.  He also said my dad wrote a lot of books for people to buy in stores and people liked them a lot.  When I get older, I can read the harder ones, but I get to read the kid books now.  Jin said it will be good practice for me.  I’m only five, but Mama Sun started working on reading and writing with me when I turned two years old.  Some words are really hard for me still and I am learning more every day.

Jin said it’s important that I write down everything that happens in my life.  Good and bad stuff.  I have plenty of bad stuff to tell you but I won’t know how to write most of the stuff, so I am going to use the microphone and talk into the computer.  Isn’t that cool?  I talk and the computer writes it for me!  Then you won’t have to read through all my spelling mistakes, but Sun says I have to try writing, cause it’s the only way I will learn.

So we arrived on the island and after they chased away the rats, we set up the tent and the toilet and my toys.  We didn’t have much cause Jin says we lost everything in the big storm.  I remember we had a nice picnic and we all seemed to be happy.Mama Sun was a lot more relaxed.  I know that because she finally put me down and stopped fussing over me.  I think she was scared to stop looking at me.  I know I’m way too old for bottles here, but I like them.

We slept in a tent that night, but the next morning Mama Sun was really upset.  She said things like feeling “exposed”, whatever that means.  She also said she didn’t feel safe. There was a lot of talk about our new house and their voices got louder sounding, the more they talked.  Next thing I know, Jin had men here and built us a small house in the ground.

Not long after that Jin had a birthday.  Mama Sun said she didn’t want me to get scared by the bright lights, but I’m older now and I know more so I tried to be brave.  I asked does it hurt when you grow up?  They said no, it just tickles. But as soon as Jin blew out the candles, he caught on fire!!  That was super scary!

Luckily Mama Sun knew what to do and put out the fire right away!

Jin didn’t seem happy about growing up, but when it was done, I didn’t think he looked any different.

Soon after, I heard them talking about my transi…….you know what I mean and  I got really worried.  Mama Sun brought out her camera and took some pictures.

Look at me and Wiggles!  We are dancing!

Then, it was time for me to grow up.

They were right, it does tickle!  What they didn’t tell me was it also makes you really really dizzy!

So now I am a kid and things look different now.   It’s pretty boring living on an island with no other sims.  I wonder why we are here.  Sun and Jin do a bunch of things to keep busy all day.  They like the beach and they play with Sophie, a lot. Jin is teaching me to swim.  He says it’s important to know how to swim, living on an island.

Sun works in her garden and Jin works on the computer.

I have Wiggles.  He is my best friend and I like to sing to him, talk with him and have tea parties.

Jin and Sun disappear a lot, going just far enough to have secret talks.  Or at least they think they are secret.  They start off quiet, but eventually their voices are loud enough that I can hear what they are saying.

“I just want us to be safe, Jin.  Is that too much to ask?”

“We are safe.  It’s not going to happen again.”

“You don’t know that.  No one can know that for sure.”

All they seem to talk about is what house we are going to live in.  Jin wants one thing and Sun wants something else.  Then I started hearing different things.

“It’s not normal Jin.”

“She is fine here with us.”

“She needs this Jin.  It’s only for two weeks.  It will be good for her.”

“I don’t understand why this is such a big deal.”

“She is way too attached to that doll.  Don’t you want her to grow up with more in her life?  She is too shy.”

“She is only five!”

Then I heard this,

“I’m worried Jin.  Jade is seeing us argue all the time and fight over decisions.  It will be good for her to get away till we settle things.  Let her come back when it’s all done.”

“Don’t you think she should have some say about where she is going to live?  Or some say in the design of her room?”

“Jin, I know you have hired Little Bee Designers to do her room.  I saw the email.  Can you not just look at the website?  Then you will see what I am talking about.  It will be good for her.”

“Okay fine.  I will look, but I’m not promising anything.”

“Look.  See, it’s an all girls skills camp in Cloverdale.  It’s not too far away and she would only be gone two weeks.  Look at all the things they get to learn!  There are music classes, art classes of all kinds, group story time and all the fun that comes with being at a camp. She will make friends, perhaps come out of her shell.”

They sat at that table for a long time talking about whatever was in Cloverdale.  I was scared.  I didn’t want to go away, not by myself.  Were they even going to ask me?  Guess not, because before I knew it, my suitcase was packed and standing on the dock.

“I don’t want to go.  Please don’t make me go!”

“You will be fine!  Just think of all the fun you will have and when you come back, there will be a brand new house with everything you could want!”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” Jin asked.   “It’s a three hour boat ride there and back which means I wont get home till dark.  Are you going to be okay all alone here?”

“Of course!  Besides, I’m not alone.  I have Sophie.  I will probably spend most of the day in the garden anyway.”

“Okay, but if anything doesn’t look right, or you get scared, just lock yourself in the house till I get back.”

“Honestly Jin.  I was alone on the last island for a whole year!  I will be fine.  You had better get going.  Give me a hug Jade and you Jin, give me a kiss.”

Then before I knew it, the boat was driving away and I was waving at Mama Sun standing on the dock waving back.  This was going to be the worst two weeks of my life and that includes the big storm!