Each chapter has a couple parts based on my experiences or my brother's experiences. So as not to spoil anything, I've summarized the real events at the end. Thanks to my brother for helping me with the male perspective.
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Being 20, Tatiana could not handle her parent's dinner party, a full night of gossip and wine. Now if she could have some of the wine and circumvent all of the thoughtless chatting, she might not have gone for a walk outside.
Being 40, Arto could not handle the sight of his newly returned daughter silently excusing herself from dinner, a recurring scene during social gatherings in the past. In short, he had forgotten what it felt like to be 20, and in some ways, wished he could be so carefree.
Being 18, Ladislav may have helped in raising Arto's expectations for his children, sitting as still as one could sit, listening intentively, answering questions only when called upon, even more, with ample wit. Ladislav enjoyed roaming the grounds of their families estate as much as Tatiana, but he also knew that if he sat and observed, he could latch onto something that might improve his standing with his parents.
Being 38, Maria was entirely concerned with her appearance, obsessed with the fine lines that had only recently developed on her face. She looked at Tatiana walking out of the dining room with her gentle curves and smooth skin, comparing it to her own. She looked at her husband Arto who looked better with each passing year. She looked at Ladislav, so vibrant and sharp.
Their guests, Mr. and Mrs. Bronte, sat laughing and conversating as if they had nothing to worry about, but to be honest, no one could pinpoint exactly what they were thinking at any given moment. When Arto excused himself to clean some dishes in the kitchen, Mrs. Bronte quickly and quietly turned to Maria, "I just read an article that said mixing coconut oil and semen is good for your skin."
Glaring at Mrs. Bronte, Maria suspected she might have been insulting the condition of her skin, but she realized that Mrs. Bronte had double the amount of lines in her face. Sitting up straighter, Maria laughed and whispered, "There's no way. It sounds like something ridiculous thought up by a teenage boy."
"It's the absolute truth, they even conducted experiments, it's completely on the up and up... semen can rejuvenate your skin!"
Maria looked sideways at Ladislav and then whispered back to Mrs. Bronte, "Not so loud, Ladislav hears everything."
Mrs. Bronte looked over at Ladislav as he added, "I haven't read the article but I could see it being true. Although I am a teenage boy so my opinion is probably moot."
Maria blushed and looked at the table, trying to find something to distract her from the conversation. She picked up her plate and then continued to pick up the remaining plates from the table, "Well, I better help Arto wash these dishes."
Once she had left, the Brontes' and Ladislav grinned at Maria's prudish reaction, trying not to audibly laugh. The Brontes' slowly made their way into the kitchen, thanking Arto and Maria for the meal before leaving. By the time Ladislav went to wash his dish, only Maria remained, carelessly scrubbing each dish. He stood next to the sink, waiting his turn, "You know, I've heard it all before."
Maria shook her head, "It's just not appropriate conversation for dinner. I like the Brontes but they're kind of wild. You'd think with their upbringing, they'd understand manners and decency."
Nudging his plate under the water Ladislav laughed, "Mom, just because you're from old money doesn't mean that you have to carry on their ridiculous rules. We've never been like that before," he paused, "speaking of old ways, whatever happened to the maids and kitchen staff?"
Setting a pot into the sink Maria slumped her shoulders, "We have to cut back on some things," she gave a forced smirk, "Old money doesn't mean as much anymore," staring at the pot, as if she would pick it up again, Maria instead washed her hands and walked upstairs to her room.
Arto combed their tremendous grounds, looking for Tatiana. When circling the horse stables, he spotted her sitting on the cusp of a well, her dark hair curling in the wind, sketching a lone stand of three trees.
Sitting next to her he didn't say anything at first, but then softly began, "First day back in town and you have to sit through one of our pompous, well-mannered dinner parties. Must be a shock compared to long nights with pizza and beer."
While still sketching, Tatiana laughed, "I don't know about your college days, but currently, everyone is obsessed with health food. It's more like some vegetarian food from a restaurant serving exotic cuisine. As for the beer, it's not Coors or Budweiser it's the most unknown craft beer, filled with the most hops possible. It's not too bad, but it can get as stuffy as these dinner parties when someone takes it all too seriously."
Looking down into the darkness of the well, Arto nodded while itching his black scruff, "Poor college kids wanting to be refined like us boring rich types. I guess I'm not too surprised; they think this is the dream," he put his arm around her, "So how was the scholastic part of it all? You know, the reason you were there," he chuckled to himself.
"It wasn't quite what I expected. There aren't many geniuses running around in this world. But I guess I was taking a lot of mundane classes. I did take a figure drawing class, which was great; but of course, that's my thing."
Arto looked up at her seriously, "Just don't let them tell you what to draw," and then softened into a laugh.
Tatiana put her sketchbook down and stretched out, "I didn't have any problems with the curriculum; we got to draw live models, which is my favorite. But that was the first semester. I got a taste of the good life and then I was thrust back into things like math and science. I haven't drawn a figure in months!"
Arto cocked his head, "You were too afraid to ask people to pose? I was that way too."
She laughed, "I didn't even know you made art! But yeah, it's totally uncomfortable asking someone to pose. I've almost given up on it."
Now Arto stood up, struck a pose and smirked, "I used to pose for life drawing classes; I'm something of a professional," he relaxed, "Don't be afraid to ask anyone in the family to pose for you. We all support your dream of being the next Van Gogh," he winced, "Well, maybe not Van Gogh, things didn't turn out too well for him, but uh, the next Frida Kahlo. Or at least I think she wasn't as disturbed as old Vincent," Arto took a breath, "But really, if you ever want to sketch any of us, just say the word. Maybe not your mother at the moment, she's feeling a bit self-conscious, but me or Ladislav, we're here to help."
Tatiana looked at the skyline, seeing how blank it had become as a silhouette, "How about tonight? I have all this pent up creative energy that I need to expel."
Beginning to walk back to the mansion, Arrto smiled, "Well, we better get back then, before we get lost out here in the dark. Have you thought of a pose?"
"My brain is sore from all of the poses I have in mind but there's a series of three I really want to do. It's something really meaningful."