3.1 - Foul water

It's been a while since Feli and half of the cat posse moved out and Mauricio moved in, and Celestine has accustomed well to her new living situation.



The only stain in her new harmonious life is that she still hasn't told her boyfriend the truth about her unusual job because she worried she would sound crazy.

But there is no doubt anymore that this relationship is a serious one and she would have to tell it sooner rather than later.



But somehow there are always more important topics coming up that distract Celestine from what she actually wanted to say...

"Is that a giant garden gnome on your back?", Celestine asks at the breakfast table.

"Yeah."



"But why?"

"Why not?"

"Mhh.", Celestine nods it off without further comments, "The weather will be beautiful today."

Mauricio laughs heartily in response. "Wow, has our life gotten so boring already that we're having weather conversations?"



"I only wanted to ask you if you're up for a walk today!"

"I'd love to! Where do you want to go?"

***

"Not here, that's for sure."



The couple stares at an old abandoned water treatment plant.

It hasn't been in use for many years and nobody bothered to care for the land around it since then. And it shows: the water is dirty, most likely contaminated with plumbob-knows-what, the plants and trees around it are dying, the facility itself is rusty and useless.



Celestine, who has always cared greatly for her environment, is repulsed by the sight, and yet she wants to see more and drags Mauricio towards it.



"Um, we could also go to the park or the beach or something, that might be nicer...", Mauricio suggests.

But Celestine is too upset to listen. "I can't believe whoever was in charge of it just let everything rot here when they left! And look at these ponds, I bet people are using them to illegally dispose of all their hazardous trash!"



She storms ahead, then goes through an unlocked door that leads inside the building.

"Cel, I'm not sure we are even allowed here... this is trespassing."

"Hey, you're the archaeologist who never stops talking about his adventures in abandoned ruins! Shouldn't you be thrilled to explore one right in your neighbourhood?", Celestine teases him and laughs, running further ahead.
There's a minute of silence between them before Celestine continues, now with determination in her voice: "And it's not trespassing if it's our lot..."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Think about it... Nobody actually uses this plant. We could buy and restore it or turn it into a nature reserve or something."



Mauricio stays behind, now looking at his spouse like she spontaneuosly lost her mind.

"And how do you plan to finance this well-thought-out project? Rob a bank?", he remarks sarcastically, "You're not going to be able to afford this with your waitress earnings."

Ouch. She almost forgot about that again. The waitress thing was a little lie Celestine had told Mauricio to avoid having to tell him about how she's really earning her money.



But this is neither the right time nor place for these kind of conversations. And it is time for them to go home anyway: thick, dark grey rain clouds appeared out of nowhere as if in response to Celestine's mood change.

"Is everything alright with you?", Mauricio asks concerned.

"I feel a bit dizzy...", Celestine says and feels her forehead with one hand. "And my head hurts."

"Oh, that must be the sudden weather change!"

"No, I think... I'm sure it's this water treatment plant, probably some poisonous gases or... I don't even want to know..."

Mauricio sighs. Is she really serious about this?

***

Lately Mauricio and Celestine had some conversations about the
lack of cats in their home. With only Hanzo, Amy & Katerchen it just felt too quiet in the household! And besides, Celestine had promised her mom to find a mate for Hanzo and keep breeding cats when she moved out.

So one day...



… Mauricio came home with a little brown kitten. Her name is Nele and she is about 5 months old. 

Say hi to Nele!



Another family adopted her only recently – without realizing that their child is allergic to cats... And that's why Nele had to go into a new home quickly, which the Koyangis are more than happy to provide!



„I can't wait until Nele is old enough to have her litter!“, Mauricio says excitedly. While he has always lived with pets, he's new to breeding and never witnessed a cat giving birth.



"Do you like your new little friend, Hanzo?", he asks as Hanzo jumps on his lap and purrs happily in response.

***

It is fall and Thanksgiving is approaching. Celestine still has fond memories of when she was a little kid and her mom celebrated it with some of her friends. She remembers the vibrant colors and intense smells of all the fresh harvest. These days the food comes out of her own garden – which makes it even better. 

Thanksgiving is the time when she thanks mother nature for supplying her with all that she needs. Fruits, vegetables, fish – and most importantly: clean water. 

If only everyone cared as much about their environment as Celestine does the world could be a more beautiful place.



This year she will celebrate it together with Mauricio, only the two of them. 

The food, the colors, the music... and the person she loves. Celestine feels at peace with herself and the world. And she is certain now: this is the man she wants to grow old with.





Now there's only one little problem left: when will she tell him that she earns her money by lying to people and pretending to be able to see the future?



_____________________________________________

The Appaloosa County Water Treatment is a fishing spot in AP. The reason why I showed it here is that this is the lot the Koyangis will want to buy and improve as part of the 'Living Green' goal (create or significantly improve a nature-themed lot).

It will take a while to save up for it though, since it costs about 40k and I currently have about 15k (I'm roughly 4 chapters ahead of the story in-game); so don't expect that to happen anytime soon!