Streching the Simolean

Lovar, spring, 2001
Tobi is 29, Li is 29, Ping, Aaron and Simora are 2

Simoleans were tight in the Sweeny household. Simoleans were counted and squezzed until every last bit was saved, but still the family found themselves struggling to make ends meet. They were in the cheapest housing available and ate all thier meals at home. However, paying back the loan for fertility treatments and caring for three growing toddlers without any extended family nearby was difficult.

All of the changes they knew how to make were being made, but things kept getting worse it seemed. Tobi's position as Security Director was cut from the council budget, now he was considered a consultant that the council would confer with whenever they needed to.

Tobi took it in stride, his dream of becoming the hood's jailor would not be fulfilled since there wasn't a jail in Apple Valley, but he joined the SUN force as a detective, which in and of itself was a miracle. Thankfully they viewed his time as Security Director as top notch work, almost equivalent to a police chief, but with the economy in the state that it was, Tobi had to be content with detective.


"Then daddy jumped over the fence into the deserted junkyard to find the car in question. Do you want to know what daddy found?"

Aaron stared up at Tobi with a glazed look, "da-da?"

"Li!!!! Aaron said his first words!!!! Da-da!!!" Tobi swooped the little boy up. "Yep, say it again, da-da!!"

Aaron looked at the funny screaming man that was his father and giggled.

Shortly after Tobi's position was cut from the council buget, Li's position as Archives/Technology Director was no longer a full-time position and her salary was cut by over half. After weeks of searching and fruitless interviews, Li finally got a position with the SUN newspaper as an Obituary Writer. At least she still had the small salary as Archives/Technology Director.

But life had a way of throwing a wrench in your plans.


"The the Brown Paper Bag Princess said to the dragon, I bet-"

"Li!!! Telephone!" Tobi called from below. "It's Fiona."

Li knew that if Fiona was calling at this hour, then it had to be about hood council business.

"Li? It's Fiona."

"Hi, Fiona."

"We were reviewing the budget and we still need to make cuts. The hood council members threw out a couple of ideas, but the ones that we're seriously considering concern you."

"I'm listening."

"We're considering paring down the newspaper and the website."

"What...what about my salary...my job?"

"We're still discussing that. Obviously you would still function as the Technology Director, as well as the Archives Director, but no longer as editor of the newspaper and webmistress."

"I...I..."

"It's still in the planning pages, we're trying to explore other avenues, but I wanted to give you a heads up. Don't worry, we'll try to find a way to save your job."

"Thanks..."

"Ok, give those little ones a kiss from me, enjoy the rest of your evening."

"You too."

Many nights the couple tossed and turned in bed, both anxious over thier finances, but not willing to speak about such issues in the bedroom, in an effort to maintain an area of peace. Peace was very rare in the Sweeny household. If the triplets were not whining, then the neighbors were making racket.


"I wish they would turn down that music!" Li said banging on the wall in the kitchen. She was making bacon turkey cheeseburgers for Valentine's Day. It is Tobi's favorite meal and since the holiday of love wouldn't be filled with roses and cards, Li decided to try and make the best of things with a nicer dinner.

Tobi was doing his part by handling the triplets. For the last hour, he moved non-stop bewteen the bottle warmer, to a toddler's waiting mouth, to changing a stinky diaper and placing a kiss on thier forehead. Finally things were slowing down and either toddlers wished to spend thier dinner time in the playroom to chew on wooden dolls all night, or at least during dinner, (that would be Aaron)

or putting them in thier cribs for bed (that would be Ping and Simora).

At last, the house was quiet, the neighbors turned thier music down, the triplets were asleep either in thier cribs or the playroom floor and the couple was enjoying thier burgers.

"Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart."

"Happy Valentine's Day."

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With the economic downturn, the hood council hasn't been collecting a lot of taxes. Any ideas on what they should do? What should they do about Li's job?