#wanda james

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(Ruby’s POV)

We met with our pastor to discuss our problems with Wanda today. Despite our warnings and punishments (we tried taking her phone away), she’s still insisting that she has to marry that Charlie Hastings. We’ve considered a restraining order too, but Henry pointed out that as soon as Wanda turns 18, she can just leave with him whenever she wants. 

Our Pastor - Mr. Fulla Malarkey - who we have known for many years, said he has prayed on it and spoken to God, and he said that he believes that God has joined Wanda and Charlie in his eyes, and that by working against his will we’re going against the Lord and against the Bible. God wants Wanda and Charlie together, and so it must be. (AN: He definitely wasn’t paid off to say this. Not at all.)

Neither Henry nor I were happy to hear this - Henry started screaming at Pastor Malarkey that he’d rather never pray to God again than see his daughter marry that awful young man! I was shocked - I know Henry’s beliefs aren’t as strong as mine, but that was verging on blasphemy!

I tried to calm him down, and reminded him that we could accept Wanda’s relationship with Charlie and maintain our relationship with her, or we could not support it and have her cut us off completely. Neither is perfect, but isn’t it better to stay in our daughter’s life so if she ever needs us, we’re here for her?

We talked for a while, but Henry finally calmed down and agreed. The next day, we called Charlie (from Wanda’s confiscated phone...) and invited him to come over. We gathered them in the kitchen and said that they have our permission to get married (with the condition that Wanda has to finish high school and get her high school diploma). 

They were ecstatic, of course (Henry and I less so...) and revealed that somehow they’ve already been planning a wedding! Charlie even bought Wanda a dress! Well, I suppose if it was going to happen anyway, it’s better we support Wanda and let her know she can trust us...

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(Emily’s POV)

Wanda has turned into SUCH a whiner since our parents wouldn't let her marry Skeevy McCreep. She’s got all these ideas that she’s somehow better than us (she calls it ‘Godlier’), and every day it seems she has something new to whinge about. Today it was my outfit and short hair - apparently I look like a ‘gender confused heathen’, and I threw back that she looked exactly like our Gran. 

Well, that got us both sent to our room, and since we share a room, we just kept snipping at each other (I tried to get some homework done, I swear!). Wanda kept trying to convince me to dress ‘modestly’ or I would never find a Godly husband, but I don’t think dressing like Gran did Wanda any favours, since all she found was Creepy Charlie! 

Wanda completely broke down, crying that our parents were interrupting God’s plan and would go to Hell, that I was a going to Hell for dressing immodestly (it’s just my stomach for God’s sake!), that Nat and Peter were both going to Hell for inappropriate relations with their partners, and so on. 

Apparently “I guess Hell’s going to have great parties!” was not the right answer. Honestly, I’d like to be a good sister, but Wanda makes it so difficult! I might ask Nat if I can come stay with her til this all cools down... I can’t take much more of Wanda’s hysterics!

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Today was Wanda’s 17th Birthday party and we had a wonderful celebration with friends and family planned. It started out so well! I’d prepared her favourite strawberry cake with lots of sweets and treats on the side, and all of our friends and family arrived. 

A strange young man showed up, who Wanda immediately introduced as her boyfriend, Charlie Hastings! This is the first I’ve heard of him - Wanda says they met on her Church trips to Henford on Bagley. He seemed more like Nat and Peter’s age, or even older. When Henry asked how old he was, he said he was 25! That is just so wrong, but we didn’t want to ruin the party, so Henry and I decided to talk to Wanda later about breaking off that relationship.

Well, to our immense surprise, when Wanda went to blow out her birthday candles, Charlie pulled out a ring and proposed! We were all in shock; Nat used a VERY inappropriate exclamation, which I must admit described my feelings quite well in that moment. 

Henry immediately stepped in and took the ring away before Wanda could finish a sentence. I have rarely seen Henry angry, but this young man is so clearly taking advantage of Wanda’s youth and innocence! 

Henry told him in no uncertain terms to get out, and to never go near Wanda again. Charlie just smirked and said he was only following “God’s plan”, but he finally left without us having to call the police. 

Wanda ran to her room crying that we’d ruined her life. I don’t think she understands that she’s being taken advantage of. Henry and I spent hours in the kitchen discussing what to do next, and how to keep that awful man away from Wanda. 

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My twins have GRADUATED! I am bursting with pride at this amazing accomplishment. I was a little worried about Nat, but she did it! Peter was class valedictorian and had the top marks in his class, closely followed by his sweet girlfriend Lily. We’ve only met her a few times, but she seems like such a wonderful girl!

I am in love with this picture we took after the ceremony - when Hosanna graduated, we took a picture of myself, Hosanna, and Ruby as the only girls in the family at the time, and look at us now! (L-R) Emily, myself, Nat, Hosanna, and Wanda - I’m so proud of my girls!

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I’ve noticed such a difference in Wanda these last few months, and I’m not sure it’s all good. She’s been a huge help around the house, cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry, and all of that. I haven’t asked her - she says she likes fulfilling her role as a Godly young woman. It’s so helpful, but I am worried she’s taking on too much and neglecting her studies. 

She is also still glued to her phone, pulling it out to text constantly. I don’t want to have to monitor her texts or take away her phone, but it’s starting to concern me that she has some kind of addiction. She says she wants to pull out of school too, and spend more time learning from the Bible and working on her homemaking skills. That is definitely not happening. 

I tried to talk to her about her clothes and behaviour, and she says that the Lord wants her to dress modestly, and that she’s preparing to be a Godly helpmeet to her future husband and school isn’t important for that. I’m not sure where she’s getting this from - she sounds like my Mom, and there’s a reason we don’t let the kids around her. I asked her why she thinks all of that and she wouldn’t say... I wonder if her trips to Henford on Bagley have had a bad influence; I know some of the families there are much more conservative. 

Meanwhile, Emily is refusing to go back to Britechester Christian Academy and wants to go to public school. BCA doesn’t have girls’ sports teams and Emily wants to get a sports scholarship to play in San Myshuno. She says she won’t get scouted if she can’t even play, which I guess is true. We’re not keen on sending her to public school, but I guess it’s better than nothing. 

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(Wanda’s POV)

Mom and Dad keep encouraging me to go visit the Carlisle family in Henford on Bagley; I think they’re really hoping I’ll reconsider Harry’s courtship proposal, but he’s just not my type! He’s so boring and never says anything romantic. But my sister Nat wanted a holiday and said she’d go with me, so off we went! 

Thankfully, Nat mostly lets me do what I want, so while she was shopping and taking Simstagram pictures in the town, I slipped away to meet up with Charlie...

Mom always said we should save our first kiss for our wedding day, or at least until we’re engaged. Charlie says it’s fine to kiss before marriage, or even go a little further, because I’ve already promised myself to him, which is basically the same thing as being engaged. 

I asked Nat if she’d kissed any boys, and she said “Plenty!” then laughed and told me not to tell Mom. I didn’t tell her about Charlie, though she did wonder why I was asking. If we’re going to get married some day soon, I can’t keep him a secret forever. I’m 16 now, just four more years until Mom and Dad will let me get married...

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Well, we know why Wanda was so desperate to go back to Henford on Bagley! We had a call from the Carlisles last week asking if the family wanted to come visit. Henry had to work, and Nat and Peter were busy with school, so I just took Wanda and Emily with me.

As soon as we arrived at the Carlisles, I could see that Harry - the Carlisle’s eldest son - and Wanda were sweetly getting to know one another better! Harry talked nonstop about all of his interests and Wanda nodded along. 

Harry at one point took Wanda aside and asked if she would agree to formally ‘get to know him’! Wanda wasn’t sure, which surprised me since she’s been texting him constantly since her Church exchange trip, but I said that was alright - they’re just 16 and 15, plenty of time for them to just be kids!

Wanda went to bed early, and I didn’t hear from her for the rest of the night. She’s a quiet girl usually (especially compared to Nat and Emily), but this was a little unusual. I poked my head in and saw her snuggled up under the blankets fast asleep, so I guess she was just tired from travelling!

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As soon as she became a teenager, Wanda begged to go on an exchange with our church. Henry and I weren’t keen on her going on her own and asked Nat to go as well, but Nat was too busy with school and music. Our pastor assured us that Wanda would stay with Godly, churchgoing families, so off she went!

She spent the Winterfest season in Henford on Bagley, helping two families - the Watsons and the Carlisles. Both families have big farms and lots of young children, so Wanda’s help was such a blessing to them.

Wanda helped care for the children, cooked meals for the church potlucks, and even helped out with some of the early planting for the year! 

She had such a wonderful time, and has already told me she wants to go on another church exchange next Winterfest! I asked her if she’d like to try another location next time, but Wanda insisted on going back to Henford on Bagley, and even suggested we take a family holiday there! I wonder why she’s so insistent on going back...