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Cast of Characters
Following are just some of the characters making frequent appearances in my columns. Most of them are real people, some are compilations of several people. Names have been changed to protect their innocence. All the characters are named for Disney characters as a tribute to Jafar.
Ariel - the other sister. Ariel is the sister we adopted as adults. She's Minnie's best friend, and they have been hanging around forever. I can never figure out why Ariel has accepted our adoption of her. She actually thinks it is great that we refer to her as "the other sister".
Aurora - sister number four. Aurora was the tomboy of the bunch. In a six month period, she bashed up her face and broke her collar bone twice. She got kicked out of religion class by a ninety year old nun. She is definitely spirited. Now she has two boys and a big puppy. I thought my house was loud, these two boys and their horse (I'm sorry, its really a puppy), never stop. I'm sure my mother thinks, "Revenge thy name is grandchildren."
Cleo - sister number three. Clio is the bubbly, cute one of the group. Jafar says she sounds like Snuggles the Bear from tv commercials. She is a die hard Cubs fan, and deafens the ears of anyone sitting next to her at a game. All her life she has been stuck with a nickname, such as Bump. People have actually thought that was her given name. She is a primary school teacher, and seems to be very good at her job.
Jafar - my loving husband. Despite the name, he is actually a nice guy. The name Jafar just works well when I want to complain about men and their stupidity; I can just use the phrase, "the evil Jafar." Jafar works with big computers known as the AS/400. He is extremely intellectual. He is enamored with Disney, Star Wars, movies and toys. We have been married for more than ten years. Although he has some geeky tendencies, he is my geek, and I do love him.
Jane - daughter number two. Jane is three years old and is in preschool. Calamnity Jane is probably an appropriate psuedonym. She is into everything. We are surprised that she has not been thrown out of preschoo. If she is quiet for a minute that is a warning that there is trouble brewing. She adores her big sister.
Jasmine - daughter number one. Jasmine is seven and is in first grade. She has a great imagination. She likes school, and sometimes likes her baby sister.
Kala - sister number one. Kala is the sister closest to my age which actually makes her more than three years younger than I am. Growing up, we were probably each other's worst enemies. I was focused, Kala did not appear to be focused. I was quiet and shy, Kala was boy crazy. Our personalities tend to clash. Now, we get along fine. Yes, there are still times that I want to bash her head in, but I accept the fact that she views things differently than I do. So, instead of trying to make her accept my common sense, I just wish that she would have my common sense.
Louie - sister number two. Louie was the stubborn one of the bunch. She was smart but would get in trouble at school because she didn't like the teacher. As a child she had naturally curly hair which she would not let my mother touch to cut or comb. One night a big chunk of her hair was mysteriously cut off (my mother has never confessed to the crime). Louie's stubbornness is now a big asset. She is the mother of three boys. She was the first of us to become a mother. She has one of these households where people are constantly running in and out. Union Station sees less people traffic than her house.
Me - the supposed columnist. I am a quiet shy person. I work for an Internet start-up company that specializes in direct marketing. I enjoy arts and crafts especially cross stitch. I keep hoping the stock I have in my company does a Microsoft thing, and that I will be able to retire in five years and start up an arts and craft business.
Minnie - sister number five. Minnie is the baby of the family. She didn't speak until she was three, and has not stopped since. Often when she starts telling a story, I find myself wondering how she breathes. There is eleven years difference between Minnie and I. When she was a child I coached her softball and basketball teams. Despite the age difference, Minnie and I have always gotten along well. Minnie is a newlywed, and has been told that if anything happens between them, we actually get custody of her husband.
The Mother - my mother. The Mother is an insane saint. Saint Mom made sure we went to church every Sunday and cringed everytime one of us dared to utter a bad word. She worked hard to raise her six daughters. Now, she is prone to exaggerate, and will space out when you are talking to her. I believe that these are really side effects from raising children. Recently, she has taken great joy in the fact that her grandchildren have the ability and the will to make their mothers crazy. The Mother does not get a pseudonym because she is and always will be "THE MOTHER."
The Sisters - my five younger sisters, plus one we adopted as adults. I grew up as the oldest of six girls. According to old ladies "each was prettier than the next." There is eleven years difference between me and my youngest sister. According to many people we all look alike, according to us, we don't really look alike at all. As adults we have adopted a seventh child, my youngest sister's best friend. The sisters in order for oldest to youngest (this is the only way we can name each other off) are Kala, Louie, Cleo, Aurora, Minnie, and the other sister is Ariel.
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