Curses and Stuff

Where did you even get a llama? They’re not exactly native animals.

My cousin got him for me. I dunno’ where.

A llama?

Yeah. Great animals.

Oh, do you? That’s lucky. What kind of animals? I’m allergic to cats and dogs, so I wouldn’t even be able to have them, which is a bit unfortunate. I mean, I could if it were like a bald cat or a dog like a Yorkie terrier. They have hair that’s more like human hair and not dog hair, so I’m not allergic to them. But my dad’s not big on animals, so even if I wanted to, I’d have to actually move out for that. 

Dog, llama, and owl. I don’t like cats, but I’d hate to be allergic to dogs. Mine’s a Newfoundland, and I think he’d be really bad for anyone with allergies. He’s got lots and lots of hair. A bald cat sounds awful, I get that you wouldn’t be allergic to it, but it sounds like you’d be getting rid of the only good part of the animal.

I know a few people who don’t mind or actually like it. But to each their own and all that.

My mum likes living alone, I don’t get it at all. I’ve got a few animals though, so that kind of fills the space.

Do you like living on your own? 

Um.

Yeah, I did. 

My mum wanted to sell our house as soon as I left school so she had some money left over to help me get my own place, otherwise I wouldn’t have moved out so fast.

Well, my dad and his brother were close, so it made sense that they were nearby. 

That’s good. Family should stick together. Did you just get out of school last year?

No. We just grew up near each other. Saw each other a lot. His mum, my aunt, works from home, so she would look after me a lot when my parents were working. 

That’s cool. My cousins never lived very close but I still got to see them a fair bit. I always wished they lived closer. We ended up living together after school, so that made up for it.

No, well, I’d certainly hope not. I grew up with my cousin anyway. It was like having an older brother. 

In the same house?

Well, I don’t definitely don’t think you’re messed up if that helps.

Thanks, I guess that’s nice to hear. You don’t seem messed up either.

I don’t have any siblings either so cousins are definitely nice. 

I feel like people think that only children are messed up somehow, but I don’t think I am.

My mum’s side I see sporadically. They were here just last Christmas. But they all live in Argentina so it’s a bit harder. My dad’s family is easier. We’re close to dad’s brother so we see his family all the time, do I’m decently close to my cousin.

That’s good. Cousins are nice, I don’t have any siblings so they kind of fill in for that.

Well, I don’t know if it has to do with that. She’s just old news, you know? Least my mum doesn’t really talk about her great-great grandmother or anything either. My dad has a small family. They’re not talkative to begin with. Not much to talk about there. 

Ah, that makes sense. Do you see them ever? On either side?

Oh, no. She was way before my time. I didn’t even know about her until I did some digging on my own. Dad never talked much about his side of the family.

Wow, they really didn’t like her career choice. My mum doesn’t talk about some of her family but they aren’t very nice.

No, it was just her. I don’t think my family really cared for it after she did the job, but I don’t know. It just fascinated me, so here I am.

That’s a shame. Did you ever meet her?

Oh, family thing. My great-great grandmother or something worked in the department. I found out about her one day and I just became obsessed with what she did and that whole department so I knew that’s what I needed to do. 

Really? That’s cool. Nice to have a family connection. Anyone else in your family ever work there?