After my talk with Melody during our teatime, I wasn't able to see her for a little while so I wasn't able to hear her answer yet.. Her family was extremely busy as they had many events to attend, to hold, and of course lots of lessons before the entrance exam for Solthine Academy was held.
The same could be said for my family as well. Just like the Serenella's, the Cotheran family were just as busy with our own schedule being packed to the brim. My parents had many meetings, my siblings and I all had lessons, and we had many social events to attend.
It was exhausting.
How did people keep up with everything? I liked people well enough, but at times I just wanted to crawl into a ball. I wasn't used to all this interaction with so many new people.
Since I was about to take the Solthine entrance exam, my mother had me start attending my sister's lessons alongside mine so that I might be able to absorb more information. No one really expected me to fully grasp what was being taught or even being able to pay attention long enough, but it felt disingenuous to not pay attention.
Metis was my older sister and she was absolutely stunning for a seven-year-old. Unlike my own flat hair, her locks were wavy and buoyant. It shone like the night sky, was extremely soft, and most curiously smelled like vanilla and lavender. Well that part wasn't so strange actually. Her favorite scents were vanilla and lavender, so all her body wash products smelled like them and so did her perfume. I loved being enwrapped in her hugs just to breathe it in deeply. Being enveloped in her hugs always seemed to calm me down and I couldn’t help falling asleep sometimes.
I loved my older sister dearly. I didn't have any older siblings in my old life. But in this one I got not one, but two! Metis was a great older sister; she was patient and kind and if I didn't understand something then she would answer my questions until I didn't need her anymore.
She was confidant as well and could turn any situation around. Even if it looked like she was at a disadvantage, it took only a few words from her lips for her to take control. I could only wish to be like her one day. But I have no faith in that ever happening. I may be able to talk to friends or family, but to anyone else I become flustered, I talk to fast, and most importantly my face starts to redden.
Besides Metis, I also had an older brother. His name was Killian, but he only ever went by Ian. As far as I can remember, I only ever recall him being called Ian. Only when he got in trouble did my parents use his full name. They did that with all their children, it was their special way of letting us know we were in trouble. I couldn’t blame Ian for wanting to go by a nickname instead of his actual name. That’s what I did as well even if mine came naturally instead of choosing a nickname like he did. I wouldn't want to be stuck with such an obnoxious name either.
Ian was ten, and like our mother, he had a mop of honey blonde hair and a brighter complexion then our sister, our father and I. When looking at our family photos, one could tell that he stuck out like a sore thumb and was the odd one out. While the rest of us had pale skin and looked somewhat akin to Morticia and Gomez Addams (again why was this the authors aesthetic for this family?), Ian looked like the cheery unsuspecting individual who would unknowingly barge into our gothic antics.
Despite the mismatch in appearance with our immediate family, Ian was strikingly similar to Uncle Waldo. Uncle Waldo actually had more of a reddish-brown almost clay colored hair with ruddy cheeks and always had a jovial expression resting upon his face. Ian had the same fluffy texture as Waldo’s hair and always seemed to have the same look on his face. If one were to compare their photos side by side as children, they would come to realize that the pair could easily pass as each other’s doppelganger with just a little bit of hair dye and contact lenses. And when looking at Papa's family photos, Papa was instead the one who stood out with his grim-looking demeanor. It was kind of absurd how the situation was reversed for my brother.
Looks aside, my brother was a boy like any other and would constantly get into trouble while messing about. He had an incredible amount of energy and at times it seemed like he would be bouncing off the walls. He would play with me a lot of the times by letting me ride piggyback or twirl me around while holding me. He indulged me in all my childish whims, and I can’t lie when I say how much I enjoy being able to do this.
I wonder if he'd even play chicken in the pool with me one day. But we would need another pair to fight off for that to occur. We could probably convince Metis to play as well, but it doesn’t really work with only three people.
Anyways, onto Mama and Papa. Papa was Norman Cotheran, oldest son of the Cotheran family and despite his look, he, Ian, and Uncle Waldo all had similar personalities to varying degrees. Each could usually be found with a smile and despite Papa never cracking jokes or being as lively as Waldo or Ian, he could still easily bring a smile to others faces with his kind words. Each of them had this sort of warmth to them that for some reason made you want to smile. Papa also went by the name Norrix instead of his birth name Norman. Norrix had been a nickname Mama's family had given him when he and Mama started courting one another and it fit him extremely well. As much as he stood out in his own family, he actually was like the missing puzzle piece in Mama’s family.
As for Mama, she was as elegant as she looked. Lenore Cotheran, a lady raised by the esteemed Thurmhill family. She was the stricter one out of our parents, but she never failed to show us that she was only like that because she cared. She was the one that made sure we got to everything we were supposed to. She was a meticulous planner who was able to fit anything into a perfect schedule without any mistakes. And despite that, at times she would still be fretful about any phantom problems that could and would occur. It was up to Papa to help ease her worries and find solutions that would for our family. His carefree nature always helped to balance out Mama's worrywart thoughts.
Last but certainly not least, Uncle Waldo could also be considered a part of our family unit. Despite living in his own flat near the hospital for an easy and quick commute, Uncle Waldo could usually be found over at our house. Waldo’s name wasn’t actually Waldo though, it was Walter and he was actually Papa’s younger brother. He’s nine years Papa’s junior and I’m not entirely certain where the name Waldo came from, but it seemed to have been a name he’s had ever since primary school. At this point I don’t think anyone could ever considering seeing him as a Walter except his own parents.
At thirty-five, Waldo was still a bachelor and put all of himself into his work and our family. Some of my earliest memories were of him watching over me and trying to make me laugh with his silly antics. It also wasn't uncommon to find him chasing my siblings around the garden while I watched with glee and clapped my hands whenever he would catch one of them. He was definitely our favorite Uncle and our family wouldn't feel complete without him lazing about at our house. If he wasn’t there, then it just didn’t feel right.
I have no idea what the Cotheran family were really like in the novel, but during the moments I’ve spent with them, I couldn't fathom how Faye could become a villain in such a loving environment. She might have been treated like a princess, and so am I, but… with a family like this, it was only natural to be good natured. The Cotheran's were good people and only wanted what was best for their children. They were very unorthodox in an Addam's family-esque way, but that was what was so great about them. They respected their children’s decisions and never tried to deter them from going after what they wanted. They genuinely wanted their children to be happy and never pushed any ideas or agendas onto them. Most parents would try to groom their male heir into being the perfect son to run the family business and the daughters into marrying a suitable candidate to strengthen business relationships, but the Cotheran’s seemed to do no such thing and it baffled me. For all intents and purposes, they seemed perfect.
Mama and Papa also didn’t see the world like most elite families do. We had servants just like any other family of our stature, but they almost felt like extended relatives to me. Mama and Papa made sure to teach us to treat every worker we had with respect and our relationships with them felt very cordial and relaxed. Sometimes I would even catch Uncle Waldo flirting with a few of the maids or cooks and they’d spend the rest of the day with faces as red as strawberries whenever they crossed paths with him again.
Thinking about it now, my novel counterpart had a very type A personality like Mama. She was the one who helped Melody plan out her schemes and was the one to facilitate them all. With her dark look, it was easy for others to be scared of her. And similar to Metis, her confidence was like a boulder in river that would not budge even with countless waves crashing down from all sides. While Melody would scream and berate everyone around her if she did not get her way, Faye had stayed cool and collected and used her words like a weapon that could cut people easily.
She was always a fan favorite who would be analyzed on forums after every appearance she made because of how complex she was. She was analytical and very objective in her decision making and how she viewed the world. The only exception to that rule was Melody who she helped with unwavering loyalty. The author had never gone into detail about why Faye would always listen to Melody, but there were countless theories ranging from secretly being in love with her to being blackmailed into following her or else a terrible secret would be revealed to the world.
Either way, some of Faye’s traits could definitely be picked out from the Cotheran's, but the lack of warmth and cheerfulness was shocking. It was as if the author had cut it out entirely. Truth be told, since the novel was not about Melody and her friends, we never saw any of their good parts. They only showed up when it was needed for the plot and when the problem they caused was solved for that chapter, they would quietly disappear into the background. That usually happened in novels and I wish the author had skimped out on it, especially now that I was currently living it.
My heart hurt thinking about how everyone in this family suffered at the end of the novel… None of them deserved to go through what they did. Even if my counterpart had committed felonies, those actions shouldn’t have had such big consequences for the family.
I felt reinvigorated to accomplish my goals. If not for me, then for them. They deserved to be happy and I wouldn't let any harm come to them even if I have to move mountains for it to happen.
