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Post by starletinwaiting on May 27, 2019 12:58:33 GMT -8
Emily McFarland parks her car on the street Jesse Schlemel had given her before she pulls her bag onto the passenger seat beside her. Unzipping it, she flips through everything, reassuring herself one last time that she brought everything she will require. Once she has flipped through all her materials, she pulls open in her car door, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She locks her car remotely as she heads to the front door.
At precisely the arranged time, she knocks on the front door and awaits an answer.
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Post by Joelle on May 27, 2019 19:45:10 GMT -8
Jesse and Tarah both come to the door. Boaz, the second-oldest, who lives at Vale apartments, has come by as well, but he's trying to soothe Menashe and Naamah, who are a bit jittery, while Chava and Sheva are in their rooms, preparing for possible pictures.
"Hello! Come in and have a seat. Would you like something to drink?" asks Tarah.
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 27, 2019 21:14:46 GMT -8
"Hi! You must be... Tarah, right?" Emily asks. Though not a huge soccer fan herself, she did her preliminary research. "Some water would be lovely, thank you."
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Post by Joelle on May 27, 2019 22:07:20 GMT -8
Tarah nods. "Atarah, really. 'crown' in Hebrew. But my friends call me Tarah. One guy in secondary school (OOC: British equivalent to high school.) called me Atari, like the gaming system. It's close to how the name is said, though." She goes to get the water.
"So... says Jesse. "Where should we start?"
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 28, 2019 6:39:50 GMT -8
"Wherever you want!" Emily replies, full of energy and enthusiasm. "I like to allow my interviewees the chance to chance to get the call rolling in thw direction they want. I'll be able to lead the conversation from there."
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Post by Joelle on May 28, 2019 20:18:47 GMT -8
"Okay. Well, to start, we moved here from New York. Most people ask whether it's the city or the state, but when I say both, they get it quickly!" Jesse grins and Tarah returns with the water, handing the glass to Emily.
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 29, 2019 6:24:43 GMT -8
"New York," Emily says, thanking Sarah as she takes the glass of water. "There must be a huge difference between NYC and BG. I'm originally from San Francisco, so I get it. What's that been like so far?"
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Post by Joelle on May 29, 2019 7:35:24 GMT -8
" It's smaller, and that is odd for all of us, but there seems to be a sense of community here that there wasn't in New York. When there are thousands of people living in a city, you don't really get to connect with very many people," he observes.
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 29, 2019 8:06:30 GMT -8
"Mm, that's very true," Emily chuckles, jotting a few notes down. "You think this is gonna be a good place for you to start your family?"
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Post by Joelle on May 29, 2019 9:49:17 GMT -8
"Absolutely. Everyone we've met seems very nice. This seems like a town where people would step up if we were ever in need. That's something we want this baby and any future children to learn from."
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 29, 2019 10:32:11 GMT -8
"It definitely is a good quality to have, huh?" Emily says. She checks her prior notes before asking, "Along those lines, according to my notes, you guys have taken in your younger siblings, is that correct?"
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Post by Joelle on May 29, 2019 10:35:10 GMT -8
"Yes. The oldest younger one, Boaz, is 29 and doesn't live with us, but the others do."
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 29, 2019 10:53:01 GMT -8
"And how has that changed the family dynamic?" Emily asks, pen poised to write down his response. "I'm sure it must have impacted things in some way. I know when my dad and youngest siblings moved in with my oldest brother, things changed between them. Anything like that for you guys?"
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Post by Joelle on May 29, 2019 11:29:14 GMT -8
"It's been... I'm not sure I can describe it accurately. But...strained, for all of us. My parents died in June, but legally I've only been their guardian since November due to delays in court paperwork. None of us are sure how we fit together anymore, because a sibling is not really a parent, if you get my point, but legally I feel like that's what Tarah and I are expected to be."
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 29, 2019 14:15:31 GMT -8
Emily nods. "Mm, yeah, I can imagine that's got to be hard. Do you think being in a smaller city without the pressures of that big city lifestyle will help you find the right balance between the two?"
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Post by Joelle on May 29, 2019 15:14:11 GMT -8
"It's all still so new. But I really hope so. If nothing else, being in a smaller city will give me more time with my family in general. I'll still have speaking engagements, advertising, and press releases, but I'll try to balance those responsibilities with adequate family time and not commit to more activities than I know I possibly can."
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 29, 2019 15:43:07 GMT -8
"So is that part of wjy you decided to move here? So you vould have more time to spend with your family? That's a very noble cause," Emily replies, hardly looking up as she continues to scribble her notes.
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Post by Joelle on May 29, 2019 16:18:30 GMT -8
"Yes, partly, and also because Tarah and I struggled for so long to get pregnant. I need to be with her, and to make sure she doesn't stress. We found out she was pregnant only a month after we became guardians to my siblings," he explaina.
"That was a mess!" Tarah adds. "You're getting used to four other people suddenly being in the house, and then you find out you're going to be parents for the first time, all at once."
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 29, 2019 16:43:21 GMT -8
"That's got to add another layer of stress to the pregnancy experience," Emily says, turning to Tarah. "It's already hard enough, growing an entire human being, but to add to that needing to take care of four other human beings that aren't yours... What's that been like?"
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Post by Joelle on May 29, 2019 17:08:29 GMT -8
"Alone, when Jesse would be halfway around the world at times, it was...interesting. Even now, he's the one who's their brother, so it seems like they take his advice more seriously. But now that we'll be together a little more often...well, let's just say the baby wasn't the only reason he decided to pause his soccer career. We need to adjust as a family."
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 29, 2019 17:58:01 GMT -8
"No shame in that," Emily laughs reassuringly. "I remember when my dad first got remarried, we had a lot of adjusting to do. It's hard when families remarry or mingle in ways they didn't before. What's been the hardest part of that?"
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Post by Joelle on May 29, 2019 19:17:30 GMT -8
"Not really being a parent to them, like Jesse said, but being expected to be legally. Our whole relationship has changed, and sometimes we barely know what to say to each other. And because they're teens, it's hard to know when enough is enough as far as pushing them to do things. They've already had to grow up way before they should have had to." Tarah says with a sigh. "We don't quite know how to treat them, because they aren't our children, they're Jesse's siblings."
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 29, 2019 21:45:40 GMT -8
"I bet that's gotta be tough," Emily says. "How do you think they're handling it? All smooth on their part? As someone whose father divorced and remarried, I know that transition can be rough."
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Post by Joelle on May 30, 2019 2:53:37 GMT -8
"It helps that they were always close with Jesse. They've all told us that. But... me...." Tarah sighs. "Oh it's not that they don't like me. Most of the time, they do. But I came to the States from England. We met when the Flames played for the World Cup. They lost- but he came home with a plan to send me a ring in a few months and then we'd get married after spending our first Hanukkah together." Tarah smiles at the memories, and Jesse catches the look in her eyes. "Later, my love," he mouths, knowing she can probably read his lips. Her blush is evident, though, at remembering they still have company.
"But that's my point. I came from England- and you can still tell by my accent. The kids haven't seen my side of the family more than five times, and so it's been a little awkward as far as our first few holidays legally together, and even when we got married, they obviously didn't live with me! They've lived with Jesse most of their lives as siblings, and even with his career, have seen him frequently aside from soccer seasons and training. Even when he had to be away just for an engagement, improved flight times are a blessing and he was often home a couple of days earlier than expected. There was always time for a visit when he'd scheduled time off anyway."
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 30, 2019 8:22:34 GMT -8
"That's gotta be tough, not knowing how to relate to people who are meant to be close to you," Emily says. "Jesse, how does it seem to be going to you? How are they settling in? Do you foresee any problems with the situation, especially with a baby of your own coming?"
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Post by Joelle on May 30, 2019 9:26:44 GMT -8
"That's a good question," Jesse admits. "They're settling in well enough, even though Batsheva is a year behind in school due to suffering leg injuries in the accident. That can't be easy, being a year behind your twin." He has just now thought of this. "I don't envy her at all. The others will soon have their own activities- Kochava's artistic gymnastics, and Naamah and Menashe's lyrical dance class. With all of that, and Batsheva's online jewelry-making business, they shouldn't lack for friends here soon. But the baby... even I wouldn't know what to think of that. Naamah asked us if it would be her niece or nephew or her brother or sister! I get what she means. It's rare enough having multi-generational families in the same house, though it's becoming more common in the States due to the recession."
"It's still way more common in Europe though," Tarah adds. "Especially in places like Greece or France. No wonder they think they never get any privacy! Maybe, in a way, they're right!"
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 30, 2019 12:04:10 GMT -8
"That's gotta be tough, moving in with an older sibling and then shortly thereafter finding out you're gonna be an aunt or uncle and then shortly after that moving to a completely different town," Emily says with a shake of her head. "We've got a little bit of the multigenerational thing going on in my family too, though, so it really isn't that uncommon, you're right. Remind me how old they all are?"
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Post by Joelle on May 30, 2019 13:42:13 GMT -8
"Boaz is 29, so he's not really our problem." Tarah chuckles. "But Batsheva and Kochava are 17, Naamah is 15, and Menashe is 14."
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Post by starletinwaiting on May 30, 2019 13:48:15 GMT -8
"Mm, teenagers. I know you mentioned that already, but how do you think their ages affect everything? Your move? Your relationship to them? Do you think things would be easier if they were younger?" Emily asks.
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Post by Joelle on May 30, 2019 14:22:30 GMT -8
"I do think things would be easier if they were younger," Tarah admits. "When you're young- under the age of 7 or so- you're just learning who everyone is and how they fit into your family. To have those relationships suddenly change after they've been established for so long would be weird to anyone, but a kid might accept it as normal faster. Kids at least mostly seem to be more resilient. But when you're a teenager, it seems like you remember everything so much more. Your first heartbreak, kiss, experience with driving...things like that. But then when you add this in, it's even more to process emotionally, in a time in their lives maybe already too full of emotions."
"The move... that was the easy part," Jesse says. "They got why right away. I think when you're famous, it's sometimes hard to know who your friends are. It's true anyway, for anyone, but when you add that everyone wants your autograph... or your brother's autograph, in their case...it's not easy at all. They were glad to kind of breathe for awhile, I think. Though I don't envy Kochava, graduating in a new school!"
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