A New Life in West Egg
I moved to New York to sell bonds. My small house sat next to a huge mansion. It was white and pretty, like a castle made of sugar. The owner was my neighbor, Mr. Gatsby. I had never met him, but I heard stories about his fun parties.
"Welcome to the neighborhood, Mr. Carraway!" My gardener waved as I unpacked my car. The summer air was warm and smelled like flowers.
My house was tiny compared to Gatsby's palace. His home had tall towers and a big green lawn that touched the water. At night, his windows glowed like stars.
"They say he's very rich," whispered Mrs. Johnson from next door. "But nobody knows where his money comes from!"
I had a cousin named Daisy who lived nearby. She was married to Tom Buchanan, a man I knew from school. They lived in East Egg, across the water. Their house was fancy too, with red and white brick walls.
Fun Fact: East Egg and West Egg were shaped like eggs in the water. Rich people lived there in big houses with pretty gardens.
One evening, I went to visit Daisy and Tom. The sun was setting, making the sky pink and orange.
"Nick!" Daisy ran to hug me. She wore a white dress that moved in the wind. "We missed you so much!"
Tom stood in the doorway, tall and strong. "Come in, old sport," he said. "Let's catch up."
Their house was beautiful inside. Everything sparkled like diamonds. We ate dinner on the porch and watched boats on the water.
"Do you know your neighbor?" Daisy asked, her eyes curious. "The mysterious Mr. Gatsby?"
"Not yet," I said. "But I see his house lit up every weekend. It looks like a carnival!"
That night, walking home, I saw someone standing on Gatsby's dock. He reached his arms out toward a green light across the water. The light came from Daisy's house. But when I looked again, the man was gone.
I wrote in my diary: "Something strange is happening here. Who is Gatsby? Why does he throw such big parties? And why does he stare at that green light?"
Every night after that, I heard music and laughter from next door. Cars drove up and down the street. People in fancy clothes danced in Gatsby's gardens. But I never saw the host himself.
Then one day, a fancy car stopped at my door. The driver handed me a card with gold writing:
You are invited to attend Mr. Gatsby's party this Saturday evening.
My adventure in West Egg was about to begin. Lost Love and Hidden Dreams
The sun was bright as I walked through my garden. A tall man in a fancy suit appeared at my fence. His smile was friendly, like he knew a fun secret.
"I'm Jay Gatsby, your neighbor," he said. "Would you like to hear a story?"
We sat in his big garden. Butterflies danced around pretty flowers. Gatsby looked at the water, his eyes sad and happy at the same time.
Important Memory: Gatsby told me about meeting a beautiful girl named Daisy before the war. They fell in love during summer dances and moonlit walks.
"I was poor then," Gatsby said softly. "Just a soldier with big dreams. But Daisy was rich and special, like a princess."
"She had a voice that sounded like money," Gatsby smiled. "When she laughed, the whole world stopped to listen."
But then Gatsby had to go fight in the war. He wrote letters to Daisy every day. When he came back, everything was different. Daisy had married Tom Buchanan.
"That's why I bought this big house," Gatsby waved at his mansion. "I wanted to be rich and important. I wanted Daisy to see me across the water."
The green light at the end of Daisy's dock twinkled. Now I knew why Gatsby watched it every night!
Tom and Daisy lived in their fancy house. But Gatsby lived in his dreams of the past.
"Will you help me meet Daisy again?" Gatsby asked. His eyes were bright with hope.
"Of course," I said. "She's my cousin. I can invite her for tea."
Gatsby jumped up, happy like a kid on Christmas morning. He called his gardeners to make my little house perfect for Daisy's visit.
That week, Gatsby's house was extra busy:
Workers cut every flower in his garden
Bakers made pretty cakes
Musicians practiced sweet songs
Cleaners made everything sparkle ✨
"Is all this for Daisy?" I asked, watching trucks bring more flowers.
"Five years is a long time," Gatsby said. "Everything must be perfect."
But while Gatsby planned his perfect meeting, dark clouds gathered. Tom Buchanan was asking questions about Gatsby's money. And not everyone believed Gatsby's stories about his past.
"He seems different from other rich people," Jordan Baker told me at dinner. She was Daisy's friend who knew all the gossip. "Some say he did bad things to get his money."
That night, I watched Gatsby stand by his pool. The water reflected the stars like diamonds. He looked lonely, even with all his fancy things.
"Sweet dreams, old sport," he called to me. But his eyes were on the green light, always watching, always hoping. Glittering Dreams and Dancing Stars
The music floated through the warm summer air. Hundreds of people filled Gatsby's garden. Colorful lights twinkled like stars fallen from the sky.
I had never seen anything so magical! Ladies in sparkly dresses danced. Men in fancy suits laughed. The food tables had mountains of treats.
Party Time! Every weekend, Gatsby's house turned into the biggest party in New York. But nobody knew why he threw these amazing parties.
"Have you met Gatsby?" a lady in pink asked me. "I heard he's a spy!"
"No, he killed someone!" whispered a man with a funny mustache.
"I heard he's actually a prince!" giggled another lady.
"Everyone comes to Gatsby's parties, but nobody knows Gatsby," a wise old man said, sipping his drink.
The party spun around me like a colorful dream. Then I saw a man standing alone by the fountain. He wasn't dancing or laughing. He was watching everyone with kind eyes.
"I'm Jay Gatsby," he smiled, raising his glass. "I've been hoping to meet you, old sport."
His smile was warm and friendly. But something sad lived behind his eyes. Like he was looking for someone in the crowd.
Gatsby showed me around his huge house. We saw:
A room full of beautiful books
Real gold bathroom sinks ✨
A pool that glowed like magic ♂️
Gardens with real palm trees
A car that looked like silver moonlight
"Why do you have these big parties?" I asked.
Gatsby looked at the green light across the water. "I hope Daisy might come to one," he whispered. "She lives right there, but she feels so far away."
"Mr. Gatsby!" A man in a fancy suit rushed over. "Chicago is calling about business!"
Gatsby's face changed. His smile got serious. "Excuse me, old sport. Work calls."
As he walked away, I heard whispers:
"He sells illegal drinks!"
"No, he steals diamonds!"
"I bet he works for the government!"
Nobody knew the truth about Gatsby. But I was starting to understand. He wasn't just a rich man throwing parties. He was a man chasing a dream.
Later that night, I found Gatsby standing by his pool. The party lights made the water dance with colors.
"Do you think she'll ever come?" he asked softly.
"I'll help you meet her," I promised.
His eyes lit up like fireworks. But behind us, a phone rang. More business from Chicago. More secrets in the shadows. The mystery of Jay Gatsby was just beginning to unfold. Love's Sweet Return
The morning sun sparkled on Gatsby's perfect lawn. Today was special. Daisy was coming to tea!
A Nervous Morning! Gatsby sent over so many flowers, my house looked like a garden shop. He even sent someone to cut my grass three times!
"Is everything perfect?" Gatsby paced back and forth. "The flowers, the cakes, the tea?"
"Everything's wonderful," I said. "Just try to relax."
"Five years," he whispered. "I've waited five years to see her again."
The doorbell rang. There she was - Daisy in her pretty white dress. Her smile lit up the room.
When Gatsby and Daisy saw each other, time seemed to stop. They just stared, like they couldn't believe their eyes.
"I'm so glad to see you," Gatsby's voice shook.
"It's been so long," Daisy's eyes sparkled with tears.
Things that happened next:
Gatsby knocked over my clock (he was so nervous!) ⏰
Daisy cried when she saw his beautiful shirts
They talked about old times and lost dreams ⭐
The rain came, but nobody noticed ️
Music played softly from somewhere far away
"Would you like to see my house?" Gatsby asked Daisy.
We walked through his giant mansion. Daisy touched everything with wonder.
Gatsby watched Daisy like she was made of magic. All his fancy things seemed to shine brighter when she looked at them. ✨
"Your house is like a fairy tale," Daisy said.
"I built it all for you," Gatsby said softly. "Everything I have, everything I am - it's all been for you."
But shadows moved across Daisy's face. "Oh, Jay... it's been so long..."
"Time doesn't matter," Gatsby smiled. "We can start over. Just like before."
But things weren't just like before. Daisy had a husband now. And secrets lived in the spaces between their happy memories.
The sun began to set. Golden light filled Gatsby's big rooms.
"Play something, Klipspringer!" Gatsby called to his piano player.
As music filled the air, Gatsby and Daisy danced. They looked like they were floating on clouds.
But outside, a car drove up. Tom Buchanan was home early across the bay.
Daisy's smile faded. "I have to go."
"Will you come back tomorrow?" Gatsby's eyes were full of hope.
"Yes," she whispered. But her voice sounded far away, like music carried on the wind. Dreams Begin to Break
The hot summer sun beat down on East Egg. Dark clouds gathered in the distance. Something big was about to happen. ️
Trouble is Coming! Tom Buchanan was getting suspicious. He saw how Gatsby looked at Daisy. And he didn't like it one bit.
"Why does my wife keep going to West Egg?" Tom asked me at lunch.
"She likes to visit her cousin," I said, trying to stay calm.
Tom banged his fist on the table. "It's that Gatsby fellow, isn't it?"
"I've heard things about him," Tom growled. "Bad things. And I'm going to find out what he's really up to."
Later that day, we all met at the Plaza Hotel. The fancy room felt small and hot.
Everyone was there: Gatsby in his pink suit, Daisy looking worried, Tom with angry eyes, Jordan Baker watching everything, and me wishing I could leave.
"Let's have it out," Tom said. "What's going on between you and my wife, Gatsby?"
Gatsby stood tall. "Daisy never loved you. She loves me. She's always loved me!"
Daisy's face went white. "Oh, please stop..."
Then something terrible happened:
Tom told everyone about Gatsby's illegal business
Gatsby got very angry
Daisy started crying
Someone knocked over a fancy vase
Everything fell apart
"Tell him!" Gatsby begged Daisy. "Tell Tom you never loved him!"
But Daisy couldn't say it. Her voice shook. "I... I loved you both."
Gatsby's face changed. His dream was breaking. Everything he worked for was slipping away.
"Let's go home," Daisy whispered to Tom.
"You drive with Gatsby," Tom said. "I trust you now."
As they drove away, something awful was about to happen. A car crash that would change everything. And poor Gatsby didn't know his perfect dream was about to turn into a nightmare.
Jordan and I stayed behind with Tom.
"He's finished," Tom smiled. "That Gatsby fellow is done for."
Outside, the sky turned dark. Thunder rolled across the bay. The perfect summer was ending, and so was Gatsby's beautiful dream. ⛈️
I looked out the window at the city lights. Somewhere out there, a car was speeding through the valley of ashes. And with it, the last pieces of Gatsby's world were falling apart.A Dream Fades Away
The night was dark and stormy. Gatsby...
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