The House Story
This is a story about a house... and it's a true story.
Since my Mom was a single parent and a working woman, I'd walk home from school each day and stop at a huge yellow duplex that my Aunts and Uncles lived in. I would wait there until my Mom came to pick me up after work. One Aunt and one Uncle lived on each side of the house. There were two of everything, two kitchens, two staircases, two basements, two glassed in porches, and two big picture windows.
I'd only have to walk a block or so until I would see my two Aunts sitting inside one of the big picture windows waiting for me to come by. The moment I saw them, I felt warm, safe and loved. After all, like a lab sits and waits at the bus stop for their favorite human, every day, my Aunts sat and waited for me. A huge smile would light up my face and with a waive, I would be off, rushing down the long drive, curving around the house to the second back door (I told you there was two of everything!). I'd gleefuly jump up the worn cement steps and reach for the screen door, and look up to see the smiling face of one of my Aunts shining down at mine welcoming me in.
We would all sit down at the kitchen table that was made by hand by one of my Uncles. It was nestled in a cosy bright corner of the kitchen that was surrounded by windows. There we ate the sweets of life, candy, carmel corn and chocolate covered marshmallow cookies with milk. We would discuss the events of the day. After there was nothing more to eat or say we would work in the yard, learn the names of the plants and flowers or if it was the season we would go to the back and pick raspberries and then eat them over vanilla ice cream. I have wonderful memories of the house but more so the people and the energy that made the house a home.
The house was sold years ago, after my Uncles and Aunts had all passed from this earthly existence. I hadn't thought about the house in a long while but when I think of my relatives, my memories still beam with love and light.
Just the other day, while I was pulling weeds I thought about the house and what it would be like to live there today. I thought about my Uncle putting tile down in one of the upstairs bathrooms, little tiles pink, white and light blue. I thought about the tiny bathroom that was off one of the porches. I thought about the wreaths they put over the big picture windows every Christmas. I thought about the squeeky wood floors, the hole in the closet that you could see through to the basement and the clock that chimed in the dining room. My thoughts toured me through the house. I was walking through all the rooms and wondering if the house was ever on the market would I like to live there. Although I really would, there are probably a lot of ghosts living there and they would not like it if I changed any thing, especially the things I know that my Aunts and Uncles built and worked hard to put there. I did give it a lot more thought while I was weeding and never came up with an answer- if I would like to buy the house or not. I would have to move from Florida to Ohio. Then I went on to other thoughts, like, what should I make for dinner and it was probably time to walk the dog.
The next day, I heard from a high school mate that I had not heard from in many years. She was calling about the reunion planned for this November. After we got caught up with the chit chat, I asked, where she was living. Her response made me a little envious. She said, " I live in North Olmstead, just down a few houses from where your Aunts lived." She went on to say their old house was for sale.
Since my Mom was a single parent and a working woman, I'd walk home from school each day and stop at a huge yellow duplex that my Aunts and Uncles lived in. I would wait there until my Mom came to pick me up after work. One Aunt and one Uncle lived on each side of the house. There were two of everything, two kitchens, two staircases, two basements, two glassed in porches, and two big picture windows.
I'd only have to walk a block or so until I would see my two Aunts sitting inside one of the big picture windows waiting for me to come by. The moment I saw them, I felt warm, safe and loved. After all, like a lab sits and waits at the bus stop for their favorite human, every day, my Aunts sat and waited for me. A huge smile would light up my face and with a waive, I would be off, rushing down the long drive, curving around the house to the second back door (I told you there was two of everything!). I'd gleefuly jump up the worn cement steps and reach for the screen door, and look up to see the smiling face of one of my Aunts shining down at mine welcoming me in.
We would all sit down at the kitchen table that was made by hand by one of my Uncles. It was nestled in a cosy bright corner of the kitchen that was surrounded by windows. There we ate the sweets of life, candy, carmel corn and chocolate covered marshmallow cookies with milk. We would discuss the events of the day. After there was nothing more to eat or say we would work in the yard, learn the names of the plants and flowers or if it was the season we would go to the back and pick raspberries and then eat them over vanilla ice cream. I have wonderful memories of the house but more so the people and the energy that made the house a home.
The house was sold years ago, after my Uncles and Aunts had all passed from this earthly existence. I hadn't thought about the house in a long while but when I think of my relatives, my memories still beam with love and light.
Just the other day, while I was pulling weeds I thought about the house and what it would be like to live there today. I thought about my Uncle putting tile down in one of the upstairs bathrooms, little tiles pink, white and light blue. I thought about the tiny bathroom that was off one of the porches. I thought about the wreaths they put over the big picture windows every Christmas. I thought about the squeeky wood floors, the hole in the closet that you could see through to the basement and the clock that chimed in the dining room. My thoughts toured me through the house. I was walking through all the rooms and wondering if the house was ever on the market would I like to live there. Although I really would, there are probably a lot of ghosts living there and they would not like it if I changed any thing, especially the things I know that my Aunts and Uncles built and worked hard to put there. I did give it a lot more thought while I was weeding and never came up with an answer- if I would like to buy the house or not. I would have to move from Florida to Ohio. Then I went on to other thoughts, like, what should I make for dinner and it was probably time to walk the dog.
The next day, I heard from a high school mate that I had not heard from in many years. She was calling about the reunion planned for this November. After we got caught up with the chit chat, I asked, where she was living. Her response made me a little envious. She said, " I live in North Olmstead, just down a few houses from where your Aunts lived." She went on to say their old house was for sale.
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