The Time Travelers' Club: Chapter 2 -- For Rent

One late September afternoon, Sam perused a well-read book about World War One, waiting for five o'clock to arrive when he and his mom would walk home.  He quietly read about the infamous Tower of London and its villainous prisoners.   Not that interesting until he started reading about severed heads on pikes, hangings, and bloody beheadings.   Sam's imagination was flooded with gruesome images.

Nearby at the reference desk, Emily finished a reference question for a young man when a slender elderly woman with silvery hair pulled back up into a bun approached her.

"May I help you?" asked Emily looking up and smiling.

"Yes, my name is Mrs. Charlotte Steers, but most people call me Lottie," she replied in a prim yet warm voice.

Emily immediately recognized the name.  Mrs. Charlotte Steers, the locally-known author of historical fiction, stood before her, reminding Emily of Miss Marple, the fictional English detective.   Last May, Mrs. Steers turned seventy-six and remained active, spry, and quick-witted.  Emily remembered Ms. Judy Depp, the head librarian, mentioning she found it odd Mrs. Steers only checked out paperback mysteries and never researched at the library, yet wrote in-depth historical novels.

"You must be new," said Mrs. Steers.  "I've not seen you here before."

"I recently moved here with my son. I started a few months ago," said Emily. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I have a notice for the community bulletin board."  Reaching into her brown leather handbag, Mrs. Steers pulled out a blue note card.  Emily read the stylish-written note:

For rent – a spacious two-bedroom apartment on the second floor of a private home.  Separate entrance.  Overlooks a park, close to the elementary school, public library, restaurants, and local shops.  Reasonable rent to the right person or persons.  Very quiet home and area.  Utilities and some furniture included.  Call Mrs. Lottie Steers at 555-4567 for further details.

"May I wait to post this?" said Emily, thinking What luck.  "I’m looking for a new apartment.   Something close to here and the school.  Perhaps we can be the first to see it?"

"I think that would be excellent," said Mrs. Steers.  "How about tomorrow after work?  Sam will also be out of school then I could meet him.  It’s just a few streets over.  Close to the school and here."

"Yes, that would be perfect," said Emily.  Mrs. Steers wrote her address on the back of the note card and said goodbye.  A few moments later, Emily had a thought.   How did she know Sam's name? I don't remember mentioning it.   Emily shrugged her shoulders and returned to work.

The next day, Emily and Sam hiked to an area with old homes from bygone eras.  Many of them still belonged to the original families who had built them.  Their groomed yards were green and occasionally bushes or flower beds lined the walks to the porches.  Shading the cracked sidewalks, the roots of old oaks and elms trees pushed up from under concrete.   Sam remembered the old wives tale about cracks, mothers, and their backs, and made a game of not stepping on them.

"This one's number 454," said Emily looking at a stately Victorian home, but Sam paid no attention instead he daydreamed about what might be hidden in the attics and basements of them.   Cool old treasures.  Old books.  Trunks filled with forgotten toys.

"Oh my goodness!"  Emily stopped to stare.  "Here's 457 Woodruff Street."  Sam marveled at the largest house on the block.  "Well, judging by the looks of this place, we may not be able to afford it."

The Steers' three-story Victorian home, was painted off-white with green-trimmed window frames.   Green and yellow-striped awnings hung over the second-story curtained windows.  The weathered porch, with turned columns, stretched half the house's length.   Two wooden doors with arched curtained windows and exterior wooden-framed screen doors served as the home's main entrance.   Floor to ceiling stained glass windows stood on each side of the doors.  Several red brick chimneys towered up above the slated and steep gabled roofs.

"That's the largest house I have ever seen," said Sam awed by its size.  He loved it, already feeling at home.  His love of history and nostalgia drew him to such places.  His parents, and more recently his grandparents, took him to museums, historic houses, and libraries.

"There are eleven windows just across the front of the house," said Emily.  Through the wrought iron gate, they strolled up the cement walk and climbed the worn steps.  "I hope it's not in the lease that we have to clean all those windows."

As they reached the top step, Mrs. Steers swung open a screen door at the right far end of the porch.  Coming towards them, her shoes clacked across the boards.  Her dress brushed against some of the potted plants lining the porch rail.

"Hello.  Welcome to my home."

"Hi," said Emily. "Thank you so much for letting us look at the apartment.  Sam, this is Mrs. Steers."  Still ogling the house, Sam glanced at her and smiled.

"Sam, it's good to meet you. Have you ever seen such a house?" asked Mrs. Steers. Sam shook his head.

"My husband's great-great grandfather built this house in 1897.  He was in the lumber business and imported goods from around the world.  The family continued to add to it and now it's...  well... big."  Mrs. Steers motioned for them to follow to the screen door at the end of the porch.

"There are a total of 14 bedrooms.  The family used it as a brief time as a hotel at the turn of the century.  Then my husband inherited it.  For a while, we lodged college students just to give the house a lived-in feel. Now, I live here by myself."  Opening the screen door, Mrs. Steers led the way up the stairs.  Sam gently closed the door behind him.

At the top, she opened a yellow-painted door.  Lace curtains in the door’s window provided some privacy.  Entering the apartment, the smell of fresh paint mixed with what smelled like floor cleaner hung in the air.  Mrs. Steers opened a nearby window.

"The painters finished last week and I had professional cleaners scrub the whole apartment," said Mrs. Steers.  "I hope you like light blue."

Peaking between his mom and Mrs. Steers, Sam could see the shiny floors which creaked when they stepped on them.  Mrs. Steers walked to the middle of the spacious room and conducted the tour from there.

"This is a combination kitchen, dining, and living room," said Mrs. Steers.  Emily and Sam walked into the large open space.  "The stove and refrigerator are new and there's plenty of cabinet space."

"Over there to the right is the bathroom.  The room next to the bathroom is the larger bedroom.  Then the laundry room.  And that's a smaller bedroom that faces the park.  The fireplace is gas and it works.  Good place to roast marshmallows in the winter, eh Sam?"   Sam loved that idea.  The marble around the fireplace reminded him of fudge swirl ice cream.

Sam glanced out one window and saw trees and the house next door.  He then looked out the front windows to the street and the park.   Mrs. Steers and Emily chatted, while Sam explored.  He wanted to be sure this was the perfect place for him and his mom.

Creeeeeak... Sam pushed open the white door to the bathroom with its white and black tiled floor.   The porcelain pedestal sink and toilet stood on one side and a large claw and ball footed bathtub on the other.

"Hey, Mom, come check out this cool bathtub. It has claws and glass balls for feet."  Sam realized he had interrupted their conversation, immediately apologizing.  Emily and Mrs. Steers returned to talking and Sam checked out the bedrooms.  First the larger of the two, then he went to the front bedroom.

"Perfect," he said to himself.   "Lots of room for my books! Now I can organize my library."

Leaving his newly chosen bedroom, Sam heard his mom and Mrs. Steers talking in the laundry room.  Emily asked why the rent was so low, but he couldn't hear the answer. Then Mrs. Steers showed Emily the washer, dryer and two doors – one on the back wall and one directly across from the dryer.  She pointed over her right shoulder at the one on the back wall.

"That door enters into my part of the house." She then pointed directly to her right.  "This one goes up to the attic.   I sometimes come through here to go up there, but I will call first.  I always keep them both locked."  Mrs. Steers turned to Sam.

"So what do you think, Sam?" said Mrs. Steers.   "Is there enough room to organize your books?   Perhaps, there are lots of adventures to be had here."

"It's perfect," said Sam, then turning to his mom.  "Can we live here?  It's closer to school and the library and it doesn’t smell."

"Who can pass it up." said Emily.  Mrs. Steers gave Emily the lease to fill out.