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.
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