The House of Bells: The Essences Saga - Book #1

House: Chapter 5

Five

I pray no one hears about that, I thought to myself as I drove to the house. Silas, especially.

Larry had given me his business card, with his personal cell phone number handwritten on the back. "Just in case you need anything," he had told me, a wistful look in his eyes. I had no intention of calling him, but I also suspected that would not be the last I saw of him. If Larry and Silas were buddies, he was bound to find a way to meet me again, incidentally of course.

The transaction was swift, regardless of Larry's subtle ploys to lengthen my stay; I still had a few hours until the girls returned from school and thought about a quick stop at a bookstore. But I really needed a shower. I parked my car in the driveway and went in through the back door. My luggage was sitting on the floor next to my apartment door. Silas apparently felt I would mind if he entered my private living area. I grabbed them both and hauled them into the tiny apartment, dropping them on the unmade bed.

"Uhh!" The sound came from under the bed. I peered around to the other side and saw two boots sticking out near the head of the bed.

"Hello?" I called.

"Oh! Ho, there!" A gruff voice, muffled, shouted back at me. "One sec!"

I heard the clicking of a socket wrench and a couple of loud bangs. The boots started easing out from under the bed, followed by a pair of legs shrouded in denim. The man belonging to the boots scooted along the floor until he was able to sit up.

"Name's Bill, ma'am. Mr. Blake sent me o'er to fix yer bed."

"Oh, of course. I had forgotten."

"Hope I didn't scare ya, ma'am," Bill said, placing his tools in a pouch on the floor.

"No, no, Bill. I was just surprised, that's all." I gave him a warm smile. He was an older gentleman with poofy white hair and a full beard to match. Brilliant blue eyes peeked out from behind bushy eyebrows. He grinned back. "And, please, call me Min."

"Sure thing, ma'am."

I opened my mouth to protest again, but decided against it, figuring he wasn't the sort of man to call a woman by her first name, especially if she was not his wife or daughter.

He sprang up from the floor, quite agile for his age. "Now, let's see if we can keep 'er from crushin' ya again." He grinned again, blue eye twinkling.

I took my bags off the bed and set them on the floor. Bill grabbed the end of the bed and shoved it up into the closet. He closed the doors and then opened them again. The bed stayed in place. He yanked on a bar under the frame, and the bed floated down to the floor.

"All fixed," he announced.

"Thank you, Bill. How much do I owe you?"

"Ah, nuthin', ma'am. Mr. Blake pays me."

"Well, may I get you a glass of iced tea then?"

"Sure, that'll be nice." His eyes twinkled again, and he bent down to gather his tool pouch, buckling it around his waist. I went into the main kitchen, returning a moment later with two glasses of tea. I handed one of them to him; he wiped his hand on his jeans before taking it from me.

"Thank ya, ma'am."

"You're welcome, Bill." I sat down in the armchair, but he stood there, gulping his drink. "Bill, would you like to sit down? I don't bite."

He looked at the small sofa warily, probably wondering if he would get it dirty.

"Please, Bill, sit down," I sighed at him. He sat down on the sofa, leaning back gingerly.