The Letter

Home Sweet Home

Renovations were underway when Raven drove onto the gravel driveway leading up to the ranch just a little after nine in the morning.

The ranch within view as she drove past the dogwood trees blanketing the landscape, she groaned. As expected, the ranch needed repair.

Time hadn't been kind to the familial home.

The creme colored paint on the wooden sidings was cracking and peeling. The shingles on the rooftop were lifting and curling. The grass on the property was overgrown and covered with weeds. The overhanging branches on the trees required trimming and the shrubs pruning.

As Raven surveyed the landscape, the screen door swung open.  One of the contractorsthat she hired to oversee the renovation, Finch, approached; his mud crusted work boots kicking up dust and rocks along the trail as he trekked across the gravel.

"Good morning," the clean-shaven man said, tipping his work hat gentlemanly--his salt and pepper hair underneath it stuck to his scalp from perspiration.

"Morning," Raven replied, hoping that the good part of it would follow.

She stepped out of her car, stretched, and inhaled a deep breath of the cool morning air blended with the strong fragrance of the dogwood trees.

"There's something that I want to show you," Finch said holding a blueprint under the arm of his tweed shirt. He unfolded the blueprint and laid it out flat atop the hood of her car. Raven arched her brow at his forwardness.

"Here," he said, pointing at the layout. This is the way leading to the attic. "Yeah," Raven said, not following. "It's narrow now but at one time it was wider." "So what are you saying?" Raven said, confused. 

"I should show you," he said, rolling the blueprint back up and tucking it under his arm. Noticing the calluses on his hands, she averted her eyes.

She grabbed her purse, locked her car door, and followed him inside the ranch. The smell of fresh paint assaulted her nostrils as Raven stepped across the threshold. 

 Murmuring, "Hello," she stopped for a moment to watch the renovating crew, with paintbrushes, paint rollers, and other supplies in hand; working hard to make the dilapidated ranch inhabitable. "Excuse the mess," Finch said, stepping over the plastics sheetings, tarps, and paint cans blocking the path.

They made their way to the kitchen. The mildew reeking from off the weathered concrete surface of the walls had Raven reflexively covering her nose, gagging. Something in the corner caught her eye. It was the wood-burning stove near the wall—still the same as she remembered it.

She nearly collided into the contractor when he halted at the base of the narrow hall that led to a flight of steps to the attic.

"Here," he said gesturing. "This wasn't here before." He knocked on the structure. "You hear that?" He said. "Yeah it sounds hollow and not solid," Raven replied. "That's because it's a false wall," Finch said. He untied the bandanna from around his neck to wipe a sheen of sweat from off his sun-kissed face.

"Are you saying that there's another room behind this wall?" Raven said incredulously. "There could be," Finch said. "Then, we need to knock this wall down," Raven said. "I'd like to know what's behind it." "I'll get Travis and the guys to work on it first thing in the morning," the contractor said.

Though not happy for the delay, Raven agreed to his decision. She was anxious to know what was behind the wall. Did her father know of it? If he did, why didn't he ever mention it?

"Ms. Vashti?" A voice called from the kitchen. It was one of the movers from Two Men and a Truck. "Where did you want the daybed?"

Raven debated what to do. She hadn't inspected the bedroom where she would be sleeping. She didn't know what she would find. She would have to take the chance. "This way," she said, excusing herself.

Nodding politely, the contractor then turned his attention back to the wall.

Concealing the trepidation on her face, Raven headed out the kitchen and made a right turn towards the bedrooms. She had decided to take the master bedroom near the back of the ranch. With its horizontal gliding windows, it gave a view of the trails that her father rode on on horseback.

Arriving at the door, she grasped the rusted doorknob, took a breath, then opened it. A burst of stifling hot air flowed out as though Raven had opened the door to a sauna.

Mold on the walls was a concern that Raven feared from lack of air circulation. A health risk, she would not be able to live in the ranch.

 She stepped inside, fearing the worse.

To her relief, the room interior was not as bad as she expected. The wooden floorboard, though dust-covered, could be cleared with a vacuum. A bucket of soapy water could remove the grime off the wall. A broom could sweep away the cobwebs. She planned to have the old heater removed with a new heating system installed.

She walked across the flooring to the window, unlatched it, and slide it open to air the room out. "You can put the daybed here," she said gesturing to the space against the wall.

She stepped aside as the movers carried in the fold-able daybed. She brought it to sleep temporarily so that it wouldn't be trouble rolling it out of the room during the renovation.

She checked the appointment calendar for her notes. Landscapers would be arriving at noon to mow the overgrown lawn and trim the trees and shrubs. That gave her time to get a bite to eat and stop by a local Amish furniture store to buy some pieces.

Though she drove three hours on nothing but black coffee, she didn't feel tired. She felt more energetic than she had in the past few days. 

Announcing her departure, she exited out the door, jingling the keys in her hand.  She felt good about her decision to make this move.

Unlocking the car door, she sat down on the driver's seat and checked the GPS for nearby eateries. A fast-food restaurant was nine miles away. Her stomach rumbled, on cue. She set the course and started the engine; eager to start her new life.