A
Connection within
By:
K. Amstutz
-1-
The old,
rusted, blue Honda finally came to a stop in front of the weathered Gray
House. Her travels had been long but
what was before her made the trip worth while. It was more stately than she had imagined, even more so than the pictures that had been sent to her via email. A whim, her mother had called it, a gamble said her father. She had bought the property through the help of the internet and a phone
call. Looking back two months ago, when it all happened, it had seemed like a rash decision, one that she really had not taken the time to think through, feeling compelled. Then making the arrangements, long distance had been full of its own struggles and challenges, all of which she had overcome. She traveled the two thousand,
three hundred and nine mile trip from San Diego, California to Oregon,
Ohio. It now felt more like a dream, except for the fact that here she was, standing in front of the old house, the one that spoke to her through those grainy pictures, that told her that this was for her, her home.
She opened the
squeaky door as the cold air and wind wrapped itself around her short sleeve covered arms. She quickly wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the cold, the type that went right through to your bones as she used her body to bump the car door closed behind her. She was enthralled with the bricks and mortar beyond her, looking up to the attic windows with white paint chipping all around then, the cedar shake siding that looked loose and decrepit as the wind pasted through it, beyond it with an accelerated gust.
A tall, dark
man was exiting his shiny, black Acura. He had casually pulled up near the massive front porch
of the residence. He gray suit
complemented his car very nicely. His brown hair, not a piece left unkempt, his face, tan causing his blue eyes to stand out along with his bright white teeth. He looked like a model, very polished and had a kind smile that was inviting, almost drawing a person to join.
“Kara? Hi, I am Josh.
I am so glad you made it, and in good time.” He continued to smile, showing his perfect, white teeth, accentuating two adorable dimples on either side of his mouth. His blue eyes were piercing into her own, his hand gently extended to take her own in a hold, rather than a shake.
“Hi. Josh, it is so nice to finally meet
you. In person." Kara said, her nerves making their way to her voice. "So this is our old girl, huh. The pictures didn’t do her justice. She is huge!” she said, her own smile showing off a set of equally perfect white teeth. Her brown eyes beaming up at her purchase with as much anxiety as eagerness to unwrap, so to speak, the present and see the inside.
“She needs a
lot of work. Let’s go in and I can show
you around. Do you have a moving truck
coming?” Josh asked, curiously. He had spoken to her once a week for over two months and knew she was making a long-distance move.
She smiled kindly at
him. He made her feel like they were old
friends. “I actually left everything behind. I brought a few things that would fit, but I
am starting fresh.” she said simply.
They walked up
the twelve once gray stairs to the impressive, large porch area.
“Obviously, I need to speak about the massive portico. I am pretty sure you will even be able to park your car underneath this beauty. At one time, it looks as if it might have even held a chandelier." he spoke easily to her.
They both looked upward, toward the all wood ceiling, still in excellent condition,due to the many coats of paint it had received over the years.
She felt
captivated by the house. It was almost immediate, as soon as she pulled into the long, stone drive. This house had a story,
she could feel it. She stood on the porch
and looked out onto the acres of land.
Land that was now all hers. Her
heart was fluttering, a mix of emotions were flowing through her system.
Josh opened the old wood door. Some of the glass panes were broken or missing. The musty smell of the old house
soaked immediately into Kara's mind, triggering emotions that she was unaware of until this moment. The entryway
featured a foyer with yet another door before walking into the massive living area with a grand,
stone fireplace. The house was
dark. Cobb webs hung from every
corner. The story was just beginning, Kara could feel it. She was in
love, despite the disrepair, the emptiness and the dirt and dust left behind.
Josh loved this part of the real estate business. He loved the reaction from his clients when he took them through their new purchase. The tour began, a little out of order in this case. Usually, his clients were just looking at this point, not the home owner, but all in all, it was a treat to watch Kara make her way through her new home. They started on the third floor. This was a converted attic space that now had four individual rooms. In once corner was an unfinished part where old boxes of left behind artifacts from previous owners still took residence. A full staircase lead to this space and had plenty of room for either storage or to make it into office areas or what not, with plenty of light from the old windows in each peak. The second floor housed three bedrooms, all very large and a master. There were also two full sized bathrooms, one in the hall, one in the master bedroom. Visions were dancing in Kara's mind. Down the steps to the first floor where a large kitchen, separate pantry area, dining room, living area with the stone fireplace, enclosed and insulated porch room full of windows and a laundry area filled the footprint. In the kitchen were steps that lead to the basement area that was mostly finished as well. The furnace needed an upgrade, as well as the electrical box, as the rooms all had twist knobs to turn on lights recessed in the ceilings.
She
was seeing the pictures in her mind, the way to make this her own. She was seeing how it used to be, the
furniture that used to live in each
space. For a moment, it felt as if she were stuck in between two spaces, two times, two worlds.
A permanent
smile was plastered on her face, a glow illuminating from off her skin. She was silent for the tour, room by room, taking it all in. Josh commentated each room, showing her this and that as they made their way, as they took in the ambiance of what was today and perhaps what was once before. Before her time. Before his own.
“You see it,
don’t you?” Josh said, finally, when they had made their way up the basement steps and were back in the kitchen area, or that which once was. The kitchen lacked the things a kitchen needed. Cabinets were gone, appliances were no longer present. It was a footprint, a good one, in Kara's mind, but it was unfinished and could be completely scary.
She smiled back
at him, and his comment. She couldn’t
explain it, but there was definitely a connection between them. Her, the house. Her and Josh. She could feel the draw, even as she was outside, oblivious to the man, she still knew he was their, knew that he was a part of this journey.
After the tour, they both made their way to the front porch. She sat upon the steps, taking in the country air, the crispness, the wind blowing colder than it had even as they entered the house.
"Do you need any names of contractors or furnace and electric professionals?" he asked, his frigid hands in his pockets as he struggled to find warmth in the cold wind.
"I think I might. Can I give you a call tomorrow, if you have a few to pass along?" Kara said, her eyes affixed to his.
"I would like that." he said, not realizing his own words, "I mean, sure. I think I have a few I can give you that will give you a good price and do great work on her." he said pointing to the house, finding a bit of his wits. "What are you doing for dinner tonight?" he asked, already at the bottom of the stairs she was still sitting on.
"Oh, I'll be alright. I have a few canned goods and a microwave. I am sure that old electricity can hold up for a few nights. I had it turned on before I left. Nothing like being prepared. And if all else fails, I can always stay in a hotel or whatever." she said, smiling graciously at him and his kindness.
He stepped back towards her, handed her a sleek, black card with embossed white writing on it. "If you need anything, my cell is at the bottom. Kara, call me. I don't live to far." he winked at her as he once more made his way down the stairs and towards his sleek car. "I am serious. I will talk to you tomorrow, if not before. Have a good night, OK." he said as he stepped inside. His kindness sweeping over Kara. She waved as he backed out of the driveway, past her rusty old car.
He left her to
the emptiness of the house. She made her way inside. She stood in
the living room for a long time, just taking it all in. Kara was HOME.
-2-
The following day had been a busy one for Kara. She had unpacked what little she took with her from her car the night before and spent most of the morning cleaning up the dust bunnies that had been left behind from years of neglect. Her prior evening, after Josh had departed had been uneventful. She made some Wanton Soup, from a can, in her microwave, which worked just fine, thank goodness. She inflated her air mattress in the living room, for the time being and had a make shift table and lamp set up next to it. She slept soundly. Better than she had in weeks, due to traveling around the country. By the time she was able to take a break and give Josh a call, it was almost four o'clock in the afternoon, which was probably quitting time for him.
"Hi." she said, awkwardly into the her cell phone. "This is Kara. You sold me the house on County Road B." she added.
"Hi. I was going to give you a call in a few and make sure you were OK." he spoke sweetly.
She laughed. "I am doing better than OK. Just settling in. I tackled a lot of cleaning today." she said. "Oh, sorry, is it a good time?" she asked, cautiously.
"Sure is." he said simply.
"Well, I was able to get some stuff moved here and there and would love to have some contractors numbers so that I might start a time line and get moving on the rehab." she said.
"Sure. There is a great company, they kind of do it all. They are real reasonable too." he said. "Do you have a pen and paper?"
"Yes. I am ready." she said.
"OK, this contractor comes highly recommended. Of course, check with the BBB, and I can always provide photos of past projects. You want to reference, check out the company, that is important, Kara."
"Of course, sure." she said. She was patiently waiting, enjoying the interaction with him.
"OK. James Mcaud & Sons." he said, pausing.
"Wait. Your father?" she said after a moment.
"Yes. We are all involved. There are five of us." he said.
"Why didn't you say so?" she said.
He could almost see her smile, even through the phone. "I don't want to be bias." he spoke, quietly. "I know it's kind of conflict of interest."
"Are you kidding me? How so? That is awesome, and it just makes sense. You sell houses and work on them. That kind of makes you a jack of all trades in the housing world, doesn't it?"
"I don't know about that. We work on a lot of housing projects in the city. Enough to make this real estate thing a gig for me, due to the construction demands. But it still makes it awkward when you have the gem you just bought that needs work, a lot of it."
"When can you give me a quote?" she said simply.
"Do you research on us, first." he said.
"Than, an estimate? When can you all come out and give me an estimate? Let's start there."
They set everything up, Kara already knowing that this was a done deal. She had found a person in this new place that she trusted, she felt connected to, and it was easy. Something that she had never felt before. Yes, a crush, she would call it and had to determine if she could control her crush while he worked on this old house, in close proximity as her. She knew that it was time to set up her office, get a phone hooked up and her internet installed and get back to work, before they started to let the hounds out to retrieve her. She had a deadline, although months ahead, she knew that communication was key, especially when dealing with her boss, and now that several thousands of miles were separating them, literally, it would be more important than ever for her to not disappear.
-3-
A few weeks had
past since she last saw Josh.
His father, a kind-hearted, jolly man with salt and peppered short hair, tanned skin and a deep voice had swung by the day after asking for an estimate from Josh. He was eager to take on the project, and really wanted to know Kara's vision so that he could make that a reality. He had pride in his voice when he spoke of his five sons and each of their abilities, especially Josh. His price was right and the work began the very next day, tackling the electrical issues, getting a new furnace and air conditioning unit installed and working on the kitchen area. Four of the brothers each had a duty and the project was taking shape, but Josh was held up in real estate projects, so he was no where to be seen...or heard from.
Kara had already managed to acquire some things, as she did a little shopping here and there within the city.
She was taking her time with this task and letting the
furniture pick itself.
She found a great
antique shop in the heart of the city of Toledo that was also very reasonable and scooped it right up.
She found a fanning couch in a soft yellow
that simply spoke to her.
As soon as she saw
it, the pictures in her mind placed it in the living room.
She had also found a dining table that was
mahogany, very ornate and dated back to the late eighteen hundreds, matching
the period of the house.
She had taken on the painting, as she found it very relaxing and rewarding and had managed to painted every room. She chose a yellow
for the living room, a grayish blue for the dining room, a neutral khaki for
the kitchen, a gray for the hallway leading upstairs and a light gray for the
upstairs bedrooms. She chose colors that
were historic, trying to keep the era of the house alive.
A knock at the
door distracted her from her daydream about what her expectations for the
living room should be. She was in the process of setting it up as the visions played out in her mind.
Josh was
standing on the other side of the heavy, rod iron, and black screen door. He was wearing jeans and a blue polo and looked handsome as she remembered. She stopped and took in his presence, before
going to the door to let him in.
“Looks like
you’re getting settled.” He said,
smiling.
“And what do I
owe the pleasure?”
“I just wanted to
check on you, see how you are doing, you being new here and all. And see how my family was doing with the progress” he said as he looked around at the freshly painted walls that greeted him. "This color is perfect." he commented as he walked further inside.
She wasn’t sure
what to say. The chemistry between them
was electric. She felt like he could see
every part of who she was, but yet, they did NOT know each other. It was causing her blood to heat up slowly within in her body, to cause a slight vibration in the air between where they each stood.
“Settling just
fine. Thank you for the support on the color. I was not really sure, but went with historic paint colors, to preserve the history." she said smiling.
"I would have picked the same color." he said finally. “I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your
day. I just feel a tie to this house
and, frankly, to you too.” He said as he put his
head down, focusing on his shoes.
She took a step
back, not knowing how to digest his bluntness.
“Oh,” was all she could think to say as a response. “Well, do you want to have a look around?”
She led him
through the massive floor plan. He
commented on the colors she had chosen and the few pieces of furniture that she
had picked up so far. He noticed, observed and inspected his father and brothers handiwork here and there.
“Are you
hungry?
I was going to make a sandwich,
if you would like to stay?” she said, as they made their way into the new kitchen, now equipped with updated electric, appliances and counter space.
"Wow." he said. "This looks amazing. I love those cabinets. Are they custom?" he asked.
"No. Honestly, I found them on Craigslist and Dylon, your brother, painted them for me. They turned out better than I could have ever imagined. I love the dark blue and the gloss he suggested were just what they needed to really stand out." she said, her eyes twinkling with delight.
"This is amazing. You have a good eye, Kara." he said. "About that sandwich, if you don;t mind. I know you have a lot going on here and I don't want to be a bother." he said gently.
"Not a bother at all. I have to eat anyways, but I am going to warn you, I will probably put you to work." she said smiling at him sweetly. She stopped in her tracks, as she felt like she was flirting with this man who yes, she was attracted to, but she had no idea if he was married, or maybe just in a relationship. "Agh, on second thought, maybe you should go." she said, her mood changing quickly, her smiling fading fast.
He looked at her, taken back at the sudden change that was happening right before him. He found a seat on the empty stool that was under the counter and put his hands on his head, calmly, before he spoke. "What just happened?" he asked her. "Did I do something to piss you off?"
"No. No, it's nothing like that. I just assumed that you had nothing else to do. I don't know your situation and you certainly don't know mine." she said.
"I don't have a situation, Kara. I like you. I feel drawn to you. I don't know what we have, but right now, I want to be your friend, get to know you." he said sincerely.
She didn't know what to say. She was startled when he quickly got up, made his way around the other side of the kitchen island. "Do you have a silverware drawer yet?" he asked before searching himself.
"The drawer right in front of you." she said simply. He went to the fridge, grabbing the mayonnaise, turkey and lettuce. He opened a drawer near the silverware, finding the white bread and began making two sandwiches on the clean, white marble counters.
She watched him. Watched the way he spread the mayonnaise on the bread, the way his mouth twisted in a sexy way while he was so determined to make a great sandwich. He cut the bread into halves and grabbed a paper towel, sliding one towards her on the other side of the counter. "I call this my world famous turkey a la Josh" he said casually. "Beware though, it makes the women fall in love." he winked his baby blues at her, melting her beating heart just a little more.
"Why is it, when you make a sandwich it never tastes as good as when someone else makes it?" she asked him, breaking the silence that was hanging between them.
"Told you." he simply said.
She smiled, knowingly in his direction. "You know, I don't have a situation, either." she finally said.
He looked at her, staying quiet, as their eyes locked and held. He moved towards her, slowly, testing the waters, before he reached around her on the stool, taking her into his arms and turning her into a kiss that would have surly knocked her off of her feet. It was full of passion, lust, want and need. It was new and exciting and lingered on and on for what felt like minutes. She let herself go, as he did the same, molding into one consistently beating heart.
When his lips left her own, a tingle resided, not just in her now tender, pink mouth, but circulating throughout her body, moving down her arms, to her legs, settling into her feet. It left her unbalanced.
"I think we have a situation." he said finally, as the same feelings resonated within his body, mind and soul. He was still holding her hand, the energy building once more between them, igniting something that felt as if it were lost.
She blushed. "I think you are very right." she finally spoke, her voice a quiver with the electricity and heat that was still pumping wildly throughout her system.
They finished eating in silence. The heat was surrounding them, hugging them as the friction between them continued to settle. He got up first, picked up her plate to bring it to the sink and wash it, showing her that he was caring and sincere.
"Care you sit on the porch with me?" she finally spoke, her words more steady.
"I would love to." he said, smiling. "But, do you need my help around here with anything?"
"Perhaps later?" she questioned.
He did not speak. He grabbed her hand, brought her to him, molded her body to his. His fingers moving through her long brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail, his eyes taking in all of her before his lips met hers once more.
The vibrancy of their kiss, of their union was to much for either of them. Hands were all over one another. Bodies were pressed together. Hearts were beating faster and faster. Their lips never parting as she pulled him to the second floor, as she moved him to the flimsy air mattress that was serving as her temporary bed. He laid with her, lips still attached, buttons beginning to be undone, flesh to flesh. It happened faster than the mind could think, should think. He felt her, all of her, he took his time, kissing here and there, lost in her body as she was lost in his own. He kissed her deep once more before moving into her, her head flying back, taking all of him, lost in him, in feeling that did not feel as if they were her own. Moving with him, climbing higher and higher until she could no longer see. Her head full, her body just as much as she dove off the edge into pure bliss, taking him down with her.
All that was left were beating hearts. He brushed her hair from her face, gently, her body wrapped tightly against his own, within his arms. Her breaths slowing, as were his own. Neither one spoke for a long while, just being together, touching one another softly, with so much care. It was undeniable. The draw between then. The tie that both felt toward one another. They both knew in that moment, in the silence, they had a situation.
Happily Ever After
It had been a
full year since she first arrived in front of the old gray battered house. She sat on the steps of the front porch, the sun casting a brilliant glow on her brown hair, reflecting on how much her life had changed, for the better, since coming to
Ohio. She had experienced her first winter, and snow
for the first time. She had found true love. She had a huge home, with acres of land. She had found happiness. She even had an English Bulldog who was her
best friend.
Josh walked out
of the house, the little dog following, and made his way to the old carriage
house. He walked back out with a handful
of beautiful, red roses, a string tied to the dogs brown leather collar. He walked down the stone drive, making his way to her
side.
“This has been
the best year of my life." he said. "I loved this
house but didn’t have the means to obtain it.
Through it I met you and found love.
I want to spend my life with you.
I don’t know where I would be without you.” his face was alive with love.
Tears escaped
Kara’s eyes, running down her reddened cheeks.
The dog came up and put his head on her lap, a ring hanging by her
feet. She saw the light hitting it, reaching for it as Josh’s hand
took hers and with one quick motion. He untied the ring and placed it on Kara’s soft, slender finger.
They had come full circle in just
one short year. Her new beginning turned
into her everlasting end with the life she had once only dreamed about having, within her reach.
A true connection created an eternal
happiness.
(C) all rights reserved. Copyright 2017 Kel Amstutz/ Life at Gray Gables
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