That night after the children had fallen asleep, I got up and went to the library. The typewriter sat on the desk just as I had left it the night before, the pages I had typed lay beside it. I put a new piece of paper in the typewriter and began to type. I typed for about an hour letting my fingers choose the words. I didn’t pay much attention to what I was writing but listened to the clacking of the keys and the ding at the end of each line. It was a soothing experience and I let the words flow. They poured out of me onto one paper after another. It was relieving to let the words out. It had been a strange day, from the vision in the conservatory this morning to the car in the driveway. Questions about the family, the house, and now questions about who was here and what they wanted. Could it have been the children’s father? How could he be driving an expensive car like that? How could he know where I was? I hadn’t told him anything, just that we were going north to Aunt Melinda and Grandma. I wondered who it could have been. It wouldn’t be mother. She was living in a commune type thing, and hadn’t shown any interest in me since I married Stan. She hadn’t even wanted to see the children though we hadn’t lived far from her. Why would she care now? I felt a burn around my neck as I thought about my mother. My fingers jammed the keys on the typewriter. I can’t go down that road again I thought as I straightened out the keys. I turned my thoughts to the children. How they tried to help clean the windows, and the ladder incident. I laughed. That’s better. Tomorrow we’ll finish working on the conservatory windows. That is something I can look forward to. I will file for a divorce. I will have to look into that soon. I’d like to get that over with. I sighed, my fingers had stopped typing. I pulled the last page out of the typewriter and laid it on the desk with the other pages. Typing on one of these older typewriters is slow and rhythmic. I love the sound and the way it feels to my fingers. I caressed the keys gently before I headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. I didn’t think too much about the car after that. It didn’t show up again. Perhaps it was a salesman.
A few days later I was sitting out on the kitchen porch with my laptop, watching Greta and Teddy riding their bikes. I felt an awareness come over me. It is hard to explain. The weather was turning cool enough for the children to wear a light jacket outside after their supper. I had finished cleaning up the kitchen and sat down on the porch. They were riding up and down the path behind the house, playing it was a road with stop signs and traffic lights. Teddy was calling out the stops and Greta was calling out the buildings along the way. She was pretending to pass by the pet store and the grocery store. There was a post office, and a farm. She yelled at the farmer. Teddy turned into a fireman at one point and got off his bike to put out some imaginary fires. It was beautiful to watch them play. So much goes on in their minds. They don’t get caught up too long on any one thing, moving smoothly from one thing to another. They play very well together and don’t fight too often. There is a lamp post at the end of the path, it is the gas station. I tied a short rope to it so that they could get some gas. It’s really important to be able to put gas in your bicycles. It is also surprising how often it needs to be refueled. I felt the house becoming large around me as I watched the children. It wasn’t touching me but I felt that it was holding me, pulling me. I looked at the children so happy and free. I had a sudden urge to get them into the house. The screen door blew open and gave me a chill. I called to the kids to come inside. They complained a bit but I went out and helped them get their bikes put away. It was almost time to come in anyway. The clouds were darkening and the wind was picking up. It was cheerful in the kitchen and I poured the kids a glass of milk each. I felt comforted. We sat there and drank milk and ate cookies. I am close to these little ones, each of us a part of the other. We couldn’t survive without each other we are a family.
Outside there was a loud noise of a broken muffler, a worn out engine coming to a stop, then the sound of a car door slamming shut. I looked out the window. An old beat up vehicle stood parked in the drive and a tired looking woman dressed in old clothes and with untidy hair carrying an old bag was making her way toward the house. She must be coming to the side door. She will ring the bell. The house groaned. I have never heard it make that noise. My head prickled from top to bottom. The kids must have sensed my apprehension because they were quiet. A woman coming up to the door shouldn’t be intimidating, but I felt afraid. Maybe it was the feelings I had about the house. Feelings about it pulling me inside and seemingly wrapping itself around me. I had been feeling strange for about an hour now. There hasn’t been a visitor here since we moved in. This house is my heaven. I waited for the door bell to ring.
The next chapters of The House: The House 9
Previous chapters of The House: The House 5 , The House 4 , The House 3 , The House 2 , The House 1
To read the next chapter: The House 7 The House 8
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