8. Stolen Identity

            When we got back into the vagabond house Rose took Marie on a tour around the place. I stayed in the dining room that looked more like a coffee shop nook, due to the lack of table and the abundance of overstuffed chairs. I listened to Marie share her opinions and “oo” and awe about the house. I even heard her proclaim she own the same bedspread as I did. I hate that bedspread.

I crossed my fingers that Rose wouldn’t show her the spare room that was off of the kitchen. I didn’t want Marie to get the idea that we might be looking for another roommate.  When they finished the tour Rose brought her into the kitchen where Marie peeled off her coat to expose her pink sweater. I owned that same sweater only in red. I hated that sweater. We began making the tacos. Marie chatted merrily about how she loved that we were the same tall height and she could look me in the eyes.  I hate my height. She danced and sang twirling her long blonde locks like a cartoon princess. I half expected mice and birds to scurry in and help us with our lunch.  

 “Timmy?”  Marie sung her head to the side batted her long eye lashes and posed as if she was being interview for Miss America.  “So, Timmy? IS your name short for something?”

“Yeah, but I would rather be called Timmy.” I rarely give anyone my full name. It tends to work out they assume the responsibility of calling me by it. Rather than addressing me by my much preferred nick name.

“Would it happen to be TIMMARIE?” Marie was watching me big expectant eyes. She started to bounce up and down on the balls of her feet. I happened to notice she was wearing a pair of shoes I also owned in a different color. I hate those shoes.

“Yeah… My legal name is Timmarie but…”

Maire cut me off. “SO IS MINE!”

I hate my name.

She bursted into giggles hopping from one foot to another .  “I go by Marie.  I never thought about going by Timmy. How odd is it that we have the same name! Oh you are going to be my bosom friend.”

I hate Anna Green Gables.

7. Letters and Lies

the worship music died away with a prayer from one of the students and Pearl plopped down next to me. She was breathing heavily and sweat beads crowned her brow. She looked down at my journal. When I noticed her eyes tracing my page I shut it and placed it back into my bag. The speaker did his little song and dance the crowd cheered and laughed at all the cued moments. His words flowed past me as I surveyed the gym and the students it held.

The thought hit me. I was no longer one of them. I Timmarie Kay Coaling was no longer a college student. Heat hit my face. My heart started to race. What on Earth did I do? I leaned forward trying to catch my breath. A quick breeze started to hit my face. I heard fluttering. Dr. Black was waving a piece of Nissa’s sketch pad causing air to flow. She grinned and continued to look at the speaker. The batting of the air never stopped. She only put the paper down when the students were all dismissed.

“Miss Nissa Bach, has informed me, you have withdrawn from school and bought a house.” Dr. Black starred at me waiting for an answer. I nodded.

“So am I going to see this house?” I nodded again. “Good Nissa invited me for falafels next week. I will see you then.”

“Hey TIM!”

I swung around to see Issica stomping towards me. He thick soled shoes clomping along making her walk awkwardly and choppy.

“Here! Your brother told me to give this to you.” Issac swung an envelope out like a disco dancer points his finger.  “Sorry I opened it. I thought it was for me.  He also left a box for you at my apartment.” Issica raised her hand in the air and yelled at some guy and began to run off. She half tossed the envelope in my hands.

Without a class I began to walk home.  I opened the letter to read on my way.      

            Dear Timmy,

                        I am sorry you had to leave so quickly. It was nice to see you for the time that we had. I understand why you left. Please give him time. Alex is going some rough stuff and he needs your prayers. Please call us and please don’t be mad anymore.  We are coming up for parents’ weekend so we can see you and make up for some of the time we missed this summer. 

Love

Mom

Colossians 3:8 - But now  you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Ephesians 4:31-32 - Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

After screaming my frustration in my mind over the scriptures my mom added, I calmly glanced over the letter again. My parents were coming. They never visited. Why now? I knew the answer. Because I hadn’t been calling. I had always had a descent relationship with my mother but this summer had taken its toll. I hadn’t even been calling her like I used to. Partly because I didn’t want to give away that I wasn’t attending college and partly because I was mad that she had taken Alex’s side once again.

“The squeaky wheel gets the oil.” I spoke my thoughts allowed.

“What?” I swung around saw Rose walking behind me with her friend Mary or Martha or whatever her name is. “Miha are you talking to yourself?” Rose gave a concerned smile.

I raised the letter for her to see. “A letter from my mom. I haven’t been calling her so she sent me a letter via Alex.”

“Another attempt to get you and him to see each other on campus?” Rose queried.

I shook my head. I didn’t want to say too much in front of Roses friend. I wait from the girl to turn off to return to her dorm or say good bye and head to class. When we reached the edge of the campus and she crossed the road with us I knew she must be heading to our vagabond house. I gritted my teeth.

Rose picked up on the silence. “So Timmy do you remember Marie?”

I smiled and said “Of course.” I beamed a bright smile and tried to lift my eye lids to match the forced smile on my face.

The girls blanched. I turned my head and continued to walk this time a little faster.

“I love your skirt? Did you get that at the corner store in the mall?” Maire asked

“Yeah, I picked it up on clearance a couple years back.” I patted my pencil skirt proud that it was still in good condition.

“I have that skirt! Only in brown and not black and I think it is a little longer.” The girl twirled her finger at the end of the comment as if to add extra punctuation.

“Marie and I are making American tacos for lunch. You want some?  We could use the help making them.”

“No thank you I am not every hungry.” My stomach growled and denoted my lie. “JUST Joking” I gave a half hearted laugh. “I would love to have some.”

6. convictions and connections

Once we were all ready we started on our way the first of the year all school chapel. With much deliberation we decided to walk. It took us 20 minutes when it once only took us 3. We decided that if we attended a normal university that this would be the average time it would take to classes. We had been spoiled by a smaller campus. When we finally set foot on to the campus [p1]  we saw the familiar faces. Brandon was the first to greet us.

“Well, well. I see the entourage is back into full swing.” He smiled and bowed out of our way as we all smiled but didn’t counter with words as we had all previously agreed to. Jo’s pace slowed down though and she began to radiate heat. I grabbed Jo’s elbow and Nissa wrapped her thin arm around Jo’s waist.  Pearl slid her arm around Nissa’s waist and I reached for Rose’s elbow.  I glared at Brandon with a smile as we steered Jo away from a conversation.

When we reached the Gym doors we Nissa floated in toward her English professor and Pearl went to find her jail bait from the year before. I didn’t see where Rose walked off too. I was looking for her when Jo grabbed my hand and tightly squeezed.

“Timmarie! Mom sent me some things to give to you. I didn’t know if I would see you so I gave them to Issica. “Alex spoke to me without stopping or even looking at me. He walked on past as if he didn’t have the breath to spare.

“YOU COULD HAVE JUST BROUGHT THEM TO ME!” I faked yelled. Jo stomped on my foot a reminder that Alex didn’t know where I lived now and it was best if he never knew. She then tugged at my arm and pulled me toward our regular seat, only to find percolating freshman girls.

“You have got to be kidding me!”I groaned out my whisper to Jo. We went to the bleachers on their side of the gym and climbed up and sat.

“Beg pardon my query but why have we relocated?” Nissa asked as she made her way up to where we were sitting.

“Because our normal spot is infested with carbonated estrogen.” I pointed to the row of freshman girls bouncing in our seats. Giggling and teasing one another.

“Oh. Maybe we should start using place setting tags with our proper names etched upon them.” Even though Nissa was teasing us with her words I could see the gears turn and soon she pulled her leather bound sketch pad out. Some of her papers flopped to the floor and she scooped them back up.

I loved Nissa’s sketch book.  Nissa refused to eat any meat or animal by product but she claimed she loved the smell of leather. The leather cover of her book she said was humanly killed. I don’t know the whole story but she did the design on the cover and stitched it together. She also makes the paper she places in her little book. I love looking at her book. Flipping through the pages you can see the world through her eyes. She draws people and their imperfections in a way that makes them beautiful. My favorite is of a woman from her drawing class. She was supposed to draw the nude model that stood in front of her. Nissa did draw the whole woman but she focuses so much upon the woman’s face. Every line was so tenderly sketched onto the paper, her wrinkles and blemishes beautiful. The woman’s sad peaceful face radiated softness. When no one watched I was smell the paper always expecting to smell a sweet scent of sweat and tears.

“Jo, you think you can get my stuff from Issica?” I asked Her. Hoping she would say yes. I didn’t have the energy to deal with Jo’s best friend.

“Sure I am supposed to have lunch with her after chapel.”

The lights of the gym began to darken and music started to fill the thick stuffy air. Pearl yelled for us and found us sitting in our new spot. She pointed and remained on the gym floor with a few girls she attended church with. Rose made her way toward us dragging along her friend, Martha, Mary or something like that. I leaned back into the gym bleacher pulling out my journal ready to write. The praise music started to swell as the chosen speaker welcomed all the students to another year of school. When the singing began Dr. Black found her way to our little cove of friends and laid her coat on the seat that Nissa always saved for her at chapel and other mandated school events. She stood next to me and leaned over to Nissa and asked her why we weren’t on the floor in our regular spot. As the two ladies talked over me I started to search for Alex. Instead my eyes were automatically drawn towards Pearl who was jumping and spinning about. If only Alex was as easy to find. I stood and traded places with Dr. Black. With the extra height of the bleacher beneath me I saw him standing near the make shift stage. One arm raised above his head the other on his heart and his eyes closed. I sat back down and jammed my pencil into my journal venting my anger in a letter to God.

5. breakfast and beauty

.  Nissa and I awoke early the next morning to make our little coffee bar for the girls, Slicing fruits, baking muffins and garnishing coffee.  We had already dawned our tights and skirts. Nissa and I met because of our oddly similar style of wear.  While most students attended classes wearing comfy jeans and worn out hoodies. Nissa and I found ourselves in skirts and tights. She because of her stent in Europe; my reason for lacking pants was because of the length of my legs made it rather impossible to find pants to fully cover my gangly legs. So Nissa and I joined ranks of style and became friends. Our similar skin color and long dark hair often had us mistaken for sisters. After a month of denying family roots we started to allow people to believe what they wanted to. I because I would have rather have Nissa for a sister than Alex for a brother and Nissan ever had a sibling to speak of.

When we finally had a breakfast bar laid out that could rival any mass chain coffee shop we went to wake up the rest of the girls. I ran into Rose’s room and hopped on her bed singing a morning song that causes instant irritation to anyone sleeping.  Rose rolled over and threw her pillow at me. I picked it up and started to hit her with it, and sang a lullaby off key in hopes to induce laughter.

“Marrhaha, Timmy! You are dead!” Rose growled as she slid her feet out from beneath the covers.  I kissed her on her forehead and extended a cup of coffee. “ooo coffee!” She cooed. With all forgiven Rose sat at the end of her bed sipping her morning nectar.  She watched as I shuffled through her closet to find her an outfit.  I laid out her nice looking jeans and a tee-shirt that worked well with her coloring.

“Timmarie. This is pathetic. You think I could pull off nicer clothes?” Rose touched her tee-shirt. “The rest of you have unique styles. You think Alissa, you or Pearl could help me with a new wardrobe? My mom sent me some money for some warmer clothes.  When I came last spring I about froze and this year I will be here all winter.” At Roses words my energy bubbled.

 “A shopping spree with someone else’s money?  You came to the right person.” I would have to work it out that Nissa and Pearl couldn’t come; Too many cooks in a kitchen. Rose wouldn’t be able to afford their dress styles. I have seen Nissa’s labels and her idea of cheap clothes was my idea of nice clothes. And Pearl, she went with quantity over quality. Somehow she was able to layer and mismatch color and come out looking like a modern day child’s version of a gypsy princess.

“Make a list of the types of clothes you want and choose three colors you want to work with. If you limit yourself to three colors when buying clothes you can actually expand your wardrobe.” Rose looked at me as if I was crazy.

“Come back at lunch and I will show you what I mean.” I danced about with the words I spoke and darted out the door.

As I passed the larger bedroom I could hear Nissa singing. I stopped and watched her gently open up the bedroom blinds. Jo and Pearl were sitting in bed with my art books being used as breakfast trays.  They were nibbling away at their muffins as Nissa tidied up their room. Down stairs, I cleaned up the kitchen and wait for the others to arrive.  Jo was the first.

“Timmy do you have one of your ribbon belts from last year?”  Jo was standing in front of me holding her black curly hair trying to mold it into some kind of stylistic configuration.

“Better yet my dear JoJo!”  I dashed to the purple velvet curtains Nissa had hung up in the should-be-dining room. I pulled the long sash that held the material back.  I repeated on the other side. I had been waiting for Jo to ask for help.  I tied one sash around Jo’s head making a head band for her little fro.  Then I grabbed the other and tied it around Jo’s narrow waist.  I had given Jo the sweater she was wearing a few days ago.  I knew she would wear it on the first day of school.   I stood back and gazed at my life size doll.

“I get to do her make up!”  Pearl was clambering down the stairs. “I brought my stuff. I know you said just the eyes but can I please put a little blush on you?” The past year Pearl and I had been makeover tag teaming Jo. I dressed her in my posh Grandma’s hand me down clothes and Pearl was working her way to a total make up package. Just before school ended Pearl convinced Jo to purchase foundation.  They stood in the makeup aisle at the store for just over an hour trying to find the perfect cosmetic paint. Much to Pearl’s frustration Jo refused to buy the shade she recommended.  When they returned and painted the goo on her face, Jo and the rest of us was mortified at the outcome. The foundation was much too light and made Jo look like a twisted version of a Geisha. We laughed it off pointing out that she was one quarter Japanese.  But the whole experience wasn’t so laughable for Jo. She never has let Pearl touch anything but her eye makeup since then.

“Purr, Jojo you look so scrumishly pretty.” Rose rested her head on Jo’s shoulder in her signature hug. Jo blushed and tugged at the sash around her middle loosing it a little. “I love that sweater; it looks so soft and chocolaty. Where did you get it?”

Jo nodded in my direction.  “My Grandma buys a new wardrobe every season and she sends me her cast off.” I answer.

“YOU are wearing Timmy’s grandmother’s hand me downs?” Rose laughed

“It is cashmere. You don’t laugh at Cashmere no matter where it came from.” Pearl responded.  “Where did it come from?”  Pearl groped at the neck of Jo’s brown sweater and raised her perfectly plucked eyebrows at the name on the tag.

4. beer bellys and pound puppies

The girls and I started to move in a week before school started. Quickly I realized we had a bit of a problem. While I was charging half the price of the dorms it really wasn’t that great of a bargain. Dorms had furniture. I didn’t. Gratefully Audry wrangled up a few mattresses from clients who were moving and leaving their beds behind. Other furniture I had to gather from thrift stores from around town. Audry help me out immensely. 

 We worked out how much I would I have to charge my roommates for rent in order to be able to make mortgage pays, bills and have money to live on. My Grandpa’s check made a great down payment but it was what I was to live on this year.  While I could live quite comfortable off of the rent of four roommates a couple more would give me penalty of wiggle room. The best part would that we wouldn’t be over crowded even if we added to more girls.

Once Audry had gotten used to the idea of me actually buying the house she gave me the grand tour. She took me through the house showing me all the nooks and crannys. While I noticed the three bedrooms and bathroom/ I completely missed the large walk in closet and small bathroom in the larger room.  Then I also didn’t notice the small living space off to the side of the kitchen.  I must have assumed that it was a pantry door. But no, you open it and there is a large room with an attached bathroom and its own little dayroom with door to the outside.  Out of all the rooms it was my favorite because it reminded me of a little secret apartment. Although I opted to live up stairs with the rest of the girls and share rooms like we had the year before. Nissa, JoJo and Pearl decided to all cram into the larger bedroom with the walk in closet and bathroom.  Rose and I took the smaller rooms and agreed to share the hall bathroom. 

We had so much fun setting up our Vagabond house. Pearl was true to her word and she did paint a fabulous abstract mural on the new sheet rock in her room, without ever okaying with me. Jo gathered some male students from the bookstore to finish up some of the messy work that needed to be done. Like re-caulking the window panes on the floor level windows so the winter air wouldn’t cause the electricity bill to rocket. We later repaid them by feeding them a dinner of lasagna we pick up from the frozen food section of the local grocery store.  Nissa found fantastic couches and chairs for the front room but by the third day we moved them into the room across from the kitchen that was meant to be a dining room.  The front room entrance remained empty and smelling musty but the rest of the house came together. Rose wasn’t able to help during the day because she was busy looking for a job but at night she piped music through the up stair bedrooms as we gathered in the largest bedroom where we would all dance around to release our excitement.

One night after we were all home and Rose had the music playing Pearl made the whole thing a feel real.

“Ba ha ha ha” Pearl smashed the button causing the music to stop then flopped herself on to Nissa’s bed. “Timmy bought a house! This rocks! I think I am going to paint a picture on that wall too.” Pearl Laughed and started to punch and kick the bed thrilled with the idea.

We settled down finding seats on the floor. Nissa continued to hovering and dance around the room. I laid my head in Jo’s lap and she ran her fingers through my tangled tresses.  Rose leaned up against my legs.

“So what are you going to say to your brother when he finds out you aren’t going to school?” Amy pondered.

“Wh ha ha hat?”Pearl sat up and slid to the floor with the rest of us. “Alex doesn’t know? Oh you are screwed.”

“Oh she will be fine. It’s like he never knew they went to the same school.” Blushed Jo who at one time harbored a liking for my brother.

“True.” Piped Rose. “But still?”

“Yeah, I’m kinda worried about that. But I doubt he will even notice.” I yanked at a loose piece of thread hanging off my skirt. “How many times did we invite him over last year and he never showed.  He just thinks he is just a bunch of silly girls.” I continued to rant on for several minutes. Jo hugged me as my voice started to waiver and Rose patted my leg. Nissa sat in front of me and listened to me say the same words I spoke the year before.  A tissues box flew at me, Pearl’s signal to move on to another topic.

“So Timmy, When are we going to like um have a full out fun? We need to do a movie night or something. I could see if we could borrow Brandon’s projector. And we can like use the back wall in the front entrance.” Jo planned.

“ooo, We should host an Ingrid Bergman or Barbara Stanwyck affair.  We could be the proprietors of vaudeville Orpheum. I have in my position vintage movie theater seats my mom and I discovered displaced outside a school. I think they were refurbishing their auditorium.  We should dawn Great Gatsby attire and allow our pearls to swing.” Nissa sang.

“You mean silver screen flapper party?” I posed the question. I mulled over Nissa’s idea for the party. “I really like it.”

“Miha, how do you expect to keep your brother out of the loop when you seem to be planning on bringing the loop here?”  Rose was right I needed to squash this party idea before it got out of hand.

“pish, he has no friends. We can keep it hushed on the threat of death. OOo, you think we can pilfer the popcorn maker from the bookstore? JoJo you are the one with connections!  Oh my we can do a whole prohibition thing, Since they don’t allow alcohol on campus. Oh how fun.” As Pearl said this she jumped up and peeled up her pant leg and placed an imaginary flask to her thigh.

“Okay Mihas I need to get some sleep we have first morning chapel tomorrow and I have an early class. Timmy you ought to come. That way if your brother sees you he won’t be suspicious.”  Rose offered her simple wisdom.

“We have new jail bait to see tomorrow.” Jo  used her term for freshmen boys. The past two years her and the other girls would watch a freshman boy of their choice grow up through the year to see if he would be an ugly duckling grown into a swan or become the unwashed mountain man.  So far Jo has picked  winners. I always seemed to choose the ones that get beaten by an ugly stick and lose their luster. I really didn’t care. Last year I pointed out my freshman and never saw him again until Jo pointed out a beer belly.  It took me awhile but sure enough the boy who no doubtly graduated high school being the all American jock finished his first year of college with a belly, beard and a musty smell from not properly washing. Pearl had the habit choosing the most attractive boy out of the bunch then lusting after her choice, making chomping noises whenever he would walk past.  Nissa found the tortured souls. Her choice always seemed to follow her around and become our little house pet. So far our preverbal  puppy pound included a five young men who would trod through our doors at any time of the day looking for scraps of affection from our little Nissa.  Rose on the other hand really didn’t play. She was the newest to our little group and didn’t know the rules when she came. Her jail bait horse was a boy she met in class and started attending all events that he may make an appearance at.

3. The Grandfather

“My Granddad was a very modest and wise man.  After he died I also found out he was a very wealthy man. He didn’t spend his money on himself he just kinda held on to it until he would hear about a family who needed  help. His favorite way of helping families out was to pay for their kid’s college.   No one knows the exact number but so far I know of 20 kids he has foot the bill for. Now that I am in college I get a check from his lawyer once a year to cover all my college expenses, classes, dorms, food, gas and even entertainment money. While I am really grateful for this opportunity to go to school… I am not a very good student. Actually I am a horrible student. But I have friends who are good students.  So if I can help them out then I am kinda keeping on my Granddad’s legacy. And I know that I could give them cheaper rent here. Plus all I want to do is work retail and look around us there are tons of retail stores surrounding this house.  Cheap on gas.” I paused she was just staring at the check in her hands. “Plus the check is in my name not in the schools. I have more money in savings.  Not much but um… well can I buy this house?”

Laughter brusted from her lips as tears continued to stream down her face. “Can you buy this house? He is so going to kick himself. God! I can’t believe this. You are seriously my angel if you really do mean to buy this house.” I held my hand out to pat her but instead I let it linger. Not knowing how to respond I just made myself comfortable and waited.

When she finally calmed down she apologized and let her story flow. Evidently this “Jack” character once was married but left his wife for the woman in front of me.  Or so she thought.  They have a two year old child together who was now living with her parents because he refused to claim as his and she couldn’t support the child on her own.  Instead of paying child support he gave this struggling mother a job but continues to take all the best clients. She knows she shouldn’t work for him but I think she hopes he and her will end up together and they would be a family with her daughter. The worst part is that Jack started seeing another woman as soon as his divorce from his wife went through.

I watch her as her whole messy story tangled before me. This strong woman who I was too scared to speak to is nothing but a mess with a shiny coat of paint. I finally laid my hand on her back and she leaned into me for a hug. Flustered I reached for the business card she handed me and I had shoved in my pocket. I read on it  “Audry Turk”.  I began to quietly pray to know what to do for this Audry.

I don’t know how long we sat there. She was baring her ugly scars as if I was a surgeon. Audry let me crash on her couch as we started the paperwork for me to buy the house. We later discussed how she could get hired on to another realisate firm with this sold house under her belt. She told me of the plans she had made for her and her daughter, Scarlet. I convinced her to take “Jack” to court to get him to pay child support. I wish I could have been there when Audry told him how she sold the house.  Audry said she had to mop him up off the floor. He even tried to slide in and take the credit but I refused to speak to him, I would only work with Audry. They had a lot of problems with the property that was why “Jack” gave her the house to sell. Somehow everything worked out smoothly for me to buy it. There wasn’t one hitch in the entire process which Audry told me was a miracle and that the star she wished on was the luckiest star in the sky.  Of course I would have to say that the house was a blessing. The previous owner tried to flip the house but ran out of money. When he went to sell it no one wanted to buy a house in the middle of a shopping strip mall and because of some funky zoning laws the developers couldn’t buy the house to make into a store or something like that. Audry tried to explain it all. From what I gathered I could buy the house and let my friends live there with me.

2. The Realitor

One day while I was sipping coffee, I saw a woman standing outside our house trying to attach a grey plastic box to the handle of the door. I gathered my things and placed them in my bag. I hastily treaded across the street and only to stand still watching the woman. With every beat of my heart I wanted to move my legs to approach her but my legs just stood there. My voice seemed to be lost as well. The woman swore and threw her bag to the floor. Her perfectly placed hair frizzed out of her chemical paste that no doubt had been sprayed on that morning. She swore again shaking her finger of the right hand and kicking the door with her periwinkle pumps.

“Can I help you?” A voice sounded.  I looked around, only to find I was the only one standing there. No wait. I wasn’t standing I was walking forward.

The woman looked at me and straightened her navy blue pencil skirt. “Unless you want to buy this house.” She snapped. “Sorry.” She took a deep breath. “Here.” She handed me a business card. She rolled her eyes and mumbled something about everyone being a potential client.

“Actually could I see the house?” Once again I spoke not knowing I was releasing words.

The woman glared then shrugged her shoulders. “Hold on I need to call my boss and SEE IF HE CAN ACTUALLY GET ME THE RIGHT LOCK BOX!” She leaned out from underneath the overhanging porch and yelled the last part into the heavens.

While she waited for her “cocky, arrogant boss” to answer her cell she let me in. Upon first entering the double doors I was hit with the same musty smell you get when you open an old library book. The smell was thick and hampered my sight.  Behind me the agent, slid open the drapes on the front window then lifted the window pane. With a light breeze the room began to unveil itself. It was a large entrance. Window were all round but for on the back wall. Where there only stood one swinging door. Two pillars stood at attention on either side of me and a fireplace was boarded up between two of the windows.  Beneath my feet was red rug that told a story of days where it once was plush and filled with color.

The woman was now yelling into her cell phone at some she called Jack.  She waved at me to follow. She went through the swinging butler door. It took us into a small kitchen that had been revamped with new cabinets and counter tops. Mixed and matched appliances where scattered throughout. There was bar that shot out and divided the kitchen from a somewhat larger room that I supposed was meant to hold a dining table. A rather large stair case jutted out into the room. I made my way to its wooden steps and ambled upward. I could still hear the agent arguing into her phone and realized who she was yelling the man so called Jack or any other of the names she was throwing his way.

At the top of the stairs I found three bedrooms. They were of a descent size.  One was twice the size of the others. Some of the walls had new sheet rocking and new bare wood poking out in every which way. New carpet had been laid down.  The smell from the floor below was so vastly different. Up here it held the scent of a home improvement store. I wandered in and out the rooms day dreaming. I poked into the one bathroom. I stood still. Unlike the rest of the bedrooms it had been completely refinished. Two sinks, one big mirror, large bathtub with jets, all new. I sat my bag on the counter and riffled through my papers and things. I clutched the envelope that my dad handed me before I left and whispered a little prayer.

“Excuse me! Sweet heart! Can you wrap it up? The lock box is on it’s way and I have to head out of here.”  The realtor found me in the bathroom and pointed her manicured finger down the stairs. “ If you are interested in buying a house we can make an appointment and we can see what you can afford.”

“I want this house? Isn’t for sell?”I replied. I held the envelopes contents out for her to see. The woman took a deep breath.

“Well… make an appointment and we…” Her eyes finally adjusted to the small piece of paper I held in front of her. “Who is Timmarie Kay Coaling?”

“Me.”

She blinked her painted eyelids. I was waiting for a sassy retort or a snide comment instead She gestured for the slip of paper asking to hold it in her hands.  She asked if I was serious. When I confirmed that I was she placed her hand on a wall as if she was hit with sudden vertigo then slowly allowed herself to slide to the floor. She sat in a crumpled heap. Her pristinely iron suit deflated as she gave a large exhale then allowed a river of salty tears escape her almost violet eyes.  “Explain”, the word was released like a bubble to be popped.

I lowered myself in front of her. Raising my shoulders and the corners of my lips, I began to tell my story