herself, Abby strolled to the largest
of the bedrooms.
Whoever had done the renovations here had
done a magnificent job. The room was spacious with a big bay window
looking out over the water. The large closet was still full of the
old woman’s clothes and some of her deceased husband’s; much of her
jewelry and personal items were still in the bureau drawers as
well. “What am I going to do with all this?” mused Abby, a small
tear forming at the corner of her eye. “A woman’s whole life
reduced to this, and not a single soul left to care one way or the
other.”
It seemed to Abby that the old house sighed
in agreement. “Bride Murphy, since there are no others, will you
allow me to honor your past and passing?” Abby asked aloud of the
ghost of Bride Murphy. “I promise I will care for your home and
hold your presence here sacred.” A smile sprang to her face as she
heard the sudden song of a robin just outside the window. “So be
it,” she sighed and began to poke through the room again.
Finding an empty suitcase, Abby began to
carefully pack all Bride’s clothes. Once she had everything packed
and moved down to the spare room, she stripped the bed and carried
all the linen to the top of the stairs and threw it down. Returning
to the bedroom, Abby checked the mattress and frowned at the damp
smell of it. “This will have to go. Ok, we do what we can today
then we make a list.”
Abby dragged all the furniture out of the
room and spread it between the hallway and the other rooms. One
small dresser made its way into the bathroom to hide behind the
door. She tipped the mattress and foundation on their sides, took
the bed frame apart then returned to the kitchen for a cup of tea
and some paper, pen, and tape. “If I have a house and storage sheds
full of furniture, I need to make a list of what I have available,”
she mused softly as she made a sandwich to go with her tea.
After finishing her light meal Abby made a
quick inspection of the contents of the sheds, listing much of what
was there, then went back to the house and did the same. Returning
to the bedroom with her list, she tried to get an idea of just
which pieces she wanted to have in there. By the time she had made
her decision darkness was falling so she decided to have another
light meal then call it a day and start over early in the morning.
She ate her small meal at the table then went up for a hot
bath.
Abby turned up the heat a bit as she returned
to her bed in the kitchen. The old house was exceptionally quiet
and Abby could hear the lapping of the waves on the shore nearby. A
little nervous her first night, Abby left a soft light on in the
dining room. Her nervousness finally gave way to fatigue and she
slept.
Up and on the go again at first light, Abby
went for a brisk walk along the beach then made herself a big
breakfast. Well fortified, she returned to the bedroom with pen and
paper. She now knew which pieces of furniture she wanted in there
and soon she had decided on the colors as well. All those times she
had helped her grandmother paint and wallpaper as a child were
about to come in handy.
With her list in hand she tidied herself up
and headed back into the city. She was expecting to spend a small
fortune in gas for the first while until she got everything the way
she wanted, but there really was no other way to do it. By noon
Abby had her paint, brushes, rollers, wallpaper, drop sheets, etc.
and was loading a month’s supply of groceries into the back of her
vehicle. Abby suddenly felt that she was being watched. Just for a
moment she paused, but looking all around she could see no one so
she got in the car and headed for home.
All the way back to Jamaica Point Abby had
the nagging feeling that she had missed something important back in
town. “Ah well,” she sighed as she reached her own driveway, “if it
was that important I’m sure I’ll get another chance.”
A few hours later Keith and Wanda Pike were
walking
of the bedrooms.
Whoever had done the renovations here had
done a magnificent job. The room was spacious with a big bay window
looking out over the water. The large closet was still full of the
old woman’s clothes and some of her deceased husband’s; much of her
jewelry and personal items were still in the bureau drawers as
well. “What am I going to do with all this?” mused Abby, a small
tear forming at the corner of her eye. “A woman’s whole life
reduced to this, and not a single soul left to care one way or the
other.”
It seemed to Abby that the old house sighed
in agreement. “Bride Murphy, since there are no others, will you
allow me to honor your past and passing?” Abby asked aloud of the
ghost of Bride Murphy. “I promise I will care for your home and
hold your presence here sacred.” A smile sprang to her face as she
heard the sudden song of a robin just outside the window. “So be
it,” she sighed and began to poke through the room again.
Finding an empty suitcase, Abby began to
carefully pack all Bride’s clothes. Once she had everything packed
and moved down to the spare room, she stripped the bed and carried
all the linen to the top of the stairs and threw it down. Returning
to the bedroom, Abby checked the mattress and frowned at the damp
smell of it. “This will have to go. Ok, we do what we can today
then we make a list.”
Abby dragged all the furniture out of the
room and spread it between the hallway and the other rooms. One
small dresser made its way into the bathroom to hide behind the
door. She tipped the mattress and foundation on their sides, took
the bed frame apart then returned to the kitchen for a cup of tea
and some paper, pen, and tape. “If I have a house and storage sheds
full of furniture, I need to make a list of what I have available,”
she mused softly as she made a sandwich to go with her tea.
After finishing her light meal Abby made a
quick inspection of the contents of the sheds, listing much of what
was there, then went back to the house and did the same. Returning
to the bedroom with her list, she tried to get an idea of just
which pieces she wanted to have in there. By the time she had made
her decision darkness was falling so she decided to have another
light meal then call it a day and start over early in the morning.
She ate her small meal at the table then went up for a hot
bath.
Abby turned up the heat a bit as she returned
to her bed in the kitchen. The old house was exceptionally quiet
and Abby could hear the lapping of the waves on the shore nearby. A
little nervous her first night, Abby left a soft light on in the
dining room. Her nervousness finally gave way to fatigue and she
slept.
Up and on the go again at first light, Abby
went for a brisk walk along the beach then made herself a big
breakfast. Well fortified, she returned to the bedroom with pen and
paper. She now knew which pieces of furniture she wanted in there
and soon she had decided on the colors as well. All those times she
had helped her grandmother paint and wallpaper as a child were
about to come in handy.
With her list in hand she tidied herself up
and headed back into the city. She was expecting to spend a small
fortune in gas for the first while until she got everything the way
she wanted, but there really was no other way to do it. By noon
Abby had her paint, brushes, rollers, wallpaper, drop sheets, etc.
and was loading a month’s supply of groceries into the back of her
vehicle. Abby suddenly felt that she was being watched. Just for a
moment she paused, but looking all around she could see no one so
she got in the car and headed for home.
All the way back to Jamaica Point Abby had
the nagging feeling that she had missed something important back in
town. “Ah well,” she sighed as she reached her own driveway, “if it
was that important I’m sure I’ll get another chance.”
A few hours later Keith and Wanda Pike were
walking
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