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- 09/07/2021
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Marco - 7. Chapter 7
Later that day, I stopped at the County offices to sign the papers and pick up a deed to the property. “Marco. I’ll have the papers on Monday. I need you to sign this agreement for the sewage, water, and electrical installations.”
I signed the papers, “Dave, I’ll have a certified check for you on Monday.”
That evening I called home and told them I bought a house. Mom wanted to know everything. Dad wanted to know if I needed any money. I told them I had to wait until Monday to get the deed. I knew I would see them this coming weekend.
Monday at lunchtime, I met Dave at the County offices and concluded my purchase of the Wight property. I signed contracts for the installation of sewage, water, and electricity.
With the keys to the gate and the house, I was anxious to see the interior of the house. I called Anne and told her I wouldn’t be in this afternoon. I had a home to explore.
Arriving at the gate, I tried the keys. They didn’t work. The keys were the correct keys, but the lock was rusted. The church pastor across the road came over when he saw me trying to open the gate.
“The only way you’ll get that gate to open is to cut off the lock. I’m sure by now it is so rusted that no key will open it.”
“Thanks, I figured that I would have to break the lock. My name is Marco Romano, and I just bought this property from the County.”
“I’m Richard Burry, the pastor of that church.”
The pastor was a friendly man, and so I ended up spending some time chatting with him about the property. “The Church was part of the land that belonged to the Wights. They deeded the land to the Church when the people living here wanted a church to meet in rather than a storefront. They use to meet at the Grange.”
“You wouldn’t have any old records of this site and particularly of the Wights.”
“I’m not sure. Mr. Wight was dead when I moved here. Mrs. Wight and the children were members of the Church. I’ll look, and if I find anything, I’ll let you know.”
Saying goodbye, I headed to town to buy a new lock for the gate.
When I arrived at the feed store, it was also the hardware store, as many of the farmers and ranchers needed supplies not found in a conventual hardware store like back home. “Jake, I need a new lock for my gate.”
“Marco, so it is true. You bought the old Wight’s p[lace.”
“Yes, and the lock on the gate is rusted.”
“Then you’ll need these cutting pliers as well. You are going to have to cut that old lock off.”
I took the cutting pliers and the new lock and headed back to the property. Using the cutting pliers, I snapped the old lock. I was getting excited, but now I found out I had a new problem. The hinges on the gate were rusted as well. There was no way I could move that gate. If I wanted to get on the property, I would need a way to get through that gate. I was holding the cutting pliers in my hand when I saw a rabbit squeeze through a hole in the fence. Laughing, I took the cutting pliers and made a hole in the gate, big enough for me to crawl through.
I took my time to walk up the hill to the house. As I got closer to the house, I became excited. Walking up the steps to the front porch, I had to take a few minutes to look over the city. The view was fantastic. I could see several buildings, even my office building. The school where I rented my apartment could be seen, but you had to know where to look.
I tried the front door, it was locked, and none of the keys worked. The windows were closed, and what appeared to be drapes prevented me from looking inside. If I were going to get inside, I would need a door that the keys I had would open.
Walking around to the back of the house, there was a small porch over a door. Looking around, there was an old fashion water pump and a barn that looked like it needed repairs. I checked the back door and the key fit, unlocking the door. Walking into a room, on the left side was two large washtubs; on the right side were shelves. There were no lights, but above the washtubs, there were two windows. They had drapes on them. I opened the drapes and let the light in. With the light from the window, I could see more clearly. Beside the shelves, there were several ceramic pots. I wondered what they were.
Walking into the next room, there was no light. I knew that there was no way I could explore this house without a flashlight. Walking back outside, I locked the back door. I tried the water pump to see if I could get any water, nothing. I went and checked out the barn, the frame seemed to be solid, but the roof had holes that provided some light. There was an old buggy in one corner.
To the left of the barn was a building, and that I knew the purpose of that building. I wasn’t going to open that door. I stood and looked over the land. There were some trees but mostly weeds.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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