The Christmas House Page 7
“Everything okay Michael?” asked Arianna.
“Everything is better than okay. Let’s go home,” replied Michael.
As Michael pulled the car into the driveway at 148 Festive Lane, Arianna was amazed to see the amount of work that has been accomplished in just a few short days. She immediately noticed that the mailbox now read, “148” instead of “1-8” as before. The front yard was clear of dead branches and shrubs. The grass was starting to turn to green and had recently been raked. The shutters that were hanging cock-eyed from the front windows were now secured and hung evenly. The front door had recently been freshly painted a bright clean white. Michael pulled the car through the iron gates and parked on the driveway.
“Oh, Michael. You guys have been so busy. It looks great! What an improvement,” she proclaimed.
“Well, Jack and Wanda really helped a great deal. We just kept at it a little at a time and even I was surprised how quickly things started to look better,” Michael replied.
“Wait until you see the family room mom!” exclaimed David.
As Michael turned off the engine, two familiar faces appeared from along side of the house carrying dead branches and old newspapers.
“Howdy neighbor! About time you got back. There’s work to be done!” Jack said with a smile.
As the Carters stepped out of their car, Wanda approached Arianna.
“Well, you all must be the momma and yes... oh there she is, the little bundle of joy,” said Wanda as she looked into the car and saw Nicole lying in the carrier.
“Hi, you must be Wanda. I’m Arianna and this is Nicole. Michael has told me so much about you I feel I have known you for years. Thank you so much for looking after them.”
“Oh now hush, it was nothin. Can I hold Nicole? I love little babies, even though Jack and I never had none,” she stated.
Arianna took Nicole out of the carrier and placed her in Wanda’s arms. Nicole awoke and opened her eyes wide at the sight of Wanda. Surely this 3-day-old could not focus that well as of yet, but as she stared at the flaming red hair and large soda bottle bottom glasses on Wanda’s face, a smile appeared and she cooed.
“Oh my, I think she likes me!” Wanda said with true excitement in her voice. She continued, “Jack honey, why can’t we get us one of these?”
Jack placed the dead branches he was carrying on a pile near the garage and responded to Wanda, as he walked toward Arianna, “Well honey, as soon as we are finished here, we can go on home and try for a little while alright.”
Still smiling, he walked up to Arianna and said, “Welcome home Mrs. Carter. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Arianna embraced Jack and hugged him tightly. She whispered in his ear, “Jack, we have never met but I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there for Michael and David.”
“Don’t mention it. Just so all of you are healthy and safe,” Jack replied softly.
Michael and Jack started to unload the car as Arianna, David and Wanda entered the house through the garage that led to the kitchen.
As they entered the kitchen, Arianna was truly amazed. Although still in need of much work, the entire area had been set up and was ready for use.
She assumed Wanda was responsible for this, since Michael didn’t know what a pot or pan was, much less where it should be stored. The floors were bright and shining, a drastic contrast from the last time she saw them stained and dull.
Arianna walked into the dining room area. This room hadn’t changed all that much. The grandfather clock that Martha left behind was still keeping perfect time and chimed out every hour without fail. Michael stripped off the old gold flock wallpaper shortly after closing and the walls were in need of patching. The ceiling was still peeling with thin layers of paint hanging off in large sections. She pondered to herself, “all in good time.”
She turned the corner and walked into the family room, and then stopped. The floor that had been ripped up leaving holes that reached all the way down to the basement was now totally replaced. A brand new light oak floor had been laid. It was stunning. She thought, “How in the world did Michael get all of this done so quickly?” The furniture for the living room was placed where she would not have put it, but decided she better not say anything for a few days. She didn’t want to hurt Michael’s feelings since she knew he probably felt that his decision of the placement was what she would have wanted. Regardless of the furniture set up, the room was so large their furniture was dwarfed by comparison.
The walls were still wallpapered with a very outdated, large blue flowered print which did not compliment their contemporary couch, love seat, chairs and tables. She snickered to herself as she looked at the modern painting of bright yellows and reds hanging on the wall, as it clashed with the wallpaper behind it.
Regardless of the color coordination, the room was still beautiful. The floor caught the sunlight from the crystal clear windows now stripped of the old fashioned gold draperies that once hung there. The large stone fireplace had been cleaned up as well and looked very romantic and inviting even while dormant. Michael and Jack entered the room.
“So, what do you think?” asked Michael.
“Oh honey, it’s beautiful,” she answered as she walked up to him quickly and gave him a kiss.
“How in the world did you get this floor laid in two days?” she asked inquisitively.
“A few of the guys from work came over and basically did all of the work. I think they felt guilty for not helping us move when they learned of the problems we experienced that day,” replied Michael.
“Well that was really nice of them. You will have to invite them over for dinner when we get a little more settled,” Arianna responded.
David rushed in from outside and stated “Those baby birds are still there and getting much bigger!” He stopped and really looked at Arianna for the first time as she stood by the window.
“Wow Mom, you got skinny!”
They all laughed and Arianna replied, “Well David, your little sister was a good amount of the weight I gained.”
“Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that Mom, when a baby is born where do they come fro...” Michael cut David off in mid-sentence.
“Why don’t we take a look at the upstairs okay?” he said as he gave David the eye that silently meant, “not now!”
Arianna led the way as her family and the Stevens, with Wanda still holding Nicole in her arms followed her up the stairs. As Arianna reached the landing at the top, Michael instructed her to proceed to the end of the hallway and then to the last room on the right. As she approached the room, she looked at the door and there was a pewter plaque that read, “Baby’s Room.”
She opened the door and was nearly knocked off her feet. The room, which was in the best condition of any of the rooms available to begin with, was converted into a nursery. The walls had been repainted and decorated with Winnie the Pooh wallpaper and borders. A brand-new, light beige carpet covered the floor and matching Pooh Bear curtains hung on the windows.
In the center of the room, was a beautiful white wooden crib with a mobile hanging above it that featured each of the characters from the Winnie the Pooh story books. The bed inside the crib was freshly made with soft white sheets and an ivory colored lace-trimmed pillow made of silk.
In the far right corner of the room were many boxes of presents wrapped in baby style gift paper. A bassinet was featured in the middle of the pile and was adorned with a pink bow and ribbon.
Michael entered the room behind Arianna.
“I tried to get the room ready for Nicky, but I ran out of.... (He stopped in mid-sentence) What the.... Where did all this stuff come from? There wasn’t any furniture or presents in this room when I left this morning. Jack?” Michael asked in a raised voice.
Jack shrugged his shoulders and said, “Hey, you can’t have your daughter sleeping on the floor.”
“I am going to repay you for everything you have bought. No arguments okay?” Michael
asked.
“That’s fine with me Mike. You owe me, let’s see... nothing,” Jack responded.
“Nothing?” Michael asked.
“Nothing!” Jack replied and he continued.
“I told all of my employees down at the office if they wanted to help out two really nice people that needed a hand, they could all pitch in and get you something for the baby. I think I mentioned something about if they wanted to keep their jobs as well, but I am sure it came from their hearts. Happy Baby Shower, Michael and Arianna.”
Beside themselves with Jack’s generosity, Michael and Arianna were speechless. Wanda walked over to Arianna and placed Nicole into her arms. Arianna smiled as she took the baby and the walked over to the crib. She gently set Nicole down in the crib for a well-deserved nap. As they turned and walked out of the room, Michael closed the door slightly and whispered, “See you later princess.”
As Arianna walked back down the hallway she opened the door to the master bedroom and found that the furniture that use to be in the guestroom was now in this room. (Michael came into the room.)
“I thought that we would use this furniture in our room. Martha left it here for us, so I thought we could put it to good use. It is actually in much better shape than our stuff. What do you think Arianna?” he asked.
“Well considering we won’t be having any guests such as family or out-of-town friends, I guess that makes sense. What did you do with our bedroom set?” she asked.
“I put it in David’s room. His old twin bed was getting pretty beat up so I think he will appreciate the double bed we were using,” he replied.
Arianna concurred, and shut the door to the Master bedroom. As she continued through the large house, the contrast between what was already repaired and what still needed work was astonishing. The majority of the house still looked like it was hit by World War III and yet there were these small sections of newness that enforced the fact that this house could be and would be beautiful someday. Descending the stairs back to the first level of the house, Arianna walked slowly for she was still quite sore from the operation. She complained to Michael how the stitches from the C-section felt tight and ached. Michael suggested that they sit down and relax for a while. As they made their way to the family room, Wanda came in from the kitchen with a pitcher of iced tea and some homemade cookies. She set them on the coffee table in front of the couch and offered a glass of tea to Arianna.
Arianna felt strange at that moment. She felt as if this was Wanda’s house and not her own. She realized it would take some time to adjust to her new surroundings but felt odd nonetheless. As she gazed around the room and caught a glimpse of the dining room and foyer, she thought of Martha. How wonderful that old woman was to sell them this wonderful house for next to nothing as compared to the actual value. She smiled and sipped her tea as she turned and looked out the window overlooking the backyard. David was perched on the small bridge that spanned over a brook and overlooked a tree. He was focused on the nest that sat in the tree and held the baby birds he mentioned earlier. She smiled to herself and thought of the momma bird that surely must be as delighted and happy with her new family as Arianna was with hers. Nicole, Michael, David, Jack and Wanda.
Chapter Eight- The Renovation
July 23rd
148 Festive Lane
7:35 a.m.
Michael kissed Arianna and Nicole good-bye as he was on his way to drop David off at summer camp and then off to the job site.
The last few months had been hectic at the Carter residence. Michael spent most of his time working at both, home and the job site, while Arianna was busy caring for Nicole and David.
Jack and Wanda remained a constant support channel for the Carters. Michael felt very obligated to the both of them. If they only knew how little money Michael actually had left after the major repairs made to the house and substantial monthly mortgage payments, they would be amazed. Even with their financial and moral support, Michael was running out of funds quickly and with the exception of a few minor improvements, the house was still far from being completed.
As the sun shined brightly through the kitchen windows, Arianna poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the table making out a list of what she needed to do this day. Nicole was in her playpen positioned near the fireplace in the family room. A television played in the background. Just shy of being three months old, Nicole couldn’t understand what a television was, but she sure did like the movement of the pretty colors on the screen as she stared at it undaunted for several minutes at a time.
Arianna finished her list. “Laundry, grocery shopping, bring a few more boxes up from the basement, take Nicole for a stroll, etc. Sounds like some really boring stuff for a grown woman to have to do all day long,” she thought to herself. She decided that the most important chore on the list was for her to take Nicole out for a stroll before it got too hot outside. The weather in the Chicago-land area was extremely hot even for July. The high today was forecasted to be in the high 90’s for the 6th day in a row. Michael refused to use an air conditioner at the house for two reasons. First of all, due to the additional cost air conditioning would generate but more importantly he was concerned that the wiring that was yet to be replaced in the house would not handle the increased power demand from a window air conditioner. The house did not have central air, but Michael planned on installing an air conditioning unit when he replaced the old furnace in the basement.
Grabbing her keys and a bottle of juice for Nicole, she was ready to get the stroller out of the garage. She lifted Nicole up out of the playpen and walked out to the garage.
The heat in the garage was unbearable as the overhead door opened after Arianna pushed the switch on the wall. She reached to turn on the overhead light but nothing happens.
“Project 224: install a new light switch for the garage.”
As Arianna pushed the stroller down the street, she wished they had enough money for a second car. Michael could really use a pick up truck for work and side jobs, and she needed a car to get around for the kids and hopefully a job in the near future. Taking the bus everywhere or walking was getting to be a pain. She waited for Michael to get home from work so she could use the car to go shopping at least 3 times a week. Lake Forest did not exactly have a convenient store on every corner. It was a good 2-mile walk to just get milk and bread. She sighed and realized that another car was out of the question, especially right now.
As the sun beat down on Arianna and the stroller, Nicole started to cry. The heat was just too much for her today. There was only a light breeze in the air and the temperature was already in the high 80’s. Arianna decided to make this a short walk and go back to the house where she could at least be out of the sun. She would talk to Michael this evening about another car. “Hopefully he’s in a good mood,” she said to herself.
July 23rd
Later that same day
5:30 p.m.
As the heat from this summer day continued to fill the house, Arianna tried to remain cool by sitting in front of a fan and sipping ice water. Nicole was finally asleep in her playpen and seemed content. Michael would be home any minute after having picked David up from camp. Arianna was going over in her head all of the reasons why they must have an additional car. “It will help you work more efficiently Michael. It will allow you to do more side jobs so much easier Michael. It will make it easier for you to pick up parts and materials for the house Michael,” she stopped for a moment. “And it will make my life a heck of a lot easier too!” and she laughed out loud.
She heard the car pull up in the driveway and the time of reckoning was here. She took a drink of her ice water as if it was 120 proof whiskey and slammed the glass down on the kitchen counter. Michael and David walked into the kitchen from the doorway off the garage.
“Honey, we have to get another car!” Michael stated firmly.
“What?” asked Arianna in amazement.
“This running around and getting David, no offense
David (as he rubs his head), is getting out of control. I could have worked overtime today and made some extra money, but instead I had to leave. If you took this car and I was to get a pick up truck, things would be much easier don’t you think?” he asked.
“Well, Michael, I don’t know...” was her coy response.
“Think about it. You could have the car to run errands that you now have to put off until I come home. You can’t take Nicole to the park now because it’s just too far. You could do that with the car. You could also do the shopping and what if you get a part time job? What then? How are you going to get to and from work? And in the 14-foot snows that hit this area at least twice a month! No way, not my wife. I will not have you walking barefoot 8 miles in 20-foot snowdrifts just to get to work! No way. We are getting a truck,” Michael stated without hesitation.
“8 miles in bare feet huh?” asked Arianna.
Michael smiled back, “Well, what do you think? Seriously?”
“Michael I would love nothing more than to have the use of a car during the day, but can we afford it?” she asked.
“Honey, we can’t afford to live here but somehow we are doing it,” responded Michael.
“Then let’s go out tonight and look for a used pick up that will serve your purposes for work,” she replied.
“I think that’s a good idea. Oh, boy a new air conditioned truck!” Michael exclaimed.
“New? Air-conditioned? The car doesn't have air conditioning Michael. No way are you going to be riding around all day in the luxury of a new truck with air conditioning, while I am driving that old beat up piece of garbage!” she blasted back.
“Piece of garbage? A minute ago you would have sold our daughter for that old piece of garbage!” he shouted back.
“Well that was still when you were going to be driving this old beat up truck with no air conditioning and fuzzy dice in the window!” and she started to laugh.
Michael laughed as well and walked up to her and hugged her tightly. “I love you Arianna. What do you say we get the kids to bed early and ya know...” (as he raised his eyebrows)