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Jackson Brody got out of the car. His
right-hand-man, Charles, followed. He backed up to get a full view of the old
house. His gaze took in the side. The roof, missing a dozen shingles, had a
hole in it big enough to fit a golden retriever. The paint on the walls had
peeled off ages ago, leaving raw, weathered wood. Every window pane had been
broken. Jack figured there would be rocks on the floor of every room. What was
it about a window that tempted a boy to throw a rock through it?
The side of the house he faced had outside cellar
doors like in “The Wizard of Oz.” The shrubs once hugging the side of the house
had grown unruly. Some had grown up to partially cover windows on the first
floor. Others had had the good grace to die and turn yellow or brown.
The grass hadn’t been mowed in at least six
months, maybe longer. The mansion had gone to seed, as they say. It was a sorry
specimen.
“Well, Charles. What’s your take?” Jack scratched
his stubbly chin.
“Well, sir. First, we must repair the roof. Fix
that hole, add a few shingles. Then the windows. Trim the shrubs and hedges.
Not sure if you should paint or simply reside the entire building.”
“And how much would you estimate that would cost?”
Jack asked, kicking aside some stones.
“Oh, dear. I have no idea. Probably a lot.”
“Like how much? A hundred grand? Maybe two?”
“Maybe.”
“Then there’s the inside.”
“Of course. Yes.”
“If the outside looks this bad, what do you think
the inside looks like?”
Charles covered his eyes with his hand. “I can’t
imagine.”
“You want me to renovate?”
“It’s got great bones. What did you want to do?”
“Tear the damn thing
down,” Jackson tossed off in a sour tone before heading for the car. BACK TO TUESDAY TALES
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Hate to say it, but he might be right. It sounds like it's in really bad shape, but I love old houses. Great scene. You described the place well.
ReplyDeleteLove this line: Others had had the good grace to die and turn yellow or brown.
ReplyDeleteAnd home reno of a place with good bones can lead to a lot of conflict, both inner and outer. I say go for it to him!
Maybe he has a point? Hard to say but it is sad to see old homes torn down. Great snippet!
ReplyDeleteNooooo! He can't tear it down! (Said as I realize I'd never have enough money to even have to make this kind of decision. It can be so costly to keep great old structures alive.)
ReplyDeleteIt breaks my heart that it has so many bad memories for him but I have a feeling someone will convince him to rebuild it. Great job!
ReplyDelete