The red brick house towered three stories over the cracked pavement of the
narrow street. It was very old, but had a proud countenance that reflected
the sentiment of its spunky owner.
Like most houses in the area, it had a deep basement. This one in particular featured sets of clothes-washing equipment (perhaps a few more than the average household displayed) and a wall of tools, with a few boxes of holiday decorations in a dusty corner, and a not-so-secret bathroom; the usual fuse box and water heater were present as well. The first floor housed a kitchen, dining room, living room, and a coat closet under the staircase. Upstairs were a series of rooms: some just bedrooms, some modest suites, all for people not native to the original family. All the tenants of those rooms had to share a single bathroom, unfortunately. Except for those onto the secret of the basement water closet. And the third story? Well, that was split into two sections. The second-story hallway had a trap door at either end. One end led up to a generous, honeycombed attic. Dusty boxes and furniture filled it, while smaller closets had more specific items secreted inside, like one that housed fishing equipment. At the other end of the house, separate from the attic, was another bedroom. The third story had originally been built in this fashion, although the second half had not always been a bedroom. The story behind that particular bedroom spans three generations.
When the twins, Phil and Mitzi were born, the attic bedroom served no particular purpose. The house was full of extended family members, but the rooms on the second floor were enough to harbor them all. Occasionally the children would decide to play up there, sometimes taking Pooter up there and watching him chase spiders and dust bunnies around the floor. But the room stayed more or less empty and unused over the years, until the house began to empty of residents and Phil inherited the house, bringing home his new wife Gertrude. In that house they raised their son Miles, who turned out to be quit an explorer. Once he was intelligent enough to figure out how to open the trap doors to the attic, it was difficult to keep him away from the dusty rooms. When Miles was about eight, he begged his parents to let him have the attic bedroom to himself. Phil and Gertie weren't sure what was so appealing about the third floor that made it so much better than the second floor, his current floor's altitude, but they complied. Phil spent his free weekends cleaning up and repairing the little room just for Miles. The boy was delighted when he could finally move in.
Not much more happened to that little room until the autumn of Miles' ninth year, when Phil asked his son what he might like for Christmas.
Only a small pause was apparent before Miles stated, "I want a skylight for my room. So I can look up at the sky and see all the clouds and the stars, whenever I want, without having to go outside!"
"Well, I don't suppose you'll see many stars with all the lights on in the city at night, but we'll see what happens?"
After that short exchange, it seemed as though Miles forgot about his great idea, since no mention was made of it again. However, Phil thought long and hard about his son's wish. Building a skylight would be an expensive project, but ever since he had opened up the house to boarders a few years earlier, renting out the long-empty rooms brought in extra money he had saved. He was a bit of a handyman himself, and he had friends with more experience in the business he knew he could call for help. So he began to make arrangements immediately.
School had just let out for winter vacation when Phil had decided to make his move. That weekend he proposed that Miles go spend a few days with some family in the country. Although that side of the family was extremely strange, the young boy truly didn't mind being around them. Above all, he loved the open spaces in the country, with all the exciting places to explore. When Phil got back from dropping off his son, he laughed to himself. "What a wily old coot I'm turning into!"
That weekend was full of work as Phil and his construction worker friends hurried to construct a skylight, despite the cold. Luckily for them, no snow fell that weekend, making their job considerably easier. The boarders complained about the noise that woke them up early in morning, but they all were fond of little Miles and lent help where they could.
The long days of work and interrupted sleep was more than rewarded when Phil brought Miles home that week. The boy was already happy with his exciting weekend in the country, and when he saw the glass panels shining brightly from the roof of his house, his eyes lit up with pure joy. He threw his arms around his father and leapt from the barely-stopped car, hurtling upstairs to see the new view from his room. His parents, the workers, and all the tenants followed, just to watch the boy in all his delight. Phil hugged his wife, glad they could bring such happiness to their son. He had always been able to fall back on a patch of grass and watch the cloud formations pass by overhead for hours on end, dreaming of traveling. He was never one for confined spaces, and now with his skylight his room would feel more open, like less of a cage, and it would nurture his free spirit.
Miles never asked for any more improvements to his room after that. He kept the rest of his furnishings simple, only hanging pictures of distant lands and foreign cities on his walls. And when he left for college, and then for travels around the world, Phil and Gertie kept his room untouched so that he might use it during the rare times he came home for short periods. Boarders came and went down on the second floor, and the third- story room became quite empty again.
Many years later, Miles came back for what he thought would be forever. He brought with him a beautiful young wife and a most adorable baby boy. The new family bought a small house not far from the old boarding house. It was just big enough for them to live comfortably, with enough room for the family to grow. The little house actually had three bedrooms. The third was kept as a guest room, but was intended to be remodeled in the future to accommodate a sister or brother to little Arnold.
However, the fateful day came when an old family friend, Eduardo, convinced Miles and his wife Stella to travel back to Central America for one last adventure. The two intended to be back soon, in a matter of months, at most, so they left Arnold in the care of Miles' parents, Phil and Gertie. When Arnold cried for his parents, the two would assure him that they'd be back soon. However, those assurances became less and less assured as time passed. The predicted months passed and were followed by more, and more. No word was heard from the young couple or Eduardo, and worry set in. Arnold asked for his parents less and less frequently as more immediate concerns came to his attention, such as why a little girl in his preschool was always so mean to him.
Finally the time came that Phil had to admit to himself that his son wasn't going to come back soon. The best thing to do was to settle in to take care of Arnold indefinitely, and the first step was to sell the little house. He moved out everything personal belonging to Miles and Stella, packing it away in the boarding house, and then sold the little house and all the furniture inside. He put away all the money, reasoning that if the couple ever came back he could give them the money to buy a new house, while in the meantime they always had a place in the boarding house. He felt guilty about the decision for months before and months after, thinking his son would be offended that he had given up hope. Unfortunately, his decision seemed more and more correct as time continued to pass and his son never came home.
One day Phil sat down with Gertie to have a serious talk concerning Arnold. "Pookie, we need to set up a proper room for the boy. Let him have his own place all to himself that he can decide to decorate as he wants. We have all that money from . the kids' house, you know. And I was thinking . would it be too . inappropriate to let Arnold have Miles' old room?"
By now Gertie had indeed become a bit crazy, but over such a serious matter, she had sobered. "I think he'd like that, dear. Let's ask him what he'd like."
A six-year-old Arnold was very excited about the idea of moving from his boring room on the second floor to the mysterious bedroom on the third floor. He had been there before to see the skylight, but for the most part his grandparents kept him away from it. And when Phil asked him what he'd like put into his room, the imaginative young boy suggested a couch.
"Well, shortman, I think a couch would be a bit big to have in your room. There won't be enough room for you to walk, with that and a bed in there!"
"Okay. Then make a small couch. That'll fold up into the wall! Then it won't take up much space 'cos it'll be in the wall!"
Phil laughed at the idea. "Well, if you say so, shortman. We'll see what your ol' grandpa can do."
Of course Phil chose to indulge his beloved young grandson. Many hours were devoted to redesigning the room, building in a wall of shelves and drawers at one end of the room, with stairs etched into the wall that would lead up to the skylight, which had panels that would open out onto the roof. A bed was built under the shelves so that Arnold could have a great view through the skylight. A desk was at the other end of the room, featuring a computer. Phil knew that Arnold would one day need the machine in such a modernized world. In the middle of the room, on the far wall, he set up a bookcase that he filled with a stereo system, knowing Arnold's love of jazz music. And the dream couch was opposite the stereo. It did indeed fold up into the wall, and Phil went so far as to make it remote- controlled. The remote was also programmed to work the stereo and the studio lights that hung just under the skylight. Again, he had friends help him set up the new-fangled electronics that went into the room, but in the end the room was wonderful. The last touch was to allow Arnold to pick out wallpaper and carpeting (which didn't exactly match, but satisfied a six-year-old's tastes quite nicely).
The construction of the room tapped into the money saved from the selling of Miles and Stella's little house, but the rest of that money was turned into Arnold's college fund. As difficult as it was for old Phil to use that money that he still hoped would one day be claimed by his son, and as torturous as it was to work on his son's old room, the happiness that Arnold displayed over his brand-new room was charming to behold. It was painfully similar to the joy on another blonde boy's face, so many years ago, but the connection was also sweet.
In a reflection of the past, Phil put his arm around Gertie's waist as they smiled down at a delighted Arnold bouncing on his new bed. He could only wonder what other memories would be established in this little room in the old house that still stood, ancient and proud, three stories above the cracked pavement.
Like most houses in the area, it had a deep basement. This one in particular featured sets of clothes-washing equipment (perhaps a few more than the average household displayed) and a wall of tools, with a few boxes of holiday decorations in a dusty corner, and a not-so-secret bathroom; the usual fuse box and water heater were present as well. The first floor housed a kitchen, dining room, living room, and a coat closet under the staircase. Upstairs were a series of rooms: some just bedrooms, some modest suites, all for people not native to the original family. All the tenants of those rooms had to share a single bathroom, unfortunately. Except for those onto the secret of the basement water closet. And the third story? Well, that was split into two sections. The second-story hallway had a trap door at either end. One end led up to a generous, honeycombed attic. Dusty boxes and furniture filled it, while smaller closets had more specific items secreted inside, like one that housed fishing equipment. At the other end of the house, separate from the attic, was another bedroom. The third story had originally been built in this fashion, although the second half had not always been a bedroom. The story behind that particular bedroom spans three generations.
When the twins, Phil and Mitzi were born, the attic bedroom served no particular purpose. The house was full of extended family members, but the rooms on the second floor were enough to harbor them all. Occasionally the children would decide to play up there, sometimes taking Pooter up there and watching him chase spiders and dust bunnies around the floor. But the room stayed more or less empty and unused over the years, until the house began to empty of residents and Phil inherited the house, bringing home his new wife Gertrude. In that house they raised their son Miles, who turned out to be quit an explorer. Once he was intelligent enough to figure out how to open the trap doors to the attic, it was difficult to keep him away from the dusty rooms. When Miles was about eight, he begged his parents to let him have the attic bedroom to himself. Phil and Gertie weren't sure what was so appealing about the third floor that made it so much better than the second floor, his current floor's altitude, but they complied. Phil spent his free weekends cleaning up and repairing the little room just for Miles. The boy was delighted when he could finally move in.
Not much more happened to that little room until the autumn of Miles' ninth year, when Phil asked his son what he might like for Christmas.
Only a small pause was apparent before Miles stated, "I want a skylight for my room. So I can look up at the sky and see all the clouds and the stars, whenever I want, without having to go outside!"
"Well, I don't suppose you'll see many stars with all the lights on in the city at night, but we'll see what happens?"
After that short exchange, it seemed as though Miles forgot about his great idea, since no mention was made of it again. However, Phil thought long and hard about his son's wish. Building a skylight would be an expensive project, but ever since he had opened up the house to boarders a few years earlier, renting out the long-empty rooms brought in extra money he had saved. He was a bit of a handyman himself, and he had friends with more experience in the business he knew he could call for help. So he began to make arrangements immediately.
School had just let out for winter vacation when Phil had decided to make his move. That weekend he proposed that Miles go spend a few days with some family in the country. Although that side of the family was extremely strange, the young boy truly didn't mind being around them. Above all, he loved the open spaces in the country, with all the exciting places to explore. When Phil got back from dropping off his son, he laughed to himself. "What a wily old coot I'm turning into!"
That weekend was full of work as Phil and his construction worker friends hurried to construct a skylight, despite the cold. Luckily for them, no snow fell that weekend, making their job considerably easier. The boarders complained about the noise that woke them up early in morning, but they all were fond of little Miles and lent help where they could.
The long days of work and interrupted sleep was more than rewarded when Phil brought Miles home that week. The boy was already happy with his exciting weekend in the country, and when he saw the glass panels shining brightly from the roof of his house, his eyes lit up with pure joy. He threw his arms around his father and leapt from the barely-stopped car, hurtling upstairs to see the new view from his room. His parents, the workers, and all the tenants followed, just to watch the boy in all his delight. Phil hugged his wife, glad they could bring such happiness to their son. He had always been able to fall back on a patch of grass and watch the cloud formations pass by overhead for hours on end, dreaming of traveling. He was never one for confined spaces, and now with his skylight his room would feel more open, like less of a cage, and it would nurture his free spirit.
Miles never asked for any more improvements to his room after that. He kept the rest of his furnishings simple, only hanging pictures of distant lands and foreign cities on his walls. And when he left for college, and then for travels around the world, Phil and Gertie kept his room untouched so that he might use it during the rare times he came home for short periods. Boarders came and went down on the second floor, and the third- story room became quite empty again.
Many years later, Miles came back for what he thought would be forever. He brought with him a beautiful young wife and a most adorable baby boy. The new family bought a small house not far from the old boarding house. It was just big enough for them to live comfortably, with enough room for the family to grow. The little house actually had three bedrooms. The third was kept as a guest room, but was intended to be remodeled in the future to accommodate a sister or brother to little Arnold.
However, the fateful day came when an old family friend, Eduardo, convinced Miles and his wife Stella to travel back to Central America for one last adventure. The two intended to be back soon, in a matter of months, at most, so they left Arnold in the care of Miles' parents, Phil and Gertie. When Arnold cried for his parents, the two would assure him that they'd be back soon. However, those assurances became less and less assured as time passed. The predicted months passed and were followed by more, and more. No word was heard from the young couple or Eduardo, and worry set in. Arnold asked for his parents less and less frequently as more immediate concerns came to his attention, such as why a little girl in his preschool was always so mean to him.
Finally the time came that Phil had to admit to himself that his son wasn't going to come back soon. The best thing to do was to settle in to take care of Arnold indefinitely, and the first step was to sell the little house. He moved out everything personal belonging to Miles and Stella, packing it away in the boarding house, and then sold the little house and all the furniture inside. He put away all the money, reasoning that if the couple ever came back he could give them the money to buy a new house, while in the meantime they always had a place in the boarding house. He felt guilty about the decision for months before and months after, thinking his son would be offended that he had given up hope. Unfortunately, his decision seemed more and more correct as time continued to pass and his son never came home.
One day Phil sat down with Gertie to have a serious talk concerning Arnold. "Pookie, we need to set up a proper room for the boy. Let him have his own place all to himself that he can decide to decorate as he wants. We have all that money from . the kids' house, you know. And I was thinking . would it be too . inappropriate to let Arnold have Miles' old room?"
By now Gertie had indeed become a bit crazy, but over such a serious matter, she had sobered. "I think he'd like that, dear. Let's ask him what he'd like."
A six-year-old Arnold was very excited about the idea of moving from his boring room on the second floor to the mysterious bedroom on the third floor. He had been there before to see the skylight, but for the most part his grandparents kept him away from it. And when Phil asked him what he'd like put into his room, the imaginative young boy suggested a couch.
"Well, shortman, I think a couch would be a bit big to have in your room. There won't be enough room for you to walk, with that and a bed in there!"
"Okay. Then make a small couch. That'll fold up into the wall! Then it won't take up much space 'cos it'll be in the wall!"
Phil laughed at the idea. "Well, if you say so, shortman. We'll see what your ol' grandpa can do."
Of course Phil chose to indulge his beloved young grandson. Many hours were devoted to redesigning the room, building in a wall of shelves and drawers at one end of the room, with stairs etched into the wall that would lead up to the skylight, which had panels that would open out onto the roof. A bed was built under the shelves so that Arnold could have a great view through the skylight. A desk was at the other end of the room, featuring a computer. Phil knew that Arnold would one day need the machine in such a modernized world. In the middle of the room, on the far wall, he set up a bookcase that he filled with a stereo system, knowing Arnold's love of jazz music. And the dream couch was opposite the stereo. It did indeed fold up into the wall, and Phil went so far as to make it remote- controlled. The remote was also programmed to work the stereo and the studio lights that hung just under the skylight. Again, he had friends help him set up the new-fangled electronics that went into the room, but in the end the room was wonderful. The last touch was to allow Arnold to pick out wallpaper and carpeting (which didn't exactly match, but satisfied a six-year-old's tastes quite nicely).
The construction of the room tapped into the money saved from the selling of Miles and Stella's little house, but the rest of that money was turned into Arnold's college fund. As difficult as it was for old Phil to use that money that he still hoped would one day be claimed by his son, and as torturous as it was to work on his son's old room, the happiness that Arnold displayed over his brand-new room was charming to behold. It was painfully similar to the joy on another blonde boy's face, so many years ago, but the connection was also sweet.
In a reflection of the past, Phil put his arm around Gertie's waist as they smiled down at a delighted Arnold bouncing on his new bed. He could only wonder what other memories would be established in this little room in the old house that still stood, ancient and proud, three stories above the cracked pavement.