Martin and Shelia raised me, they were the best parents I could have ever hoped to have. I grew up in Burlington, Vermont a decent sized mini city only about an hour from the Canadian border. When I was 24, I was in college getting my B.A. in political science when my parents died in a 32 car pile up on the highway. It was the worst year of my life, I had to plan their funerals, box up all their stuff and sell it, deal with their house, and find out that I was adopted. Martin and Shelia had adopted me when I was 4 months old, closed paperwork so I couldn't even find out who my real parents were and why they had decided not to keep me. If it hadn't have been for these events, I probably would never had met Thomas Sicelle, the boy who changed my life.
I did everything in my power to discover the truth; I dropped out of college and investigated my heart out to find out what had happened and why. There was nothing about my mother, it was as if she didn't exist. I got so desperate I went on an ancestry site, but that was my lucky break. I found a close relative, it was my supposed Aunt, her name was Delilah. I sent her letter, called every number possible, I even debated showing up on her door, but after trying so hard for two years, I was exhausted and defeated. I tried to let it all go and forget about the biological parents who had thrown me out, but I couldn't stifle the desire for answers always bubbling within me.
It wasn't until 1993, when I turned 28 that I caught my second break, the aunt I had found had died sudden of a stroke at the age of 52 and her lawyer called me to say she had left me her farm in her will. I was working at city hall when I got the call, and told them I had to leave, it was family emergency and booked a flight that left later that day.
Delilah lived in Baxter, Tennessee a small town of a little over a thousand people; being from Vermont I saw tons of tiny towns nestle in the crook of the rocky state but they all had antique charm and a rich history whereas Baxter just looked forgotten. Delilah's farm was a little out of town, so I drove my rental car up there to meet her lawyer Gary so her could show me the property. I followed the GPS and it lead me down a paved road and on the left I saw where I was headed. A small pale yellow house with all the paint practically chipped away, it had white shutters and gray shingles. I pulled into the gravel driveway and started the incline towards the small house, the front of the lawn was littered with garden gnomes, windmills, and scraps of junk.
The connection I felt to this place was instant, I stepped out of the car and it was almost like I was being dragged closer. Gary was a nice man, with white hair and large mustache, he was short and stout with a thick southern accent. He sized me up when he saw, I knew I was definitely perplexing; I was wearing a long orange cotton dress with buttons down the front and black doc martens, not his typically everyday family member I was guessing. Gary was nice enough though, he showed me around the back there was a storm cellar, a chicken coop, a pen with a few goats, and a stable/barn that homed two horses. Inside the house, there was a small corner kitchen, an living room and hallway that lead to two bedrooms and a bathroom.
The house had charm, it was definitely dated and faded, wallpaper and flooring needed an update, but I loved it all. Gary sat me down at the round kitchen table and took a long deep breath.
"Miss Wellton," Gary clasped his thick short finger together. "I knew Del for a long time, since we was kids, ya see? I know her boys too, your cousins Bryce and Kurtis, known 'em there whole lives. Del was good woman, kept mostly quiet, but I have to say," he raised his eyebrows at me. "The day she came to me and named you here beneficiary was amazing as all to me. I never even knew she had a sister, let alone a niece."
"Yes," I tried to keep it all vague. "It was hard for us to stay in touch."
"Well, she left it all to you, the house, the land, the animals. Now, she still owes money on this place and I know Bryce and Kurtis were looking to keep it if you're interested in selling it."
"Well, does it matter what they want of she left it to me?," I asked the question genuinely.
Gary looked down briefly," No, ma'am it does not. But these boys, they just lost their mother and grief can be the devil's advocate. Now, if I remember correctly, you live up in Vermont?"
"Yes, sir," I nodded.
"I've never been," he smiled. "But I doubt it looks much like Baxter."
"You'd be right."
"A young woman like yourself, busy city life, I doubt you have much reason for 4 acres of land out here in Tennessee."
I had thought about this, the whole way here. I had no clue what I wanted to do, keep or sell, move in or leave forever. I thought Delilah had hated me and I couldn't fathom a reason why she would have left me this huge piece of her life.
"Now the house is in decent shape, maybe needs a new water heater and a back up generator... fresh coat of paint outside wouldn't hurt if you were looking to sell."
"I'm not," I replied quickly.
Gary raised his eyebrows," You want this place?," confused sat on his face and he glanced around the small kitchen.
"I can't explain it," I placed my hands on the top of the table, the smooth wood had several nicks and divets from wear and tear. "There something about this place, I can't let it go."
"So you want to live here? In Baxter?"
I kept my eyes on the able, scanning each mark. What do I have at home? A steady job, a few good friends, some bad memories. This could be a great new start, maybe I could find some answers in this house. There was a city Hall when I drove in, maybe I could get a job there? I could use the rest of the settlement money and pay this place off and fix it up! My imagination was starting to peak.
"Yes," I told him.
Gary was silent for a moment, I couldn't see his face, I was still gazing at this table. He cleared his throat," Well, maybe we should wait until after the funeral. I called up Kurtis and Bryce, figured you'd want to meet them. What I mean is when I told them about their mother passing and the house was left to you, her labeled niece, they told me they had never hear of you," he asked it like a question
I ran my fingers over the edge and let my hands fall back into my lap," I'd love to meet them," I avoided the answer.
"Let me go call them up," he stood up with a grunt and left out the front door.
I stood up and marveled at the space in front of me, my own house. When my parents had died, it was nothing like this, it had been sad, heart breaking to step foot in the house I had grown up. It felt like murder to have to give it back to the bank and sell it to the highest bidder. This was different, this was almost like a dream, I walked inot the living room, there was a small loveseat and two recliners facing a TV sitting on stand that was at one point a coffee table. I could tell Delilah was not one for decorating, the white wallpaper had green vines running alone the tops and there were a few scattered pictures on the walls. I approached them slowly, there were two boys, approximately 17 or 18 in varsity jackets staring back at me with serious expressions.
The front door opened and Gary came back in," Bryce said he can come up, he'll call Kurtis and see if he's available."
"Great," I acknowledge him but moves my attention to the next pictures; these were single shots, one for each of the boys. They must have been senior photos, one was leaning against an old building with arms crossed and the other was looking out past a wooden fence.
"This one's Kurtis," Gary pointed to the boy leaning on the building. "And Bryce, he's the older," his finger moved to the boy staring at the field. "They're older now, I figure she'd have...," Gary's voice trailed off as he turned to look through the room. "Here's one," he wandered into the kitchen and took a card off the fridge. He handed it to me and there was a family in Christmas sweaters, the man in the photo was Kurtis, his square face and bushy eyebrows were almost identical to his younger years. Next to him was a petite blonde women and then three kids stood in front of them, two girls and a boy.
"Wow," I looked over the picture again.
"That's Savannah," Gary pointed to the woman. "Kurtis and her have been together for longer than I can even say, since high school at least. I think the boy's name is Jordan, and the girls are...," Gary thought for a moment. "Hailey and Carleen," then Gary chuckled. "I guess I never asked if you had any kids, Miss Wellton."
I shook my head and handed the photo back to him," No, no kids."
"Married?," he took the photo back to the fridge.
"Nope."
"Boyfriend?"
I chuckled," No." Not anymore.
"Well, slim picking down here, most folks marry the good ones early," he laughed to himself. "My wife would tell you that's a lie and she settled for me," he told me as his phone range. "Excuse me," he took the call outside.
I wonder what they're like?, I thought as I turned back to the photos of the boys when they were younger. Maybe when I move here, we can be close? Family BBQ? Christmases?
"Kurtis and Bryce are both on their way," Gary announced as he returned.
"I'm excited to meet them," I admitted.
"The boys can be a little rough, I'll admit," Gary forewarned me. "But they're good, Del raised them right. Bryce also has a boy, maybe 10 or 11, lives up in Nashville with his mom. Let me see if there's picture here somewhere," Gary looked around while we waited.
We waited until I heard the engine of car and the movement of the gravel outside, Gary stood up from the kitchen table and went out to greet them and I followed. Two men were approaching the house from a red pickup parked beside my black rental.
"Bryce, Kurtis," Gary shook their hands, Kurtis offered a small smile, but Bryce kept his head low. "This Caroline Wellton, your cousin," Gary introduced me. I shook there hands, but Kurtis offered me no smile. Bryce looked similar to his younger self, his almost triangle like face was even sharper now that he had grown up and his bright blonde hair was still here and still covering his eyes.
"Nice to meet you," I smiled, then stopped. "And I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," Bryce nodded.
Kurtis looked me up and down, like I had thought earlier, I knew I definitely stood out down here.
"So you're the long lost cousin," Kurtis stated while giving me a look over.
"That's me," I brushed the golden curl out of my face that had been misplaced by the wind.
"Of the sibling my mama never had?," Kurtis' tone was serious and accusing.
"Well... I, I was kind of hoping you would know more about that then me."
"Why don't we head inside," Gary ushered us to the door.
Once we were inside, Gary brought out a kitchen chair and sat down, the boys took both recliners and I parked on the far end of the love seat towards the window. Silence didn't even set in as Kurtis leaned forward and started.
"Our mama doesn't have any sibling, she's an only child, so there's no way you could be our cousin. Not unless you were just close with her so she thought of you like a niece maybe? Otherwise there is no way."
I shook my head," No. I don't know what to tell you, I never met your mom or my own mom. I was adopted and when I was young and then I tried to look for my family, I found your mom. I reached out to her but she never replied."
"She would have told us if she had a sister," Kurtis shook his head.
"You're not one of them scammers, are ya? Pray on old people and make them give you stuff?," Bryce asked me.
"No, of course not," I told them. "Look, I'm just as shocked as you that she left this place to me. I thought I would never hear from her, I tried for 2 years!"
"The reason she never got back to you was the fact you had the wrong person. She didn't have a sister or a brother. It just doesn't make sense, Gary," Kurtis leaned back in the chair.
Gary puffed his cheeks out," Del never mentioned any sibling to me, but it could be possible."
"No, Gary, it couldn't. Mama would have told us. How long she lived here? Someone would know something."
"Let me think... Del moved here young, lived with her grandparents. She's a few years younger than me, and she came when I was in high school."
"That whole time she never mentioned have a sister or brother?," I asked.
"Not to me" he shook his head.
"It's just not making any sense," Kurtis shook his head.
"Even if you are not her legal niece, Miss Wellton, she was of sound mind wen she came to me and the farm is yours."
Kurtis and Bryce both turned to me and I took a deep breath," I want to keep it," I told them.
"Keep it?," Kurtis didn't believe me.
"I do," I nodded. "This place is special, I can feel it."
Kurtis turned to Gary in disbelief who responded with a shrug of the shoulders, then he looked back to me," What's a girl like you going to do with a place like this? Do you even know how to take care of animals?"
My breath caught, No I did not.
"I'd love to learn," I told them. "I think this place would be amazing and I'm so grateful for it."
Bryce sat there quietly his hand gasped over his knees as he absorbed all I was saying, Kurtis shook his head like I was biggest moron he'd ever seen. Kurtis tried to recollect himself but it didn't work, I could see all of this was upsetting.
"This house has been our family for years, our great-great-grandparents lived here, it's like a heirloom!"
"It's very beautiful," I looked around the room.
"That's not the point," Kurtis told me. "Me and Bryce grew up here, we wanted to keep it, fix it up. Bryce was always gonna take the house and have it, not some random girl."
I looked to Bryce but he sat there motionless.
"I really don't want to make anyone upset," I told them.
Kurtis rubbed his hands on his legs and stood up," Well, I think we might be past that point," he paced for a second. "Do you really think our mama was your long lost aunt? It makes no sense!"
"Calm down, Kurt," Bryce told him dismissively. Then Bryce leaned forward in his chair," Would you be willing to maybe take DNA test or something, just as some extra proof for us?"
"Absolutely!," I agreed. "I want confirmation just as much as you do."
"Thank you," Bryce thanked me. "I'm guessing you'll be coming to the funeral tomorrow?"
"Only if you're both okay with that," I looked between them.
Kurtis rubbed his neck," Sure fine."
"I can call the Diagnostic Center in Nashville, see what we need to do for that DNA," Gary excused himself.
Bryce slapped his knees and stood up beside his now still brother," We have some stuff we go to do for tomorrow. Service is at 11," he gave me a small nod and then left the house, Kurtis following him without a word.
Maybe not the family BBQ and Christmas type of guys, I thought to myself.
I explored the house more, found Delilah's room, not like it was hidden well within the walls of the small home. Her room was a light salmon color, the floral pattern weaved throughout her wallpaper and nearly matched the tangled bedspread sprawled on halfway onto her bed. Her white vanity was littered with beer bottles and whiskey, she had only passed two days ago so I could understand why everything was so well preserved from her last day here. Across the hall was the second bedroom with a full sized bed and dark navy quilt on top. This room had light green wallpaper and two dressers shoved along the back wall, it was obviously her spare bedroom and where I chose to sleep.
The next day was the funeral, I pulled out my long sleeve maxi dress that was all black except for some white embroidery on the collar. I pinned my hair back into a low bun and was thankful that Gary had offered to drive me to the church. I made the executive decision to lay in the background, just go and sit quietly to let everyone who truly knew her to grieve. By the time we arrived, the Church was at capacity, Gary told me the whole town practically came out just out of respect to her and the fact she had lived here most of her life. I stood against the back wall and listened as Bryce went up and said such kind things about his mother. I never once approached the casket, but this was the first time I had seen Delilah's face, it was on a large poster to the right of her casket. It was photo from her younger years, she had dark curly hair and was sitting in a fitted white dress and facing the camera. She had a beautiful smile. I went to the graveside and watched them lower her into the ground, Kurtis' wife: Savannah, was sobbing uncontrollably. If they had really been an item since high school, I bet Savannah and her were pretty close. There was mention of a potluck back at the church following the service, but I had felt the stares of the townspeople and heard some soft whispers and chose to go home, Gary obliged.
"Thank you for taking me," I told him as we pulled back into the gravel driveway.
"My pleasure," he grinned.
I turned to him as he put the car in park. "Gary, I want to sign those papers."
Gary didn't turn to look at me, he just looked out to the yard of my supposed dead aunt's house. "I know," he said quietly. He waited another moment," I can bring them by another day, let you figure out the banking and all that."
"That sounds great," I couldn't stop the smile as it widened on my lips.
"Sure thing," he smiled in response, but his eyes were sad. "I can bring them by on Tuesday, you'll be here?"
"All day," I grinned. "Thank you," I told him again as I exited the car.
