Sunday, February 22, 2009

My House.

Thanks bobasonic!


Lindsay hung up the phone. She knew Deborah wouldn't come. It was almost 10 years since their mother died and Deborah made it known that their mother was the last thing connecting her to the family, so why would she show her face now. It was just as well, it was a courtesy call anyway. Lindsay's dad died one week ago.

Lindsay felt smug. She deserved this. After years of sharing a home with her father, taking care of him when he was sick and taking him to the grocery store when he lost his license and taking his condescending treatment when he had another regretful revelation about this past, she deserved this; it was all hers.

"Did you call the family," Nathan asked as he handed Lindsay a cup of tea and started rubbing her back.
"Yes. I just got off the phone with Deb."
"And no one's coming?"
"No."
"You're absolutely sure no one's coming," Nathan said with a slight edge in his voice.
"Absolutely," Lindsay answered coolly. She felt Nathan stroked the top of her head and it was as if a sudden calm enveloped her. Lindsay sat sipping her tea and rocking in her chair. It would finally be just the two of them in the house and they could start a life of their own, together. It was what she deserved, but she still had to make one more call.

"Mr. Yamamoto. Lindsay Saver's on line one for you."
"Ms. Saver. So nice to hear from you. I trust everything went smoothly since your father's passing?"
"Yes. Mr. Yamamoto. How are you. Well, no, everything is fine. I just want to double check one last time to make sure everything is secure and Nathan and I don't have to worry about any vultures coming to take what we've worked for," Lindsay could hear her voice rising and her blood boiling. But she quickly gain control and took a deep breathe and softened her tone. "I don't mean anything by that, Mr.Yamamoto, it's just, well, it's ours right?"
"Ah. Ms. Saver. I see this happen all the time and I assure you that what I've done for you is, how should I put it, it's ah, lawyer proof. That is to say, the fact that your father's will says he wanted to leave the house to his five living children means nothing, you and Nathan own the house out right. I mean you bought the property over a year ago so it's not your father's house anymore, he has nothing to leave to anyone" Mr. Yamamoto explained. "And as I told you before, since the title of the house is in Nathan's name, there is no way your siblings can make a claim to it, hence it is lawyer proof. No attorney can take that house away from you."
"Right. I know, we've discussed this before," Lindsay said, "It's just, since Dad's passing, I've been feeling a little uneasy and I just wanted to hear it from you one more time." Lindsay let out a long deep sigh.
"Ms. Saver? Are you alright? You sound a littl-"
"I'm fine. Thank you for your time. Mr. Yamamoto," Lindsay interrupted and hung up. She didn't need to be psychoanalyzed, she got her answer and that was all she needed. Lindsay continued to breath deeply as she sipped her tea and took a stroll around her house. My house, she thought.

"My house," Lindsay said for the first time out loud since her father passed. It had a nice ring to it: My house. It was a modest house. Three bedrooms, two baths, one story. Lindsay was always fond of the big yard and she knew it was only a matter of time before Nathan gave her children to play with, to spoil, to mother. Although Lindsay grew up in that house and previously thought of it as her house, it was never like this, now it was different. Her parent's didn't live there anymore, her brother's and sister's didn't live there anymore; it was all hers and now she was confident that none of her siblings could take it away from her. In a couple of days, she would call them back and this time tell them that their father had died in his sleep peacefully and she would be taking care of all the arrangements. It was a gamble, because one of her brothers or sisters might actually go to the hospital, but she doubted it. Things fell apart after their mother died and their father was always the grumpy old man who complained when he couldn't hear the TV that was already on full volume or scolded them for some past wrong doing that he had to get off his chest. Lindsay was the only one who stuck around. She even moved in to take care of him. Lindsay walked down the hall way with her arms extended to the sides and brushed her fingertips along the newly painted walls. Lindsay felt smug. She deserved this, after all she was the one that sacrificed her happiness and gave up her own life to take care of him. Yes, she definitely earned it and now she could finally start living again.

0 comments:

Post a Comment