The Home remains quiet, patiently waiting for the Terrell family to awaken.
At 5 AM, the ringing of the alarm ripples throughout the master bedroom. An open invitation to start the new day. The heater turns on. The floorboards creak. The coffee starts brewing and The Home comes back to life.
A heavy sigh escapes from Edmund as he rolls over in bed. “Just nine more minutes,” he whispers while cuddling the warm body beside him. Denis folds into the embrace and suppresses the anxiety of starting another busy day. Before the snooze alarm rings, Denis sits up in bed.
“Did you hear that?”
A muffled response from Edmund, “Hear what?”
“There was a scurry out in the hallway,” Denis said while rubbing the sleep away from her tired eyes.
“Like a mouse?”
“Shhh!”
The silence refills the room while they both listen intently.
“Never mind. It must be the fan blowing,” throwing her legs over the side of the bed, she timidly places her feet on the floor. Either in fear of a hand reaching from under the bed or from the coldness that settles into the old hardwood floors.
A yawn escapes from Edmund, “it’s also an old house, babe. It makes weird noises all the time.”
“I know, this one just sounded...weird.”
Reaching for a robe, she wraps it tightly around before heading into the bathroom and turns on the shower.
Edmund follows right behind her, “if there is an intruder, I’ll keep you safe.”
“Oh my hero,” she says sarcastically.
He smiles and pulls her into a loving embrace and a deep kiss. Denis welcomes the gesture and wraps her arms around his neck. What should have been an intimate and private moment had another spectator. Eyes peeking from every corner of the room. The bathroom mirror reflected more than the two lovers caught up in the moment.
Denis finally pulled away and slipped into the hot shower. Edmund patted her naked bum while she stepped over the bathtub rim. A little whoop escaped from her mouth.
In a steamy bathroom, Edmund walks up to the sink. The mirror is covered in condensation, and he uses a towel to wipe it clean only to see a dark shadow standing behind his shoulder. Panic rises in Edmund’s chest thinking that an intruder has indeed snuck into the house. He quickly spins around, assessing the situation and thinking of the best way to attack without alarming his wife who stood naked in the shower. But once he turned around, the figure had vanished. It’s not the first time Edmund has seen weird things in this house. Most of the time, he ignores the strange noises, shadows, and overall creepiness that looms in the house. However, there was no mistaking the dark figure that was present this morning.
Turning off the shower and opening the curtain, Denis says. “Hey babe, you doing okay? You look as if you have seen a ghost.”
He says nonchalantly, “oh yeah. Just feeling a little tired. Ready for your early morning cup of Joe?”
“Hmm yes please,” she says while drying off with a towel.
“Two cups of hot coffee, coming right up!” Edmund exits the bathroom, praying this shadowy figure was no omen.
At 6:30 AM, Edmund pecks a final kiss on his wife’s cheek and leaves for the day. At this time, she walks into Lewis’ room to awaken the slumbering teenager.
“Wake up sleepyhead,” she whispers while rubbing his back.
A moan floats up from the pillow.
“Did you sleep well, my love?” Denis asks with genuine curiosity.
Lewis flips over, looking groggy and disheveled. “Yeah, I had some nightmares but nothing new there.” He yawns. The similarity in facial expression between father and son warms this loving mother’s heart. “The usual creepy figure standing at the end of my bed.”
“Oh yes, the usual,” she says to portray the normality of this conversation. Which in fact, the discussion of nightmares is common practice. These dreams have been happening ever since he was a baby and continue to do so. She hoped that one day, he would outgrow it but the nightmares only seem to worsen with age. Shaking away the somber thought she says with an overly exaggerated tone, “well the sun is shining and it’s a brand new day! Time to rise and shine!” She kisses his forehead before exiting the room.
Lewis lingers in bed for a while longer, knowing that today — along with every other day — will be the same. Shower, breakfast, school, lunch, school, homework, drawing, and eventually bedtime. He finally crawls out of bed and walks into the bathroom he shares with Penny, his grandmother. Opening the medicine cabinet, he retrieves the yellow bottle and pops the daily pills. By the time he’s done showering, the medicine does the trick and makes him feel a little less numb than before. He’ll feel like a brand new person once he walks out the front door. The house feels oppressive. Once groomed and dressed for the day, he joins Denis in the kitchen.
“It’s a cereal for breakfast kind of morning. Looks like grandma ate the last of the toast and eggs. I’ll go grocery shopping after work today,” she says while handing over an empty bowl and spoon.
“No big deal mom, I like sugar for breakfast.”
They giggle in unison knowing full well that was not the case. Eating cereal in comfortable silence, Lewis doodles on the edge of a phone book. Yes, a phone book. This small mountain town prints one every year. With limited cell phone service and unreliable internet, this old-school town resorts back to the phone book. Denis sips on her second cup of coffee and reads a steamy romance novel. Another common practice with the morning routine. Eat-in silence but sit together at the table. Lewis might look like his father but he acts like Denis; quiet, introspective and avoids the engagement of small talk.
After placing the dirty dishes in the sink, they gather up the book bags, a thermos of coffee, and cell phones charging on the counter. Within a few moments, they are backing out of the driveway, ready to start the day.
The Home becomes silent once again. Patiently waiting for the final occupant to make her appearance known.
This is the time when the home feels most at rest. The stillness between the first alarm clock, to the moment the car leaves the driveway - this is the time to settle in for the day.
The walls breathe a side of relief as the vents blow warm air from the heater. The drapes sway slightly in response to the heater turning on. The floorboards no longer creak from the strain of the weight. But rather relax knowing their only job is to hold the ground in place. The furniture sits, stands, or stays with no effort while waiting to be used once again. And the heater continues to hum a soothing song, much like a mother lullaby’s a baby. The shunned house guest usually lurks where the sun never shines. This guest has been here from the beginning of time and remains a permanent member. It supports the infrastructure of The Home and even serves a purpose.
Bong. Bong. Bong. The old grandfather clock rings in the living room and on the tenth bong, she rises. Penny stretches her arms high above her head and yawns away the night. “Good morning my love,” she says. Placing a wrinkly old hand over the infamous wedding photo that sits on the nightstand. Melancholy fills her soul while the sun warms her weathered face. Before exiting the bed, she puts on the pink slippers and scoots to the bathroom.
“You are a spunky old gal and you still got it,” she says to the reflection in the mirror. With the daily affirmation out of the way, she secures the dentures and makes her way to the kitchen for a piping hot cup of coffee.
Settled into the breakfast nook, the mug’s heat radiating through her cupped hands, she greets the final family member. “Hello, home. So glad to see we have another day together.” And with that, she raises the mug to cheer the invisible figure in the corner. The Home pops and creaks in response.
