Home Is Wherever You Are

by Rose von Barnsley

  When I moved the mattress and box springs, I hit the jackpot. There was a small microwave, several lamps, a small canister vacuum, an old stereo system with speakers, and several big boxes of what looked like all kinds of small kitchen appliances, pots and pans, baking stuff, and kitchen gadgets. There was another larger bin full of dishes, utensils and glasses, and a couple of large mixed bins of other miscellaneous things for around the house. I grabbed them and quickly dragged them over by the truck, claiming them before the other guy noticed them. Addy would have fun digging through those bins.

  The other guy was busy irritating the landlord. He didn’t like the pink floral couch the landlord had brought out, either, but I sure didn’t care and helped the landlord load that into the truck, too, along with a pair of nightstands and a dresser that matched the wooden bedframe. I thought Addy might like them.

  The other guy took off annoyed, which I thought was stupid, because I mean, the stuff was free! What did he expect, anyway? Having been there, I felt kind of bad for the evicted tenants, but their misfortune was going to help a very nice lady, so I said a quick prayer for them and gave thanks for the help for Addy.

  A few minutes later, the landlord came out pulling a dolly with an older-model TV and VCR. I told him to put them right into the truck. There was a small dining set as well, which I disassembled and loaded onto the top of the cab, along with a small coffee table, a couple of matching end tables, a couple of rolled-up rugs of different sizes, and a pink recliner which matched the couch. He was very nice and helped me load everything, and then he asked if I wanted the contents of the pantry and refrigerator. I nodded enthusiastically. Free food worked, too.

  The last thing the landlord brought out was a large old-fashioned gearless green cruiser bicycle. He helped me hoist it up on top of the hood of the truck, since the truck bed and cab were loaded to overflowing.

  I literally could have kissed the man.

  Chapter 6 – Of Mice and Men

  Thankfully, I didn’t have far to drive, and after profusely thanking the landlord, I pulled out very slowly. I didn’t care if I looked like I was filming an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies, this stuff was going to help Addy, and that was all I cared about. I was thrilled with my productive curbside shopping trip, as I headed back to Addy’s house. I hoped she would be thrilled, too.

  I drove extra slowly to make sure I wouldn’t lose the load. I was almost there, when I realized how late it was. I’d missed lunch at the diner, but I figured it was worth it for all the stuff I had been able to get for Addy. However, it was getting dark. I had to unload the stuff fast and see if she needed me to pick her up from work.

  When I pulled up to her house, I got my answer.

  She came storming out of the house, absolutely furious. “Where the heck have you been? I’ve been trying to call you for hours! Do you know what an idiot I felt like, giving a homeless man my phone, truck and money, just to have you disappear on me? Do you know how freaked out I was?” she shouted at me. I could see her point, but it didn’t mean I liked the way she was making it. She looked at the truck, and her eyes popped open wide. “What the heck? Did you rob someone? Is that what took you so long?”

  “No, I didn’t rob anyone!” I huffed, offended. “This stuff was all free.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “No, really, some lady was evicted, or deported, actually. Her visa expired, and she was picked up and shipped out, leaving a whole apartment full of stuff, and so her landlord was giving it away free. He just needed it gone, so he could rent the apartment out right away. Apparently, he has a family moving in this weekend.”

  “You expect me to believe that?”

  “Yeah, I found a website at the library. It was ‘Free stuff’ or something like that. It said to pick up the stuff on the curb in front of 219 Mulberry Street.”

  “Free stuff?”

  “No, free…something or other. I don’t know, I was just going to look up how to recognize a load-bearing wall, but some guy had left the free something website window open. He was getting some free animal tanks. I hit the back button, and it went to the main list, and then the new ad for the evicted chick’s stuff popped up. I hauled butt over there as fast as I could to see what I could claim. I swear, I’m telling the truth. If you don’t believe me, I can take you to the apartment manager’s place. He helped me load everything up and tie it down.”

  “What was his name?”

  Crap, I had to remember his name. “Um...”

  “Don’t worry about it. I believe you.”

  “You do?”

  “Yup, if you were lying, you would’ve just said the first name that popped into your head, not try to remember the guy’s name.”

  Wow, she was right. “Cool, so will you help me unload this stuff and see all the awesome free stuff you got?”

  She started helping me unload and gradually got more and more excited with each new thing we took down. I told her about the idiot guy who had scoffed at the pink floral furniture. Seriously, it was free! Come on, you couldn’t be picky about it! She agreed with me. She suggested we move her old full-size bed into the front room, and I could sleep on it, while I worked on the spare room. Then once I was done with that room, she said I could move it in there and use that room. I was a little shocked by the offer, but she didn’t notice. She was too busy admiring her new matching curtains.

  I set her old bed up behind the pink floral couch, so it felt a little like a separate area. I put together the dining room table and then set the four matching chairs around it, smiling widely. I tucked the two old folding chairs at the ends and moved the tiny old folding table to the living room. Addy pulled out a pink tablecloth from one of the bags and draped it over the little table, and then I set up the TV and stereo. Addy ran an orange extension cord into the living room from the hallway, and we plugged them in to test them. Amazingly enough, they worked just fine, which made Addy smile even wider.

  There were several boxes of kitchenware, clothes, décor, video tapes, and other miscellaneous stuff that were just stacked to the side. I set the countertop microwave on the kitchen counter and plugged it in. There was no power yet, but there would be once I was done with the place. Maybe we could use the extension cord until then.

  Addy brought our dinner to the new table and sat down, smiling as she looked at the real wood. I couldn’t help but chuckle, as I saw her gently run her hand over the surface and then push on the edge, grinning widely when it didn’t wobble.

  “Those boxes have all kinds of kitchen and household stuff in them, and the big black bags have tons of women’s clothes and things in them. The clothes looked close to your size, but I don’t know if any of them will fit you for sure. There’s a bunch of shoes and purses and stuff in there you can probably use, though.”

  She reached into one of the bags of shoes, pulling out a pair of high heels and slipped them on, grinning widely when they fit her. She began pulling clothes out of another bag, grinning even wider because they were her size. She looked like a kid on Christmas morning, and it made me feel like I had done well.

  “There’s also one big box of men’s clothes, too. I think she must’ve had a boyfriend who’d stay over sometimes, because that was the only sign of a guy in the whole place.”

  “Yes, she seemed very girly, all pink.”

  “I don’t see pink, I see free and comfortable.”

  She smiled. “Thank you, Matthew, for going and getting all this stuff. Loading all of this had to have been hard work.”

  “Hey, no problem, but don’t thank me, thank the landlord who listed it and gave it out for free. He even helped me load it. He was awesome.”

  “So, will the men’s clothes fit you?”

  “They looked like it when I eyeballed them, but I didn’t stop to try anything on. I just wanted to get everything on the truck, before someone else came by and tried to take it.”

  She nodded and let out a yawn. I looked over at the clock on the stove an
d saw it was going on eleven. “I’m sorry, I’ve kept you up too late with all this moving stuff. You should’ve gone to bed by now.”

  She waved me off. “Don’t worry about it. It was worth it. I have a new big bed with lots of pillows, some cute nightstands, and an actual dresser. My room feels like a real bedroom now, not like I’m just sleeping in a vacant house. It was all totally worth the sacrificed Z’s.”

  “Alright, goodnight then, Addy.”

  “Night, Matthew, sleep tight.”

  I did the dishes and went to sleep with a full stomach, on a real bed, in a real house. When I woke up the next day, Addy was already gone. She had left me a bowl of oatmeal and her library card. I was glad she’d remembered to leave it, because I would have forgotten.

  I dug out the big box of men’s clothes to try them on. Most of the stuff was in really good condition, some of it almost like new. I was excited to find a few nearly-new dress shirts, a handful of ties that weren’t too crazy, and a few pairs of nice slacks. It looked like the boyfriend had good taste in clothes. There were a number of pairs of jeans, plain t-shirts and casual polo-style shirts. In the bottom of the box, there were a bunch of pairs of socks, underwear and undershirts that would come in really handy, too. There was even a brand new pack of men’s boxer brief underwear with funny prints on them that had never been opened. Apparently, her guy didn’t like those. I didn’t mind them, though. They were free, clean underwear without holes, which was more than I could say about my only two pair.

  All of the shirts fit, but the jeans and slacks were a tiny bit loose around the waist. With a few more regular meals, that wouldn’t be a problem. I just tightened my belt a notch, so they would work for me. There were four pairs of shoes, and they all fit, plus a hoodie, a sweater, some pajamas, and a blazer.

  I picked the sneakers, which looked fairly new, a pair of dark-wash jeans, and a dark red long-sleeved Henley shirt. I shaved and took a quick shower, before dressing. I put on the black hoodie and headed to the library.

  Mary saw me and flagged me down with a huge smile. She pulled out a stack of books from under the counter and set them on top. “Hey, Matthew, these are all the books you left by the computer when you rushed out yesterday. Will you be needing them?”

  “Yes, please. Can I check them out now and still use the computer?”

  “Yes, of course,” she said, taking Addy’s card from me.

  I printed out what I needed and then headed back to the house. I changed back into my old clothes, before I got to work. By the time Addy came home, I had all the old sheetrock in the spare room pulled down, broken up and stacked, the old rock wool insulation removed and bagged, and I was just finishing up pulling out the damaged wood. “When is trash day?” I asked.

  “Monday and Thursday.”

  “Good, I have a day to get this stuff out of here then,” I said, brushing some of the dust off of me.

  “You should hop in the shower before dinner. You don’t want to be eating that stuff,” she said, pointing to the pile of debris. She was right, so I shook my head, knocking free some of the dust, and grabbed a pair of sleep pants from the box I had spotted earlier. I remembered a towel this time, too.

  As I showered, I thought of how nice it was to be doing something useful for such a nice person. Addy was sweet and kind, and I was going to hate leaving her when the time came, but I couldn’t mooch off of her forever. She was working double shifts to make ends meet, and I could tell by how she lived so conservatively that she was just barely making it as it was. She didn’t need me hanging around her neck, adding to the strain on her already-tentative finances.

  I was wearing just the pajama pants and drying my hair, when I stepped out into the hallway. After just a few days of regular meals, heavy lifting and working around Addy’s house, I had noticed that my body was quickly returning to its once-defined appearance, and when Addy took in my form, I noticed her staring at my bare chest. I guess it was obvious to her, too, from the look on her face. I rubbed the towel slowly across it a little self-consciously under her gaze. Her eyes snapped up to meet mine, and her cheeks pinked.

  “Towel,” she finally mumbled, and I handed it to her. She stuck it into the washer right away.

  I started down the hall, but stopped at the end and looked back to see her resting her head against the dryer. Her shoulders were shaking slightly, and she looked like she had the weight of the world on them. I stood silently, unbeknownst to her, and listened to her quiet rant.

  “He doesn’t like you like that, you idiot, so just stop drooling. You’re just embarrassing yourself, you stupid mouse.” She took a deep breath and stepped back, and then I saw her reach up and wipe a tear from her cheek. I didn’t like that. I didn’t like that she was so upset at herself for looking at me. Before I registered what I was doing, I was standing in front of her, wiping tears from her other cheek. “Please don’t cry.”

  She looked up at me surprised, and then more tears started to fall. I didn’t know what I’d done, but I pulled her to my chest and held her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” I apologized. My father had taught me at a young age that no matter what, if the woman was crying, it was your fault, and you’d better apologize, but that didn’t seem to help in this matter.

  I scooped her up and carried her to the couch, afraid if we stood there any longer, she would become hysterical. I wasn’t used to dealing with crying women. Hell, I wasn’t used to dealing with women period. I sat her on my lap, holding her in my arms. I knew I was being bold with my actions, but she didn’t seem to mind.

  “Matthew,” she said so softly I almost missed it. She sniffled and settled down. “I’m sorry if I freaked you out.”

  I smiled and brushed her hair back from her face. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. Can you tell me why you’re upset?” I asked. She blushed the cutest pink and shook her head no. I suspected she liked me from what I had overheard, but I didn’t want to mistake it. “Addy, did you call yourself a mouse?”

  Her sad eyes looked up at me and watered a little. I knew then it was a derogatory term for herself.

  “You know, Addy, I’ve seen a lot of mice in my day, some cute and some not, but if I were comparing you to a mouse, which by the way pales in comparison to you, I’d go with the adorable little brown field mouse. I swear I had half a mind to invite them to curl up in my bedroll, with their soft shiny brown hair,” I said, running my fingers through hers, “and their cute little pink ears,” I said, tracing up her cheek to her ears, “and their beautiful deep brown eyes that you could just fall into,” I said, looking at her eyes, but then I noticed she was looking at my lips. That was all it took for me to cross the line. I kissed her.

  Chapter 7 – Bananas for You

  I kissed her.

  She was still and stiff for a moment. I realized she was in shock, and I decided I’d better get the hell out of there, before she came to her senses and whipped out her pepper spray.

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…I swear, I thought you...” I couldn’t complete a thought, as I scrambled to my pack.

  I heard her say my name, but I was worried what she might say. She called to me two more times, as I continued to babble my apologies for offending her, and that I would get out of her way.

  “MATTHEW!” she snapped, and then I felt a mass hit me, knocking me down onto the full-sized bed. It took me a moment to realize she was on top of me.

  I looked up at her, shocked as she moved up my body. “Stop freaking out,” she whispered, and then her lips found mine. I lay there stunned, and then I quickly wrapped my arms around her, kissing her back. After a moment, she pulled away, climbing off the bed. “Dinner is ready so, you know, let’s eat.”

  I stayed sitting on the bed, trying to figure out what had just happened. I was pretty sure she had just kissed me and told me to come eat dinner. Addy had just kissed me. I smiled a little to myself, not sure what it meant, but I think I liked where it was headed.

  Whe
n I found my seat, she started talking about the work I had been doing on the house. Her phone rang, and she hopped up, answering it quickly. My body froze, when I heard her say, “Hi, Daddy.”

  I listened to her promise her dad she was safe and conceded to let him send her some more pepper spray. She swore she had an honest contractor who was doing great work that even she could afford. She winked at me, and I smiled in return. After a few more minutes, she finally hung up and slid the phone over to me.

  “When was the last time you spoke with your parents?” I didn’t answer. She pushed the phone forward. “Call them now. I’m waiting,” she said watching me.

  I let out a sigh of defeat and grabbed the phone. My dad picked up on the first ring. “Hey, Dad,” I said, trying to sound happy and content.

  “Matthew, my boy, where’ve you been? Momma sent you a package, but it got mailed back, saying return to sender, forwarding address is unknown.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that, Dad, I moved.”

  “Well, give me the new address. Wait, hold on, just let me get a pen.”

  “No, Dad, don’t get up, just don’t move, okay? I’ll be sure to call mom and get it to her.”

  “Nonsense. Besides, your mom will be home any minute.”

  “Well, just wait until she gets home, and I’ll give it to you then, Dad. There’s no reason to get up. Just take it easy.”

  “Right, boy, how are you doing?”

  “I’m doing good.”

  “You still working at that processing center?”

  “No, Dad, I changed jobs. I’m doing something different.”

  “Do you have time for school? You know I don’t think you should’ve stopped going.”

  “I know, Dad. I promise, as soon as I get the chance, I’ll get back into school. So, how’s Mom doing?”

  “She’s doing alright. She got herself an evening job at the library to help with things. She’s missing you something fierce, boy. When are you coming home?”