by Zoe Adams
Indiana knew she had her work cut out for her. She could either stand here all day wondering if the refrigerator worked, and what color it was, or she could find out. And that reassurance would only come from getting things done.
The house had a couple of bedrooms, a couple of living rooms, an outdated kitchen, and then a master suite commanded an entire jutting out wing. The whole house was just the right size. Indiana liked the largeness. She could spread out and have hobbies, guests, or family. She couldn’t wait to have parties and people here.
For once, Indiana thought about entertaining people and she finally liked the idea. Maybe it was seeing a house like this that made her want to do it, but she wanted it.
A door off the hallway opened to the garage. It was too dark to see but Indiana knew it had room for at least three cars.
Thirty minutes later she walked out the same front door that had received her. She wasn’t ready to leave yet.
She jumped up on a beam that started on the low side of the garage. She walked slowly along the low sloping roof. The view stunned her and she sat down. The world looked dramatic with the warm sun on her face and wind blowing through her clothes.
Indiana visualized the house below her. She remembered a patio along this side of the house somewhere. She stood up and slowly leaned over the edge. The patio began right below her feet. She considered jumping down to it.
“Where could that kind of spontaneity get me? I don’t have time for a hospital visit, or to get locked out on a porch.” Indiana laughed to herself.
She needed to be careful. She wasn’t used to large blocks of time where she could do whatever she wanted. Indiana would have to save her recklessness for the racetrack, and until then be as smart as possible.
She left the house with a plan. This time she drove across the great divide and timed it in a faster length, speed, and breadth. Details had already been worked out in her head, and Indiana was in a rush.
She hadn’t planned on falling in love with any sort of geographical location, but this was her healthy start. After a long look at the house her first impressions were set in stone with reassurances mixed in concrete.
Indiana found Charlotte still at home, but Walt had gone into work.
The excitement on Indiana’s face explained what Charlotte had been waiting to hear.
“So you like the house?” Charlotte asked from her ironing board.
“Yes. It’s great,” Indiana confirmed.
Indiana poured herself iced tea from the refrigerator, and walked back toward her new friend.
Indiana sat down near Charlotte.
“I want to buy the house.” Indiana took a thirst-quenching sip of tea.
“I don’t know how you can do that if you’re only seventeen.” Charlotte flipped the seam of the shirt being ironed and continued carefully. “Besides, the inside of the house is a wreck.”
Indiana considered how to overcome the obstacle between her and the house.
Charlotte took advantage of the silence. “Why don’t you just live here with us?”
Indiana relaxed at the offer. She sat back in her chair and smiled fully at the older woman.
“Thanks, Charlotte. That’s a really nice offer.” Indiana shrugged. “But I think I’ll be a better neighbor than houseguest.”
Charlotte looked up and met her eyes for a full moment before looking back down at the steaming shirt.
Indiana shrugged sheepishly. “I have been living with people my whole life. I think I’d really like the space.”
“Well, you know yourself best. If you want the house, you will need to talk to Walt.”
Charlotte finished buttoning the shirt onto a hanger before making eye contact again.
Indiana nodded. “Yes. I suppose I will drive into town. Would you like to come with me, or do you need anything?”
Charlotte smiled at the eagerness in the young girl. “No, thank you. Today is my day to do mending. You go on ahead and talk to Walt.”
Indiana finished her iced tea and stood up.
“All right.” Indiana didn’t need much convincing to go after her goals.
She rinsed out her glass and put it in the dishwasher.
“Bye, Charlotte, I am leaving,” she yelled from the kitchen.
She waited for the corresponding farewell, and shut the front door firmly.
Indiana’s black Chevelle sat waiting in the long driveway. It had taken the early morning layer of dew and now sat under a dry sprinkling of dust.
Indiana opened the door and sat down on the leather seat. She felt like her car had been waiting for a drive all day. It was waiting for a wash as well. Indiana’s thought process automatically brought her to the house made of stone that needed a cleaning.
Indiana had to return to school tomorrow. She had already skipped her first day of school. This was her last day of blowing off the professionals.
When she came back, she was willing to devote the whole time to cleaning house. The garage and racing would have to wait until her next visit back.
The drive into town didn’t last as long as Indiana remembered. She drove over the last hill, and the town was in full sight.
The old highway went right into the heart of town. The speed limit slowed to thirty-five miles per hour. It seemed much slower than that because the town was built to take up space. Its only mission was to waylay visitors.
Indiana looked around curiously. It had been just as unusual yesterday as well. All of the houses looked very well cared for. They had big yards, huge old trees, and tidy and brightly shuttered homes.
There were people out walking dogs, or driving slowly down the lane. They were all elderly people.
Indiana realized she was in a bygone era. This prominent looking town had been put on the map when people needed gas. It had turned itself into a family-friendly and touristy place to stop.
Indiana wondered about the last time this town had actually grown. Judging by the amount of old-timers, it had probably been quite some time.
She was still thinking about the town when she opened the door to Walt’s shop. Today he worked right in front of his sales counter. He looked up from sweeping the floor and smiled.
“Hey, Miss Indy.” He had made up the nickname on the spot and smiled to himself as he walked behind the counter.
Indiana looked up, startled. The name had followed her. It was used by service people or teachers after they had gotten to know her. She always introduced herself as Indiana, but some people just always caught on to calling her Indy, or even Ms. Indy.
She shook her head and realized they probably did the same thing to every young miss.
“Hi, Walt,” Indiana said loudly.
She walked across the grey and white checkerboard floor. The linoleum was cracked in some places and they had filled in with dark scratches of dirt. However old it may have been, Walt kept it shiny and mostly white.
Little things like that held Indiana’s attention and respect. She knew it was hard to make something old look new again. That was one of the things she wanted to talk to him about.
The gas station wasn’t like normal gas stations. She didn’t know where to stand. It would’ve been easier if he was behind a cash register. Indiana stood to the right and looked at him.
Walt was obviously in his comfort zone. He stood where he had been standing for fifty years. Indiana smiled at the ramrod straight man in front of her. He had begun the elderly shrink where his body was starting to condense. All of his years of knowledge and muscle had made him quick to the point in a conversation, but slow to move.
“So?” Walt raised his eyebrows expectantly. “How did you like driving my car?”
Indiana blinked once. “It was great.”
Walt looked over her shoulder toward the wide front glass of the curved front door. “Did you drive it to town?”
He looked back at her excitedly.
Indiana shook her head. “No, I drove my Chevelle. It needs to get washed. I usually d
on’t let it get this dirty.”
Walt threw his head back in an appreciative laugh. “That doesn’t surprise me. You’re an unusual young girl.”
Indiana acknowledged herself with a nod and happily turned the conversation from her car to the house.
“I really like that house on the hill.”
Walt nodded his head and set his jaw. “I bet you do.”
“I want to rent it until I turn eighteen.” Indiana had no problem charging forward with her goals. “Then I want to buy it.”
Walt’s curiosity was piqued. “How can you have enough money?”
“I have a trust fund maturing when I turn eighteen.” Indiana smiled. “Then when I graduate college, which is less than a year away, I’ll inherit the rest of my money.”
Walt dropped his head and took a deep breath. “What would you do with it?”
“I want to fix it up, and have my own personal racetrack in my back yard.”
Indiana looked at him with raised eyebrows.
Walt tilted his head in consideration. He turned and looked at the wall in well-practiced regard.
“A lot of people used to want to buy the land. But no one has offered me anything for it in years.”
Indiana followed his eyes to the framed pictures on the wall. They were from the first quarter of the nineteen hundreds. They were interesting pictures. Indiana appreciated the history of cars and speed.
Indiana took a deep breath and continued her cause. “I was just driving through town and I really liked the area. I want to keep the house and the racetrack as close to its original condition as possible. But you have to admit, it would be better if they were enjoyed by someone, and it might as well be me.”
Indiana quickly turned the conversation back to money. “How about this? My birthday is next February. I will give you ten thousand dollars right now, and in February we’ll make it official.”
Walt raised his eyebrows. “It’s not about the money. It’s about liking my new neighbors. And you’re a pushy little thing.”
Indiana laughed. “I’ve been locked in the body of a teenager my whole life. I finally have things within my reach, and they are things I want very much.”
“If you’re like this with everyone, then I don’t see very many things in your way.” Walt chuckled.
“The house is yours until February. You can do what you like with it. Just leave the outside of the structure the same. I like it blending in with the cliff behind it. It’s more camouflage.” Walt raised his eye sternly. “I would rather keep the property than give it to someone I don’t like.”
Indiana shook her head and smiled. “I don’t blame you at all.”
Indiana wrote him out a check from her private checking account.
Walt looked at the check and shook his head. “You have a PO Box listed on your check. You really are a vagabond.”
He had said it with an honest chuckle, but it still struck a deep chord inside of Indiana.
She hadn’t broke eye contact, and wasn’t used to showing signs of weakness. She smiled. “That will be changing soon. I have to go and buy cleaning supplies, drop them off at the house, then drive all night and be back in school tomorrow.” Indiana stuffed her wallet in her pocket. “I have a lot to do. Thanks, Walt. I’m sure you’ll see me next time I’m in town.”
She put out her hand to his.
Walt nodded and eyed her seriously.
“All right. I hope I’m never the one stopping you. I can’t imagine anything wanting to stop you.”
Indiana set her lower lip and clenched her jaw. Her agreement with him was silent. She couldn’t imagine anyone trying to stop her either.
Indiana had taken one huge step closer to the future. She hoped everything she wanted could be won this easily. Sober words and honest handshakes were envisioned in her future. She didn’t see very many tough battles ahead. In Indiana’s mind nothing was worse than waiting, but she would be damned if she idled her time away.
It took her a full two hours to get the supplies she needed. The hardware store was just like Walt’s store. It had a faded sign out front and lots of parking by the door.
The inside of the store was dated to another bygone era, but it still looked shiny and clean. The hardware store was full of tools and other repair commodities.
Indiana walked down aisle after aisle. She needed everything. A tape measure, a screw gun, and a ladder were just the beginning. Her biggest buy was an air compressor. She knew she would need it later for filling car tires with air, but for now it could be attached to a paint gun or pressure washer.
She bought up the store and by the time she got to the cleaning aisle she was tired of shopping. Indiana grabbed the basics and finally finished up at the sales counter.
Indiana looked at the clerk. “I don’t know how I will get all of this in my car.”
The clerk had been unobtrusively wondering the same thing, and also wondering where she would be taking these things.
“We have a delivery service.” The clerk stopped what he was ringing up and handed her a clipboard. “Just put your name and address on here.”
Indiana smiled when a worry rolled off her shoulder. “This is great. How soon can it be delivered?”
“Usually we have same day delivery, depending on where you live.” He looked curiously at the clipboard.
Indiana looked up in shock. “I don’t even know the address.”
Now that she thought about it, she didn’t even recall address numbers on the house.
“You know where the old racetrack is?” Indiana asked.
The clerk nodded, and Indiana continued, “It’s the camouflage house on the hill.”
“Oh.” The clerk nodded. “That is a rural route. We charge a little extra to deliver that far.”
“That’s okay. Is there any way I can get these things as soon as possible?”
Indiana didn’t look up from the clipboard when she asked. She finished filling out the information he needed. She was in a hurry, and now she was hungry.
“I still have to go to the grocery store. Do you think it will be delivered around four o’clock?” Indiana smiled when she handed the clipboard back.
The clerk agreed, “Yes, something like that.”
Indiana walked away from the store with a few handheld items. She put them carefully in the trunk of her car.
Only a block away sat the small town market. Indiana parked in the fourth spot from the door. She smiled to herself. Everything in this old sleepy town had been so easy so far.
The grocery store was one place where she felt restrained. She loaded up on precooked meals and easy snacks. She didn’t plan on spending a lot of time in any kitchen. Just enough time for nourishment.
When she finally returned to the house on the hill, the first thing she did was replace all the light bulbs. With the place properly lit, Indiana liked the house even more. It would need work, but Indiana could see the hidden beauty that just needed a little scrub and paint.
She finally acquired the homemaking bug and moved in a menagerie of everything a first time renter could need. She already had couches and chairs. Uncovering them would be a nice little surprise to save for later.
Indiana spent an hour receiving deliveries and placing new items. Nighttime would be coming soon, and she would have to leave for school. The house was left in disarray when she locked it up tight.
Indiana slid the house key into her pocket and had a new confidence when she drove down the hill.
Chapter 14
Indiana didn’t want to go back to school. Her heart was somewhere else. This would be her last year of college, and the hardest year yet. Not only were the classes getting harder, but her patience felt thin. She could see the light at the end of the tunnel and everything about schooling dulled.
The sun became crisper. The sky and its blue concentration beckoned her from the building. Every day Indiana stifled urges to drive away from the place. The house offered so much, and daydreaming
about it was a poor equivalency.
The one constant in her life was the extraneous load of knowledge she absorbed into her brain. No matter the season, or where the sun, moon, or stars were, Indiana focused on being a diligent student.
The closest thing highlighted in her calendar was the next break in school. Indiana tried not to let anything slow her down. There were lots of names people had given her. Being a hermit became acceptable, but being a prude tested her patience.
Indiana felt like an old lady trapped in the body of an innocent and virginal seventeen-year-old. By today’s standards, she felt beyond the time of opposite sex swooning.
She set the pace to break new records. Being the oldest virgin in the world only added burdens to carry. The state of her physicality would be changing soon. Indiana didn’t see it as a lifetime impediment.
She couldn’t imagine anyone in the past hundred years graduating college as a virgin. There weren’t many students starting college as virgins.
Indiana was way ahead of most young adults, yet way behind them at the same time. She didn’t like to think about differences and variables that could or could not be deal breakers. So she didn’t think about them.
Every day felt like a slow death as she denied herself. She would talk herself down from ripping her car out of the parking lot and speeding away from school. Instead she would sit taller in her chair until pins and needles overcame her. She would stand and determinedly walk to point B.
Indiana stifled her urges and forced humanity away. She knew the strong impulses were attributed to hormones she hadn’t acknowledged yet.
The core of her held hot moving molten lava. The fire burning inside didn’t diminish with mundane tasks.
She did everything to the best of her ability. Things were done quickly, efficiently, and most importantly, they were done brilliantly. Indiana had nothing else to do with her time but practice perfection. Her playgrounds were limited, but she still hadn’t been given reason to slouch.
As always, Indiana had taken as many classes as possible. She handed in the last final for the semester.
Her car was already loaded up with things to take to her new house. Indiana looked at her empty dorm room. She was not sad to leave behind the little room, but it was a lot different to walk out the door knowing she would be going home.