“That’s a cheerful thought.”
“It is what it is, and there’s nothing to be done about it.” She glanced back down the hallway. “If there’s anything you want for yourself, feel free to take it. Just note it on the inventory sheet.”
“Me? I can take what I want?”
“Of course—you’re family. Who better to take family items than my own grandson? Keep your sister in mind too, and take anything you think she might like. I doubt I’ll ever meet her. Not if that father of yours has anything to say about it.”
Joe turned his attention back to the paperwork. “So I start off by taking inventory. Once I’ve done that, then what?”
“The inventory is for me. I’ll go over the list and help you decide what to do with everything. The junk will get donated or tossed. I ordered a dumpster to be delivered as well. They’ll park it on the driveway, and it will stay as long as you need it. Goodwill will get some of the household items, and the furniture and valuables that you don’t want will be sold at Kathleen’s shop.”
“This Kathleen, you trust her?”
“I don’t know her very well,” Pearl said with a shrug. “She’s a young woman, looks to be about your age. She inherited the shop from her great-aunt, Edna, who was a decent woman, known for being honest in her business dealings. A bit too tenderhearted, but she couldn’t help that, I guess. And if you think I’m old, you should have seen Edna Clark. She wasn’t much older than me, but she looked ancient! Even her wrinkles had wrinkles.” Pearl tapped on the table with her fingertips and grinned. “Kathleen stepped up to the plate when Edna was at the end. I understand she came right away, driving up from Ohio when she heard she was ill, then helped her when she was in the hospital and kept the shop running. And this was before she knew she’d be inheriting the whole kit and caboodle. So I would guess she’s not too bad.”
Joe gathered up the papers and tucked them back into the folder. “I think I understand what I need to do.”
“So you’re taking the job?”
“Yes.”
“Very good.” She took another sip of her coffee. “Let me show you the rest of the property while I still have energy. I’m pretty good in the morning, but as the day goes on, I lose steam.”
Joe walked ahead, pausing for her to catch up and holding the outside door open for her. When she headed for the stairs, he went to hold her elbow, but she waved him away. “I’ll let you know if I need help.” Pearl had never been opposed to accepting a gentleman’s gallant offer, but at this stage in her life, having someone help her do something as simple as descend the porch steps made her feel old. Not as old as some of the people who lived at Pine Ridge Hollow. Those folks had one foot in the grave, their eyes cloudy and teeth barely holding on. She wasn’t there yet.
It took a while, but she and Joe made the rounds of the property. She showed him two sheds and a chicken coop. “The chicken coop is only a shell of its former self,” she said, giving the structure a push with her walker. “You can tear it down. Use the tools in the barn. If you can’t find the right tools, go into town and buy what you need at the hardware store. Give them my name, and they can bill me.”
She’d saved the barn for last, swinging the door open and standing in the doorway. Old bales of hay lined one wall. Dust motes swirled on a shaft of light. She inhaled something that tickled her throat, and she coughed loudly and then again. She gripped the handles of her walker and leaned to one side, hacking and wheezing, her whole body trying to expel the irritant. Finally, she spat out a wad of grayish saliva and cleared her throat. When she looked up at Joe, she expected disgust, but instead his face showed concern.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded, swallowing hard. “I could use a sip of water.”
“Just a minute. I’ll get some.” He jogged off in the direction of the house.
By the time he’d returned holding a tall glass filled to the top with water, she was better but still grateful for the drink. Funny how a simple gesture made such a difference. She gulped it down. “Thank you.”
“Maybe you should go back inside and sit down?” he said kindly. Pearl saw that Joe had a compassion that had been missing in his father. Was it because his mother died and he knew what it was like to have loss, or was this something a person was born with? She had a feeling people were born with it, and she knew herself well enough to know she’d never had it. Only recently had she started to realize all the damage she’d done in thinking only of herself.
“Not until you see the best part,” she said. “The lake.” She set the glass down on a bale of hay next to the barn door, then continued to the back of the property, with Joe trailing behind. The path down to the lake had never been paved, but a century of feet pounding its course had turned the dirt hard as asphalt. She was able to go about halfway, then stopped at the top of the incline. They could see the lake through the trees ahead; sunlight danced on the surface of the water. “The rest of this is rough sledding for an old lady like me. I’ll wait here while you go take a look.”
He hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, and then you can report back and tell me what you see. Let me know what shape the dock is in.” From a distance it looked fine, but she knew that up close it could be another story.
He nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
As she watched him head toward the path, Pearl thought about the reliability of the lake. All of life was change, ongoing, never ceasing. Babies were born and grew up, seemingly overnight. And then, in the blink of an eye, those babies were married grown-ups announcing that they were expecting babies of their own. No one had warned her how fast it all would go.
The landscape, too, changed. Trees grew taller, saplings thickening and growing until they canopied overhead. Houses were built and over time fell into disrepair. Some were torn down and new ones built in their stead. Others took on additions or remodels, changing the look of the original house. Roads were widened and traffic lights updated. It was hard to keep track of it all.
Stores were the same for decades and then overnight became different kinds of stores. Tomlinson’s Groceries was bought out by a national chain. Frederick’s Pharmacy lost its soda fountain counter and candy display to focus solely on pharmaceuticals, snacks, and health-related items. She’d gotten her walker there, and Howard had gotten more than one cane. He had a tendency to misplace them. It was a shame to watch the world transform before one’s eyes, powerless to stop it.
The lake, though, was timeless, looking almost exactly the way it had when she was a child. A spot of consistent tranquility in the midst of a fast-forward world.
She whispered, “The world is for the young.” Pearl wasn’t quite sure if she’d heard that expression somewhere or come up with it on her own, but she did know the truth of it. She was young once, with all sorts of wonderful possibilities ahead of her. Now the only thing she had left was this young man, her grandson. If she was going to make things right, it would fall to him. And it would have to happen soon, or it wouldn’t be happening at all. So much depended on it.
CHAPTER TWELVE