My mom just called me. They sold their old house. I didn't know what to say so I just asked if they would take some pictures when they're out there collecting all the stuff they want.
My dad was driving my brother and I down a gravel road. I was 12 or 13. I used to live there he said. He pointed to an old worn down house. The house was abandoned. It looked like it was about ready to fall over. I wondered how anyone could live there. He looked kind of sad.
I lived with my parents until I was 18. I spent almost every day of my life in the same house. It was a farm house. My brother and I used to build tree houses and take bike rides down the gravel road. It was more than a house. It was a home. My brother and I used to climb in the old cupboard and hide. We jumped up and down on the back hallway even after dad said it could cave in. We planted a tree in the front yard. When I left it was still a small tree and now it's taller than the house. I hit the clothes line with a stick and a bunch of bees flew out and stung my brother and I. We had a four wheeler and we ran it into the fence. My dad made a pitcher's mound and I used to throw to him hours on end. I remember throwing my brother into the wall and it making the impression of his head in the drywall. I was diagnosed with cancer and remember lying in my bed and worrying. I wonder if my porno magazines are still hidden in the basement...
At thanksgiving my mom's parents shed some light on my dad's story 20 years later. My dad lived there with his mom, brother, and sisters. His mom thought the house was haunted. My grandma on my dad's side is a little paranoid and believes in that stuff. The previous owner of the house went to war. He was pushed off a ship and died at sea. My dad's mom saw the sailor at the house. He was talking to her when she was in the bathroom. The moved out after a short time after that. My dad never told me about my grandma's visions.
I really liked living in my old house. Is it wrong wanting to say goodbye to a house? At the end of the month a different family will be living there. The sale seems like a funeral. I haven't been back to see the house in a long time, but every time I do it feels really good. All the memories of my childhood come rushing back to me. My daughter will be riding with me one day and I'll say "look at that house Marissa. I used to live there" I think we should break in. I'm putting her up in that cupboard and taking a picture. The current owners may have bought the house, but it will always be my home.
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