Going by the directions we had gotten, Edythe turned down a slightly overgrown dirt road just outside of town. We followed it for about a quarter of a mile before the road opened up to a clearing that was about 2 acres worth of land, surrounded by forested area. It was a long, spread-out, single-story home with a high-pitched roof. The house itself was painted brown, but you could tell that it was time for another coat.
Edythe pulled up to the garage door and turned the engine off. I got out and waited for her to come around the car, reaching my hand out for hers. I wanted to walk around the outside of the property before going inside. We walked over to look at an old tire swing hanging from a nearby tree, and I made out what looked like an old treehouse that was falling apart. A sign stuck into the ground at the bottom was faded, but I could make out the words 'NO BOYS'.
We found the water well and the septic system on the side of the house, well-marked so there would be no accidents by running the area over with heavy vehicles. Edythe had to explain the septic system to me, as I was a purebred city boy who thought the sewer lines ran everywhere. Walking around the barn, we noted where a nest of bats was starting to make a mess and would have to be dealt with. Again, Edythe explained how to make homes for them instead of just exterminating them like most people did. A little male cat urine around the barn would convince the bats to find a new home.
Opening the barn was kinda cool. There was no reason to do it, but I wanted both doors wide open as we looked inside it. Not that I was afraid of anything, I just always wanted to open a barn that way. The movies made it look much cooler than it really was. The door hinges were old, so they sagged a bit, making the bottom of the doors drag on the ground. As we walked in and looked around, we saw a bunch of random shelves filled with odds and ends. Everything was coated in a layer of dust that was thick enough to graduate from dust to dirt. At the back of the barn, we saw what looked to be two covered tables or something.
When we made our way to them, Edythe was having trouble containing her excitement. "Those look like barn find cars, Thomas. There could be anything under those tarps. It could be a Plymouth Superbird, or a Ford Mustang Boss 429."
I laughed at her excitement, "Or it could be an old beater work truck."
She gave me a light shove, "Don't rain on my parade. Collectors like me and Rosalie live for finds like these. Her museum is two cars up on mine. I need a good find to catch up."
I shook my head, the way this family competes over stuff is hilarious. But museum's, really!!!
"Well, let's unwrap these presents, maybe one will be a good car for me, so I don't have to rely on you to drive everywhere. You can have a turn at being the passenger princess for a change."
We made our way to either side of the cover and started lifting at the same time. It was a dusty black color, and the symbol on it was Buick, I think. Looking at the other side of the flat trunk, I saw Grand National spelled out. I looked at Edythe, and she didn't seem too excited, so I figured it was a dud find for her. We both met at the front of the car and let the tarp pile up in front of it.
Looking from the front, you could tell it had been in a wreck, the driver's side quarter panel had been crumpled and shoved into the wheel well area. The hood was crumpled enough to see the engine.
Edythe stood there looking it over, "It's a Buick Grand National, but why the scoop on the hood?"
I chuckled, "You sure that's a scoop and not just a wrecked hood?"
Her eyes suddenly went wide, and she was standing at the driver's door before I knew it. Carefully, she opened it and started to look at the information on the door. Then she went to the serial number on the dashboard and started to do a little dance that was cuter than all hell. It brought a childish smile to her face, which made me laugh at her.
In a shriek of happiness, she called out, "This is a 1987 Buick GNX. According to the serial number, it is number 547. The very last one ever made. Even with the wrecked front end, it is a great find, part of motor vehicle history. Miles say 2,300, it's a little high, but not too bad. First glance shows no frame damage. It's a remarkable find, I can't wait to see the next one. Rosalie would run here as fast as she could if I told her about this car being here."
She ran back to me excitedly, "Can we uncover the other one? Please!!!"
As excited as she was about the first car, I didn't think it would make a good daily driver for me, so I was truly a little disappointed. Maybe I would have better luck on the next one.
"Sure, love. Let's hope it's a collectible, but not one that will decrease in value because I want to drive it." What she said about 2,300 miles being high for the Buick told me I would be losing if I drove it around town after it was fixed.
We just stepped over the front of the next tarp and lifted. The first thing I noticed was a table leg. Lifting the tarp up a bit more, Edythe sighed in disappointment. It's just a table with a few boxes on it. What a tease, I thought.
"Well, that explains why these are still here. Probably no money in selling a wrecked car, and I am pretty sure my mom and aunt Renee wouldn't have known anything about the car being special. Just bad luck, this one looked like a car cover but was just boxes on a table.
We took the time to cover the car back up, close the barn, and make our way to the house. The front door had a combination lock on it to let the company that was caring for the house look after it. Inside was much less exciting than the barn had been, it was mostly bare. Charlie told me that most everything had been sold in an estate sale or Renee, and my mother cleaned it out. I couldn't even tell which room was my mother's when she was a child from what was left. That made me a little sad.
Looking around, I could tell that the house needed a lot of work. The electrical was outdated, and the carpets were a mess, the floors creaked with every step. I held Edythe's hand all the way through the house when room allowed, taking pleasure in feeling her cold hand. The house had a total of four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Well, two and a half, if you were technical about it. The garage was empty, but it looked like it could hold two cars easily enough.
I stood in the front room looking out the windows. "It needs a lot of work, but it's a nice house. I see why Mom kept it. I wonder if she would have returned here eventually?"
"We could get Esme to come by and take a look, I bet she would have some great ideas. She would love the opportunity to work on something for you."
"I wouldn't want her to go through any trouble for me, I am sure she has her own things she likes to do to keep busy."
Edythe smiled, "Yeah, she renovates old houses or draws concepts for new ones. So, no worries that you would be imposing, in fact, she would probably be sad if you didn't let her help." She chuckled after she finished talking.
We locked the house back up, and as we started to drive to town, I was lost in thought about my vehicle situation. The wrecked car in the barn was a collectible, and I was happy to have it, sure. But I needed something to drive daily. That car will need a full-on collision repair and rebuild to fix rotted hoses and joints, so even I If was willing to drive it once fixed, it would be a long time from now. We happened to be passing a car dealership when something caught my eye.
"Hey Edythe, you mind pulling in here? We have lots of time before the ball game, and I have been broke for so long that the thought of buying a new vehicle never crossed my mind. I think I would like to see what they have."
After about an hour of window shopping, and another hour looking at models online. I was signing the paperwork on a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 Daytona 4x4. I wanted the orange exterior with slate grey interior, so the dealership would have to order it in. The salesman called the color 'Go ManGo!' and they didn't think it would sell here in town, so they didn't order any for stock. He assured me it would arrive no later than next Tuesday evening.
I knew it was a bit of a fancy splurge, sure to cause some talk in town. But I wanted to spoil myself a bit, I was sure my mom would understand. Edythe was teasing me about the splurge, but I brought up all the new clothes that keep appearing out of nowhere, and she looked away sheepishly.