Havel House, Chapter 2
Ashton and Rhett talked for another half hour or more after retreating to Rhett's room. They kept discovering more things they had in common. When the subject of Linwood's clubs came up, Ashton was pleased to find that they had a martial arts group as well as a gay/straight alliance. Finding that Rhett was involved in both gave him hope that they shared even more interests. At that point, he could hardly wait until his family could officially move to their new location across the street.
In the morning, before it got too warm, the two boys went to mow one of the lawns Rhett took care of. As promised, he shared the rewards with Ashton who did all the trimming. It was a fun time, and Ashton appreciated being able to make a little spending money of his own. He felt that Rhett was overly generous, and it made him want to do more for his new friend.
Ashton wasn't desperate for the money, but his parents, like Rhett's, wanted their children to learn the value of honest labor. Both families might be well into the middle class, yet they weren't about to raise spoiled brats.
The boys spent the early part of the afternoon at the city swimming pool with Carson and Brianna, and then took a drive around the general area including a look at the high school.
Since Brianna had a license and her own car, they didn't need to rely on an adult to chauffer them around.
While at the school, Rhett wanted Ashton to meet his band director. Mr. Dixon wasn't around but would be there the following afternoon. Rhett begged his sister to bring them back tomorrow, and she agreed because she wanted Carson to meet the soccer coach.
While Kathryn was occupied with overseeing the housecleaning crew, and the boys were being entertained by the Butler children, William was with the lawyer learning more about the house he'd inherited. Several things didn't add up in his mind.
Despite her quest to keep the past alive, Andela Havel hadn't had the house placed on a registry of historic buildings, as one might have expected her to do. That would be fortunate for any succeeding owners because they could make changes without having to go through a lot of red tape.
For some reason, she hadn't wanted strangers to inspect the property too closely. That seemed out of character for someone who made the place available to outsiders as guests. People wondered if she were hiding something or if she was simply an eccentric person. Popular opinion suggested she was an odd character.
A property of that size would have had quite a bit of commercial value in the right location. However, the rough terrain of the wooded area behind the house would have required a lot of expensive labor to level it out enough to be suitable, and there was a creek which might present drainage problems if a number of houses were located there. Had it been a smooth, dry pasture, it might have easily been turned into a subdivision.
Andela wanted it all preserved like it had been in her childhood when her grandfather was alive. And so, William would be required not to sell the property for at least five years. He would also have to agree to live in the house during that time. He could make color changes to the interior of the older part of the house but not do any remodeling except in the kitchen which had been updated over the years and wasn't original in any way. He could do whatever remodeling he wished in the newer wing. At the end of the designated period, William could do as he wished with the place, but Adela expressed her desire that he donate it to the town instead of selling it. He had to decide if he wanted to reside in a museum/shrine for that length of time.
Kathryn found that she was falling in love with the charming old house. The more time she spent in it, the more it felt like home. As it began to take on a new, clean face, it seemed friendly and cheerful.
She would be ready to move right in. She suspected the boys might agree to it after spending time with the teens who would be their neighbors.
William was the only one to have reservations, and it was ultimately his decision since the property was being handed down in his family. He had an uneasy feeling which he couldn't put a finger on. It wasn't that he was superstitious about restless spirits, but something felt odd. However, seeing his wife's reaction, he figured he'd be in trouble if he didn't accept this windfall.
William's tentative decision was reinforced by the outcome of the meeting he had with HR at Collins Aerospace in Cedar Rapids the following day. They had a position open which would make good use of his talents and experience. His starting salary would be on a par with what he'd made at his job in Florida. If he stepped right back into the workforce, he could invest all of his compensation pay. Done correctly, it could lead to a comfortable early retirement. They would meet again in a day or two to give him time to sleep on the matter.
Coleen Butler was all in favor of having her kids entertain the Hovel boys. She was eager to welcome their potential neighbors in general but was especially interested in fostering a friendship for her son. He could use a close buddy. Ashton seemed like he might fill that role.
So, when the kids wanted to visit the school again, Coleen was all for it.
Rhett couldn't wait to introduce Ashton to his teacher. For his part, Mr. Dixon was always pleased to welcome new kids who might join his program. When he found that Ashton played both keyboard and trumpet, he was especially happy.
"I'd love to have you show me what you can do on the trumpet. I have a girl who's good on the keyboard, but Cory, my top guy on the trumpet, is moving out of the state because of his father's job. I have a loaner here you could use if you'd like to audition right now."
"Okay, I'm not sure how well I'll do without any charts I'm familiar with. I did some improv on A Train in our concert this spring."
"We did a version of that too. How about I find you a score, put Rhett on the drums, and I'll do the keyboard? We'll go through the theme once and then you can noodle around on the second verse."
Mr. Dixon put the mouthpiece in an alcohol bath and then rinsed it before handing the instrument to Ashton. He didn't want to pass any kind of germs to anyone! Who knew what virus there might be lurking around the corner?
Ashton warmed up a little and then said he thought he was as ready as he could be on short notice.
The director played a brief intro and then the boys joined in. When it came time for Ashton to improvise, he closed his eyes and tried to channel his hero, Wynton Marsalis. Obviously, he wasn't up to the level of a master, but he did admirably well.
"Bravo!" Mr. Dixon exclaimed when they finished. We sounded professional without even having rehearsed together. I hope you're seriously going to be in my jazz ensemble this fall. We have a jazz day-camp all next week where we'll work on some of the music for next term and improve on a few techniques. Are you available? There's no charge."
"Um, I'm not sure. My family's temporarily staying at The Longbranch. I don't know for how long. I don't even know if Dad's decided he definitely wants to move here. And my trumpet is in Florida."
"Well, I hope you'll be here in school next year. I can loan you this old instrument if you can come to camp. Tell your father you have to move because I need you in my band."
"I'm not sure he'd think I was that important to your program," Ashton grinned.
"Okay, I'll tell you what. You have a cell phone, right? You can take a short vid of me saying how much I'd love to have you. In fact, we could follow it up with a rerun of A Train to show him how you'd fit in."
Brianna took Carson to see the sports wing of the school while Ashton was visiting the music department. He got to talk briefly with the coach who was just finishing up working with middle schoolers who would someday be on his team.
Carson immediately took a liking to Coach Kearny, and the admiration appeared to be mutual. Kearny was always eager to recruit kids who we well mannered, well spoken, and humble.
Brianna bragged about some of Carson's accomplishments that she'd seen on his school's webpage which he's shown her, but the boy seemed shy about touting his athletic achievements. Kearny would later look at some footage online of the team on the Internet and be impressed by their record and Carson's stats.
Carson was rapidly losing any reservation he might have had about making the move to Iowa.
When the boys returned after spending another afternoon with the Butler teens, William told them about his job offer and the very real possibility that they would come to stay in Iowa soon. Both teens were eager to make the move, so their father was certain he'd accept the job offer.
"I think we should go back to our house and pack up everything we want to move here," he said. "We can have one of those pods set on our driveway to hold whatever personal items and clothing we can't put in the vehicles. The furniture should stay in place while the house is being shown and then we can decide what else we want to move. Obviously, there's enough of everything in Havel House for us to use, and we can't rid the place of antiques for several years, as per the agreement."
"That sounds fine to me," Kathryn agreed. "The sooner we do it, the sooner we can sell our present house and get settled over the summer before school begins again. I'm fine with keeping all the antiques, but we might want some new pieces in the part where we'll spend most of our time."
"Can we put it off for another week and a half?" Ashton asked.
"What would we gain by waiting?" William asked.
"Um, there's a cool jazz-camp next week at Linwood and the director wants me there. Here, let me show you the video."
William held Ashton's phone while Kathryn looked over his shoulder. Despite low-fidelity quality of the speaker, the music sounded good.
"When did this all come about?"
"This afternoon. I was gonna show you before but I didn't want to preempt your job news."
"Well, aren't you the polite one? I'm not sure I could have held back on news like this at your age. Perhaps we can figure out a way for part of the family to stay here next week."
"The house will be fit to live in by then, but I'd really like to get a start on packing," Kathryn said.
"Uh, Rhett said I could stay with him if you had to leave."
"I suspect his mother might not feel the same about having another teenager around her house that long," Kathryn raised an eyebrow.
"We all got along fine the other night and this afternoon," Ashton insisted.
"A week is seven days longer," she reminded him.
"Mom, I can do the math! He's really excited about us being in jazz band together."
"Still, he doesn't speak for his mother."
"I'm gonna text him and tell him you're making me go home before the weekend and see what he says," Ashton said.
Within five minutes, Ashton's phone rang. He smiled when he recognized the number as Rhett's.
"Mom wants to talk to your mom. She's fine with you staying at our house for band camp and beyond. Carson is welcome too if he'd like to."
"Okay, I'll hand her the phone," Ashton grinned.
The two ladies chatted for several minutes. Coleen made the offer for both boys to stay with her family while their parents were in Florida. Kathryn expressed misgivings. She was sure Carson would want to go to for the sake of driving his car up, and she felt the Butler's were taking on a lot by having Ashton.
"He was a perfect gentleman when they stayed over the other night. Rhett really wants him in the band, and I suspect he's eager to make a best buddy."
"Well, I'll consider it, if you'll let me pay toward his keep. He may not be a hulking kid, but he has a hollow leg and can eat you out of house and home."
Eventually, Kathryn gave in and okayed it, as she looked toward her husband who was nodding his approval in the background.
"Well, Sport, you got your way. How'd you like to get your birthday present a couple of months early as well?"
"Um, what did you have in mind?" Ashton asked.
"Remember that new silver Bach you had your eyes on? I'm gonna check with the local music store to see if they have one in stock, and if they don't, I'll order it online and have it delivered to the Butler's."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"COOL!"
Ashton texted Rhett immediately to share the news.
The Havel family got their plans sorted out before the weekend.
William contacted Collins Aerospace to say he would accept their offer, but with the proviso that he would have flexibility while settling things in Florida and getting relocated in Iowa. He would also like the option to have an unpaid vacation before the school year began.
His new employer agreed to the terms and he went in to sign the papers.
Kathryn arranged for three one-way plane tickets to Florida so they could leave their SUV in Iowa and have three drivers free to shuttle the other two cars when they returned. She didn't want to give up her Mercedes, and she knew Carson would keep his convertible despite having fewer days to use it with the top down in their new state.
Along with some people she'd hired in the past for household tasks, the three of them would pack their clothes, personal items, and bed linens. Whatever would fit in their vehicles could be brought immediately and the rest could come with the moving pod when that could be arranged.
On Sunday night, the family took Ashton to the Butler's home with all the clothes he'd brought with him, plus two new outfits from Target, freshly laundered. He would have enough to see him through band camp, barring some unforeseen emergency.
After hugging their younger son and reminding him to be on his best manners, the rest returned to their hotel so they could rest up for an early start in the morning. Brant Butler chauffeured them back to their accommodations, promising to pick them up at 5:00, an hour and a half before their flight. That would give them plenty of time to go through security in the Eastern Iowa Airport which was far less crowded than the ones they were used to.
Ashton and Rhett were keyed up from the anticipation of the coming week. They didn't hit the sack until after 10:00 because they needed some diversion to take the edge off their excitement.
First, Rhett had to hear the mellow sound of Ashton's new instrument. Then, they talked Brianna into playing the keyboard she'd sort of given up on after making the soccer team. With Rhett's drum set, the three formed a trio and tried some of the music which was in their collection.
Brianna discovered that she remembered more than she thought she would. The experience caused her to take a new interest in music. They actually sounded better than just passable.
After their music session, the boys went to Rhett's room for the rest of the night. They chatted for a while about lots of things. Both had the feeling that they were even more alike than they'd realized at first. Neither was quite ready to ask the questions they wanted answers to. Baring one's soul, to someone you'd only recently met, is never easy and sometimes it's not prudent.
Author's notes: Wow! I heard from more people about chapter one of this story than usual! You must all be hunkering down with nothing better to do. Let's hope things change for the better soon.
I heard from: Geoff S, Paul R, Neville E, GCD, Ott H, JJ R, Ray M, Denis, Joe W (1), Jim M, Jim W, Neal H, Dennis, Bill K, Bob, Tony C, JB, Mike DP, Dan L, Chandra B, Charles G, Tim T, Mendy D, John L, Walter S, Bill T, JLF, Karl K, Joe S, Ian S, Randy Mac, Hotrod, Jamie L, JB, Tim, Gordon, Jack W, Nick C, Joe W (2), Tom A, and Allen.
Thanks!
Thanks to David for editing and reediting this chapter.
Thanks to Nifty for providing the site for posting it.
http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
If you enjoyed this tale, I'd love to hear from you. Please write to me at: dlee169@hotmail.com
Stay well and stay positive. Things will get better.
David