The Surprising Road Home

Angie, Mark and Alison laughed. Kate and Pat blushed. Kate said, "I can calm down!"

"I know you can. I know Pat can. The question is will you?"

"You will think we don't want the house!" Pat said. "It's too far out in the country."

Kate added, "It costs too much!"

"The kitchen is too old fashioned." Pat added.

"Ok." Angie said, "We get the idea. By the way, which of you is Nick's wife?"

Pat pointed at Kate as Kate pointed at Pat. Angie's mouth dropped open. Seconds passed. I said, "Neither. I'm not officially married."

"But, you'll share the house?"

I nodded. "Not one of us can afford it on our own. So, we share. Is that a problem?"

"Not really. We just put the title in all three names. I can take care of that for you."

Because Angie hung with us until time to go the conversation was about the job at the airport, the weather, nearby shopping, and the price of cars and trucks. One at a time Alison found a way to get Kate and Pat into the kitchen. When they came back they were smiling, so I assumed their talks went well.

At 1530 we got into Angie's Suburban and she took us to the house. When we got our first glimpse Kate asked, "Can I say something?"

I said, "Sure."

"Oh, Wow!" was all she said. I didn't say anything. I agreed.

Angie introduced us to the couple who owned the property. They sat out on the porch while Angie led us on the tour. Kate took a note pad out of her purse and gave half to Pat. They passed notes, mostly to each other but some to me.

Mark sat on the porch and talked with the couple.

A little more than an hour later we were back in the Suburban. Mark spoke up. "There's something we can do here. It's unorthodox but I think it's the right thing."

Alison asked, "What?"

"Mr. Thomas is eighty. His wife is seventy-eight. They have no living kids or grand kids. They need to sell the house to afford to move into a care facility. What if you buy the place for whatever it costs to take care of them for the rest of their lives?"

Kate asked, "How much does that cost?"

Mark answered, "The place they want to move into costs four thousand a month for both of them."

Angie said, "Even if you paid them full price the loan wouldn't be four thousand a month."

Pat asked, "How is their health?"

Mark answered, "John had a heart attack four years ago. Last year he needed a bypass. I got the feeling something's up with Martha but she is hiding it from John."

"What about the house?" Alison asked.

"They've done a great job of updating it and keeping it up." I said.

"I'm trying to remain calm." Kate said, "But, it's hard. The house is..."

"Perfect!" Pat added.

"So the real questions are about how we buy it, not if?" I asked.

Kate and Pat nodded. I opened the door and said, "Let me talk to them. I'll be right back." I got out of the Suburban and walked to the porch. John and Martha watched me, but didn't get up.

I sat on the railing and said, "We're going to make you an offer on your place. It might take us a couple of days to get things together and we will. We will do whatever we can to have the offer be fair for both of us."

John said, "Thanks. We'll be right here when you're ready." He got out of his rocker and shook my hand. I left them and got back into the Suburban. Angie drove us back to Alison's.

Angie and I talked about loans, payments, interest rates and the like as we drove. Kate, Alison and Pat talked about the house, the garden and colors. Mark stayed quiet.

At Mark and Alison's we went inside and I asked for writing paper and we sat at the kitchen table. Angie went home, saying, "If you need me, I'm just a holler away."

Two hours later we were ready. We had talked enough. Our decisions were made. On Monday I would call the Federal Credit Union I had belonged to for twenty-two years and ask for a loan. Pat and Kate had agreed to get jobs and help us afford our new home. Also on Monday, I would meet with the people at the airport and work out the details for me taking the job. As soon as those details were worked out we would make an offer on the house.

The rest of the weekend was spent learning the area, driving around looking things over and talking with Mark and Alison about everything that came to mind. I read the papers on the house until I had almost memorized them. Sunday night the ladies planned Thanksgiving. It was two weeks away.

Monday morning I was up, dressed and fed by six-thirty. I rode to work with Mark, who worked in Operations at the airport. I met with two different groups of people and then sat in the food court for an hour while they met. At 1055 they came to me with a written offer. All the benefits I asked for and more money than I expected. I signed the offer at 1100 hours and was told I started work the next day. Mark met with me and gave me more good news. While I was interviewing he had spoken to friends he had at the airport and had found jobs for both Kate and Pat. They would be working for the rental car agencies. He had Alison drive them to the airport and they had already filled out the applications. They would start training the next day.

At noon I called the credit union. By 1300 faxes and emails were flying between Angie and the credit union.

At 1545 on Tuesday I got a call on my cell letting me know we were approved for the loan. I called Angie and we made an appointment to go to the house and make the offer.

Mark and I found Kate and Pat at the rental agency and asked if they wanted to go to the house to be there when the offer was made. I was not surprised when they said, "Yes!"

I rented a car and was given a special discount. We left Mark at work and went back to Alison's. She and Angie were ready to go make the offer. We went together. When we arrived it was as if John and Martha hadn't moved since we were there before. They were on the porch, in their rockers. They smiled when we arrived. Next to them on the porch were two other people. One was their realtor and the other we found out was Sue, from the assisted living center. We all went inside and when we were all seated I said, "We want to make two offers. Please listen to both offers, ask any questions you may have and then you can have up to forty-eight hours to decide what to do."

John said, "Ok. Offer number one."

"We can do this like most home sales. We will offer you Five hundred seventy-five thousand for the house and land. The two realtors will each get their percentage. Add taxes, fees and miscellaneous BS and you will be left with about half a million. You will have the money in about sixty days."

John nodded and said, "Offer number two."

"Kate, Pat and I will write a check to the two realtors for their commissions, just as if we paid five seventy-five for the house. They will handle all the paperwork just as they would normally. We will pay the taxes, fees and miscellaneous BS. You will get one dollar in cash, each. Pat, Kate and I will sign a contract with the Assisted Living Center to pay for your care each month for the rest of your lives. We will place five hundred thousand dollars in a special account to make the payments. In the event of your deaths, whatever is left in the account reverts to us."

For the first time I heard Martha speak. "We're making a bet. You bet we won't live long enough to get use up all the money. On the other hand, we're betting we die before the money runs out. Either way it's a good deal. John, which bet do you like?"

"I like the second plan. They must take care of you after I'm gone. If we take that plan I can rest easy. I did my job. I've taken care of us for almost sixty years and I'll know I've made sure you were Ok after I'm gone. I say we take the second plan."

It took another five days to finalize everything. John and Martha moved into the Assisted Living Center. We moved into the house. We invited John and Martha for Thanksgiving Dinner, along with Alison, Mark and the two realtors and their families. I kept telling everyone to cook lots, I love Thanksgiving leftovers.

On my lunch break the Monday before Thanksgiving I made two phone calls. They were confirmation calls. The tickets were bought and paid for. I didn't tell anyone about the calls. Then I made a couple of local calls. I had a big screen TV delivered and set up on Wednesday. A rental company delivered some folding chairs and two big tables and table clothes and I stashed them in the barn.

On Wednesday I rented a Suburban and Pat laughed at me. "We don't need a Suburban."

"I know we don't need one, but we get such a good discount that I want one."

I parked it by my office and went back to work. At a few minutes before 1600 I called Kate and said I needed to stay late. She said she would take Pat home with her, they would hit the market one more time and then start cooking.

At 1752 a flight from Atlanta landed. Kate's brother was on that flight. At 1842 another flight landed. It was from Denver. The Logan's had flown from Omaha to Denver and then to Portland. I met both flights. When I got home it was almost eight o'clock. I walked in through the door in the kitchen and Kate was in the kitchen. She was stirring something on the stove. She said hi, but didn't turn. I walked to her and covered her eyes.

I whispered, "I have a surprise for you. Keep your eyes closed and don't make a sound. Ok?"

She nodded. I moved my hand from over her eyes to over her mouth.

I whispered again, "Ok. Open."

Her eyes opened and I turned her. Her brother was standing a few feet away with his arms open. True to her word she didn't make a sound, but flew into his arms.

I called out, "Pat, come here quick!"

I motioned the Logan's into position so Pat wouldn't see them until she was in the kitchen. She ran in, stopped dead and screamed when she realized who was standing there.

Bob, Mark, Bill and I spent Thanksgiving morning setting up the tables, chairs and setting the tables. My sister provided one set of china. Angie provided a set and Martha had left us all her china so, we had enough. When people arrived they brought things. More desserts, extra wine, a green bean casserole and Bill brought a sweet potato pie.

John volunteered to say the blessing to begin the meal. He stood at the head of the table, bowed his head and said, "God, I've been here on Earth eighty years. Said thousands of prayers. For the first time I can say this prayer. I say it, not just to you, God, but to each person here around these tables today. Thank you. Thank you for blessing my life with you. Home is where your heart is. My heart is home. I have never been happier. Amen."

We all echoed his "Amen" and I knew Kate, Pat and I were really home.