Tiny House Nation

"Chanile Joetta Alexander—Master of Architecture."

"That's my baby girl!" her father shouted as she accepted her diploma.

She heard him all the way up on stage and hollered back, "I love you, Daddy! This is for you and Momma!"

Walter Alexander had always been proud of his little girl, but today his heart was bursting. All those double shifts, all that overtime, all of the sacrifices and...the loss of his wife. The last thing he wanted to do was cry, but when he thought back on the last ten years it was all he could do to hold it together.

He and his late wife, Lucinda, had no idea how they'd pay for it, but they knew they'd find a way because their daughter HAD to go to college. The strain it put on their marriage was oftentimes overwhelming, but neither of them ever complained. Nor did Chanile, who worked part-time while carrying a 3.87GPA throughout her four years as an undergrad before telling them she wanted to pursue a masters degree and become a certified architect. The breather they'd both hoped for turned into an even bigger burden; one they willingly strapped on and carried until Lucinda was suddenly gone.

The stress had taken its toll and Lucinda suffered the brunt of it dying of a stroke at the age of 49. He'd wanted to curl up and die too, but every time he looked at his beautiful daughter, he steeled himself for another double shift and just kept on going. And today, all of it—ALL of it—had been worth it.

Chanile had done her part and worked as hard as any student could while still earning what money she could in the university's work-study program. She bussed tables, washed dishes, mopped floors, and did any job she could to help out. In addition to her superb performance getting her BA, she continued doing the same in her master's program and graduated with a very respectable 3.68GPA.

She knew that might not be enough to work for the most prestigious firms in the greater Seattle area, but that was just fine with her. She had a dream and plan and that didn't require living in a fancy apartment downtown or making six figures her first year out of school. Sure, she wanted to be successful. She just had her own idea of what success would look like.

By any objective standard, Chanile was already a success. She was the first person in her family to graduate from college and she was determined to be the first person to own a home. Her own home. Okay, it was going to be what people called a 'tiny house' but by the grace of God, she was going to own one someday soon.

The idea came to her when her father had left the TV on one day while Chanile was home studying. Her dad had been watching a show on called Tiny House Nation before leaving for his second job. As it ran, he'd made several comments about how wonderful it would be to own his own home, even if it was a tiny little house like the one featured in the show. Chanile hadn't really been paying attention, but something caught her eye and after a few minutes, she closed her books and moved over to the couch and turned up the volume. For less than $50,000 people were having small, custom-built homes made for them. As a future architect, she loved the way people used every square inch of the small space to cram in every convenience they felt was important. Some had full showers, washer-dryers, and all had small kitchens, sleeping areas, and many had lofts with ladders for stairs which could be be neatly tucked away when not in use. She watched three episodes in a row and by the time the third one ended she was so excited she couldn't sit still. Her dad had already left for work so she had no one to share it with, but the seed had been planted and once Chanile made her mind to pursue something, it was only a matter of time until she had it.

Chanile was just weeks away from competing her masters degree and that weekend she began drawing up plans for her own home. As she did, she researched tiny homes in her area to learn who built them, where one could 'park' them, and as much other information as she could find out. She knew her friends she'd grown up with would think she was crazy, but as much as Chanile loved them, she was different from them in so many ways. They listened to hip hop, she loved classical music. They talked in a street dialect and Chanile spoke with perfect diction. They valued partying and fun while Chanile saw education and hard work as her kind of fun. They would view it as living in a jail cell while she saw it as an adventure filled with opportunity. After a few years, she could trade up for a better home and maybe even start a family—her other dream in life.

The one area where her future plans were causing problems was with her boyfriend. She'd been dating Daekwon Lewis off and on since high school and lately he'd been making overtures about settling down and maybe even getting married. Chanile wanted to do both but not necessarily with him because as much as she liked him, she knew she didn't love him.

He'd been her first back in high school and he was a very attentive and very skilled lover. However, he didn't share her biggest dreams of education, owning a home, and raising a family. He'd finished high school and found work at the docks around Puget Sound, but he was intent on staying in Seattle at all costs. Moving anywhere else just wasn't in his plans and the thought of living in a tiny house in a suburan area was something he found ridiculous.

"Where you gonna put that thing? There's no real estate in Seattle to set a trailer down," Daekwon told her when she told him about her idea. She tried telling him it wasn't really a trailer even though it could be moved and that there were other places to live besides downtown Seattle. "Not with me," he'd told her. "Baby, we can get us a nice apartment here in the city and you can get a good job at one these big firms and be livin' large in no time!"

When she told him her first priority was home ownership, he nearly lost it. "So you gonna throw all of this away to live in some shoebox out in Hymietown? Get real, girl. We black and everything we love be right here in the city. Why you wanna move to some place where everyone and everything be white? That don't make no sense!"

Chanile did lose it when she heard what he'd said. "Daekwon, I really like you and I'm willing to consider a life with you, but you know I hate it when you talk like that. People are people. Period. And for the record, there are few if any Jews in the suburbs of Seattle so if you want to use a pejorative term like 'Hymietown' at least learn to use it correctly. No, even that's not okay. You need to just stop it already with that kind of talk."

She thought back on how he strode straight for the door and said, "You gonna have to chose, Chanile. Me or your cracker...box. If you ever come to your senses, give me a call." With that, he was gone and she hadn't heard from him since.

She found herself busy cramming for finals while still working two jobs and constantly tweaking the plans for her new home, while scheduling a couple of job interviews. She laughed when she thought about a social life. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a real date let alone slept with someone. 'Dates' with Daekwon meant hanging out out his place or hers and just talking or maybe taking a walk somewhere. "Patience, girl," she kept telling herself. "Good things come to those who wait."

She went to the first interview in the city of Kent, about 15 miles south of Seattle and was offered a job but it just didn't feel right. The pay was good and started at $75,000. Her father practically begged her to take it, but it was what she wanted. "Daddy, I've got time. There'll be other interviews and other jobs. Trust me, okay?"

She had an interview scheduled for 10am clear out in tiny little Enumclaw, which was about 35 miles southeast of Seattle. She'd only been there once before and that was because she and her friend got lost going to a concert when she was 18. It was a quaint little dairy-farming town right at the base of the Chinook Mountains and from what she could tell as she drove back into it, Daekwon had been correct. It looked to be about 99% white. Chanile had been raised to look at people, not skin color, yet she had to admit it was a very different vibe from downtown Seattle with its very eclectic and diverse population. But different didn't necessarily mean good or bad, it just meant—different. And Chanile knew that different could sometimes be fun and exciting—like designing one's own tiny house.

She was interviewing with a family-based business called 'Bennett Enterprises' that was growing rapidly and desperately in need of an architect. From the moment she walked into their office, she was thrilled with how they treated her. The owners, an older couple named Paul and Sarah Bennett, interviewed her as a team. "If we hire you, you'll become part of the family so we always interview potential family members together," they told her.

After asking a series of standard questions, they began probing for details about her character. Clearly, it mattered to them who she was as much as what credentials she had. Satisfied, they asked to see examples of her work. She laid the large, thick, leather portfolio in front of them and began by showing them the blueprints for her tiny house.

"I love those little homes!" Sarah said. "Paul and I have said several times how much fun it would have been to start out in one of those when we were first married."

"If you'd seen our first apartment, you'd know why," he chimed in saying. "Talk about a dump!" His words reminded Sarah of how bad that place had been and she laughed at how he described it.

They looked over her work for several minutes then out of nowhere Sarah said, "Can you start next week, honey?"

She tried not to scream with excitement as she somehow managed to contain her emotions and politely smiled while answering, "Yes. Yes, of course! I'd love to!"

Sarah hugged her and Paul shook her hand and welcomed her to the family. The Bennetts had apologized for only being able to pay her $50,000 to start out, but to Chanile, that was more money than she and her parents had ever seen in a year. But the salary wasn't the reason she'd said 'yes'. She loved the way they made her feel and to her that was worth more than money.

Additionally, they made her another offer they hoped would sweeten the pot. Paul told her they had an old trailer on their property and let her know she could live there rent free so she wouldn't have to commute. "It'll be good practice for living in your own tiny house until you get it built," Sarah told her cheerfully. Chanile was thrilled to accept that offer, as well.

They'd also let her know the reason they needed her right after graduation was because they wanted to accept a job of building a 50-room apartment complex on the east end of town near Mount Peak and that it required an architect. "Over the years, we've thought about bringing an architect on board, but now the time seems right and as it turns out, we can use you immediately," Paul explained. They gave her concept plans for the project and let her know Chanile would have to draw up the blueprints for them as soon as possible to present back to the clients for their approval and then shepherd them through the county and city approval process.

They walked her out to her car and Paul opened the door for her. It was a 2007 Nissan Altima with badly faded paint and 157,000 miles on it. She thanked him once she was seated said, "If this old thing can just hold together for another week..." She knew that she'd be able to buy a new one once she started getting paid as this thing was on its last legs. Okay, maybe not a new car, but a used car that was new to her. Maybe something with less than 50,000 miles on it and some actual paint. Oh, and possibly even a decent stereo system in it. Chanile loved classical music and even more, she loved to turn it up loud and take in the rich sounds of the composers who'd written the music. She'd been marching to the beat of her own drum for as long as she could remember. She liked what she liked and made no apologies for it.

She had just three days left of school and all of her cramming and hard work paid off as she aced her finals before spending the weekend with her dad while also packing up her things. Commencement was Monday and later that evening she said goodbye to him. He held her close and said, "You have no idea how proud I am of you, sweetheart. I know your momma's lookin' down on you with just as much pride as I am."

Chanile had stopped going to church with them in high school and gave up on religion altogether when her mother died. She knew it was the only area of her life where her father wasn't really happy with, but he'd never once mentioned it, and she most definitely wasn't going to start an argument with her father over something so well intentioned.

"I love you, Daddy. You did this. You and momma. Thank you. Thank you so much."

"No. Uh-uh. We did this, baby girl. We did this, Chanile."

She promised she'd come home to visit as often as possible but reminded her father it was only a little over an hour to come visit her. She knew small towns like Enumclaw weren't his cup of tea, but he told her sincerely he'd think about it then gave her one last hug before helping her get into her rust bucket of a car and head toward the mountains.

She arrived about 7pm that same evening and the Bennetts were waiting for her. Mrs. Bennett showed her out to the trailer, gave her the key, and a very quick tour of the inside.

"It's old but comfortable. We put in some new curtains and we had Troy, the young man who does most of our construction work, do a little maintenance to get it all you ready for you, hon. So it isn't much, but until you get that tiny house of yours built, this is home." She extended her arms and Chanile accepted her hug as she told her, "We're so glad to have you in our family."

As Sarah left, Chanile looked around at her modest new home and almost cried again. It was indeed modest to say the least, but it had pretty much everything she'd need to include a small drawing table with a bright lamp this Troy had put in for her. As she sat down for the first time what made the biggest impression on her was the nearly complete lack of sound. It was almost silent. The only things she could hear were the quiet hum of the refrigerator and the sound of her own breathing. No honking, no shouting, no sirens. Just...quiet.

Before she even unpacked, the first thing she did was grab her boom box, plug it in and drop in her favorite CD. She knew she could crank it up without disturbing her neighbors for the first time in her life (because she had no neighbors), but somehow she wanted to preserve most of the peaceful tranquility. She kept it down on '3' and enjoyed the sweet sounds of Bach and Mozart and being on her own as she put her things away and made up the small, twin-sized bed.

Her alarm went off at 6am the following morning and she was up having a cup of coffee several minutes later. Work started at 8 o'clock and she couldn't resist going for a walk around the trailer. The Bennetts lived on ten acres so walking the perimeter was out of the question but a walk through the freshly-mowed grass and the handful of remaining evergreen trees near the trailer was more than doable.

As she started her walk, she was again aware of the sounds of silence as the smells of rural life wafted into her nose. She inhaled deeply trying to take in the entire experience in a single breath. She was so happy she wanted to shout but settled for a smile and the feeling of happiness that flooded over her.

After a long, pleasant walk she went back inside, showered, and got ready for her first day at her new job.

"Good morning, dear!" Sarah said as she came in. "We have your office all set up and ready to go. Let me show it to you, okay?"

She followed the older woman down the hall and into a room that had her name on it, the first of many little surprises. Inside she found anything and everything an architect could want or need. Even so Sarah told her, "If there's something missing, let us know right away, okay?"

She promised she would then told Sarah she should probably get started on the blueprints. As she did, they heard a tap on her door. She looked up as Sarah turned around and standing in the doorway was a very nice-looking young man about her age who flashed a kind of boyish smile at her before opening his arms to hug Sarah who'd already done the same to him.

"Troy! It's so good to see you," Sarah said as they hugged. "How's your dad?"

"He's...the same but thank you for asking."

"Troy? Let me introduce you to our new architect. This is Chanile Alexander. Chanile, this is our construction foreman, Troy Andrews."

He smiled and extended his hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Chanile."

"Likewise," she said returning not only the handshake but the smile. He was cute! Cute enough to cause her to lose focus for a moment as she took all of him in a quick glance. He was just over six feet tall with very dark, very thick hair which reminded her of the guy who played Superman in the original movie. He had bright, blue eyes, and an amazing smile. He was wearing a blue work shirt, jeans, and work boots, but even those ratty-looking clothes couldn't hide the hard body that was underneath them.

"Dear? Did you hear me?" Sarah said.

Chanile was embarrassed at having been so caught up in checking this handsome young man out she hadn't heard a word Sarah had said. "I was asking if you can take a ride with Troy out to the future job site. I think it would be helpful for both of you to discuss the planning as he'll be building whatever you design."

"Oh, sure. Of course, Sarah. I'd be glad to," she said. "Um...as long as we don't have to take my car."

Sarah laughed and said, "Oh, my. I think that might be a good idea. We don't want to have to call a tow truck your first day, do we?"

"Is it really that bad?" Troy asked.

"I'll show it to you on the way out and that'll answer your question," Chanile told him with a bit of a chuckle.

Troy laughed and said, "I can't wait to see it." He waited for Sarah to leave then said, "Just let me know when you're ready and we can head out." He smiled and added, "In my truck."

Sarah laughed and said, "You might not believe this but I've never ridden in a truck before."

He looked at her and said, "You've also never been on a future job site either, have you?" Chanile was wearing some very nice-looking heels along with a skirt and a white blouse and Troy knew the ground was soft making heels a real problem. He was staring at her shoes when she answered.

"Guilty as charged," she said. "From now on I'll keep a pair of flats in here just in case."

"I got you covered," he said. "I've got a pair of rubber boots in the back of the truck. They won't be pretty but they'll keep you clean and dry."

As they drove along Highway 410 Troy asked her if she'd ever been to Crystal Mountain before. "No. What's on Crystal Mountain?"

"Only the best skiing in the Pacific Northwest." He looked over at her and said, "Let me guess. You've never been skiing either, have you?"

Chanile smiled and said, "Why do I feel like I'm from another planet or something?"

Troy laughed politely and said, "If the other women from your world are as beautiful as you, then I'd like to visit sometime."

Chanile was black and when she blushed, most white people couldn't tell. Even so, she was rather light skinned and the change in her cheeks caught his attention.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. That was supposed to be a compliment. I make my living with my hands so sometimes I don't always say the right things."