Toilet House

“Honey, don’t you just love it!”  

Jess wiped the sweat from her brow and took a survey of her soon to be new home. It was two stories just like she had wanted but that was about it when it came to her list of “dream home“ requirements. First off the entire house was an off putting shade of pee-pee yellow and not just the door or an off to the side accessory, but the ENTIRE house. Second the location was terrible as Jess looked around all she could see was a flat grassy plain and to her knowledge the nearest Walmart was at least an hour away this house was the definition of small town living minus the red paint.

Now Jess was no stranger to a small town both her and her husband Randy came from a family background of Farmers and Greece monkeys; both had experienced the early mornings, the late nights, the DIY home fixer uppers, but only one of them had enjoyed their childhood and that person certainly wasn’t Jess. She could not believe that this was the house Ran had picked, out of every home in the world “Why, and for what reason?” Jess thought to herself.

Was this some kind of joke?  An after honeymoon “Ha! I fooled you didn’t I?"

But as Jess looked at her sweet beaming husband's face she knew that it wasn’t a joke and the truth almost brought tears to her eyes. Just as she was coming to the heart wrenching realization of this catastrophe Jess guessed her face had given off some kind queue that her husband Ran mistook as “I love it!” Next thing she knew he had wrapped her in a tight embrace and whispered into her shoulder almost inaudible for Jess to hear “I knew you would, It has everything we need.” “Like what?” Jess thought to herself, but weary of hurting her sweethearts feelings she rather said out loud “well it sure has character” in a tone that she hoped would convey her true feelings towards this toilet house. 

“Don’t it though!” Ran said so excitedly that if anyone else had heard his reply and not have seen him would have surly guessed that it had come from a twelve year old boy at best and not this twenty five year old six foot three tower of a man.

Ran had said his reply with such glee that he completely missed the expression and tone of his wife in regards to their soon to be forever home. Finally Jess couldn’t take it anymore and she just said it. “You can’t be serious, Right?”  Stepping back Jess looked into the now confused eyes of her husband. “Ran just look at this house if you could even call it that and look at where we are! We’re literally in the middle or nowhere If one of us were to get sick and needed medical attention we’d be as good as gone because the nearest hospital is four hours away!” Jess said in frustration. “Or we could call 911 and they would send a chopper to come get up within the next half hour?” Ran said as he looked into the face of his now blatantly angry wife. “That’s too long , we’re surrounded by fields. What if they were to catch on fire in the summer?” “Then I’d put on your favorite firefighters hat and would put it out with buckets of water of course” Ran now jokingly poking fun at a still very upset Jess.

“Honey we know how to live like this small town, no neighbors for miles, planting our own food and getting our milk. That's the life we’ve always known and I’m confused because last time I checked we both loved it growing up?” Jess with a sharpness in her voice replied with “Correction, you had loved it growing up. I wanted nothing more than to get out of that homeschool prison and to live my life in the city.” “Exactly!" Ran exclaimed "And that’s what we’ve been doing for the past five years darling but don’t you think it’s time for a change? Something more slow paced and on our own terms living in the city was hell for me, but I only did it because I knew how much it meant for you to get out of your parents house, but that was then and this is now. We’re married and I want to raise our family like my Pa raised me hard work, discipline, and giving them life skills that’ll always be there if they ever need a job.” 

A shocked Jess replied “So that was your plan all along; Humor my dreams of living in the city,  then when you finally got me into wedlock you’d drag me back to the hicks so that I could be barefoot and pregnant  tending to the animals and fields catering to your every whim!”

Ran now amused “No that was not the plan, but thank you for giving me that suggestion I’ll have to keep it in mind for future reference” An unamused Jess started to cry and  Ran now keenly aware that the house wasn’t really the issue said in an understanding voice “We’re not going to be like them” it was all he could think to say to comfort her and as he came closer to give Jess a hug he felt her resistance at first but ultimately she collapsed into him. 

“It’s not about the pee color house is it?” Ran emplied. Jess slightly giggling through tears “You knew it was the color of pee when you bought it didn’t you.” “Yes, but I wasn’t worried because we can always paint over it. I know you don’t deserve to live in a toilet house” Ran said as he held Jess even closer. Jess chuckled because it was like he had read her mind and no the issue wasn’t completely about the toilet house even though it was pretty horrendous. The issue was that coming back to a place that reminded Jess or her family home felt like almost too much to handle, yes the life skills came in handy and cropping your own food made your living expenses cheaper than most in the city, but the fear of being some uneducated housewife like her mother shook Jess to the core. 

At least when she was in the city she had a fair chance of growing and being her own person on a farm she had witnessed far too often that the woman of the house were only deemed worthy if they had the following attributes. Meak, obedient, knew how to cook, and could pop out kids like they’re candy. When she was younger leaving that house or rather that life of watching her mother be a doormat for her father’s abuse was the only option. She had it all planned out; move for college and never go back or at least that was the plan until she met a certain Randy Wimberlon that made her heart skip a beat and showed nothing but love and care towards her and not just her but everyone he encountered. That’s why she married him he’s a good man, so with tears still in her eyes Jess looked at her College sweetheart and said a little unreluctantly but willingly for him “I like the toilet house, but promise me we won’t end up bitter and ugly when we're old and gray"

Smiling Ran replied “I promise.”

"And we’re having four kids max Randy” “Absolutely yes ma’am, would you like to look inside our toilet house?” Jess glanced back at the house behind her and gave a sigh “Sure, but I get to pick the new color for when we paint it” Ran pulled the house key from his pocket and with the other hand gently led Jess to their new home “I wouldn’t have it any other way”