Windows in the Past

Had it been five minutes or an hour? I wasn’t sure how long I had been standing there. The autumn breeze carried a hint of nostalgia as I stood facing the door to my past. I hadn’t visited my grandparents’ house since Grandpa had followed my Grandma to rest two years ago. This was a visit I had been dreading. But out of everyone in the family, I drew the short straw. Now it was time to roll up my sleeves and dig elbows deep through a lifetime of memories to see what needed to be kept and what needed to be sold. 

I slowly pushed the worn silver key into the lock. The cherry wood door slowly creaked open. Instantly I was met with the familiar smell of apple cinnamon that had always welcomed me every visit when I was young. However, somehow this time it was different. The air had a slight stale scent to it, not completely surprising as the old brick ranch had been sitting quietly on the market for over a year now. That was all about to change. Only two weeks to sort through a lifetime of memories before a new family would rewrite the history that had been made in this house. 

The foyer was large with a fancy chandelier dangling with diamonds. Ornate tile spanned throughout the whole house. Every time I entered the house I was surprised just how modern design in the 1960’s really held up. Houses truly don’t have this sort of quality anymore. But more than just design, the home had a comforting feeling of visits to see Grandma and Grandpa again. 

Now something was disconcertingly different. The home was profoundly silent. The old grandfather clock in the living room was no longer ticking away as usual, and the welcome voices of family and friends laughing was completely absent now. Emotions and memories began to capture my mind as I remembered so many fun visits on a Sunday afternoon. Whether it was just a quick visit or an extended family gathering, each memory was filled with laughter, food, and fun times. 

Finally I steered myself off memory lane and tried to focus on the task at hand. I only had a few hours to search the office for any important documents and family keepsakes, then mark the rest for the garage sale. I made my way to the office down a long hall lined with picture frames. Grandma always loved to take pictures. If someone moved, it meant it was time for a new photoshoot. Making a quick pit stop outside the office, I stopped to stare at an old picture collage framed with the photos from our last trip to Florida. The picture in the middle made me smile. The whole family huddled around a large orca statue in SeaWorld. Had it really been 20 years ago? I still remember poking my cousin in the ribs trying to make him laugh during the photo. The past is a strange beast. At the time, when the past was the present, one truly doesn’t realize how those moments passing will be remembered and cherished in the future. 

Slowly I passed through the doorway to my Grandpa’s office. It was a treasure trove of forgotten relics. Dusty leather bound books lined the shelves on the far wall, and an old record player sat dormant with no vinyl placed on the turntable in forever. On the back of the office chair was an old jacket I remember Grandpa wearing on a fall day much like this one. I could almost feel his presence in the room: sitting at the desk, looking over papers, or updating his golf scores. 

As my eyes continued to scan the room, I locked in on the old Compaq computer sitting perfectly frozen in time. Both my grandparents had given up on the tech revolution early, and this poor machine had to be a couple decades in age.  Curiosity began to flow through me as I remembered Grandma had so many photos saved on the old computer. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to see if the dated device had some life left in it? 

I walked over and inspected the cabling. Everything still seemed to be plugged in. The only obstacle was a blanket of dust that had gathered from lack of use. Hesitantly, I pressed the power button. There was a slight whine then suddenly lights lit up on the old tower like an early Christmas in autumn. The internal fans started blowing at an alarmingly loud rate, but then after a few seconds they settled down. I employed the sleeve of my shirt and wiped the old CRT tube screen, removing years of dust just in time to see a familiar Windows XP logo appear. Alas! The computer still worked! 

It felt like an age had passed before the computer finally loaded into the desktop. Many would have been annoyed at waiting so long, but I smiled. We didn’t know how good we had it with new technology. The old struggles with mature electronics were always an adventure to say the least. 

Taking control of the mouse, I navigated slowly along the desktop. Knowing my grandparents, EVERYTHING of importance would be stored in a “New File” folder conveniently on the desktop. Browsing through a few folders, most of what I found was saved clip art from Grandma and some spreadsheets with golf scores from Grandpa. Not a surprising turn of events, and what I expected to find. 

Then I noticed the old icon near the bottom of the screen. Could it really be? Age of Empires! Wow, what a great game! I remembered long nights playing it with Grandpa while Grandma was in the dining room showing my sisters how to knit or some new form of arts and crafts she had been working on. Instinctually, I double clicked the icon. A ding from the desk speakers made me jump as a message popped up on the screen: “Please insert CD-ROM to continue”. I audibly chuckled. There was no way I was going to venture on a quest to find out what happened to that old disc. 

I continued my forage through the jungle of “New Folders” when I came across one that made my heart skip. This new folder was filled with old digital photos. There must have been hundreds of images saved in the folder. I journeyed through the messy collage stopping every so often to view some frozen memories in time. I revisited the days long gone – from the vacation in Madrid visiting my aunt and cousins to the cookout on a sunny Labor Day right in this very backyard. That was the year flag football had gotten a little out of hand. Still a family discussion of contention, but my team clearly had won. 

As I delved deeper into the pictures, I found a whole group of photos I had no memory of. These spanned from old black and white photos of my grandparent’s wedding to more recent pictures of their 50th anniversary trip to Egypt. I marveled at the happiness they had shared over the years. Though I had no memories of these moments in time, I felt like I had journeyed there as a time traveling observer to watch a happy couple enjoying their life together. 

In the midst of this digital excavation, my timeless journey was cut short by a flashing blue screen abruptly projecting on the monitor. Taken aback from being yanked from my reminiscence, I pounded the desk in protest. After shutting down the PC and making multiple valiant attempts, the computer would not power on again. The faded white tower felt warm…too warm. 

Accepting defeat, I slowly arose from the office chair and reminded myself I was here to work and sort through everything. With a bittersweet sigh, I began sifting through files and old paperwork to make sure nothing of importance was overlooked. While continuing my task in the office, I couldn’t help but glance longingly at the old Compaq PC wishing I could have taken more time to see what digital memories had awaited me. 

After what seemed like hours, I peered outside and noticed the sun was nearly down. I checked my phone and realized the hour drive would set my arrival back home to nearly 9pm. Packing up a few loose papers I deemed worthy, I strolled out of the office and back down the hallway. But something stopped me dead in my tracks and I paused halfway out the front door. I stood in limbo stuck in the doorway considering my options. That relic of a PC was still haunting my mind. Could I really leave it? 

Determined, I walked back into the house and marched into the office. I unplugged the computer and awkwardly tucked the bulky tower under my arm. My tech skills weren’t the best, but I felt a sense of determination and confidence I could breathe life back into this dinosaur. 

As I closed the door behind me leaving the house one last time, I carried with me a legacy of love and connection. The real estate “Sold" sign might have flagged the front yard, but it did not dispel the true essence of my grandparents' home. The memories it held would forever reside within me and the vintage PC now under my care.