Home Again

The dashboard clock read 9:32 AM but Zack could already feel the sun through his open window. The Arizona summer heat lasted until mid-October but he and Sarah had decided that hot summers were better than cold winters. Their decision to leave Michigan and move to the southwest was a long time in the making, something they’d talked about for years. But both of their careers seemed to be stalled, most of their families had already moved on to other parts of the country and now seemed like the perfect time for them to leave. In August they had taken two weeks of their vacation time and flew to Phoenix to look for work. They’d figured on a long, slow process but were surprised when they both found jobs and they couldn’t wait to get started. Zack had driven out ahead of their move to begin some training and orientation. Sarah had stayed back in Michigan to sell the house and coordinate things with the moving company.

At 9:45 he got a text message from the realtor he’d been waiting for. It read: “Zack, sorry, stuck in traffic on 101. Should be there in ten. Bob.” Zack leaned back in the driver seat and let out a long sigh. He and Sarah were excited about their new home, a contemporary Spanish-style at the end of a cul-de-sac. It sat on a large lot and the lots on either side hadn’t been developed so neighbors were a comfortable distance away. It seemed odd to him that the two lots had utilities run from the street but no one had ever built on them. Their realtor, Bob Avery, had told them the house had been on the market for over a year which was surprising given its immaculate condition and beautiful setting. When they’d asked him why it hadn’t sold he got f tongue tied and said, “Oh, every house has its own time on the market.” It was a vague and not very satisfying answer. The home inspector’s report said everything was in good condition and as Zack sat in the driveway looking at their new home he couldn’t help but feel excited.

He got out of his car and made a slow walk around the outside of the house. The entire property was landscaped with native cactus, yucca and agave. Two spreading mesquite trees shaded the patio. The watering system had been upgraded and Zack figured his days of long, tedious yard maintenance were over. By the time he got back to the driveway Avery had arrived.

“Sorry, Zack,” he said as he got out of the car. “The eastbound traffic is usually pretty light.”

“Well,” Zack replied, “My commute will be west in the morning and east in the evening so I might have to learn some patience.”

Bob handed Zack a brightly colored canvas bag with his company logo on the side. “I brought you the second garage door opener and an extra set of keys that that the Bradshaws forgot to give you at the closing. You said that Sarah has the other set. There are also some chocolate truffles and a bottle of Chardonnay for a celebration when she gets here.”

“Oh, that’s really nice of you. We’ll toast you when we finally pop the cork.” He turned back toward the house. “Hey, Bob, any idea what’s going on with the lots on either side of us? Do you think we’ll have neighbors anytime soon?”

Bob hesitated as if he was searching for words. “Uh, well, I’m not aware of anything specific right now but you never know”

It was another vague answer that didn’t satisfy Zack. “I just don’t get why they’re still vacant.

Bob seemed nervous and changed the subject as he opened his car door. “I think that does it. You signed all of the papers and everything’s filed so I guess it’s your new home sweet home now.” He reached toward Zack and as they shook hands, he said, “Better get those truffles and wine into your new fridge. It’s getting hot out here.”

As he watched Avery head out of the cul-de-sac Zack used the new remote and opened the garage door then went into the kitchen and put the bag into the refrigerator. He’d told the people in his new office that he’d be in late morning so he took a few minutes to walk around the house.

He and Sarah loved the place from the first moment they’d walked in. Saltillo tile floors throughout the living space, hardwood floors in the bedrooms and daylight filling every corner. The original owners, Hank and Lily Bradshaw, an older couple, had meticulously maintained every part of the place, inside and out. It was as though no one had ever lived there. His favorite feature was the large archway between the entry foyer and the living room. It was a high, curving arc of white stucco brightly painted with a traditional Spanish flower and vine motif. It was the focal point of the entire floorplan. He’d been through the house a half dozen times and every time he’d stop, look up at the archway and run his hands over the band of vines. It was really special to him.

His workday was a mix of meeting new people and learning more about his job duties. In the afternoon he called Sarah. It rang four times at the other end before she answered breathlessly.  “Hi, honey. I was just packing the next to last box. I think we’re almost ready for the mover.”

“That’s great, babe. I wish I was there to help you out but the situation is what it is.”

“Don’t worry about it. Dave and Lynn have been over to help out and a guy from the mover brought some boxes and stayed around to help me with them. The truck comes on Friday morning and I think it’ll go just fine. Did you get your travel plans worked out? What time does your flight leave?”

“Everything’s set. My flight leaves at 10:20 and I should get in about 3:30 your time. Do you remember where to pick me up?”

“Yeah, I’ll wait in the cellphone lot and when I see that your flight’s on the ground I’ll head to the arrival curb. And remember to wear your red polo shirt so I can spot you in the crowd.”

“Will do. It’s going to be three long days in the car but I’m excited. It’s the next leg of our adventure.”

“I’m excited too. I almost can’t believe we’re doing this, pulling up stakes and moving two thousand miles. It’ll definitely be an adventure. Keep in touch, honey.”

Zack was wall to wall busy the rest of the day and left the office around 5:30. After he got back to his hotel he changed clothes and headed to the house. He was curious about how it looked at night. On the way he picked up a takeout dinner at McDonalds and it was almost finished when he pulled into the driveway. It was dusk and the outside lights were on. He remembered Avery telling him they were on a light-sensitive control. He left his car in the driveway and went to the front door to make sure the new key worked. When he clicked on the ornate ceiling light in the foyer he got his first glimpse of the house in something other than brilliant sunshine.  It was just as beautiful in the fading light.

He stepped through the archway and a rush of wind blew over him. He looked back into the foyer and wondered if a window had been left open somewhere. When he turned back to the living room he halted after the first step, not sure of what was happening. His previously empty house was now completely furnished with someone else’s furniture. There were even paintings and family pictures on the walls. When he saw the picture over the fireplace he felt a chill. It was a formal looking painting of Hank and Lily Bradshaw.

“What the hell?” he muttered. “What’s going on?” His emotions were a mix of shock and a real dose of fear. He took several cautious steps into the living room and looked around. Everything he saw said the house was still occupied. It was almost overwhelming. He reached into his pocket, his hand shaking, and took out his phone. Maybe Bob Avery knew what this was all about. The call rang five times before going to voicemail. “Bob, it’s Zack Marshall. I’m at the house and it’s full of the Bradshaw’s stuff. What the hell is happening here? Call me back like right now!”

There was too much going through his mind to just sit and wait for Bob’s reply. He took a long, deep breath and slowly walked further into the house.  He noticed the scent of some kind of flowery candle or air freshener. When he reached the dining room the table had been set for two. When he heard muffled voices from the kitchen he froze. He listened for a minute. It was a man and a woman talking but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Like it or not he knew he had to go into that kitchen. He walked to the doorway and felt his nervousness turning into anger. He was flat out dumbfounded when he saw Hank and Lily Bradshaw standing there.

He tried to maintain his composure. “Mr. Bradshaw...Hank, what is all this? Why are you still here and what’s with the furniture?” There was no response and not the slightest indication they even knew Zack was in the room. He waited and watched them for a moment and then said in a loud voice, “You aren’t supposed to be here. It’s my house now!” Again there was no response. Part of him wanted to grab the man and shake him but he decided to take a less aggressive tack and just waved his hand in Bradshaw’s face. The man didn’t even blink as he picked up a plate of bread and carried it into the dining room. Lily moved to the breakfast bar, directly facing Zack, as she filled two bowls with salad. “Lily, why are you here? She was no more responsive than her husband. It was as if Zack wasn’t even there.

The whole situation seemed surreal and Zack didn’t know what to say or do next. His ringing phone decided for him. He pulled it from his pocket and hurried back into the foyer. He felt the rush of wind again as he passed under the archway. He looked back and stopped in his tracks. The living room and dining room were empty again; no furniture, no pictures and no Bradshaws. Suddenly nothing made sense. He looked at his phone. He’d been prepared to scream at Avery about the former owners moving back in but now he was speechless. Everything seemed normal again.

His hands were still shaking when he answered. “Uh…hi, Bob. Thanks for calling back.”

Avery seemed hesitant. “Zack, I, uh, listened to your message…a couple times. What’s going on?”

Zack couldn’t decide what to say, whether to tell him everything that he had seen or just pretend it never happened. “Bob, I’m not sure what to say. I thought there was a problem but I guess I was wrong.”

“You said something about the Bradshaws. Did they leave some of their stuff behind, because if they did I’ll call them in the morning to get it cleared out.”

“No, I thought they did but after I looked around the place…well, things look okay.”

Zack was struck by how long it took for Avery to say anything else and when he finally spoke he sounded evasive. “Well…that’s good. You bought yourself a beautiful house at a below-market price and I can’t imagine what could be wrong with it. Look, Zack, I have to run now. Best of luck with your new home.”

Zack put his phone into his pocket and looked back toward the empty living room. He couldn’t get his head around what he’d just experienced. The house was empty then it wasn’t and then it was again. He’d been alone, then he wasn’t and then he was again. He retraced his steps in his mind. First he was in the foyer and everything was normal and when he passed under the archway he heard the sound of wind and then the Bradshaws and all of their furniture were there. “What in hell is that wind?” he wondered. “It’s only when I go through the arch and then other times it’s not there.”

Back at his office it was a struggle to focus on his work. Every conversation and every meeting happened in a fog. He couldn’t avoid thinking about the house and about the people who were there, or who he thought were there. He wondered if his new colleagues thought he wasn’t paying attention or that he was a flake. He managed to get through the day and went to his hotel. A drink at the bar didn’t begin to relax him and neither did sprawling on the bed for an hour. The house didn’t leave any room in his head for thoughts of anything else. As much as he wanted to avoid the same experience he knew he had to go back for another look around.

When he got there he sat in his car for a few minutes, half eager to go into the house and half just as eager to hurry back to the hotel. The outside lights were on again. He took a deep breath, got out of the car and headed to the front door. Inside the elegant foyer light was bright enough to illuminate the living room, the empty living room. “Okay,” he thought, “everything’s okay, time to head back to the hotel.” But he couldn’t convince himself and turned toward the living room. His first step under the archway brought the wind and with his second step the furniture appeared and the lights came on. He closed his eyes in panic but he knew he had to search for an answer to his strange predicament.

“Hello,” he called out. “Hello, is anyone here?” He walked into the dining room and, like his last visit the table was set, this time for three. He turned toward the kitchen and called out, Mr. Bradshaw are you here?” Not surprisingly there was no answer. He knew he had no choice but to enter the kitchen and when he did he found the Bradshaws.

Sarah had circled the airport seven times looking for Zack at both arrival areas. She’d called him on his cellphone and had left a dozen messages but never heard back. It wasn’t like him to do something like that. She’d been torn about what to do, stay home or head to Arizona. When the moving van pulled up in front of her house the next morning she felt a pressure to follow through with the original plan. The three day drive had been sheer hell for her; no idea of her husband’s whereabouts or what she’d find when she got to their new house. She’d cried almost constantly and found it hard to eat anything. When she finally drove up to the curb in front of the house and saw Zack’s car in the driveway she was both relieved and angry.

She turned off the car and sat for a moment staring at the house then got out and slowly walked to the front door. She was surprised it was locked. She knew there would be a confrontation with Zack and she took a breath, unlocked the door and walked into the foyer. Despite her anger she took a moment to glance around and take in the view of their new home. She looked into the living room and thought about the painting she had already selected to hang above the fireplace. The wind that brushed across her when she stepped through the archway caught her off guard but it was when she saw the furniture that she stopped in her tracks. “What the hell is this?” she thought “ She wondered if Zack had bought it all but the style wasn’t their taste and it looked well aged.

Suddenly her anger turned to a very real panic. “Zack,” she shouted, “are you here?” There was no answer.” Zack!” She walked farther and when she saw the dining room with the table set for four she wondered if she should turn around and leave. She felt frozen in place and when she heard unfamiliar voices from the kitchen she felt a chill. She took a few cautious steps toward the kitchen doorway and saw the Bradshaws standing by the open refrigerator. Then she turned and saw Zack sitting at the breakfast bar.

“Zack, what is all this? What’s going on?” When Zack didn’t answer or even look in her direction she turned to the Bradshaws. “Why are you here? This isn’t your house anymore!” They acted like she wasn’t even there. “Zack, answer me, what the hell is happening?” Zack stood up and said, “Hank, I’m gonna grab a beer, do you want one?”

Bob Avery locked the front door behind him while John and Lynn Marshall waited beside his car. Bob was grinning ear to ear as he walked up to them. “You guys are going to love this place. The end of a cul-de-sac is a prime location and the two vacant lots will give you plenty of elbow room. And here are some chocolate truffles and wine to celebrate with.””

John looked back at the house. “I still don’t understand why this place has been on the market for a year and a half.”

Avery smiled. “Oh, every house has its time on the market.”

THE END