The Floorboard

The Floorboard {3}

It takes me hours to go through the house getting rid of all the grime that covers every last inch so, once I finish the time is already creeping towards 6. I wipe the build-up of sweat off my face with a cloth and look around. It's a slight improvement. At least I won't choke on dust anymore.

I head to my room and it takes me almost half an hour to settle on what to wear before I head to bathroom and try turning on the shower. It takes me a moment to realise that I don't actually have running water yet. I slump against the wall. I'm in desperate need of a shower and I can't show up to dinner smelling this gross.

I try to think of options. I can't even just use the tap, and it would be a bit extreme to go to a public bathroom for a five minute shower. The closest thing to a shower would be at Dustan's. I cringe but really it's the only option. I try to tidy myself up a bit before I'm grabbing my change of clothes in a bag and heading out the door.

I knock on the door gently before I hear a yelled "coming". The door is pulled open to reveal a smiling Dustan.

"Hey, you're here early" He holds the door open for me to come in.

"yeah sorry, I actually don't have a working shower right now and might be here to ask you if I could use yours" I put on my best pleading face looking up at him and batting my eyes.

He laughs "Sure, no problem" he closes the front door and I follow him down the hallway to a door on the right which reveals a surprisingly spacious bathroom.

"Thank you so much" I say gratefully as he grabs a towel from a cupboard and places it on the bench and I set my things down.

"Don't worry about it. Hard at work already I see" I turn to him standing at the door.

"Yeah, who knew dusting could be so tiring" I say not having to hide my exhaust.

"Well, I'll leave you to get cleaned up, call if you need anything else." He closes the door after him and I'm left to finally get rid of the dirt that covers my skin.

I try to be quick so as not to use up all his hot water and make sure everything is back to normal before I leave the bathroom. I follow the hallway which leads into an open living room. My gaze filters the room as I take in all the different Knick knacks. All the objects are so diverse from each other that you wouldn't normally picture it working but they tie in together in a way that creates a sense that can only be described as home.

I follow the clanging through the living room and into the kitchen. Dustan looks at me with a brief smile before finishing adding something to a pan on the stove.

He puts the board down and turns to me. "Nice shower?"

"Yeah, really good thanks" I respond stepping into the kitchen. "Smells delicious."

"Hope it tastes as good, Gonna be another few minutes if that's alright with you?" He asks

"Not a problem, what can I do to help?" After that we set out preparing for dinner. He finishes off cooking the dinner while I help set up the table.

It isn't long before we're sitting at his dining table biting into our steak ribs. There is no real pretty way to eat ribs which is how I end up with barbecue sauce surrounding my mouth and Dustan laughing. To my defense he was no better. We make small talk in between bites, about my life in Sydney and his work as a chef.

"So, what made you want to come here and fix the house?" He questioned as he sat back, plate scrapped clean.

"I don't know actually" I reply honestly, I look back to him after gazing at my hands. "Only thing that comes to mind is curiosity. Ever since I was little and learnt about Henley and the details or lack there of, I suppose I have just wondered what happened."

"What do you know?" He asked leaning forward, not prying but showing the same interest I have had my whole life.

"That basically, when my Aunt was 20, around the same time as World War ll, she did something or things that was considered treason and my family cut her off, never spoke to her again from what I know" I shrugged, sometimes I just want to ignore the burn in my chest for answers. With too many questions and no answers it gets tiring.

"Funny thing is that I was actually about to give up looking for the reasons for what happened until I found a letter to my mum about the house and needing to sell it." I add smiling slightly.

"Well then, I'm glad you did find that letter, otherwise I wouldn't have met you." He smiles, our faces are closer than I realise as we both lean on the table "Or see you're juggling talents with the shopping ." We both laugh.

It's past Eleven before Dustan is saluting me goodnight from his porch as I make my way around to my house. Its another fifteen minutes before im wearing my PJs in bed with the doona to my chin already half asleep.

--

The next few days I spend combing through closets and cupboards trying to sort things into piles. Keep. Sell. Chuck. To say this was hard would be an understatement. By the time I was almost done there were more than a dozen keep boxes pilled in the living room with only a meager two chuck boxes, full of mainly just the broken items beyond repair.

Dustans tradie friend Ty called me a day or two after dinner and we decided I would clear out all the small things then he would come over and see firsthand everything to be done before we begin hashing out all the details.

I walked into the main bedroom with the hole next to the bed, the last room that needed to be cleared. I sat the boxes down before starting the process of opening the wardrobes and sifting out the items too broken for damage repair separating them from everything else.

Each room somehow seemed to be worse than the other when I cleared everything. Unearthing so many cracks and dents that I don't know how I will afford the cost to fix them all. Maybe I will have to just keep some and try and pass it off as rustic.

As I was in deep thought I pulled out a gorgeous blue dress thats lower hem was lined with silver beads which had apparently come loose over time, so when I pulled it out from between the other clothing some of them managed to drop off, running across the floor in every direction.

I heave a sigh before trying to chase down all the beads. I think I have them all when I see one on the edge of the hole. I go to grab it but the pressure of my feet against the wood unsteadies it and it rolls over the edge. Not doing much anyway I go and retrieve my phone, switching on the torch. I crouch down and shine the light into the darkness.

It only takes a few seconds to spot the shining bead but the thing that catches my eye is the old wooden box nestled in the dirt beside it. My eyebrows furrow as I reach down and grab the chest, leaving the bead behind.

The brittle box was made of withered down timber, either from the years of being forgotten or too much love before it was abandoned.

It was a peculiar box, almost a contradiction to itself. As I gazed down at it in my lap I could see the latch that was so rusted you almost couldn't make out the gold reflection but it was hanging on a weird angle like a clasp only would after years of use.

I reach down and pull the cool latch up pushing the lid open cautiously, making sure not to damage the squeaking hinges. My gaze locks onto the contents and I frown.

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Hi all,

Sorry but couldn't help myself leaving it on a cliff hanger.
Don't worry, won't have to wait to long for an answer, next chapter should be up in at the most a week.
Tell me how you like it so far...
Thanks for reading xx

Tegan•

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