World Of War (Arula: Three)

Chapter 12

Jason walked up the driveway to the landlady's home. The first number he had called the landlord's room was already taken by some other college student who was going to state. So, Jason had hoped that the next number he called the room was available to him. And it was. Thankfully. The home belonged to a woman called Mrs. Lucas, and from how she sounded on the phone she was about in her late fifties to early sixties. Jason walked on the front porch where two rocking chairs relax on its concrete. On the next house over, Jason could hear a dog barking. Great, he thought. I just hope its hypoallergenic. Jason reached over and ringed the doorbell.

"Coming!" Said a cheerful voice on the other side. When the door swung open an elder woman in her sixties stood there. She was short and plump, the kind of elder woman you read about in books who baked cookies and were the sweetest people on Earth. "Ah! I was wondering when you were going to show up!" She said.

"You're Mrs. Lucas?" Jason asked.

"I don't anyone else with my name and address, do you, young man?" Mrs. Lucas said with a crooked smile. Jason shook his head.

"No, ma'am."

"Please, call me Mrs. Lucas or Mrs. Susie, your choice." Jason nodded again.

"Yes, Mrs. Lucas." He said a bit sheepishly.

"Good boy. Now come in, come in! Let's not waste time standing out here. I'll show you to your room." Mrs. Lucas let Jason in her two-story house. The house itself was crowded with shelves full of antiques and pictures. There was a three-cushion sofa with a small box TV in the living room. The kitchen had one circle wooden table with two wooden chairs to match. A counter, sink, fridge, dishwasher, cabinets, and stove finished off the rest of the room. Mrs. Lucas took him up the long stairs. Jason noticed there wasn't a chair lift that many elder people put in their homes.

"Aren't you worried that you'll get stuck or fall down?" Jason asked. Mrs. Lucas laughed.

"My boy, when you get to be my age and see the technology around you change and expand, sometimes you refuse to evolve with it. I don't believe in using those chairs. If God had intended us to use stairs, then we use it. No shortcuts." Jason didn't respond, because for one he didn't know how. And two, if he were to argue with the old woman, he may not get the room. When they made it up the stairs, Mrs. Lucas turned right and took Jason to his room.

The room was small, but suitable. It had one twin bed pushed against the corner of the wall, a nightstand stood next to it. A dresser was beside the door with a round mirror. A walk in closest across from the door and a small rug rested in the center of the room. The room smell musty and of strong perfume. "Here it is," Mrs. Lucas said. "I hope it's to your liking." Jason walked into the room. He examined it and nodded to himself.

"It's just fine, Mrs. Lucas, thanks." Jason said. "I don't need anything fancy since I'm here only for the few weeks until my car is fixed." Mrs. Lucas nodded.

"You're very welcomed. Now I'll just leave you to it and you may join me for dinner when you're done unpacking." Mrs. Lucas closed the door to the room and went downstairs leaving Jason to himself. Jason flung his bag on the bed and dust flew everywhere. He coughed and waved away the dust. Jason unzipped his bag and took out his laptop. He turned it on and went on his college website where he sent out an email to every one of his professors explaining his situation and saying that he'll be missing school for next two weeks. When he was done with that, he took out his smartphone and texted his mother that he found a place to crash.

When Jason was settled, he went downstairs to join Mrs. Lucas for dinner. On his way to the kitchen, he saw a picture of a war veteran. The veteran was a gentleman in his mid-twenties. As Jason took a seat, he asked Mrs. Lucas about the man in the picture. "Oh, that was a picture of my late husband, Drew Lucas. He was part of the Vietnam War, you know. We were married as soon as he returned from the war."