Lily

The House

     "Here we are, kids!" my mom turned around in her seat and smiled at me and Tommy, and then smiled at Gale, sitting in the passenger's seat. Of course, he was staring at the house, grinning in anticipation. This house looks perfect for him, I thought. Of course he likes it. The house was huge, just like my mom said, but it was worn down in such a way where it didn't look like it would collapse to the touch but it also wasn't exactly something that would allow me to show off to my friends, either. The wood on the exterior walls was grayed, it had three moderately tall windows on the front wall of the middle story, and the shingles on the roof were partially decayed. It stretched almost as long as an abbey, and it was taller than any of the three-story houses in my old neighbourhood. Look, let me just say it-- the house looked like shit. One look at Tommy, and I could tell he was thinking the same thing. But Gale and my mom looked excited. I scowled, Are you really so oblivious that you're unable to see that this house you picked out is a plain fucking dump?

     When we got to the door, I was reaching for the knob when my mom kind of slapped my hand away. Then she knocked. I was expecting for there to be nothing but the sound of the birds chirping, and that my mom had lost her marbles, but to my surprise, the sound of light footsteps came to the door. In about three seconds, the door opened, and a stout little man was revealed. He was wearing an orange-and-yellow plaid suit with old-fashioned loafers; he had one of those perfect handlebar moustaches; he had a dark brown comb-over; he had plump red cheeks. When he saw us, he smiled, making his cheeks even plumper.

     "Mrs. Johnston! How are you?" he said in a cheery, yet very formal-sounding, voice.

     "I'm well, thank you. Are you Mr. Harris?" she said, extending her hand out to him.

     "Yes, I believe we spoke on the phone," he said, shaking her hand. "Please just call me Clifford."

     "Do you live here?" Tommy asked, looking sort of amazed, staring at Clifford as if in awe. Clifford laughed.

     "No, young sir, I do not," he said patiently, shaking his head. "I am just your new real estate agent. I'm here to show you around, and if you buy the place and after a while you decide to sell it or rent it out to someone, I will be the one helping you look for new houses."

     "I can't wait to see the inside of the house," Gale said, almost giddy.

     "Then we should start the tour," he said, smiling brightly at all of us.

     First we toured the sitting area, which was already furnished since we weren't able to pack any of the furniture in our old house, then he took us into the kitchen, then down the hallway to all the bedrooms, then the living area, then the drawing room, then the library, then the bathrooms, then upstairs to the livery, then the guest bedrooms, and finally, up another level to tour the master bedroom and a little empty room, which, as Clifford explained, "could be used any way we wish". He didn't show us the attic, which I could understand. I mean, who would want to see an attic?

     It was a long time until he finally made us decide. But my mom, of course, had already decided, and seemed like she had for a while.

     "We'll take it!" she said almost instantly, Clifford barely able to finish his sentence. His eyes brightened, and he smiled hugely.

     "Alright, then it's settled!" Clifford said. "Now here comes the worst part: the paperwork."

     It seemed like hours before all the questions were done and the paper sheets gone. When my mom finally put down the pen for good, I exhaled a long sigh of relief.

     "Whew," Tommy puffed, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

     "Alright, you're finally done. This house is legally yours!" Clifford announced in a very relieved, celebratory way. "Phew, I can swear to God, this has felt like the longest hour of my life. Never has paperwork felt this exhausting afterwards." He laughed. It was a long, deep, jolly belly laugh that I was so joyful that when he stopped laughing, I instantly felt even more depressed than I was before. As if I needed the laugh to keep living, or else I would die. Which is kind of stupid, really.