Authors: Shayna Ryan
“Seriously?
Fine, if you won’t come get me, I’ll find someone else.” I hung up without another word and began scrolling through my contacts to try other friends who were at the wedding. After half a dozen calls I was almost in tears with frustration. Every friend was sympathetic to my plight, but each declined to come get me. Either they had been drinking and were in no shape to get behind the wheel, or they offered various excuses as to why they couldn’t possibly come rescue me. These women I thought were my friends had no interest in helping me out. I convinced myself that I would have come to get them if the situation had been reversed.
“I am so
unfriending them all when I get home!” I threatened out loud to no one in particular. With a sigh of defeat I trudged back into the garage. Bobby was still waiting for me behind the counter.
“No luck?”
“No luck. So where can I find a hotel room for the night?”
“It’s not a hotel, exactly, but
while you were outside I called over to the local Inn to see if they have room, and they do. You can stay there if you want. It’s the only place in town with a vacancy, so it’s not like you have a lot of options here.”
I
tried to look on the bright side, I really did. My car was wrecked, I was stuck in some stupid little town and my so-called friends refused to come get me, but if I had to be stuck at least I could enjoy a little New England Inn like all the travel blogs raved about.
“Thanks. I appre
ciate you calling.” Now that I was accepting my situation it was easier to remember my manners. “How do I get there?”
“Easy, really.
It’s a ten minute walk, if even.” He gave me directions to reach the Inn on foot and took down my insurance information as well as my cell phone number so he could reach me when he had any news about my SUV.
“I’ll be in touch. Try not to worry–we’ll get your car right again, and
Dottie’ll take care of you in the meantime.”
“
Guess that’ll have to do, huh?” I was trying to adjust my attitude about everything as it looked like I was stuck in town until my SUV was fixed, but I secretly hoped that one of my friends would have a change of heart and come rescue me from this small town hell.
-2-
Bobby’s directions were accurate, and it was a brief walk away from the center of town down one of the side roads to the Inn. On the way there I tried to imagine the amenities I could enjoy there, like a long soak in the hot tub or taking my morning coffee out in a glorious, rose covered gazebo overlooking the fall foliage. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all, kind of like a mini-vacation. Then again, I’d have to take the cheapest room they had to offer. I didn’t have the money for a luxury stay, or any, for that matter, but I’d just do the best I could.
A weathered wooden sign at the end of a dirt driveway
up the road a ways caught my eye.
The Brixby Inn.
A massive hedgerow of ancient lilac bushes blocked the view of it from the road, but it came into view as I walked down the long driveway.
“Of course.
Why am I not surprised?” The images in my head of a charming, quaint little New England Inn disappeared as reality set in. Even at a distance, The Brixby Inn looked worn and ancient with a sagging front porch and peeling paint. Things only looked worse the closer I got to it.
The front
grounds were an overgrown mess with long, scraggly weeds instead of a front lawn, and overgrown, untended gardens. A few of the grand colonial’s shutters were sagging, and some were missing all together. Weeds sprouted up between the stones of the front walk way. The condition of the exterior made me fearful for what lay ahead inside.
I
hesitated a moment at the front door, unsure of how to proceed. This place looked like a nightmare, but it was the only available lodging in town and maybe it’d be cheap, given the state of it. Timidly I thumped the brass knocker on the front door. I heard the knocking boom reverberate throughout the old house, but no one came to the door. What the hell–someone should have been expecting me. Bobby said he’d called ahead. Well, at least now I knew why they had a room for rent even during the foliage season. The place was a disaster, though it was clear to see it could be lovely with some TLC.
Tired of waiting for what felt like the thousandth time that day,
I opened the front door and poked my head inside.
“Hello?” No one answered,
and the house was still, but I spied a small desk to the right of the door with a guest book and a bell to ring for service. It was worth a try.
I
closed the solid wooden front door behind me and rang the bell on the desk. It made a loud, high pitched ping that made me want to cover my ears to escape it.
“Coming!” a
shrill voice called from a faraway room.
I
resisted the urge to drum my fingers on the desktop while I waited, but the delay for service gave me a moment to look around. The front entryway was worn but clean. Faded floral wallpaper peeled at the edges, and the rich, dark wood floor was scuffed and worn, but clean. Whoever cared for the place took enough pride in it to keep it clean, even if they couldn’t keep up with the repairs.
I heard a faint shuffling sound and I
wondered who, exactly, was coming to greet me. A moment later I had to wonder no more.
An elderly woman came out of the adjoining dining room. She was grey-haired and hunched over, and moved with a slow, painful looking gate. Her eyes were faded and rheumy, set back in her weathered, wrinkled face, but her smile was genuine and warm.
“Welcome, welcome! You must be Calista! Bobby told me he’d send you over.”
“Yes, um, that’s me.”
“I’m Dottie Brixby, but please, just call me Dottie. It’s a real pleasure to have you here!” She offered her hand and I reluctantly shook it. The paper thin skin was fragile and warm, and I was careful not to shake it too hard. Dottie looked like a strong breeze might do her in. It was impossible to guess her exact age, but I would have easily believed her to be anything north of 75.
“I do hope you’ll pardon the place! We’ve actually been closed for a few years now, but Bobby explained you were in a bind, so I didn’t feel right turning you away.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to impose.” I actually felt a little bit better knowing the place had been shut down for the past few years. At least Dottie had the sense to recognize that her Inn was in no condition to attract the regular tourists.
“It’s no imposition at all, really. I’ll be glad for the company. Now, I’m afraid I
have only a few rooms that are suitable for a guest right now, but come, we’ll go pick one out for you.”
“Abou
t that–what are your rates?” I hated to ask, but I needed to know.
“Well now. I used to charge $125 for the suites on the third floor, but I’m afraid I haven’t kept up with those since we closed, so all I can offer you is the dormitory style lodging on the second floor.”
“What does that mean, exactly?” I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that.
“The rooms on that floor share a bathroom at the end of the hall.”
“But I’m the only guest, right?”
“Yes, you’re it, so it’s not like you’ll have to wait in
line,” Dottie explained with a small smile. “I used to charge $60 a night for those rooms, but seeing as how this is all rather unexpected and we’re not in tip-top shape for guests right now, I’d be happy to take $20 a night.”
“That would be just fine.” At only $20 a night, the accommodations were looking better by the minute. It would still be a hit to
my bank account to stay in town while waiting for my SUV to be repaired, but the less I had to spend, the better.
“I’d offer to take your bag, but I’m afraid I’m not as young as I used to be!”
“Oh, of course, please, don’t worry about it!” I grabbed my bag and followed Dottie up the wide staircase, one slow step at a time. I had to temper my pace to that of the old woman and it felt like it took forever. I reminded myself that I was in no hurry anyway since I had no ride and nowhere else to go. I was stuck in this time place indefinitely.
The worn, dirty, country style
wallpaper that covered the staircase wall must have been pretty some time ago, but now it just looked ancient and neglected. In stark contrast to the wallpaper was the dark wooden banister, clean and polished to a lustrous shine. I longed to skim my hand along its soft curves but I didn’t dare sully it with my fingerprints.
Once we
finally reached the top of the stairs, Dottie flipped on the hall light. The hallway was dark and dim as all the room doors were closed.
“That’s the bathroom, there at the end,” Dottie gestured. “The hot water is
very
hot, so be sure to use caution. Now, let’s see…which room would suit you?” She opened the nearest door and poked her head in before stepping aside to let me see it as well.
The room faced the front of the house and offered a view tangled front grounds and the road. A double bed was pushed against the far wall, covered in a worn floral patterned comforter.
“I think–” I was just about to accept the room as I suspected none would outshine another when Dottie interrupted me.
“Not this one, of course not.
Now why didn’t I show you the best one first, instead of saving it for last?” She shook her head. “Come on now, I know just the one.”
Again I
followed slowly behind her through the dim hallway, clutching my bag. Every part of the house I had seen so far was worn and neglected but clean. I expected my room would be just the same and so as long as it was clean, I didn’t care which room I took. Sight unseen I decided I would accept the next room, if for no other reason than to settle in and stop running Dottie around. I felt slightly guilty for causing her all this trouble; it didn’t look like she had much stamina given her old age.
“See
how this one suits you.” She opened the last door on the left at the end of the hallway, nearest the bathroom, and I gasped in surprise.
This room was far larger than the first and occupied one front corner of the house. Huge windows on two side
s allowed the afternoon’s fading light to filter into the room. An old stone fireplace filled up most of one wall, and a large wooden canopy bed sat directly across from it against the far wall. The tiny paisley print wallpaper was done in pastel hues and looked newer than the rest I had seen in the rest of the house, though ‘newer’ was a relative term. It was clearly at least a decade old. The light colors matched the faded handmade quilt covering the bed. An antique wool rug in hues of blues and pinks covered a large portion of the floor, but I could see old finished wooden planks where it failed to cover the original flooring. It was clean, and less shabby than the rest of the house, and it was probably the best I’d get.
“It’s lovely
. I’ll take this one, if you don’t mind.”
“It’s your for the taking,” Dottie assured
me. “Breakfast is at 8:00, and you’re welcome to join me if you wish. Dinner is hit or miss around here, I’m afraid, but there’s always ‘Ginger’s’ in town for a bite.”
“I was in there earlier for a cup of coffee.”
“Oh, then you already met Ginger. She’s a doll, isn’t she?”
I
nodded but kept my comments about the café’s patrons to myself.
“Well, I’ll leave you to get settled. Feel free to poke around a bit, anywhere but
this floor here. I like to keep these rooms at the ready for unexpected guests like yourself, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t go fussing around on this floor, but feel free elsewhere. If you need anything, my room’s downstairs, just off of the kitchen.”
“Thanks, Dottie.”
I held my smile until the old woman shuffled away, closing the door behind her.
With a sigh of resignation I
dropped my bag on the bed. While this wasn’t the quality of Inn I had been hoping for, it’d have to do. At least the price was right. I had no interest in poking around the house, and I wasn’t hungry even though dinnertime was approaching. I needed something to occupy my time while I waited for Bobby to call about my SUV, so I decided to explore the Inn grounds before it got too dark outside.
All was quiet on the ground floor, so
I stepped out the front door and closed it softly behind me. The neglected front yard held no interest for me, so I headed around the house on the driveway side to see what the back was like. To my surprise, there was an old blue Ford F150 parked in the driveway. A clump of overgrown bushes had hidden it from me during my walk up the driveway. It made me smile to see the beat up truck. Dottie must be quite a sight to see, driving around town behind the wheel of the big beast. Briefly I wondered how she even managed to drive, given her fragile condition. Then it hit me–maybe I could borrow or even rent the truck from her so I could go to the wedding after all. It was doubtful that she used it much, from the looks of it. I’d ask her about it when I went back inside.
As I
rounded the back of the house, I gasped in surprise. While the majority of it was in no better shape than the front yard, all neglected and overgrown, there was an unexpected oasis in the mess. Someone had tended a large area of grass and kept it neatly trimmed, and in the center of if sat a lovely antique wrought iron patio set.
As I
walked up a trodden path through the weeds towards the table set my cell phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Calista, Bobby here. Listen, I’ve looked over your car. You need a new hood and bumper, as well as some other minor body work up front, but you’ve got a cracked radiator and your transmission’s sustained a lot of damage from the hit and needs replacing. Those are the big items but there are a lot of minor things too. I’ve spoken to your insurance company and hammered out an agreeable price for the work, so with your permission I’d like to order those parts I need.”
I
pulled out one of the wrought iron seats and sat down at the little table as I rubbed my temple. The headache that was threatening to manifest itself earlier now promised to be a full-blown, throbbing mess shortly.
“Sounds expensive.”
“Yeah, it will be, but your insurance will cover everything except your deductible.”
“Oh, right. Sure, order what you need. You’ll get it all Tuesday or so?”
“I hope to. It’s getting late now, and it’s a Friday at the end of the day. I’ll order the parts I need as soon as I get off the phone with you, but some places may already be closed for the weekend.”
“I see.” The way the rest of the day had gone, this news wasn’t really a shock to
me. No doubt everything was bound to take far longer than it should have. “Well, go ahead then, I guess.”
“Will do.
I’ll keep you posted.” With that Bobby signed off.
I
tucked my phone back into my pocket and looked around. This, this is where I was trapped for the week, unless I could talk Dottie into loaning me the truck. This patch of weeds and decrepit old house. Not the lovely New England foliage weekend at a posh resort I had envisioned when I accepted the invitation to Sarah’s wedding.
Somewhere nearby I heard a car door slam, and I
strained to see the lights from the neighbor’s houses now that full dark was near. The woods were too dense and I couldn’t see them even though they must have been close, at least close enough to hear them in their nearby driveway. I sat like that for a bit, out in the late twilight, just enjoying the quiet and stillness of the evening. As anxious as I was to get out of there, I dreaded asking Dottie about the truck. It was presumptuous of me to ask to borrow it, even for money, but I was that desperate.