Dreams that May Come

A new home

It was a quaint little house. It had three bedrooms, a living room, a dining room and kitchen. It even had a small laundry room, a bath and a half and a nice room that would be great for her own home office.
The backyard was big compared to other backyards. This is because the empty lot behind the house was part of the package.
Paige looked around the house and yard again seeing the potential that this home could have. She still couldn't believe it was hers now.
Being a single mother with a small 6-year-old daughter she didn't have much money. So when her income tax check came in she put it in the bank hoping to save for a good down payment for a home that her daughter and she could spend their lives in.
She had been delighted when she heard this home was up for auction. She went to the event just to watch as others bid on it. Not actually having any hope that she could own it.
When she arrived she was surprised to see that there weren't very many people there. There didn't seem to be much interest in the house. It was a very small village after all. Not a lot of jobs and not a lot of business in this village.
She took her seat as the auctioneer took the podium to begin. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Castillo village auction." He announced.
"Today we are auctioning off this lovely three bedroom home with the large backyard. It is true that the house needs some repairs done. But it has wonderful potential for the right person.
This home was taken for back taxes from the previous owners. So we will start the bidding at three thousand dollars. Do I hear three thousand?"
As the auctioneer finished the question a gentleman in a red jacket raised his paddle with his bidding number on it. "We have three thousand, do I hear thirty-five hundred?"
Before she knew what she was doing, Paige raised her paddle. "We have thirty-five hundred, do I hear four thousand?"
The rest of the auction went by in a blur for Paige. Finally, the bidding reached six thousand dollars. She was the respondent to the bid. But she knew that if the man in the red jacket raised his paddle in the next round he would be the winner. Because six thousand was all she had in her bank account.
The bidding kept going between just the two of them. No one else seemed to want to go against the man in the red jacket. But Paige was having fun. That is until reality started to set in with her last bid of six thousand dollars.
"I have a bid of six thousand, do I hear sixty-five hundred?" Cried the auctioneer.
The room got deathly quiet waiting to see what was going to happen next. Then everyone gasped in shock when the man shook his head no. He wasn't willing to go any higher.
"Six thousand going once... Six thousand going twice... Six thousand going three times..." Again everyone looked at the man in the red jacket. But the man said nothing.
"Sold!" Cried the auctioneer. "To the young lady with paddle 437." At that moment everyone stood up and began congratulating Paige on winning the home.
Paige was still in shock over her win as she noticed the man leaving through the door. She wondered who he was but didn't have the courage to ask anyone about him.
It was at that moment that the auctioneer caught her attention and lead her to the person who had the deed to the property. They signed it over to her.
"You will have to take this title over to the title office to have it transferred into your name. It is located in the old court house on main street,"

*****

Now she looked around the house and at the property all around. It was two days after the auction and she still hadn't told her parents or daughter about the home. She was worried about what they might say about it.
All she knew was that she didn't want to live with her parents forever.she felt like a disappointment to them because she had a job working at the local pharmacy and collecting food stamps and Medicaid from the state just to be able to take care of her daughter Kendall.
She and Kendall lived with her parents for the past five years. They moved in when Paige ran away from Kendall's father after he beat her up one night. Kendall was only one year old at the time. As far as Paige was concerned they were better off without him in their lives.
Page took one last look around then locked the door behind her to head home. She decided that tonight at dinner will be the right time to tell her family. She was actually becoming excited about moving in and making a home for her and her daughter.
She had decided she would let Kendall decide which of the two smaller bedrooms would be hers. Then they would go together to pick out paint colors to paint her room with. She wanted to make Kendall feel at home in the new place.
Getting in her car she headed back to her parent's house. She began cooking dinner as a way to pass the time away until the family was able to get together and discuss it and her plans to move into it and make a nice home for her and Kendall.
"Kendall come and set the table for dinner." She called to her daughter.