The rain softly pattered on the hood of my car parked by my porch. In my left hand was a lit cherry hinted cigarillo. In my right was a cold glass of iced sweet tea wrapped in a paper towel. Maggie lay on the floor at my feet chewing on her favorite plush toy, a cow.
"Me and you are two lucky souls," I said to Maggie as she looked up at me trying to decipher human-speak.
This was the moment before many souls would descend upon my home in the span of mere minutes. My father arrived bearing gifts of Risperdal, Lithium and Lexapro. Charlie and his son soon followed with gifts of hamburgers, potato salad, and baked beans. It was sort of an impromptu spur-of-the-moment party complete with crazy meds for us more mentally addled folks. We wouldn't want the party-goers getting too interesting now would we?
Charlie helped me drill some holes in the floor and we ran a cable line from my basement into my computer room. I hooked up my modem and I was soon back online after a week of mostly sporadic internet access.
"That is just awesome," I told Charlie as I opened Internet Explorer and the Google homepage was displayed.
"I can't believe that modem worked from your old house," Charlie replied.
"I learned that trick from when I was homeless," I replied. "I figured out you can move modems around to different locations in the cable network and they will still work."
My father looked on totally disinterested. He is a man who is completely baffled by electronics. I have often chided him about the very nice stereo in his Honda for which he has trouble turning on.
I was sad to see everyone leave as I shut my front door and turned off the porch light. I felt some fierce writing mojo coming on and just had to escape to the front bedroom and write this on my newly established internet connection. The first word that came to mind was Pleasantville so that is what I titled this post. It has been a long and interesting journey from homelessness to owning my own home – a road less traveled by most. I am glad to be home – home, what a marvelous word. Good night.
10 comments:
I'm so glad that you got moved into your house. I know you are excited about it too. I hope this finds you doing fine and have a great and wonderful weekend
Laura
What a wonderful, feel-good post, Andrew, I am so happy for you and your new home!!! Yeah for the working connection, I would be lost without mine!
Yes, home is a wonderful word. Glad to know you and Maggie have your very own place and that you have friends to share your happiness with.
Now when you go on your urban camping adventure you will know that you have a safe, secure home waiting for you. Will Maggie camp with you?
Once several years ago my sons insisted I camp with them. It was a lot of fun until I had a visitor in my sleeping bag - a COLD LIZARD. That lizard will never be the same!! Everyone in a two mile radius heard me scream. I spent the rest of the night in the truck. I don't know why I've never had another invitation to camp with them.
I am SO happy for you. :)
All I can say is...ahhh, which is what I heard from you in this post, the sound of being content, happy. I like hearing that from you. When one struggles all the time, it makes the other times so much sweeter, I think.
Wow visitors and eveything. You are quite the host now aren't you? How nice of Charlie to bring food over, do you have a bar-b-que at your new house?
Congratulations.
Now off to read the backlog.
Welcome home. I know you have been anxiously awaiting for this. I am glad the time has arrived. I can't wait to hear about the new adventures of this summer and what your new neighbors may be like. Have a great weekend, dear friend.
At my new house I have fiber optics. I am completely confused by what is so great about it.
The "modem" is huge and I keep it unplugged most of the time because it heats up like a furnace.
Welcome home Andrew.
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