Lib Novel Page 3
As a result, the cottage had a new boiler, new wiring, high ceilings, and intricate woodwork that had been done by hand in the late 1800s. But it also had an older bathroom and kitchen, and more than a few rough patches in the plaster walls from the rewiring.
Cora was definitely going to have to learn how to repair and paint for herself. There was no way she could pay for this much help on a teacher’s salary.
On the other hand, she didn’t like going out often, or watching too much television. It would be nice to have a handy project to keep her busy after Sylvester went to bed or when he was involved in activities with his friends. Of course, if the workload she brought home from this new school was anything like what she was used to, expecting to have much free time was probably just wishful thinking. But it was still a fun idea.
“You can help me choose paint colors,” she decided out loud.
“For my room?” Sylvester asked.
“For all the rooms, I think,” she told him. “But we can start with yours.”
“Can we paint it all different colors?” he asked immediately.
“You mean like with stripes or spots?” she asked him.
He nodded hard.
“It’s our house,” she told him. “So we can paint it any colors we want. But I’m a brand-new painter. So maybe I’ll paint it one color just to start, and then if I’m any good at this, we can add stripes or spots?”
“I can do it,” Sylvester said, his eyes lighting up.
She knew already that the paint fumes could be bad for his lungs, no matter how much ventilation there was. It was so hard to tell him no all the time. But the memory of him trying desperately to get a breath during an attack was too frightening for her to ignore.
“We’ll see,” she told him. “We have to be very careful with your asthma.”
The excitement went out of his eyes, and she had to remind herself that it had been a long day, and he was tired and probably hungry too.
“I’m going to start our supper,” she told him. “Do you want to help me, or do you want to read?”
“I’ll read,” he told her, looking a little happier again. “I just got to a really good part.”
She smiled, glad that he had inherited her love of books. He was reading Treasure Island right now, which he seemed to be really enjoying.
They headed down to the kitchen, and he installed himself at a stool by the counter, his nose already in his book before she even got started.
Cora smiled and grabbed the can of soup and the loaf of homemade bread she had brought with them from Virginia. Normally she would cook a nicer meal, but there wasn’t anything else in the house. She would have to head to the grocery store tomorrow to stock up.
“Oh, that smells good,” she said, as the split pea and ham soup began to warm up in the pan.
But Sylvester didn’t answer. He was concentrating so hard on his book that it looked like he was about to physically dive into the pages.
Sylvester really loved reading adventure stories. In her heart, Cora knew that because his asthma kept him from a lot of the activities his friends did. She had grown up in a city apartment herself, and books had helped her escape, too.
These days Sylvester often wanted to talk about Treasure Island before bed instead of having her read to him, like she used to do every night.
He’s growing up, bit by bit, she thought to herself.
It was a bittersweet idea. She wished Arthur were here with them to witness all of Sylvester’s steps from little boy, to child, to the young man he would one day become.
Children need a village, she thought to herself. But at least here he’ll have his grandmother and me now. The three of us will be enough.
She nodded to herself, feeling certain it had to be so. And if Cora felt a little lonely from time to time, that was okay. She had everything she needed right here.
2
JARED
Jared Webb wandered into the feed shop as the setting sun painted the sky a deep pink overhead.