Chapter 7

Sunday, everyone ate at our house, served by a happy Morris and Anna. All the families went to church with us. Marianne rode with us to Sunday School but went to the high school class to be with Tom. We went to the college class where our upcoming nuptials were celebrated. Sunday afternoon saw us back at the house. After lunch, everyone headed back to their respective homes. Karen and I went back to school to pack. Charlie helped me load my stuff in the back of the truck and then take it to a storage unit I had rented. All I had left was a suitcase and a few personal items. We took the keys to the resident assistant and checked out.

Charlie and Nicki left in his car for his parents' home. Someday, I had to ask Karen about Nicki's parents since they were never around. I spent the night with Karen in her room one last time.

It was good that I have a truck. We would fill it up. I told Karen that she could use my storage unit here and save some time and effort. She wanted her old stuff at her home. She confessed that she was preparing what she would bring to our marriage in this week before our wedding. I shrugged because I just wanted her. If we had kept our hands on our work rather touching each other, our packing would have gone much faster but wouldn't have been as much fun.

For lunch, I took Karen out. We ate and got back into the truck. I said, "I have something I want to show you."

"Okay. What is it, Brad?"

I smiled. I drove us close to the college and stopped in the driveway of a nice looking, though smaller, house. I said, "I want to suggest an alternative to student housing." I got out and came around to open her door. I gently pulled her out. "Let's look inside before you decide anything." She nodded at me numbly.

The door had a key holder with a combination. I clicked through the characters, extracted a key, and used it to open the door. I put the key back and ushered Karen inside. It had been a rental house and needed some TLC but the real estate agent said that it had good "bones." It was an older bungalow with two bedrooms and one bath. We walked through it to see a need for paint and some other minor items mostly in the bathroom. Last, we walked into the kitchen which needed the most work. I said, "Karen, we would own this place and could fix it to suit us. If you like it, I'll try to negotiate a deal. I would have the kitchen remodeled but I thought we could do most of the rest." I stopped talking and waited. It was quiet. "Love, say something."

"Something." She grinned at me. "Brad, I keep forgetting that I'm marrying a rich man. My parents had my brother and Mom was pregnant with me before they could afford a house. You've thought this through. I will let you handle the money side but I want us to fix it up. Who would do the kitchen?"

I smiled. "Uncle Billy knows people. He can find someone in moments who knows his stuff and will do the job right. We could have the whole place done but I thought we would enjoy doing the little stuff and the painting ourselves."

"Brad, it's great and your idea for the kitchen and the rest is right for us. Try to make a deal." She kissed me passionately as she always does.

Outside, I said, "I need to go by the agent's office. I can submit a contract if you can wait a few minutes." She nodded and I drove us to the office. Karen came in with me.

The agent, Rose Williams, was there. She said, "Brad, you came back and brought your fiancee. Are you interested in submitting an offer?"

I said, "Yes, Rose. We've looked over the house. It needs some work. My offer will be five thousand less than the listing price. It must close by or before Friday. It is all cash at closing with no contingencies. I have too much to do to play back and forth so it's take it or leave it. If you can write it up quickly, I will put up ten thousand as earnest money."

She gasped slightly. "I can write it up but don't know if it will be accepted."

I shrugged. "We'll see. On Friday, we will be out of town for a while and I will need to get a crew in to remodel the kitchen while we are gone. I can close sooner as early as Wednesday. If they turn it down and it's still there when we return, I'll make another offer but it will be lower."

She said, "Okay. Let me get it written up. Write the check to our agency." She left for her cubbyhole. It took a bare five minutes for her to return with a document for me to sign. I had written a check for ten thousand dollars. I signed the offer and gave her a check. She gave me a copy. She said, "I have your number. I will call as soon as I have news."

I said, "Thank you, Rose. We have more to do today but I will look forward to hearing from you with, hopefully, good news." We shook hands. "Later." I said as Karen and I left.

We left. Inside the truck, Karen said, "We could be homeowners by Friday! Brad, that's wild." She thought a moment. "Let's keep it quiet until we know." She grinned. "You wouldn't be telling even then, would you?"

I just smiled at her. I said, "I have no secrets from you. I just don't think to broadcast things to the world. I will admit that I sometimes may forget to tell you something but it's never intentional. I love you and trust you, Karen." I gave her hand a gentle squeeze as I drove with one hand.

She smiled. "We've come a long way, Brad. We're really into IT now."

I smiled back as we returned to the dorms. In Karen's room, we continued packing. As she packed, I carried loads out to my truck. It took a while to finish. Nicki had moved out earlier so we would drop those keys off with Karen's.

The room was now empty and would have new occupants next school year. As I closed the door for the last time, I sent a little prayer that the new occupants would find as much joy and fulfillment as I had during my stay. Karen smiled at me gently and hugged my neck. "It's been good. Now, we start a new chapter for our future, Love." She kissed my cheek and I pretended to faint! We laughed until we had to sit on the floor weak from laughing.

We carried the last small load to my truck and left the keys with the resident assistant. Karen and I were to drive to her parents' house. As we pulled on to the main road though, I received a call from Rose about the house.

"Hello, this is Brad."

"Good afternoon, Brad. This is Rose. They accepted your contract. I am getting everything ready for a Friday morning closing. I was a little bit surprised though I think the quick close got it. I will have everything ready for Friday. We will close it here in the conference room. I'm on the way to put a sold sticker over my sign. I'm changing the combination to 7-6-9-8 to stop other agents from entering. Call me if you need anything."

I said, "Okay, Rose. What time Friday?"

"Oh, Ten o'clock. Bring a cashier's check. We'll call you Thursday afternoon with the exact amount."

"Very good. I will be there at ten, Friday. I will probably be in town to talk to a contractor about the kitchen before that but no work will begin until after closing."

"Okay, Brad. Congratulations. Good bye."

"Bye." I thumbed the off button. I pulled over to the side of the road. "Karen, do you want to call Uncle Billy to get a contractor?"

She grinned. "I'll be glad to. I like him. He and Carl are good friends." I nodded.

She called Uncle Billy while I called my local bank person and told her that I was buying a house and roughly how much I would need in a cashier's check Friday morning. I added, "It's a little hectic because I'm getting married on Saturday and leaving for the honeymoon. I'll deal with the house further after we return."

She said, "Congratulations, Brad, on both events. Call me with the exact amount and we will have a check ready first thing Friday morning."

I got off and called my insurance guy. "Paul, I'm buying a house Friday for cash. I leave on my honeymoon Saturday evening. I need coverage and will be having workmen doing their thing while I'm gone. Please write a policy and let me know how much I owe. I want to get this done before Friday when it closes." He said he would and would call me later.

I looked up and Karen was smiling at me. "Brad, Uncle Billy knows a guy named Roddy Jones. I called him and he will meet us at the house tomorrow morning at ten. Uncle Billy said that he could be trusted."