Nicholas's Story
Copyright© 2025 by writer 406
Chapter 38
Nicholas was walking his new property, considering where to site his workshop, when he noticed movement through the trees.
Two children emerged from the tree line. A girl and a boy, both blond hair the little girl’s was braided into pigtails. They had notebooks in hand and were walking with their heads down, as, as if they were searching for something.
They stopped suddenly when they spotted him and began whispering furiously to each other.decisions made, the little girl stepped forward. She looked to be nine or ten years old.
“Are you the new neighbor?” She asked with the frank, unselfconscious directness that children often possess.
“I am,” he confirmed, setting down his marking paint. “My name is Nicholas.”
“I’m Amy,” she announced. “This is my brother, Tyler. We’re twins even though we don’t look like each other. We live over there.” She pointed toward the large white house, barely visible through the trees.
“Nice to meet you both,” Nicholas replied. “What are you looking for?”
“Mrs. Pigglewiggle, the bunny. She ran into the woods. We think she has babies.”
“That’s interesting. Well, feel free to keep looking, but you’ll have to be careful when the workmen come to build my house.”
The twins exchanged meaningful glances. Clearly, this was not the response they had expected from the mysterious new neighbor.
“Why did you buy our land?” Tyler asked, speaking for the first time. His tone was neither accusatory nor particularly friendly, simply curious.
“It wasn’t your land,” Nicholas replied matter-of-factly. “It belonged to someone else who chose to sell it to me.”
“Mom tried to buy it,” Amy explained. “Lots of times. She said It would preserve the ecological integrity of the area.”
Nicholas was impressed by their vocabulary, but unsurprised by the sentiment. Of course, the neighboring landowner would prefer to expand their holdings rather than accept an unknown quantity next door.
“Your mother must be disappointed,” he acknowledged. “But the previous owner had the right to choose his buyer.”
“She’s not amused,” Amy corrected with precision. “That’s how you can tell when she’s angry. ‘I’m not amused, Amy, she says.’ Then she gets her frowny face on—and we get grounded to our bedrooms.”
This observation, delivered with complete seriousness by a child, told Nicholas a bit more about his neighbor.
“What are you going to build? Do you have any kids our age?” Tyler asked, looking around the meadow as if a couple of kids would spring out of the bushes.
“A house,” Nicholas replied. “And a workshop. Nothing that will disturb the forest more than necessary. And no, I don’t have any kids.”
“What kind of workshop?” This is from Amy, whose interest seemed immediately engaged.
“Woodworking. Traditional carpentry and joinery.”
Both children perked up at this information, exchanging another of their silent communications.
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