Chapter 21

I was able to run on Thursday morning. I was glad to do so. Today wouldn’t be a fun day and the better frame of mind I was in to start it off the easier it would go. Mum asked me when I was going to the funeral parlors. I replied the sooner the better. She and Dad were going around eleven o’clock.

They had some business to discuss. It was about time for Jackson Housing to open an office downtown. The third unit had just been acquired and three more were under negotiation.

Dad was now being approached by owners who wanted to make a private sale to avoid the realtor fees. Our attorney was versed in real estate, so that wasn’t a problem.

An office downtown made sense. The tenants would have a place to call or go if there were problems rather than our house. They could pay their rent there. Dad would get all of his business paperwork out of the house.

Furthermore as Mum said, “It will get your Dad out of the house.”

I think he had been home more than usual lately.

There was an office unit available on Main Street across from the courthouse. It was in the same block as J C Penny. The nice thing was that while it was not really wide it was deep. It went clear back to the alley, so they could store painting equipment and other items to maintain the houses in the backroom.

My parents were informing me of what they had decided, not asking for my permission. They did think I should see it, so I agreed to meet them there at eleven-thirty.

The viewings were not as bad as I thought they would be. Both caskets were closed which meant the boys were torn up pretty bad. All we had to do was go in, sign the book and file past the coffins. There were flowers everywhere and the scent was sickening to me.

After slowly passing the coffin on its pedestal I went over to the parents. In both cases, at each of the funeral homes, the parents were talking to other people sitting with them. They nodded as we went past and that was it. Both boy’s mothers looked tired and worn the fathers grim and stoic.

I had run into Tom at Eicholtzs so we walked the three blocks down to Delong’s Music Store and checked out the latest releases. There was nothing that struck my fancy. On the way there I had shown him the office space we were going to rent. It was a pretty drab looking building front.

I met Mum and Dad at the office right on time. Denny and Eddie had school but Mary was with my parents. Mum took one look at the drab storefront and told Dad that it had to be cleaned up.

She told him the pubs in London looked better than this. She wanted the wooden façade across the top painted dark forest green with Jackson Housing in recessed letters painted gold so they would stand out on the background.

The brick facing would have to be cleaned and flower pots with green plants in the entrance. A local florist would be hired to take care of them. Even the sidewalk in the front of the building was to be cleaned.

Dad had the keys, so we were able to see the inside. According to Mum, that would take even more work. The wooden floors would have to be sanded and refinished. At the front, low wooden railings would separate the waiting area from the office.

There would be a small conference room that would have wood paneling on the lower half with wallpaper on the top half. There would be chair railing separating the top and bottom.

The table and chairs would be nicer than the best real estate office in town. That meant they would be better than Tapps.

There was an open work area, plus a hallway with two private offices on each side. One of the offices had a window facing to the open work area. Both had glass windows in their doors so you could see them. These offices would be carpeted.

At the end of the hallway was a door that opened to an employee kitchen area. Another door at the back of the kitchen opened into the storage section of the building. The storage area was a large open area.

It had stairs going into a basement. Dad told us he hadn’t a chance to look down there yet. We decided to examine the basement later.

Mum said, “I want this to look better than an old wealthy conservative bank.”

She just broke Dad’s budget by several thousand dollars.

He never batted an eyelash he just replied, “Yes Dear.”

My Dad is a smart man.

Mary had an interesting question.

“Will there be toys like the doctor’s office?”

My parents exchanged glances and Dad told her, “Yes, we will have a toy chest, right here in the waiting area.”

He looked at Mum and said, “Out of the mouths of babes.”