Chapter 15

I was standing at my bedroom window looking down at my new car sitting in the driveway, and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. Getting it home ended up being a regular riddle, how did you get 3 cars to two different locations, with one car needing two people in it to operate, and only 2 legal solo drivers.

Fortunately Aunt Joan decided to keep her Miata, and not trade it in on the hot little sports car she had test driven during my test drive, or things would have been even worse. Still, my car! In the driveway!

It might have been a Friday, and perfect for a nice long drive, but I had promised that I wouldn’t drive it on my own until I had my license. I counted off the days, Friday to Monday, 4 days. I’m sure I’d survive it. I could do other things. Wasn’t there another secret passage in this house? I’d have to find something to do, exploring the treasure vault would only lead me to do something stupid.

Dad had laid down the law when we got home. He was paying for the car, but I’d owe him the balance when the coins sold. If they didn’t, then I’d be tracking my hours at minimum wage doing construction and yard work until it was paid off. I would also be welcome to get a job to pay the debt off sooner.

It was funny, because without the debt, I would be doing the same work as unpaid labor, under the guise of chores, with a modest allowance. At least Dad had me going until his face broke into a grin.

“You are my new good luck charm, Sam. Everything’s been only good since we moved back to town,” he had said.

“Well this good luck charm has only a couple days of freedom before school begins,” I told him.

“We will get you to the DMV for your license on Monday, then see about doing something fun. Until then start work on painting the empty bedrooms,” he had responded.

I pulled myself away from the window, and gathered the painting supplies. I decided to start at the room farthest from the stairs. It was also the room that the instruction manual had shown contained another secret passage.

I found it easy enough, near the corner of the room, I pressed down on a worn floorboard with my foot. I expected it to pop up and reveal a release handle like the one in my current bedroom. Instead the hidden door immediately released. With my flashlight in hand, I opened it to reveal a set of stairs going downward.

This staircase looked much used, and I wondered if it hadn’t been some sort of servants backstairs. Down one floor, I discovered that there was an exit, but it was blocked by a filing cabinet in the corner room we used as an office on the ground floor. I followed the staircase further down, where I discovered the staircase ended at another secret panel in the basement.

This was actually a good find, having a second staircase improved fire safety in the old house. Dad had already ordered and placed collapsible chain escape ladders in each room on the second floor. They each had their own box with handle that they stayed in until needed, then a quick flip of the latch, and you hook it to the windowsill and drop it out the window. Then it’s just a simple climb down to safety.

With the presence of an old washtub and a very old clothes wringer next to the hidden door, it confirmed for me that this had been the servant’s stairs for collecting laundry, and accessing the upstairs bedrooms for cleaning. The corner bedroom that contained the staircase may well have been servants quarters as well, as it was the smallest of the six bedrooms upstairs.

On the first floor the stairway exit could be modified relatively easy so that it exited to the hallway instead of the office, I wondered how difficult it would be to match it up with the attic stairs in the hallway outside the bedroom to create a single accessible back stairs that went from attic to basement.

I got to work painting the room, which was easier as it had no furniture in it, and only one window to tape up. I got the room opposite it taped up as well, then took a break for lunch. After lunch I got the wood floors covered in drop cloths, and then got to work painting the walls and the closet interiors.

I finished just before 4, so texted dad that he needed to bring dinner home. By 430 we were in the kitchen enjoying a couple really great but greasy burgers from the local Burger Queen drive thru.

“So Monday, you turn 16, Tuesday is your last day of freedom, then Wednesday you start school,” Dad began.

“Yup, pretty silly to have 3 days of school, followed by a three day weekend,” I agreed.

“I’m working the entirety of labor day weekend, but I’m getting Monday and Tuesday off instead. What do you think, we could go somewhere fun?” Dad offered.

“How fun? One night camping fun, or drive down to a theme park, stay in a hotel, and spend two days riding roller coasters fun?” I asked.

“That second option sounds more fun to me. I like to spend at least a week if we go camping. Just a single night feels like I just stayed out too late. Which park is nearby?”

“It’s a bit of a drive, but if we take my car it would actually be the cheaper alternative,” I began my pitch.