COMING HOME

A man searches for his future.

Coming Home

I’ve had a reoccurring dream over the years. I’m walking down a dirt road surrounded by trees on both sides. As I passed the end of the trees on one side there’s a house. The house is an old farmhouse and looks deserted. Upon seeing the house I feel very comforted.

This is where I wake up every time. It dawned on me there might be a story in this.


Jack was driving down state highway 57. It was a beautiful day and he was reflecting on his new found freedom. He had escaped from a five year marriage to a woman who couldn’t keep her pants on. Due to a software package he had created and sold he was able to live without having to work. He was looking to start his life over at 30 and was just traveling. He wasn’t even sure what state he was in. He had just gotten in the car and driven. The land around him appeared to be all farmland.

Suddenly his car died. He coasted to the side of the road and got out to try to find what the problem was. He raised the hood and examined the engine underneath. Careful examination left him no further along than he was. He still had no idea why the car died.

Looking around he noticed a dirt road leading off into the woods on his side of the highway. He remembered a town he passed through maybe 15 miles back and decided the dirt road might be the better chance of finding someone to help him.

He began to walk down the road and into the woods. The trees grew over the top of the road blocking out almost all sunlight. He had walked maybe a half a mile when the trees on the right ended. As he passed the last of the trees he saw an old farmhouse that looked abandoned. The paint was fading and chipping, the tin roof showed rust in places and a couple of the shutters were hanging on by a thread.

He felt a strange calm come over him. Kind of like when your mom gives you a hug when you’ve been away for a good while and come home. Intrigued he walked up to the house and stepped up on the porch. His right hand almost of its own volition reached for the door knob and turned it.

The door opened and he stepped inside. He listen for sounds but heard none.There appeared to be no furniture in the house.The wallpaper on the walls was peeling slightly but gave no idea as to when the house was last inhabited. The house smelled musty and a thick layer of dust lay on every horizontal surface. He noted he was in the living room. Looking to his right there was a staircase that went upstairs. The hallway ran beside the staircase back toward what he felt might be the kitchen.

Walking down the hallway there was a bathroom on the left. Again, the bathroom gave no indication as to the houses age nor did it give any indication as to when it was last inhabited.

At the end of the hallway was the kitchen. The cabinets had originally been white but we’re now yellowed with age. There was a table in the kitchen and one chair. Everything in the kitchen was covered with a layer of fine dust. There were two doors on the right side of the kitchen. One led to a pantry. The other, when he opened it, he realized was a broom closet. Neither small room had any items therein. The wood fours creaked slightly but did not give.

The sense of calm he had felt outside was even stronger in here and he felt very relaxed. With a smile on his face he returned up the hall and turn to go up the stairs. He walked carefully in case the stair treads were weak. The stairs squeaked but did not give. Upon reaching the top of the stairs he looked noting where the doors were to different rooms. He turned to his right and went back toward the front of the house to the first door. It appeared to be a small bedroom and the wallpaper indicated that this was probably a little girls room.

As he returned back to the top of the staircase he looked in the second door on his right. It was a larger bedroom and he’d like to think that maybe this was a room for two brothers he could almost see a bunkbed though there was no furniture in the room. Further down the hall on the right was a third door. Opening the door Revealed a bedroom somewhere in size between the front and second bedrooms and there were many bookshelves on the wall. Whether this was a boys or girls room was indeterminate but he felt this bedroom belong to someone who is very studious. There was no furniture in this room either.

Turning around he opened the door across from him and realized there was another bathroom. The linoleum floor was aged and cracked but again he realized he had no idea when this house was last lived in.

Returning up the hall he opened the next door to find a large bedroom that he decided must be the master. In this bedroom the only furniture was a bed frame. An old rope bed. Examining the bed he noted that the ropes appeared to be very taunt. He found this very strange.

There was a picture in a brass frame hanging on the wall and he went over to look at it. The family that peered back at him showed a father a mother three sons and a daughter. He smiled thinking he had been correct and his assessment of the assignment of the bedrooms. Within this room he also felt the warmth like a hug which comforted him and made him smile.

There were two doors in the bedroom which he assumed were closets but one turned out to be another bathroom.

Returning downstairs he went to the kitchen and out the back door. The yard around the house did not seem large but that would have been normal as all available land would’ve been used for farming.

He smiled to himself and thought, “I could live here. Maybe if I go back to that town I passed through I can get some information on the house and how much property is with it and what the cost might be. If I can pull this off I could make a fresh start“.


Returning back up the road he remembered his car had died. He sighed, got in the car and turned the key. The car started right up.

Turning around he return to the little town called Haleyville. The town looked like it had no more than maybe 1500 residents. He found a real estate office parked and walked inside. The man sitting behind the desk Introduced himself as Bob Smith and ask if he could help. “Yes”, Jack said,” I was driving out Highway 57 and went down a little dirt road and found an old abandoned farmhouse. What can you tell me about it”?

Bob ask, “Does it sit about a half a mile off the road behind some trees”?

Jack replied,” It sure does”.

Bob said, “That’s the old Baker residence. It’s been abandoned about 20 years. I believe the county took it back for taxes and you could probably get it pretty cheap.

“What can you tell me about the Bakers”?

“I don’t know much about them as I was very small when the house was abandoned. I couldn’t tell you what happened to them”.

“Where can I find out the cost of that house and more information about the property”?

“The courthouse is about two blocks on down this road on your left. Go in and find the clerks office and they can fill you in”.

Jack thanked Bob, returned to his car and made the drive down to the courthouse.

Once inside he located the clerks office and spoke to the lady behind the desk. “Yes, I’m looking for information on the old Baker house out Highway 57”.

The lady gave him a strange look and ask,”Are you new to the area”?

“Just arrived today ma’am. My car died beside the road and I located the house walking up the dirt road. Seems like a nice house. Just needs some work and I’m thinking about buying it if I can afford to fix it up and live there”.

The woman shook her head and said, “I’ll let you speak to Mr. Johnson he handles all of the tax properties”.

She opened the door and stuck her head inside and a man came out and introduced himself. I’m Harold Johnson. I understand you’re may be interested in the old Baker place.

Yes, I need to find out if I can afford to buy it and do the repairs that will be needed to make it livable.

Coming to my office and we’ll check the records.

Harold reviewed the records and determined that the back taxes owed on the house came to about $10,000.

That’s very doable said Jack. When can we make this work.

I can start on the paperwork today and if you’ll come back tomorrow after lunch we can begin to make the sale. The county will be glad to get it off it’s books.

I’ll start arranging payments said Jack. Is there a hotel or motel here in town and a restaurant?

The Star motel is on the west end of town out Highway 40. There’s a café across the street where you can get a good meal.

While Jack was with Harold, Molly thought back 25 years. She had been in her 50s when the Baker’s daughter tried to run off with her boyfriend. She was pregnant and 20. Her father had found out. He killed both the boy and his daughter as she climbed out the window. He had died in prison and the rest of the family had moved away five years later..

Since then the house had been regarded as haunted though now mostly forgotten.

Jack returned to his car, found Highway 40 and found the motel. He checked in and went to his room. When settled he called his banker told him what he was doing and made the arrangements to be able to purchase the property.

After resting for a while he walked across the street to the café.

He seated himself and the waitress came over, handed him a menu and introduced herself as Mildred. She looked to be in her 50s and had had a hard life.

“What would you like to drink”?

“Iced tea sounds good to me”.

She walked away to begin to fill his order while he mulled over the menu.

When she returned with his tea she ask, “Have you decided what you would like to have”?

“The chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and black-eyed peas and a side of cornbread I think will suit me”, Jack replied.

Mildred smiled and said, “That happens to be our specialty I’ll get it started right away. Oh, and save room for dessert you’ll love our pies”.

After he ate Jack left the café to return to the motel. He thought Mildred was right on both counts. He got back to his room and stretched out on the bed hoping to get a good nights sleep. Sleep came easily and he woke about 7 o’clock the next morning.

He checked back with his banker and was told the money had been moved to give him access to it.

He walked back across the street to the café and had sausage and biscuit with scrambled eggs and coffee.

He hung out in the café reading a newspaper for a while until time for lunch then had a BLT with a soft drink and some fries before returning to his car and heading to the courthouse.

At 1 o’clock he entered the courthouse went to the clerks office and found Harold Johnson waiting for him.

“I’ve got the paperwork ready if you’ve got the money”, Harold said.

“The money is arranged and we’ll do a wire transfer. All I need to do is notify my bank”.

Once their business was concluded Harold said, “it will take a couple of days to clear the paperwork and the transfer so if you come back then you can sign the deed”.

Two days later Jack signed the last of the paperwork and Harold said,” it’s good doing business with you”.

As Jack left Harold‘s office Molly came to him. “I don’t know why you want that old house. Be careful out there strange things have been known to happen”.

Jack gave a soft smile and said, “The house feels very comfortable to me but I will take what you say under consideration”.

He went to the local hardware store to get cleaning supplies and began to make a list of what he might need to repair items in the house. He also found out where he could get a plumber and an electrician as well as possibly a roofer because he knew those items would need to be seriously looked at.

He made arrangements for the plumber, electrician and roofer to come to the house to evaluate it and give him a quote for any work that would be necessary.

He called an old buddy to arrange to get his furniture out of storage and have it delivered to him at the new house.

He went to the furniture store to arrange for bedding for the rope bed. They told him it could be delivered in a couple of days and would help him get it set up.

After reviewing the quotes from the plumber, electrician and roofer he realized repairing the house was gonna cost him more than the house did. He didn’t care he felt at home here.

He went back to the hardware store and obtained the paint, the equipment and supplies needed to repaint the exterior of the house. He also talked to them about what they thought about removing the wallpaper inside and repainting the walls. The eventual decision was to strip the wallpaper and replace it with updated versions.

And then in an effort to get into the house quicker he contracted some local people to help with a lot of the interior jobs. Hanging the wallpaper, repainting the cabinets in the kitchen and refinishing the floors. He also purchased a new refrigerator and stove.

It took a month to get everything done but he was ready to move in and have everything delivered. The first night he slept in the house on the old rope bed he felt like he was engulfed in the arms of the house. He had never felt so happy and at ease.

The next morning he was sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee and having a little breakfast when there was a knock at the back door. A young lady asked if she could come in and introduced herself as Julie.

“Come in Julie.” “I’m Jack, the new owner”.

Julie looked at him with kind eyes and said, “I wanted to welcome you to your new place and check on you and see how you were doing”.

“Where do you live?”, ask Jack.

“Oh, just around here. Do you think you could use any help getting settled in and set up?”.

“Probably. I haven’t lived on my own in a while and it’s gonna take me time to get myself organized”.

“Well then if you don’t mind I’ll come over every day and hang out with you and help you get things squared away”.

It took the two of them about a week to get the kitchen organized clothes put away items unpacked and pictures hung.

In celebration, Jack took a picture of the two of them and printed a copy. He had an old frame, mounted the picture in it and hung it beside the picture of the Bakers.

As he finished putting the last items away he felt drained. He was tired but it was a good tired. He went upstairs and got ready for bed.

Jack woke at what he thought must be about 2 o’clock in the morning and realized he was not in bed alone. He turned on the bedside light and turned over. There was Julie in bed beside him, naked.

She gave him an innocent look and said, “I thought you might like some company”.

“Oh Julie, what would your family say if they found you here”?

“I have no family. I’m free to do as I please. And what would please me is to stay here with you”.

“Julie, I’m not sure. I just got out of a horrible relationship and I’m not sure where we’re going with this”.

“Nothing needs to happen but I would like to stay. If you prefer I can sleep in another room”.

“Julie how old are you”?

“20”’

“OK, you can sleep here in my bed but please put something on until I can wrap my head around what’s going on”.

“OK”. She hopped out of bed and walked across the room to his dresser, pulled out an old T-shirt and pulled it over her head. It hung midway to her knees. She smiled at him and climbed back into bed and lay down and went to sleep.

Jack awoke the next morning with Julie spooned up against his back. He had to admit it felt good.

He got up, got dressed and went to the kitchen to make coffee. Julie followed about 10 minutes later still just wearing the T-shirt.

“Good morning”, she said.

“Good morning Julie. What would you like for breakfast”?

“Bacon and eggs works for me and a cup of that coffee”.

“A woman after my own heart. bacon and eggs coming up”.

“What are we doing today”, ask Julie?

“Well, I need to run to the hardware store to pick up a few things and then go to the grocery why don’t you come with me”.

“No, I’ll just hang out here do some cleaning maybe get some laundry done”.

“Well, suit yourself. I should be back in about three hours”.

Jack had figured his car wouldn’t do him as much good living where he did so he had traded it in for a late model pick up. He felt that would be much easier for taking supplies from town to the house.

When he arrived back at the house Julie was sitting in the kitchen waiting for him.

“I’ll help you bring all the items in we’ll get them put away and then maybe we can relax for a while”, said Julie.

After two weeks of Julie living in the house Jack couldn’t stand it anymore. He walked over to Julie wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. She kissed him back and said,” It’s about time”. She then took his hand and led him up the stairs to the bedroom.

When Jack woke he looked at the clock and saw it was close to dinner time. He could detect wonderful smells drifting up the staircase. He rose, dressed and went down stairs and could hear Julie humming a song he didn’t recognize in the kitchen.

There’s a certain guy I’m hoping to see, went the song.

“What’s that song Julie, I don’t know it”?

“Just some old song my mom used to sing”, she replied.

“It’s beautiful”, said Jack.

Dinner was delicious and the dessert upstairs afterward was even more wonderful.

Days stretched into weeks stretched into months and Jack and Julie became very comfortable with each other. They laughed often and made love maybe even more often, it was a wonderful life. Jack was beginning to feel that he loved her.One afternoon he sat her down on the couch and took her hands. “Julie, I love you and I want to marry you”.

Julie look at him with sad eyes and said, “I love you too Jack but I cannot marry you. I will live with you as long as you want me here but don’t ever ask me to marry you”.

“But why Julie”?

“I just can’t. Please don’t ever ask again”.

Jack considered this and decided he was so in love with her that he would accept her terms and never brought the subject up again.

As the years past they became closer and closer. She would help him with outside projects and he would help her with inside projects. However she would not go to town with him and would not leave the property. When they had visitors she would simply disappear. Though everybody knew he had a wife named Julie they never saw her.

As Jack hit 50 He began to slow down. Julie seem to have as much energy as ever and watched over him with great care. Jack never noticed that she didn’t seem to age. And even though they had unprotected sex on a regular basis she never got pregnant.

Jack, always alone, made his weekly trips into town for supplies, Julie was always waiting for him upon his return. They would sit on the porch and sip tea and talk about the days events and what their plans were for the next day.

The people in town just thought he was either crazy, maybe a little eccentric, or just as likely both talking about his wife as they had never seen her. The one person in town who knew better was the lady at the courthouse, Molly. She knew there was something strange about that house because she knew the history of the Bakers.

At 85 Molly died and all of the stories about the Bakers died with her.

Jack had just turned 79 when he felt a pain in his chest. Julie helped him up the stairs to bed. Julie climbed in the bed with him and laid her head on his shoulder.

“Julie”, Jack said, “I’m going to miss you. You have no idea how much I love you”.

Julie replied, “Hush, Jack, you need to rest. I won’t leave you. I will never leave you”.

Jack closed his eyes and breathing became ragged and slowed. As this happened Julie began to fade. She still looked 20. She looked at Jack and said, “Soon we will be together forever my love”. As Jack drew his last breath; Julie disappeared.

3 days later the sheriff came to the house to check on Jack as he hadn’t come into town for supplies. After calling out he went upstairs and found Jack dead in his bed. The county coroner came to remove the body and perform the autopsy. It was determined that Jack had died of a coronary. He was buried in the town cemetery and was forgotten. All the furniture and all of Jack’s items were removed from the house with the exception of three things the rope bed frame, the picture of Jack and the picture of the Bakers.

Epilogue (5 years later)

Angie was driving down state highway 57. It was a beautiful day and she was reflecting on her new found freedom. She had escaped from a three year marriage to a man who couldn’t keep his zipper up. She was a successful children’s book author and her success allowed her to live and work from anywhere. She was looking to start her life over at 32 and was just traveling. She wasn’t even sure what state she was in. She had just gotten in the car and driven. The land around her appeared to be all farmland.

Suddenly her car died. She coasted to the side of the road and got out to try to find what was the problem. She raised the hood and examined the engine underneath. Careful examination left her no further along than she was. She still had no idea why the car died.

Looking around she noticed a dirt road leading off into the woods on her side of the highway. She remembered a town she passed through maybe 15 miles back and decided the dirt road might be the better chance of finding someone to help her.

She began to walk down the road and into the trees. The trees grew over the top of the road blocking out almost all sunlight. She had walked maybe a half a mile when the trees on the right ended. As she passed the last of the trees she saw an old farmhouse that looked abandoned. The paint was fading and chipping, the tin roof showed rust in places and a couple of the shutters were hanging on by a thread.

She felt a strange calm come over her. Kind of like when your mom gives you a hug when you’ve been away for a good while and come home. Intrigued, she walked up to the house and stepped up on the porch. Her right hand almost of its own volition reached for the door knob and turned it.

The door opened and she stepped inside. She listened for sounds but heard none.There appeared to be no furniture in the house.The wallpaper on the walls was peeling slightly but gave no idea as to when the house was last inhabited. The house smelled musty and a thick layer of dust lay on every horizontal surface. She noted she was in the living room. Looking to her right there was a staircase that went upstairs. The hallway ran beside the staircase back toward what she felt might be the kitchen.

Walking down the hallway there was a bathroom on the left. Again, the bathroom gave no indication as to the house’s age nor did it give any indication as to when it was last inhabited.

At the end of the hallway was the kitchen. The cabinets had originally been white but were now yellowed with age. There was a table in the kitchen and one chair. Everything in the kitchen was covered with a layer of fine dust. There were two doors on the right side of the kitchen. One led to a pantry. The other, when she opened it, she realized was a broom closet. Neither small room had any items therein. The wood fours creaked slightly but did not give.

The sense of calm she had felt outside was even stronger and in here she felt very relaxed. With a smile on her face she returned up the hall and turn to go up the stairs. She walked carefully in case the stair treads were weak. The stairs squeaked but did not give. Upon reaching the top of the stairs she looked noting where the doors were to different rooms. She turned to her right and went back toward the front of the house to the first door. It appeared to be a small bedroom and the wallpaper indicated that this was probably a little girls room.

As she returned back to the top of the staircase she looked in the second door on his right. It was a larger bedroom and she’d like to think that maybe this was a room for two brothers he could almost see a bunkbed though there was no furniture in the room. Further down the hall on the right was a third door. Opening the door revealed a bedroom somewhere in size between the front and second bedrooms and they were many bookshelves on the wall. Whether this was a boys or girls room was undetermined but she felt this bedroom belong to someone who is very studious. There was no furniture in this room either.

Turning around she opened the door across from her and realized there was another bathroom. The linoleum floor was aged and cracked but again she realized she had no idea when this house was last inhabited.

Returning up the hall she opened the next door to find a large bedroom that she decided must be the master. In this bedroom the only furniture was a bed frame. An old rope bed. Examining the bed she noted that the ropes appeared to be very taunt. She found this very strange.

There was a picture in a brass frame hanging on the wall and she went over to look at it. The family that peered back at her showed a father, a mother, three sons and a daughter. She smiled thinking she had been correct and her assessment of the assignment of the bedrooms. Next to that picture was another one. This picture showed a man in his 30s. She took down the first picture and opened the frame. There were names written on the back. Bill, Theresa, Sam, Will, Matt and Julie. There was no note of the date of the picture.

Within this room she also felt the warmth like a hug which comforted her and made her smile.

There were two doors in the bedroom which he assumed were closets but one turned out to be another bathroom.

Returning downstairs she went to the kitchen and out the back door. The yard around the house did not seem large but that would have been normal as all available land for farming would’ve been used.

She smiled to herself and thought, “I could live here. Maybe if I go back to that town I passed through I can get some information on the house and how much property is with it and what the cost might be. If I can pull this off I could make a fresh start”.

The house was happy once once more..

Author's Note

Be as critical as you want or need to be. I’ve only been doing this since December of 2023.