The Apple Of My Eye

“You know Michelle, Gran just wanted you to have a home. If you don’t want to move in to this old place, we can always fix it up and sell it for you. You can take the money and buy a new townhouse or something that won’t require so much upkeep.”

Michelle Perry smiled at her uncle. They were standing on the wrap around front porch of a graceful home, built in the late 1880s. Until three months ago, this house had belonged to Michelle’s maternal Grandmother, Violet Henderson. Violet had lost the year and a half long battle with her steadily declining health. She had passed away from pneumonia right before the New Year, leaving Michelle, her only grandchild, to inherit her beloved home. The legal transfer of the house to Michelle had been completed two weeks ago. Today she was finally going to move in to her new home.

The cool March wind blew her wavy, honey colored hair into her face. Michelle pushed the errant hair back and shook her head. “Don’t be silly, Uncle Tom. I love this house. I don’t mind that it’s old. This house has so much more charm than the houses the builders make now. Plus, where else am I going to find a yard with so many mature fruit plants and apple trees? I can’t make Gran’s famous apple pie without her trees, now can I?”  Violet had loved gardening and believed a garden should be functional as well as beautiful. Her yard had been scattered with plantings of currants, strawberries, raspberries, and many other assorted fruits and vegetables. Two apple trees also graced the yard- a McIntosh in the back along the alley and a Fireside just outside the dining room window in the west yard.

Her uncle smiled a sad smile and enveloped Michelle in a big hug. “It’s your choice, honey. I know she would be so happy right now. Mom and Dad loved this place.”

Michelle’s mother Laura called to them from the street. “Alright you two, no sad faces. I don’t want to start crying again. This is a happy day!” Michelle’s parents came walking up from the parked moving van, the last of the winter snow crunching under their feet.

When the pair reached the porch, Michelle’s father James put his arm around his daughter’s shoulder. “Come on sweetie, we have a surprise for you. It’s inside!”

“What did you guys do?” Michelle asked, bewildered. She took the small brass key from her Uncle’s hand and opened the lock. With a snick, and a familiar groan, the oak and glass door opened into the darkly wallpapered hallway.

“Come on back to the kitchen.” Laura took her daughter’s hand. She brought her through the familiar hallway, past the living room, study, and formal dining room, to where the kitchen door stood closed.

“Oh!” Michelle started. “Did you strip the doors? They look great without all that paint.”

Tom held up his hand. “Well, yes, I did. I had planned on working on that project since after Dad died. I actually had some time off last month, so I finally got it done. It only took me five years.” He chuckled self-deprecatingly. “That’s not the surprise though.”

With a flourish, Laura threw open the kitchen door.

Inside the kitchen, brand new appliances gleamed in the morning sunlight. With a squeal of excitement, Michelle dashed into the kitchen. She spun around the good sized room, admiring the new dishwasher, stove, microwave and refrigerator. Looking closer, Michelle realized the entire room had been remodeled.

“Oh my goodness! When did you guys have the time to do this? This is incredible!” Michelle gaped as she ran her hands on top of the new counters.

“We got lucky.” Tom chuckled as he watched his niece begin looking in the new cupboards. “I had a custom order cancel their remodel. Something about the loan not going through,” he shrugged. “Rather than take a complete loss on the order, Jim let me buy everything at half price.”

“We had some money set aside for when you bought your first house.” Laura smiled indulgently at her daughter. “Plus I had some money left after we settled the estate. It was too good of a deal not to pass up. I know how much you love to cook. You should have a good kitchen to cook in.” She gestured to the large cabinet under the new island. “There’s one last surprise in there. Go ahead and take a peek.”

Walking over to the cabinet, Michelle bent down. She swung the lovely maple door open, and stared. Inside was all of her grandmother’s kitchenware. Her cookie sheets, pie pans, her soufflé dish and casserole dishes, everything neatly organized inside.

“Tadaa!” Michelle’s aunt Deb came in the kitchen door, carrying a plastic tub full of gleaming copper pots and pans.

“Deb? I thought you were working today?” Michelle looked on in surprise as her Aunt carefully set the heavy load down on the counter. “Are those Gran’s pots? They can’t be; they’re so… well, shiny!”

“They sure are, and before you say anything, I want you to have them. What am I going to do with yet another set of pot and pans? I barely have room for all the ones I have at home! I loved your Gran, but I don’t need her cookware.”

“Neither do I.” Laura nodded in agreement. “Although I did keep the gingerbread Bundt pan and the cookie presses.” Michelle stifled a giggle as her Uncle rolled his eyes behind his sister’s back. “You can always borrow them around the holidays if you want to.”

Michelle smiled in wonder and pulled a tin pie plate from the cabinet. How many countless apple pies had been baked in this pan? For a moment she was a little girl again, standing on a step stool as she watched her Grandmother show her how to make her special, secret recipe apple pie. The scent of baking apples filled the room, as a flour strewn Michelle carefully lifted the round pastry into the pie tin, while Gran watched proudly.

“Well, what do you think?” Deb’s voice woke Michelle up from her reverie.

She shook the memory off and smiled at her family. “This is absolutely amazing you guys. Thank you so much!” She was enveloped in a round of warm hugs, smiles and a few tears.

“Alright everybody! Let’s get this show on the road.” James clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Tom and I will bring in the heavy furniture; your mom can direct traffic and get the doors. Deb, I know you have to head back to work, right?”

“Yes, and if I’m not going to be late, I need to get a move on.” She gave Michelle another kiss on the cheek, and headed towards her husband. “Bye honey, I will stop by after work with pizza. Oh here’s Kara with your cat!” After kissing her husband goodbye, Michelle’s Aunt hurried out the kitchen door.

In her place, Kara Steward breezed into the kitchen in time to the unhappy yowling of Michelle’s cat, Galoshes. She was greeted by a string of ‘Hi Kara’s.

“Hi everybody! The Moving Queen has arrived, so we can get started!”

Michelle was an only child and had been best friends with Kara since grade school. She was practically a member of the family. Her parents referred to her as their semi-adopted daughter. Kara stopped and took in the radically altered kitchen.

“Oh wow. This place looks fantastic. I know where I’m staying. Sorry Shell, but you just lost your kitchen!” She placed Galoshes’ pet carrier on the counter with a flourish. “I dub thee Casa De Kara!”

Michelle chuckled as she picked the carrier up. A blazing white paw, attached to a black arm batted at her fingers. Galoshes decided he’d had more than enough of being cooped up.

“Nice try, Moving Queen. Thanks for bringing him, by the way. I’m going to put Galoshes in the study where it’s quiet. If we close the door he won’t be able to sneak out.” Michelle headed out of the kitchen to do just that, with Kara close on her heels.

While her parents and Uncle Tom shifted the heavy furniture out of the moving van, Michelle and Kara decided to start unloading all of the smaller boxes and breakables from their cars. Michelle pulled her red coupe into the back yard, careful not to drive over the slumbering garden or to get too close to the lumbering branches of the apple tree. By the time Michelle parked, Kara was already headed into the kitchen door, carryin
g a box and dragging a rolling suitcase behind her. Michelle quickly got out and grabbed a box full of her stereo equipment. The sound of raised voices across the back alley drew her attention. She turned from the house to see what was going on.

Two men stood in the back yard of the large yellow three story home behind hers. One she recognized dimly as the owner of the home turned duplex. He was a particularly unpleasant man by the name of Ed Olson. The other speaker had his back turned towards her, but she could tell he had an athletic build with chestnut colored short hair.

“Absolutely not Ed. It’s unethical, and I refuse to have anything to do with it.” The stranger had a warm, resounding voice. Even though he was clearly angry, Michelle couldn’t help but be drawn by the sound. Instead of turning around and heading inside, she stood rooted next to her car, listening to the man argue with her neighbor.

“I have already spoken with the city. They are going to tear the damn thing down.” Ed rebuffed, as he waved an unplugged chainsaw in the air. His grating voice cut into Michelle’s brain as effectively as the saw he brandished.

“Then let them. That is their job, and if it comes to that, so be it. I won’t be taking matters into my hands, and if I see you doing so, I will be calling the police.”

The old man seemed to growl, but Michelle’s attention was called away as Kara returned to the back yard. “Hey Shell, it’s a good thing you marked those boxes for me.” Kara’s voice called loudly to her from across the lawn, teasing. “I nearly opened all of your undies right in front of your dad. I’ve gotta say, for somebody who doesn’t have a boyfriend, there’s an awful lot of racy stuff in there. You think I could borrow that black lace bustier?”

“Kara!” Michelle’s face flushed bright crimson as the conversation across the alleyway came to a dead stop. The stranger who had been speaking with Ed turned around to look at them. Michelle’s breath caught in her throat. The man was gorgeous. Not too tall, not too short, and handsome in an all American way. He could have stepped right off of the pages of an ad for a high end men’s clothing store. He had broad cheekbones and a square jaw. She imagined that he was under thirty, but not by much. Michelle could see how green his eyes were, even from across the alley. She could also feel her cheeks heating even more as he stared at her intently.

“Whoopsies.” Kara giggled as she waved at the two men. “Hi boys! Having a nice day?” She walked up to the car and hip checked Michelle as she pulled another load from her car. “Come on starry eyes, we have work to do!”

The older man grumbled and walked away as the younger stranger smiled at Michelle. She returned his smile shyly, gave him a half wave and turned back to the house. Michelle carried the stereo equipment through the kitchen and into the living room as Kara bounced up the stairs with more of her clothing.

By the time the women came back outside, both men had disappeared from the neighboring yard. “Ah, that’s too bad. Mr. Hottie up and left before I could get you his phone number. Darn it!” Kara pouted, staring at the spot where the two men had been. “Guess I’m gonna have to be quicker next time. I thought for sure the bustier comment would nail him to the spot for a few minutes.”

Michelle stared at her friend, mildly shocked. “Kara, I can’t believe you. You’re incorrigible!”

“What? You need a pick me up, after everything that’s happened the last few months. You haven’t been with anyone since Jim broke it off right before your birthday last year. Jerk. Who breaks off a relationship when his girlfriend has to help her sick grandma, instead of catering to his every need?”

Michelle shook her head sadly. Kara did have a point. She’d been with Jim for four years. Although their relationship had been cooling, she’d still been crushed when he had ended things. She hadn’t even been on a date since he left her, and that was thirteen months ago.

Kara whistled appreciatively. “That guy was super hot, and he probably lives around here. Plus, we already know he refuses to participate in unethical activities.” Kara giggled, and nudged her friend. “I would watch out for that older guy though. He didn’t seem very nice. Anybody who waves a chainsaw around like that is trouble.”

“Yeah,” Michelle nodded her head, “old man Olson is definitely not the most pleasant person I have ever met. Don’t you remember the soccer ball incident?” When the two friends had been younger they had both been members of the school soccer team. While visiting Gran, the girls had been practicing their ball work in the back yard. Kara had kicked the ball a bit over-enthusiastically. It sailed across the alley and went through the window in the neighbor’s unattached garage. Old man Olson had come shooting out of the yellow house like a rocket, screaming his head off.  He had threatened to call the police and his lawyer at the same time. Happily, her grandfather managed to resolve the situation peacefully. Michelle never forgot that day though.