THE INHERITANCE part nine

THE INHERITANCE – part nine ………

Welcome home

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Kate Sullivan inherited the house that once belonged to her great-grandmother. The old stone house sat on the edge of a ten-acre plat of land in Aughacasla, Ireland. Two weeks ago, she’d never heard of the small town and now, she owned a piece of it.

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Upon Ryan’s insistence, Kate looked at a few more landscaping designs but couldn’t shake the strong feeling that the one she liked was the one she was meant to have. Her original intention was to just have the old, rusted fence pulled out and do the landscaping at another time, but once she saw Ryan’s sketches, felt she needed to proceed.

“Ryan, I’m curious. I really don’t understand why this fence is here. It only covers a portion of the front yard, and the property is still so much larger. I’d just like it gone and replaced with some nice flowers, bushes, and, well, whatever you think you can do to spruce up the outside.”

“Kate, as I said, I knew your grandmother, but I was about ten years old when she passed, so the only reason I can assume is that’s where she must have tied up her old nag when she used the wagon. Miss Kathleen, from what I know, never bothered with anything other than her horse and wagon. But, I agree, the fence needs to go. I can begin on the cobblestone driveway in a few days but in the meantime, I can send my crew out to clear all the ... huh! How about if I just say, ‘overgrowth’?”

Kate laughed and said, “Ryan, you don’t have to be that polite. We’re looking at forty, plus years of neglect. But whenever you can get started, that’ll be fine. In the meantime,” she said, “I need to decide if I want a gas stove or should I keep using the old wood-burning stove. I love how it looks but, except for warmth, it’s not very practical.”

“If you don’t mind me sticking my two cents in, here, hold off a bit. You’re not fully moved in yet and once you unpack, you might want both. You can always put a gas stove in another area.”

“Ryan, I think you’re reading my mind again, but yes, I’ll hold off. While your men begin on ripping up all the straw-looking weeds, I’ve already asked for a representative from Travers Roofing to inspect the roof before it rains.”

Ryan, from O’Neill’s Fencing left and Kate looked around the room. The afternoon sun was beginning to hang low, so she ordered the light on. Before she unpacked her groceries, she pulled out the rags, soap, and bucket. After filling the bucket using the water from the outside waterspout, she added the soap and began scrubbing the pantry, counters, and anything else in her cottage that she knew, undoubtedly needed cleaning.

“Ah, thank God, mo abhaile isn’t big. Yet!” she thought and giggled at the notion that she might expand. “I could use a kitchen that’s a bit bigger. Something to think about.”

She again thought she felt the cross around her neck vibrate. “Grandmother, are you telling me that it’s okay to expand the cottage? Or are you telling me to leave it alone, leave it the way you had it? Oh, my, I wish I knew.”

She carried the bucket now filled with dirty water, and realized there was no backdoor. “Okay, well, this is one thing I’ll definitely have to remedy.” She carried the bucket out the front door and after taking about ten steps, emptied it.

Kate glanced at her watch. “Oh darn. It’s almost four in the afternoon. Where did the time go?” She emptied the grocery bags, put her items in the now-clean pantry, decided to wait a bit before tackling the cool room, and put the kettle on for tea.

She heard a hard rap on her door and didn’t like the sound of it. To Kate’s way of thinking, it sounded angry. She opened the door to a woman, whose long blonde hair flowed down past her shoulders like rivers. Kate, never one to judge, couldn’t help but think, “This is the worse dye-job I’ve ever seen. Especially on a woman who looks old enough to be my mother!” Instead, she said, “Can I help you?”

“Well, sure and for starters, you can get your American arse out of my house!”

Kate was shocked. Yet, as shocked as she was, she felt her little golden cross vibrate as if it pounded on her chest and that calmed her and gave her courage.

“I’m sorry, but this is mo abhaile; and who might you be?”

“Sure, and you know, I’d be the daughter of Sara Kelly Mooney!”

“Ah, the Sara who left her mother when things got tough! So, then, exactly what is your name and what makes you think this is YOUR house?”

“Bridget Mooney Montgomery and after Kathleen died, the only one left to inherit was my mum. Not you, whoever the hell you are!”

“Ah well then, “ Kate said calmly, “just wait here a minute. I have something for you.” Kate was smart enough not to open the door wide enough to allow the stranger inside. Yet, that didn’t stop her.

Bridget put one foot inside the cottage and felt an electric shock shoot up her leg.

“What the hell have you done? Why is the floor shocking me? Turn off the electricity! Immediately.”

Kate laughed. “I haven't had it turned on yet. The utility company won’t be out until sometime late tomorrow morning.”

She turned from the counter, walked to the door, and handed Bridget a piece of paper.

“Meet me here, at this office, at ten tomorrow morning. We’ll have all this straightened out then. Now, get your big galoot of a foot off MY front step. Clearly, MY great grandmother isn’t happy with you being here. Now, get, or I’ll have mo abhaile shock you again!”

The woman with the long blonde rivers flowing down her body, abruptly turned as she stomped her way to her car, screamed, “Sure, and you’ll see who owns this piece of crap! You’d better not unpack anymore of your – things!”

Again, Kate laughed and shouted after the woman, “Drive carefully. You don’t want to crash and miss our appointment tomorrow.”

Back inside, Kate locked her door, reached for her phone, and dialed. As soon as the call was answered, she said, “Terry, I need your help.”