It was a nice summer day and we decided to go out for a Sunday drive. You know, where you just drive till you get lost then find your way home. An old boyfriend and I headed South out of town on some back roads. Not sure if he had a destination, but he might have. When we got closer he asked me to turn here or there. Then he said, "Hey, pull into that driveway."
We were sitting in the driveway and he was pointing out the old barn and the hill where he used to play. This is where he grew up. An old man came out onto the back porch and asked if he could help us. My guy said, "We are just looking around, I used to live here." He asked us if we wanted to come in and see the old place. There was no hesitation, we went up to the porch and introduced ourselves. He was a very nice guy. After he retired from Ford he bought this old farm house out in the sticks and settled in. He did all the work to fix it up. It was all restored very nicely. He really wanted to show it off to us.
We entered into the kitchen that was still vintage but very nice. The one thing I remember was the "pass through" glass door kitchen cabinets. They opened on the kitchen side and on the dining room side. I was very impressed because I never heard of that before. They were original. The next thing that I had never really seen was a safe that was built in under the front stairs, by the front door. It had the name of the original home builder hand painted on the front. I think there was a scene painted on it also. Very cool. It took me back to sometime in the 1800's, when you might need somewhere to keep your possessions. It looked very original and unaltered.
We were then directed into a room that used to be the parlor. He had made a pool table room complete with the old fashioned pool table and those green shade and brass light fixtures over it. The entire home was a showcase of fine restoration. The guy did nice work. My boyfriend was so excited to see the inside of the home he grew up in. It isn't every day that you get a tour of something so memorable.
We all went into the next room. I think it was a living room. Paul (boyfriend) looked at a vintage photo of an old man in an oval frame, that hung on the wall. He asked the homeowner where he had gotten that photo. The homeowner proudly said, "About 20 miles down US-12 at an antique store." Paul was thrown aback. I think he turned a shade of green. It was a strange moment in time. The homeowner said, "Why do you ask?"
Paul then told us that the old photo was an image of the man that built the home. His name is on the safe under the stairs. "That photo was on that exact nail when I lived here, as a child!" When his Mom sold the house she liquidated some items and had sold the photo to the antique store 20 miles down US-12.
We talked for a bit, thanked the homeowner for showing us around and I don't think any of us will ever be quite the same. It was a memorable experience to have been there in that moment. I will never forget.
