I was perusing the real estate ads and of course, that took me back to a simpler (and less expensive) time. 42 years ago, to be exact. That was when hubby and I were getting ready for our wedding and our life together. That, naturally, would require a place to live...and since our folks weren't begging us to stay with them...(no kidding?) we needed to get busy. Buying a house was out of the question...what were we going to do?
Fate was smiling on us, as my sister and her husband were getting ready to buy a house. Talk about luck! The place they had rented was going to be available! They had lived in a charming farmhouse in a farming community that was on the cusp of tremendous growth. And it was going to be OURS!
Not so fast. We had to meet the landlords and they had to give their approval. They were an elderly couple who lived in a farmhouse adjacent to the one we hoped to live in. I wasn't sure how they were going to feel about us. They loved my sister and her husband but that was "them" and this was "us".
The meeting time was set, we introduced ourselves, and we were welcomed into their home. Very sternly, the woman said "It will be $100.00 a month, no children and no pets". Now, this was for a four bedroom house, sitting on a beautiful piece of land! Are you kidding me? Kids and pets weren't in our immediate future so YES! YES! YES!
Our wedding took place and we settled into life, as newlyweds, in our homey little nest. We became better acquainted with the landlords and they warmed up to the young couple who was fortunate to be their tenants. "Pearl", who never had children of her own, was so kind to a young gal who couldn't cook. She shared her know-how in the kitchen, kept us in produce and provided us with an occasional chicken that first year of married life. We would sit on their porch swing and listen to their stories about farm life from an earlier time, take them to an occasional appointment, pick up groceries for them when we went to the store...things neighbors and friends do. They were terrific people and we loved them.
Which is why telling "Pearl" and "Bill" the wonderful news that we were going to be parents, presented us with a dilemma. "No kids allowed"...we'd have to leave our dear sweet neighbors... And where were we going to go?
We mustered up the nerve to go knock on their door. "Pearl" invited us in...she always had something sweet in the kitchen so we sat down...and before even taking a bite, I blurted out, almost crying "I'm pregnant... we wanted to tell you we'll be moving out. I'm so sorry". (I was apologizing for leaving them, tenant-less, not for being pregnant, first son.). Anyway, we walked back to our place, not knowing where we would end up.
The next day, Pearl was outside, weeding, and when she saw me, invited us for dessert again that evening. We went over and certainly weren't prepared for what she said next. "Bill and I discussed your situation last night and made a decision. We'd like you to stay". "Are you kidding us? Thank you! Thank you!" "We also decided", she said, that you'll be needing money for the baby, so we want you to pay $90.00 a month for rent. You put that $10.00 to good use, now, hear? " Now, who DOES that? We were overwhelmed by their kindness, mumbled our thanks and went home to our place.
We had our first son, managed to save up a small down payment for a starter home, and eventually left that cozy farmhouse in Fairfield. Pearl and Bill are gone now, so is their farm and our first "home". It's funny... People come into your life and, with an act of kindness, become indelible in your memory. That's how it is with Pearl and Bill. They impacted our lives in a way they probably never even realized. Not just the monetary thing, but they showed a young couple, just starting out, how far-reaching an act of kindness can go. 42 years... And I'm STILL grateful for their example.
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