The October House

The October House still had its old Victorian shape —two tall towers, three and a half stories high, small rooms with low, sloping roofs at the very top, a Widow's Walk above a closed porch, two stories and a huge attic. Inside, it had become more modern. When we finally bought the house three years after we graduated from college, we had spent another two years upgrading the wiring, plumbing and a new, more efficient heating system along with much additional insulation. There was even CAT6 cable strung throughout. Many windows had been replaced with low-E glass and other improvements made throughout. Ron had a lot of experience in construction and between us we were able to do most of the work ourselves. Otherwise we could never have afforded it all so soon, but we had gotten the house at a good price since it had been on the market for so many years.

We still had some of the old furniture but it generally wasn't really our style. We were slowly replacing most of it with pieces that were more to our liking, even if some of it we would definitely keep.

The house came with ten acres of land, almost all woods, and had two hundred twenty yards of shoreline on the lake, almost all of it a twenty foot cliff above a mostly rocky shore. We had cleaned up the apple orchard and had fixed up the little playhouse out back. The swings had new chains and a fresh coat of paint and we had added a nice slide. Our three loved it and the few times Mrs. Bradford's grandchildren came by, their kids loved it also.

There is still the long drive with the pathway running parallel on one side. The two rows of lilac bushes flank the pathway and in spring their scent is heavenly. And at Halloween we still string paper lanterns with little orange lights along the path and put Jack-o'-lanterns by the big iron gate out front. The porch usually sports a couple of ghosts and more lights and on that night the doorbell makes the most incredible sound when the kids ring it for Trick-or-Treat.

Many of the apple trees in the orchard are still the original ones - at least the ones that were here when we first saw it. We've replaced a couple and added two pear and two plum trees. In the fall there is always a lot of fruit. There is still a marker near the cliff top where Oliver rests and I know someday - but I hope not soon - our own black cat will join him to rest there. There are worst fates.

But now it is late summer, the orchard is full of fruit but not yet ripe. The grass between the trees is thick and soft. Tonight all three kids are visiting their grandparents and Ron and I have the house to ourselves. I expect we won't use the house a lot. The weather is warm and clear, our favorite patch of grass beneath the apple trees at the edge of the orchard is inviting and I expect we will be spending the night right there - on a blanket, to be sure. But no clothing, to be sure, also. We never tire of our nights outside the "haunted house."

As I contemplate the evening to come I wonder if Mrs. Bradford will be watching, smiling her approval and remembering her own loves.

The house was there since my earliest memories. It was just outside of town and we'd see it whenever we drove along the road by the shore A big, old mansion. I later learned it was a Victorian style but as a little girl it was just a big, really big, old house with towers and attic windows and a Widow's Walk high up over one of the enclosed porches. There was a high iron fence surrounding it and a big iron double gate across the driveway. The house was set some thirty yards back from the road and there was a pathway from the double gate that ran parallel to the drive but off to the side, flanked on either hand by lilac bushes. The house sat on a rise above the lake shore where the waves could crash against the rocks some twenty feet below.

I know the house has been there always, but my first specific memory of it was when I was five. It was two days before Halloween and my parents were taking me over to a party with some of my friends who lived farther out in the country. Halloween was on a Sunday and Trick-or-Treating would be that night. The party was at Sarah's house and it was two days early so we could all go out on Sunday. It was still a Halloween party and I was dressed in a Princess costume my mother had made for me Long pink dress, a tall pointed hat with a veil trailing from the point at the top, and a small, silver tiara with a bunch of fake jewels set around it.

As we passed the big, old house my eyes locked on it and I stared until it was out of sight. There were Jack-o'-lanterns on top of the posts on each side of the big iron gate. There was a big corn shock with a stuffed scarecrow reclining against it. Each of the many windows in the front had a candle - probably an electric one - resting on the sill in the center. A row of orange lights surrounded the front door and two ghosts wearing white sheets hung on either side of the entrance. I think that's when I first started thinking of the house as the October House.

When Sunday came and my mom and dad took me around Trick-or-Treating, we went up and down the streets by our house. When we had covered those and started back home I suddenly asked if we could go to the October House. Both Mom and Dad seemed quite surprised when I finally explained what the October House was, but after I pleaded over and over they relented and we all got in the car to drive the mile or so over to it.

The house was still lit and decorated as before and I did see a couple of other kids coming back down the path from the front door. Mom and Dad probably thought I might not want to go up to it by myself, but I didn't hesitate and when they stopped the car I leaped out and started right up the path. There were paper lanterns with orange lights strung along the lilac bushes on either side as well as some low lights along the driveway, so it wasn't really dark or anything. I did meet two other kids coming back out just as I started down the path but otherwise I was completely alone.

I stepped up onto the porch and reached up to ring the bell. Instead of a chime or bell, it made a whole bunch of sounds which I later learned was the doorbell from the Munsters TV show. All I really remember is thinking how neat it sounded. In a few seconds the door was opened - by a witch! Well, she was really dressed like a witch - a really good costume. She was all in black with a tall, pointed black hat with a wide brim. She was wearing pointed toe shoes and red and white striped socks. She was holding a broom in one hand and a big, black cat was rubbing against her ankles. I thought she looked wonderful!

She was an old witch. I could see she was even older than my grandparents and, when you're five, grandparents seem like they have been living forever. But she had a friendly face and a wide smile. I said, "Trick-or-Treat," and she smiled even wider and said something back. I don't remember exactly what she said but it was something about how cute my costume was and then she dropped a big bunch of candy in my bag.

I thanked her and for the next minute or two we talked. She asked my name and where I lived and how old I was. She said her name was Mrs. Bradford and she lived here. I asked if she lived by herself and she looked a little sad and answered that she had for the last eight years since her husband had died - just her and the black cat, Oliver. She asked if I would like to pet Oliver and when I did, he purred and rubbed against my ankles. I liked him immediately. Finally I thanked her again and started to leave. She asked me to come back next Halloween and I promised I would. Then I headed back to the car.

Next year when Halloween came, I remembered Mrs. Bradford's invitation. That year I was going around with three of my friends from school. We again covered our own neighborhood and then I asked my parents to take us out to the October House. I had told them about Mrs. Bradford inviting me back and this time they agreed without the pleading. So the four of us piled into the car and my dad drove us over to the big Victorian.

He once more waited in the car while the four of use made our way along the walk, again strung with small orange lanterns. This year there were still the two ghosts by the front door and also a Frankenstein monster sitting in a chair off to the side. We rang the bell. I knew what to expect from the previous year but all of my friends squealed with delight at the unusual sounds. Mrs. Bradford quickly answered the door, this time dressed as a wicked queen a la Snow White.

In answer to our "Trick or Treat" she placed a large bunch of candy in each of our bags. She surprised me by calling me by name. I had only met her that one time the previous year but somehow she had remembered me.

She talked with the four of us for several minutes, commenting on our costumes and asking our names and a few things about ourselves. We all got to pet Oliver and I think he remembered me, too. She urged us to return the next year and then when we finally started to leave she said, "Why don't the four of you ask your parents and some Saturday you can come over here and we can have a tea party or something."

We thanked her and said we would. Actually all four of us thought that would be a lot of fun. I mean the house looked fantastic even when it wasn't decorated for Halloween. And when we had ridden past it sometimes during the daylight we could see an orchard out back along with other big trees. We also could hear the waves crashing and knew the lake was just below. All together it seemed like someplace that would be fun to go.

We all told our parents about the invitation and my mom called Mrs. Bradford the next week. They talked on the phone for a long time and when she hung up, Mom told me that we could indeed go over some Saturday. However, the next week the weather changed with cold rains and soon some wet snow. There was never a good Saturday although Mom talked with Mrs. Bradford several times during the next month.

Christmas was approaching and one day we drove past the October House again. It was decorated with colored lights and a wreath, but not as extensive as it had been for Halloween. Still it looked interesting. I asked Mom to call again and see it maybe we could still go over one afternoon.

When she got off the phone she told me that Mrs. Bradford had been a little bit ill. She wasn't really sick or anything but she wasn't feeling up to a party. However, she had invited Mom and me to drop by sometime.

I asked Mom if I could get a Christmas gift for Mrs. Bradford. I think Mom was a little surprised, but she happily agreed. I wasn't sure just what kind of gift to get, but Mom suggested a small decoration of some kind and helped me pick out one with a candle and some pine cones. She also suggested that we make some brownies to take.

The next Saturday afternoon Mom called to make sure it would be OK and we made the short drive over to the October House. This time when we rang the bell, it was just a normal sound. Mrs. Bradford answered the door right away and invited us inside.

She showed us around the house. To me the inside of the house looked just as I would have expected. There were small decorations all over, many sitting on lace doilies. There were several fireplaces in different rooms. The kitchen looked modern but, except for a big flat screen TV and some other electronics, most everything else looked like it could have come straight out of a history book.

After the tour, Mrs. Bradford led us into the dining room where she had set out some cookies. She added the brownies we had brought and poured milk for me and tea for herself and Mom. She asked me about school, how I liked it and how I was doing, but mostly she and Mom talked.

Mom said, "It looks like you've lived here a long time. Is that right?"

She smiled. "All my life. This house was built by my grandparents. They lived here but when my mother and father were married, they moved south and left the house to my parents. I was born here and when Jack and I were married they gave it to us as a wedding gift. They said it was a great place to raise kids and they were right. My brother had joined the army and was always moving around. I guess when he left the service he didn't want to come back to a small town."

Mom had noticed the little play house out back along with the swings and asked, "Do you have children of your own?"

"Two boys and a girl. Now seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. But they are all scattered all over the country. Oh, they still visit - all of them - but none can see themselves actually living here. I guess the world has changed a bit." She shook her head slightly but was smiling and didn't seem unhappy about it. She went on, "Jack and I were lucky in that he was a writer and I taught school here. He could work anywhere he wanted and we were always happy here by the lake. We both retired some twenty-five years ago and decided to stay. Jack passed on eight years ago, so now I have the place to myself. And of course, Oliver." She smiled and reached down and stroked the black cat who was resting by her feet. "I'm ninety-one now and expect to stay here the rest of my life."

We stayed for another hour and I gave her the small gift. She thanked me profusely and said that I should bring my friends back after the spring weather turned nice and we would have that tea party.

Actually it was late May before we were able to do that, but one Saturday afternoon just before school was out, Norma, Sarah, Joan and I came over and true to her word Mrs. Bradford had a party for us at a table out back under the apple trees in her orchard. She had made a big cake and served us ice cream. She played a couple of games with use and watched while we played on the swings and ran all around.

I guess I should say something about myself. My name is Diane Schmidt. I have blonde hair and blue eyes. I don't have any brothers or sisters and when we had that party I was six, nearly seven, and was just finishing first grade. My parents own the hardware store here in town and both work there. I did well in school and got along well with the other kids, especially the three girls who came to the party with me.

The next day Mom suggested we write a thank you note to Mrs. Bradford and the four of us did just that. She sent back a nice letter and invited us to repeat it again sometime. Over the next five years we did repeat it several times. Usually two or three times a year Mrs. Bradford would invite us over, although the nature of our parties changed a little as we grew older. By the time we were in fifth and sixth grade she invited us over to help decorate the house for Halloween and Christmas.

When I entered eighth grade, Mrs. Bradford was ninety-seven. She was still spry and moved fairly easily but she wasn't twenty-three any more. That September we had a heavy thunderstorm one Thursday. Actually a whole series of them. There were trees down around town and a lot of fallen branches. At school several of us were talking about the storm.

Norma had moved away, but Sarah and Joan and I were still friends. We had also started to notice boys and there were three - Jim, Zeke, and Ron - who often hung around with us. I especially liked Ron and he seemed to like me also. Anyway, the six of us were talking about the storm when a thought suddenly came into my head. "You know, I'll bet that storm dropped a bunch of branches all around the October House." Then I had to explain to the boys just what the October house was.

"Mrs. Bradford lives there by herself. She's ninety-seven or so. I'll bet she could use some help cleaning up around there."

The two girls quickly agreed. "Why don't we go over there in the morning and see if we can help," Joan suggested.

The three boys looked at us and then quickly glanced at each other. "Suppose we come and help," Ron said.

I smiled at him. "That would be nice. I'd like that."

The other two girls looked at Jim and Zeke and I think those looks helped decide for them, because they quickly agreed. Anyway, Saturday morning at eight we all met and rode our bikes out to Mrs. Bradford's house. I had been right in that there were a lot of branches and limbs blown down. I rang the bell and in a few seconds the door opened. Mrs. Bradford looked surprised to see us and I quickly explained that we had come to help her clean up the yard.

"That's wonderful and very thoughtful of you. I was sure I couldn't do it and was wondering who I could hire to clear things."

We introduced the three boys and she told us where we could find some tools in the shed out back. The day was sunny and warm and we left our bikes at the end of the driveway and went around back and immediately started clearing things.

There was quite a bit to clear. We sort of split up into pairs. Ron came with me and I noticed each of the other boys went with one of the girls. Well, we were thirteen.

We worked hard all morning and were finally getting everything straightened up as noon approached. Just before noon Mrs. Bradford came out. She exclaimed how nice everything looked and again thanked us profusely for our help. Then she said, "Why don't you stay and have lunch. We can build a fire in the pit over there and cook hot dogs."

We thanked her and agreed. Joan and I went in with her to bring out the food. I found that not only did she have hot dogs but she had made some deviled eggs and heated some beans and had a couple of different kinds of chips. She also had a big thermos jug of lemonade. We carried everything out to the big picnic table along with paper plates and cups and long forks for toasting hot dogs.

There was a fire pit and some dry wood and soon we had a small fire going. Mrs. Bradford joined us while the fire was burning down and soon the boys were as comfortable talking with her as were we girls. The meal was just like any picnic and I don't think that anyone noticed that one of us was older than the rest all added together.

After that weekend whenever there was a storm or later when it snowed, some of us would come over to help - sometimes all six of us, but more commonly just two - usually a boy-girl pair. Ron and I frequently spent a Saturday morning at Mrs. Bradford's place. Usually she invited us to lunch and we found she was a very interesting woman to talk with. I once called her place the October House and then had to explain how I had come to think about it as such. She thought it a wonderful name and was quite pleased.

We discovered she owned about ten acres, mostly woods, with about two hundred yards of lake shore. She never mentioned it but I got the impression she was fairly well off financially. She told us stories of places she and her husband, Jack, had visited and things they had done. They had both had pilot's licenses and were still flying when they were eighty. They frequently took a small plane and made a weekend pilgrimage to some interesting location. She also told us about how when she was younger they had SCUBA dived and even done some technical climbing. She had backpacked throughout the Rockies and the eastern mountains as well and I think she may have been the one to get me interested enough to try backpacking myself. Regardless, I have grown to love it.

By the time summer came, Ron had asked me out several times and although our dates were limited to around town since neither of us was old enough to drive, we had mostly started going only with each other. We still frequently spent some Saturday mornings helping out at Mrs. Bradford's and usually went over there at least once a week to keep her grass cut. The others occasionally came if there had been a big storm or something, but not often. Neither of the girls had really paired up with the two guys, so I guess there was somewhat less incentive for them.