The House Across the Street

By David Adam

The House Across the Street is a story about a young boy who watches his childhood playground, in the rurals of Mobile, Alabama, become a beautiful Victorian estate.

Young Nelson spends a lifetime trying to acquire, not only a home, but also a special someone who lives inside.

Youll watch him grow into a mature man and take on responsibilities he thought was unattainable.

You will be inspired by his perseverance and tenacity against all odds to be a man that every parent would be proud of.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456745912

David Adam

Dr David Adam is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Man Who Couldn't Stop and an editor at Nature, the world’s top scientific journal. Before that he was a specialist correspondent on the Guardian for seven years, writing on science, medicine and the environment. During this time he was named feature writer of the year by the Association of British Science Writers, and reported from Antarctica, the Arctic, China and the depths of the Amazon jungle.

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Contents

Dedication

Introduction

Chapter I

The Rosenthall’s

Chapter II

The New Owners

Chapter III

Nelson’s New Job

Chapter IV

Jail Or Sail

Chapter V

Anchors Aweigh

Chapter VI

Pearl Harbor

Chapter VII

No Place Like Home

Chapter VIII

North To Alaska

Chapter IX

Going Back Home

Chapter X

The Wedding

Chapter XI

New Neighbors

Chapter XII

The Fabulous Fifties

About The Author

Acknowledgements

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the citizens of every small town in this country who live, work and support the needs and wants of their family and friends.

To anyone who swings a hammer or works in a plant and thinks no one is conscious of their efforts.

To the waiter and the waitress who serve our meal, or anyone who feels that no one cares about what you do.

May you never forget that every dream you bring to life and every hand you reach out and touch will make a difference to someone somewhere.

This book is also dedicated to every young person who wants too much out of life. The lessons in this book will help you to keep your desires in the right perspective and to remember that life is not what you have on the outside, but is everything you are on the inside.

THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET is for you.

The Author

INTRODUCTION

As you sit back and relax so as to enjoy the story about the House Across the Street, please keep in mind the dreams and desires of a ten year old.

Young Nelson watches his childhood playground in the outskirts of the southern town of Mobile transform to a beautiful home that he spends a lifetime in pursuit of.

You will also get a tiny glimpse of how life was in the 1930’s when jobs were scarce, if any, and how people of that era viewed the world around them.

As Nelson grows up in this environment, you’ll see him transform from a naïve young southern country boy to the mature man that every parent would be proud to call their son.

You will also see the positive changes of a company executive as he watches his world crumble around him and triumph a better man in spite of his tremendous loss, which can inspire each of us to keep in perspective our material possessions and to embrace our loved ones as if there is no tomorrow.

As the character Nelson continues to mature mentally and emotionally due to the aid of his best friend and mentor, Chief Joe Wilson, you will come to appreciate that no matter how old or young we are, we can all benefit from the right example and actions of our friends.

But, most of all, you will marvel at Nelson’s determination and tenacity against all odds and logic to never succumb to the negative attitudes of his surroundings, but come to a higher level of understanding of others and especially himself.

CHAPTER I

THE ROSENTHALL’S

Ha, I told you kids to stay out of this lot, so scram, all of you. Get out and stay out! Those were the words that still ring in my head, the words I’ll never forget, every time I look at that great old home that was built right across the street from my family home here on what was once called Middle Berry Road.

That empty old lot was more than just a playground for my friends and me. It was a place where all us kids would meet and talk. We learned about life and love as we thought it was, and as we thought it was going to be.

That’s why all of us hated to see the construction crew take our little piece of heaven and build that house, the house across the street.

I couldn’t have been more than ten years old when the largest truck I had ever seen pulled up and began to unload lumber. To the crew, it was just another job. Who could have known that every piece of wood and every nail was going to tell a story about the lives of so many people and, especially, me.

As the work continued, the house began to take on shape. We all knew this wasn’t gonna be an average house. This was going to be a real showpiece, a home that would turn heads. As we watched the wraparound porches being built, I could just imagine people sitting in wicker chairs enjoying the serenity of this beautiful country atmosphere.

We all wondered who the new owners were going to be. For we knew, it had to be someone important, someone with a lot of money and influence. That’s why we weren’t surprised to see the large limo pull up once a week to check on the progress. The chauffeur would always get out first and open the rear door and out would step a well-dressed man and a beautiful woman. You could just tell they were somebody, somebody with class. And this house was going to reflect the power and prestige of that couple.

I’ll never forget that spring morning of 1927 when the moving truck pulled up to unload all the furniture, and what furniture it was! The driver said everything was imported from all over the world, some pieces as far away as India. It was the best of everything.

Being a curious ten year old, I couldn’t help climbing up the trellis by the parlor window and peeking in. It was grand!

That’s when that limo pulled up and the new owners walked up the front steps, opened the large mahogany doors and looked at their wonderful home, a home that would be the setting for gaiety and laughter for many years. I knew I wanted to be a part of that. Just how it was going to happen, I didn’t know, but I was positive I was gonna find a way to be part of their lives.

That’s when I eased down the trellis and tiptoed across the porch and stood in front of the large doors and rehearsed in my mind what I would say.

Maybe I could say I was the paperboy. Nah, got no bike. Maybe I could say I wanted to borrow a cup of sugar. Nope, got no cup. Maybe I could say…

And at that moment, the door opened and there I stood with my mouth open wide enough to catch flies! My lips were moving but nothing was coming out and that’s when they said, Come in, we’ve been expecting you.

Well, I didn’t know what to say, so I just took one step forward and let them do all the talking, hoping I could figure out who they thought I was!

As they looked me up and down with smiles on their faces they said, You must be the young man the agency sent over. You look like the right person for the job. Are you sure you can handle our pet Collie?

Yea, yea, I’ve worked with a lot of pets. I’m sure I can take care of your Collie. I’m perfect for the job. I live right across the street in the yellow house, as I stumbled through our conversation.

That’s great. We’ll be finished unpacking and should be settled in by Wednesday. You can start then, all right?

I quickly replied,Swell.

Oh, by the way, son, I didn’t get your name.

Dunbar, Nelson Dunbar, was my quick reply.

As I turned and walked away, I kept wondering how I was gonna pull this off? But that didn’t matter. If other people can do it, so can I. At least that’s what my old man says. And all that really mattered was I was going to be a part of Mr. and Mrs….?

Holy, moly, I didn’t get their names! What was I thinking? I’ll really look like a dunce when I show up for work next Wednesday to care for a dog that I know nothing about and