A Time and Place for Healing

By Keith Scott

Circumstances bring two individuals, each with their own challenges, together in an unexpected circumstance. This relationship between an old man and a young lady leads to a situation neither was looking for nor wanted, but it leads to a relationship that impacted a whole community. The trials and rewards lead to a complete transformation of both the main characters and all others that are drawn into their relationship. The ups and downs lead to times of happiness and sometimes sorrow, but the book is filled with strong emotions. The reader will be kept asking what will happen next.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887932149

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A Time and Place for Healing

Keith Scott

Copyright © 2023 Keith Scott

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2023

ISBN 979-8-88793-213-2 (pbk)

ISBN 979-8-88793-214-9 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

I would like to dedicate this book to those in need of a goal in life, to all those who are lost and feel hopeless. We too often look down at people struggling with emotional issues or those we call down and out. We are quick to judge and label them without really knowing them or what they have gone through. Thousands or war veterans and homeless and thousands of others have ended their lives due to depression. Hundreds or thousands of our children suffer emotional issues, and we lose thousands of them needlessly every year. We can all help with just a little understanding and love, and by doing so, we can understand and help ourselves. I dedicate this book to those looking for help as well as those not looking but need it. I also dedicate it to those doing their best to make a difference.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

About the Author

I would like to dedicate this book to those in need of a goal in life, to all those who are lost and feel hopeless. We too often look down at people struggling with emotional issues or those we call down and out. We are quick to judge and label them without really knowing them or what they have gone through. Thousands or war veterans and homeless and thousands of others have ended their lives due to depression. Hundreds or thousands of our children suffer emotional issues, and we lose thousands of them needlessly every year. We can all help with just a little understanding and love, and by doing so, we can understand and help ourselves. I dedicate this book to those looking for help as well as those not looking but need it. I also dedicate it to those doing their best to make a difference.

Chapter 1

Building a New Life

Alderwood was a small town of less than thirty-five thousand people. It was a rural community nestled in a small valley surrounded by small mountains on three sides. Streams from the surrounding terrain flowed together to merge into a small river that flowed through town. There was only one main road into town at one end. There were small unimproved dirt roads that led up into the mountains to lakes, camping sites, and other wilderness areas at the other end of town. The town got its name because of the abundance of trees surrounding the town which were mostly alder. Several other varieties of trees, however, included pines, oak, maple, birch, as well as others. It made for thickly forested surroundings on the hillsides.

This was one of the main reasons Roger had decided to move here, along with the fact that the town was in a secluded area and, for the most part, very quiet. He had found his house, which was at the edge of town with the back of the property adjacent to the trees and hillside. It was rather run-down, in pretty bad condition, and had been vacant for several years. The bank, which had foreclosed on it, was anxious to sell it at a reasonable price. It was the perfect location and size for Roger, however, and he went to the bank manager with an offer. He found out that it had been vacant so long and was so old it had been condemned. To move in, it would have to be fixed up to meet the building codes. It would take a lot of major improvements before he could occupy the place. At the time, Roger had a small motor home and asked if he could park it on the property and live in it while he made the improvements.

Darrell, the bank manager, said, If we can come up with reasonable price, I would be glad to get it off our hands. However, it would take a lot of work to bring it up to code. Are you sure you are up to the task?

I'm pretty handy with tools and have done a fair amount of remodeling in my time. In fact, I carry a large assortment of woodworking tools at all times since it is my hobby.

We'll have to check with Bob to go ahead.

Who is Bob?

Oh, he is the mayor. As a small community, we usually go by first names, and things are handled informally here. He also takes care of the housing and development. He and I went to school together, and we usually can handle matters with a phone call and take care of any paperwork later. I'll give him a call right now.

Darrell picked up the phone and made the call.

Hello, Bob. Remember that property on Oak Avenue that we talked about the other day that has been condemned? I have a gentleman here who is interested in buying it. He says he is willing to fix it up to meet required codes before moving in. He has a motor home that he wants to park on the property and live in until he can move in. His name is Roger. Here, let me put us on speaker so we all can join in.

Hi, Roger, I hear you would like to purchase a piece of property in our little community?

Roger replied, That is right. It is perfect for my needs.

Well, Roger, what is your last name?

I just go by Roger.

We can take care of that when we get to signing the paperwork. Well, as I was saying, maybe Darrell neglected to give you the complete lowdown concerning the property. It was one of the first structures built in our town and, as such, has been designated as a historical site. That means the exterior cannot be altered without approval from the historical society. That, along with bringing it up to code for modern living, could be a challenging task.

I have no intention of changing anything on the outside. I like the house as it stands, and I also like the outbuildings. I am willing to do what has to be done to make it livable and up to code.

Darrell now cut in, Bob, I can vouch for Roger, and we have gone over the financial issue. When we finalize the agreement, we will use full legal names.

Bob's reply was delayed a little, but he finally replied, Roger, I have no problem going by first names, and as Darrell, I'm sure, has already told you, here we usually go on first name basis. Since Darrell says he can vouch for you and has assured me full legal names will appear on all documents, I have no problem. It sounds as if you bought yourself a house. Welcome to Alderwood.

Thank you, Bob, Darrell said. Remember our golf date on Sunday. You better bring your A game. See you then. And he hung up.

He then turned to Roger. Well, that was relatively easy, but we have some paperwork to get to, and we can get the power turned on. Considering all the work you will be doing, I feel the price we discussed earlier is fair. And if you still agree, we can get you signed up for a loan here at the bank at a real reasonable rate.

No loan, Rogers replied. I will pay cash.

You don't possibly carry that much cash with you, do you?

No, but if you want to call my bank, we can arrange to have them send you a cashier's check for the full amount as soon as possible. And, by the way, since I will be living here, I will need a local bank to take over my finances. Can you recommend one? Of course, he was jesting. He already had decided to transfer his funds to Darrell's bank. He just wanted to get a reaction. He then smiled at Darrell, and they both had a good-natured laugh.

Being the bank president as well as owner, it made things a lot easier. However, the bank lawyer would have to look over everything to make sure it was all legal. They did get on the phone with Roger's bank, and to Darrell's shock, the transfer of funds in the full amount was no problem. In a couple of hours, everything was completed, signed, and notarized. They opened a new account at the bank with an agreement to have the rest of his assets transferred. After a handshake, other niceties, and another welcome to the community, Roger was on his way to his new home.

Chapter 2

Making a New Home

Roger, although not young, in his early to midseventies, was a hard worker. He was a jack of all trades, having advanced skills in many areas. He had a trailer that he pulled behind his motor home full of power as well as hand tools. The property already had an open garage at the back of the house which became his workshop. Behind that was a small barn, and another small shed was at the back on the other side of the property. There was a coral attached to the barn, and the property extended into the woods at a slight slope behind his place. These features were the reason for his selection of the property. It was ideal for his purposes.

None of the buildings were in great shape, but they were sound, especially the house. But being built over a hundred years ago, the plumbing and electrical were outdated. Plumbing was something he was familiar with and could handle, but the electrical would require a licensed electrician. Everything would just take time, and he had to get started.

The house had a front and back porch that were covered. The back porch extended all the way from one side of the house to a room attached behind the house on the other side. A door went to the kitchen, and another went into the room from the porch. From that room, another door opened up into the garage, making it a perfect storage and workroom for his tools. The rest of the house was a square shape. The door from the back porch opened into the kitchen. To the left of the kitchen from the back was a bedroom, and in front of that was a bathroom which needed major work. The living room took up the rest of the house. It was separated from kitchen by a wall with an open doorway. It extended from one side of the house to the other with a window on the front wall and one on each side. A fireplace was in the corner of the wall separating the kitchen and wall adjacent to the driveway. The driveway, which was dirt mixed with gravel, led to the back of the house and garage with parking in the back. The front door opened on to a small porch with five steps down into the lawn which was about thirty feet deep and fifty feet wide. Overgrown shrubbery encircled the whole property except in the back where it went into the woods. There was a picket fence that also enclosed the property except for the open driveway but was almost impossible to see because of the vegetation. You could make out roses within the plants and weed, but it would take a lot of work to trim and weed them.

The outside, however, would have to wait. Roger had to take care of work in the house so he could move in. He soon was using the trailer, making trips to the local hardware store, lumberyard, junkyard—any place he could find to procure what was needed. Being a private person, he never asked for help, nor did he hire anyone to help except for the electrical work. He did everything else by himself. Life started early each day, and he worked well into the night. He only had one outlet for electrical purposes, so he had to work by lamplight after dark.

Soon the house started looking pretty good, at least on the inside. From the outside, little improvement was noticeable. But that was not a requirement to move in or pass building codes. Soon he was able to move in with all inspections passed and codes met.

Since the house and property had been run-down and vacant so long, neighborhood children came to consider it haunted. Since the grade school and junior high were only a couple of blocks away and were on the same street as his house, several children passed by each day. Roger was doing almost all work inside, and since his motor home and trailer were parked in the back, out of sight, they never realized someone had moved in. But when they started seeing lights in the house and shadows moving about, their belief in a haunted house theory was intensified.

For personal needs, such as groceries and other shopping, he did it at night to avoid contact with other people. He used the twenty-four-hour stores. This contributed to theory of a haunted house because no one saw him during the day, especially the children. The runs he had to make for material was usually while the children were in school. He always parked in the back of the house, out of sight from the road. He just wanted to maintain his privacy, and he knew children were not only the most curious but the most mischievous. His banker and the mayor were the only ones who knew who he was and that he had bought the house.

Within two months, he had made the improvements necessary to meet codes and pass inspections, which meant he was able to move in. Windows were repaired, all electrical updated, all new plumbing fixtures installed, and all other plumbing updated. There were other inside improvements he wanted to make, but everything necessary for his moving in was accomplished.

Next on his list was the barn and property behind the house. These needed to be repaired, and the garage needed to be cleaned out to make room for his trailer. He also planned to sell the motor home now that it was no longer needed and buy a pickup that he could pull the trailer with and haul larger items. He also wanted to buy a goat for milk and chickens for eggs, and the coral and barn needed repair to accommodate them. His goal was to become as independent as possible. He needed the truck and trailer to transport them and their feed. He also planned to buy wheat and grind it to make his own flour. Bees were also on his list. And a garden would provide most everything needed to reach that goal. He enjoyed cooking and canning, and the fruit trees would also provide for food storage as well as providing food for the animals. With the proper use and care of what he could provide, he figured one trip a month for spices and other minor items would be sufficient.

So the barn, coral, and other outbuildings now became his center of attention. He had already contacted a farmer who raised goats and arranged to purchase a young female with a kid and was producing milk. He had to wait for the kid to be old enough to be separated before picking up the nanny, which would be about a week. He also was going to get about a dozen chickens from the same famer at the same time. Luckily, he was able to find a beekeeper in the area that he could purchase a queen and some bees from. The hive he would place on the back of his property at the tree line. There was a lot to prepare for his animals, but they were critical to his way of life. The chickens would be in a separate fenced-in area next to the coral where the goat would be able to reside with an area inside the barn for her.

The other storage shed would be used for storage of tools and woods as he was a woodworker and planned to harvest raw hardwood from the forest behind his property. These would be used in planned projects in the future.

He managed to trade in the motor home for a used pickup. It was not fancy but ran well, and the trade didn't cost him a dime. The dealer, in fact, was very pleased with the trade.

Another two weeks and he was ready to welcome his new residents to the property. They would become his family, and he treated them as such. The goat he named Nanny—not very original, but names did not matter to him, and it was easy to remember.

Now he was prepared to paint the house and work on the fence once he cleared away the weeds. This project would have to be done delicately because his property, being on a street frequented by schoolchildren, posed a situation he wanted to avoid. He knew his appearance would create rumors and possible situations he wanted to avoid. He knew his appearance was not the standard. He had long hair and a beard, and his clothes were worn and out of style. To be honest, he looked like a tramp. For this reason, he worked on the front of his property after they were in school and before they were let out. Fortunately, the bushes and overgrown roses hid him from the sidewalk and street traffic for the most part.

Two years into his residency, the front was still in poor condition. He had maintained his privacy and concentrated his efforts on the care of his animals and improvements in the house and the property behind it. He had put in a garden and, by all standards, kept a proper barnyard. However, the front yard still needed a lot of work. He had transformed the storage next to the back porch into a workshop and spent hours in there working on his woodworking projects. But he had neglected the front. Working in the lawn was not his cup of tea.

Chapter 3

Liza

There was a park less than a block from Roger's place on the same street. There were only three other properties between his property and the park. The park was right next to the grade school. Children often played in the park after school before going home. It was late summer, and Roger decided to work in the front after the schoolchildren had gone home for the day since there would still be a lot of daylight left. He waited for about half an hour, and when he thought the children had moved past, he went out to do his least liked chores. About a half hour into his weeding, trimming, and cleaning up, he heard a group of children in front of his property creating a fuss. He had been engrossed in his project and didn't see them coming up the walk. A group of about six had stayed to play in the park and were now headed home later than he expected.

He immediately halted his activity in fear they would hear him. If he stayed still and made no noise, he was sure they would not notice him behind all the shrubbery. He was aware of the reputation his place had, especially among the younger residents, and he didn't want to create a scene.

The uproar became louder. He heard a young girl crying profusely. He heard ga, ga, garbage g-girl over and over again.

Finally he heard the girl of about ten respond, St-st-stop it, st-st-stop it. She was crying out of control with her hands over her face and had dropped her books on the walk.

They, or at least some, continued to taunt her, Ga, ga, garbage g-g-girl.

He could not take it anymore. He knew what it was like to be made fun of for being different. He stood up, and immediately, everyone began screaming and running away—all except one. The young girl who was so upset, with her hands over her eyes, crying so hard she never noticed anything. No wonder they ran. Out of the bushes stepped a figure with a long white beard, a straw hat, torn, ragged coveralls and gloves on his hands, holding shears in one hand and a small garden shovel in the other.

He put down his tools, walked over to the girl, giving her a big hug. "Now, now, they are gone now. Everything will be all right.

She was still crying and wasn't able to see much, especially since she was in such a close embrace. She couldn't see who was holding her. N-no it w-will n-never be all-all right.

Now, now, it may seem like that now, but things get better. Why were they teasing you and calling you that name?

M-my father is a ga garbage man, and, and the way I t-talk.

There is nothing wrong with being a sanitation engineer. Without them we would all be covered in trash. It is a very important and noble profession. You should be proud of him. And as far as the way you talk, there is nothing to be ashamed of. We all have our challenges.

At that, she pulled herself back a little and he knelt down, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and started drying her tears away. As soon as she could see clearly, she stepped back a little further in fear and looked him over. Who-who are y-you and w-where did y-you come from? Are y-you going to h-hurt me?

No, I would never hurt you. My name is Roger, and this is my place. May I inquire as to the name of this beautiful young lady standing before me?

I-I'm not su-supposed to t-talk to st-strangers. A-and I am n-not be-beautiful.

Well, I think you are very beautiful, but I don't think beautiful is your name. So, beautiful, do you have another name, or shall I just call you beautiful?

You t-talk funny.

Well, I guess we have that in common. Now let's get you cleaned up, and you can calm down, and I will call your folks to pick you up, beautiful.

No, y-you can't c-call my p-parents. And my n-name is Liza, not b-beautiful.

Now why can't we call your parents? They will be worried about you.

W-we just c-can't. Are y-you a g-ghost?

No, I am not a ghost, nor am I Santa Claus like some people think because I am so fat and have a long white beard. But I think you have to go home before your parents panic. I don't think you are in a condition to do it alone. I am sorry. I would walk you home, but I have another problem. I don't like to leave my home. Now let's go to the house. I have a batch of cookies I just made, and I'm sure we will figure things out.

Liza giggled a little at his Santa remark and by now has calmed down and was losing her fear of this strange new individual. He picked up his tools and her books, put them in one arm and put his other arm around Liza's shoulders, and led her up the driveway to the back of his house.

When they got back to the back porch, he sat her down on his swing that had a small table in front of it. I'll be right back, he said.

He went into the house and shortly returned with a glass of milk and a plate of oatmeal cookies. He also had a wet cloth he used to wipe her face, which he proceeded to do.

Now we can't have my princess looking like this. We have to get her presentable for her subjects.

Liza laughed again. I am no pr princess, and I d-don't have su-subjects. Then she took a sip of milk. This m-milk tastes f-funny, is it b-bad?

"It is goat's