Aunt Jessie's House

Large and imposing, made of brick with heavy wood paneling indoors. The front windows all have a panel of stained glass at the top and the furniture is equally dark and grim. Milk glass bowls on the end tables hold caramels, candy corn, and gum drops. I spent visits as a child slipping down the slippery couch surfaces while casually scooping handfuls of candy.

After the funeral, the house is as dark and solid as ever. A certain fixedness has worked its way into the carpeted silence, and the next time I see the house, it is empty.

back

Maps