by Stuart James
‘Wow. This is great. Kate, you want to see the size of the loft.’
‘No thanks, I’m not climbing up there.’
‘No really, it’s gonna be perfect for extra storage.’
Kate and Sean looked around the rest of the upstairs.
‘Do you like it, honey?’
‘Scary, Mummy.’
‘No, it’s not scary, baby, it’s amazing.’ She lifted him up and planted a huge kiss on his cheek. ‘Things are going to be so much better now, Sean, you wait and see.’
‘Can I look in the garden, Mummy?’
‘I don’t see why not, let Daddy come down first and then we’ll take a look.’
Jake returned a few minutes later.
‘What do you think?’ He asked.
‘You go first.’
‘Well, as we were aware, it does need some work, it’s very secluded, the garden will need lots of maintenance, but apart from that, I bloody love it. Tell me you think the same, Kate.’
She pulled a face which confused Jake, then let out a screech that made Sean jump.
‘Yes, yes, I love it, Jake. It’s too good to be true though surely?’
Jake dusted himself off.
‘So, how do we handle Anton?’
‘Well, I think we need to play it cool. We can’t show him how much we want it; you know what they can be like. All of a sudden there’s another cost added to the monthly rent and they make out there’s big interest.’
‘Yeah, I’m with you. Let’s have a chat with him,’ said Jake. He lifted Sean, and they made their way out to Anton, who was sat in the front seat of his flashy car. The door was wide open, and he was busy on the phone. When he saw the family coming over, he quickly ended the call, placed his phone into his pocket and jumped out like his life depended on the family moving.
‘Well, what do you think? I told you it was perfect, didn’t I?’
Jake eyed Anton. ‘There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, that’s for sure.’ Jake tried his best to contain his excitement, but inside he wanted to pop like a balloon landing on a pin.
‘Yes, granted, but it’s within your budget, the place is all on its own, you have acres of space, and it’s ready for you to move into straight away, come on guys, you know it makes sense.’ ‘Yes, how come we can move in so quickly? What’s going on there?’ Jake inquired.
The agent flushed, lifted his hand to his mouth and cleared his throat like he was about to burst into song. ‘OK, I’m going to be totally truthful with you, start as we mean to go on and all that.’
Kate glanced at Jake and didn’t really want to hear Anton saying, ‘Ok, sorry, it’s haunted. The place has subsidence; it’s ready to be swallowed up. It doubles up as a brothel for the locals at weekends, didn’t I mention that?’ She held her breath.
‘The family who lived here before,’ he looked at his notes, ‘The Prescotts, I think. No one can seem to get hold of them.’
‘What do you mean no one can get hold of them?’ Kate asked anxiously.
‘They lived here for around nine months. There were four of them. The mother, father, and two kids. They just upped and left. The landlord is now dealing with all the arrangements and has taken it into hand. Hence, why you can move in straight away. But hey, their loss and all that.’
‘You mean, they just disappeared?’ Asked Jake.
‘It would seem that way, yes.’
Chapter Three
On the way home, Jake and Kate discussed their views on the house. The location. How the seclusion would affect them. Missing their family. Their close pals. They weighed up the pros and cons. They had many friends nearby in London. There was always a dinner party going on, a few drinks every other Friday night, or just a coffee and a quick catch up, knowing they were there, whenever they needed company. Jake only had to make the call, and the lads would meet up in any given bar on Camden high street, any night of the week. The group of friends had always hung around together, and some of them partnered off with each other. That’s how Jake and Kate met. The clan were often recognised as The Family, whenever they went out. They were all very close and had knocked about for years. They would miss the closeness they shared with the rest of the party.
∞∞∞∞ Hitting the M25, Jake thought he may be over exaggerating, but the smell of diesel nearly knocked him out. Rows of cars with other frustrated drivers ebbing their way along the road oblivious to every other vehicle. He wound the window back up, fired up the air con and waited for the chance to join the traffic.
Once they had got back home, eventually found parking, and locked the car, they headed back into the flat. ‘So, what’s the plan?’ Jake asked Kate as he set about making them both a coffee. Taking the laptop out, Kate fired up the estate agent’s website, and they both looked at the listing again.
‘I think we should call him.’
‘You sure?’ Jake asked, as the coffee machine spluttered to life with an action that reminded Jake of the car in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and he popped two cups underneath.
‘Absolutely! I’m making the call!’ Kate took out her phone and dialled the number, Anton
answered on the third ring.
‘Anton speaking.’
‘Hi, Anton, it’s Kate.’
‘Hey, you guys made it home all right then?’
‘Yes, no problem, listen, we’ve been talking.’
‘Yes.’
‘We like it and are considering moving in.’
‘I told you, didn’t I? That’s great news, Kate, is Jake with you on this?’
‘Oh yes, he made me call you, to be honest.’
She winked at her husband.
‘Great, right, I think we can move fast. I’ll call the solicitor now and let them know you are
ready to move as quickly as possible. I’ll see if there is any movement on the monthly rental cost.
They may want three months up front but just leave it to me. As soon as I hear anything, I’ll call
you back. I can’t promise it will be today, but let me try.’
Kate hung up the phone and took the coffee from Jake. She relayed the conversation she had
just had with Anton.
‘What if we don’t get it?’ She asked.
‘Look, let’s just wait and see. There are other places on the market too you know.’ Kate sipped her coffee. Jake couldn’t contain his excitement. He didn’t know whether he
could wait the whole day for an answer. They had never been filled with so much nervous tension.
He knew he shouldn’t feel like this but couldn’t help it. He was like a kid on Christmas Eve. The phone rang about thirty minutes later, and Kate picked it up almost immediately. ‘Hello?’
‘Kate, is that you?’
‘Speaking.’
‘It’s Anton.’ She already knew who it was.
‘Hey, Anton.’
‘Kate, I have some bad news I’m afraid.’ She looked over at Jake as her face sunk. ‘Go on.’ She wished she could just hang up now without going through the pain. ‘The place is yours.’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘It’s yours. The landlord is more than happy for you all to move in.’ Kate couldn’t contain
her excitement and dropped the phone as she raced over to Jake planting a kiss on his forehead.
When she finally managed to control the adrenaline caused by the great news, she came back on the
line. Jake whispered to her to play it cool, but it had all gone out the window.
‘Thank you, thank you so bloody much.’
‘As soon as you have your stuff packed and ready and can make the down payment, you can
move in. There’s also a possibility of purchasing the property in the future.’
‘Oh, Anton, I could kiss you,’ she stated as she hung up the phone and again ran into Jake’s
arms.
‘So, we’re finally doing it. Getting out of here, our dream place. Are you sure it’s what you
; want, Jake?’
‘I’ve never been more sure of anything.’
Chapter Four The next few weeks dragged by as they had both expected they would. There had been so much to organise. This was a scale the two of them had never had to deal with. Jake still recalled asking Kate to move in with him. She had been a little on the shy side, but he found it easy to talk to her, an instant attraction between the two of them. The night they met, the drinks flowed, the chemistry was vibrant, and they couldn’t keep their eyes off each other. Jake walked her to their friend’s place where she was staying for the weekend, and she invited him in for a coffee, making it clear that was all it was.
They quickly became an item and shortly after Jake asked her to move from her flat in East London over to the north side of town. He hired a van and carted everything in one trip. All her possessions, her life in the back of a transit. Every night they spent together at the beginning was like the first. They gouged on takeaways, wine and made love most evenings. After a spout of morning sickness and a craving for chocolate, sweets, and spicy foods, Kate carried out a test which revealed they were having a baby.
It was the most excited they had ever been and although they hadn’t planned it, welcomed the new addition with open arms.
Jake worked all the hours, and weekends were spent doing up the baby’s room, reading up on how to feed, clothe, and care for this new life. If the truth were told, they were crapping themselves but couldn’t wait to meet their child.
∞∞∞∞ It seemed while Jake worked, Kate spent every minute on the phone speaking to their local estate agent, the removal company, informing the relevant companies and dealing with the phone line, the gas, electric, water, and cable TV. The list seemed endless. Then packing as much as possible before unboxing them when they realised they needed something.
They had decided to rent their flat out, so the wheels could be put into motion quicker. The selling market had taken a slump. They’d heard horror stories of people advertising their properties for months without a single viewing or being undercut by thousands of pounds. They didn’t need the hassle, so sanctioned a local agent to find them a young couple who craved parties and night life. It was the perfect place for a starter home.
It was a renter’s market, and they’d easily find someone to move in quick. Jake had a lot on his plate too. He owned a plumbing and heating company which he had been running for several years. He had started out on his own, growing the business all the time but as it got busier, so did the pressure. Looking after the staff and engineers, the quotes, invoices, the grumpy customers, the admin, cash flow. So, although he knew they needed to move, he didn’t welcome the added pressure he was under. He planned to start up again when they arrived at their new home. A friend and work colleague would run the operation in London, and if Jake couldn’t get off the ground in their new place, he would have no alternative but to commute. He knew he could do it. Leaflet drops, ads in the local paper, breakfast business meetings, word of mouth. Anything to get his name out there. He’d done it before and would be a success again.
∞∞∞∞
A few nights before they were due to leave, Jake got a call from one of his old mates, Chaz, who he hadn’t seen in a few months.
‘Jake, baby, how’s it hanging?’ Kate hated that saying.
‘Good, pal, what’s happening with you?’
‘Oh, the usual, listen, are your guys around tomorrow night?’
Jake had to think for a second.
‘I assume so, why? What are you thinking?’
‘I’d like to say goodbye if that’s OK?’
‘Yes, of course, sorry, it’s just been a little crazy with everything, you know how it is.’ ‘I can only imagine. You’re braver than I ever could be, Jake.’
‘Yeah, well, if we don’t do it now, we never will.’
‘Listen, shall we meet in the Ship around eight?’
‘Sounds good to me, I’ll tell Kate. It will be great to see you.’
The Ship was a pub where they often got together, situated right in the middle of Camden
High Street and brought back so many happy memories for Jake. It’s where he first set eyes on his gorgeous wife, and the rest, as they say, is history. The following evening, the Uber taxi turned up at 7.30 p.m.
Kate came down the stairs, and Jake eyed her up. ‘Wow, hun, you look beautiful. It’s only the Ship.’
‘Yeah well, I want to leave a lasting memory, let them see what they’ll miss.’
They both laughed. Kate looked so hot in a short, low cut red summer dress with killer heels, and Jake wished he could change from his jeans and T-shirt. No time now. After they had given the final instructions to the babysitter, they headed off. It was a Thursday night, and Camden was bustling as usual. As they spoke with the driver, they noticed people were already in the street, drinking, partying. The kebab shops were packed to the doors. Restaurants jammed with customers lined up to get in and fed. The usual, one out, one in. A couple of bands were giving their final sound check. One two, testing one two. Getting ready to rock the joint they were playing in. Jake would miss this place.
With all the pubs and places to eat, Camden was by far their favourite town to go out in.
The driver pulled over onto a double yellow line, and they climbed out. As they glanced in the window of The Ship, they noticed the crowd already building. It wasn’t even eight, but the place was heaving. Jake opened the door for Kate.
‘Surprise!’
A crowd of people were lifting drinks, laughing, shouting, racing over.
‘No way,’ Jake said as he felt an overwhelming embarrassment rise through his body. Kate froze. She was stunned. There must have been at least twenty or so of their friends gathered around the front of the bar. Some, they hadn’t seen for what felt like an age. Others, they spoke or skyped with frequently. One or two, they didn’t give a shit about. Paul, who looked like he was in charge of the surprise and was thanking everyone, made his way up and stood in front of Jake.
‘We’re really going to miss you guys.’
‘Oh, Paul, what the heck? I can’t believe you planned this; I really am stumped for words now.’
‘Well, that’s a bloody first,’ came a voice from behind.
‘Really, you guys, I can’t believe it.’
Once they were in and settled, they mingled with everyone. Jake and Kate felt like celebrities. They were genuinely touched by what had been planned. Kate started to get second thoughts about the move but had to push it out of her mind. It was their night. She was going to enjoy it.
∞∞∞∞ Saturday morning arrived – moving day. Kate’s head was swirling. Too early. So much to do. Can’t go through with it. She lay in bed next to Jake. He was stretching and already moving to get them both their morning coffee. He turned to her. ‘So, you really want to do this?’
‘Don’t you?’ She tried to search his face for any last-minute doubts. Telling signs. Even just a nervous twitch. She found nothing. Why was she feeling like this? It was what they had both wanted for so long. She remembered the excitement when they first found the place. Everything was getting sorted. She remembered talking to Anton when he told them the house was theirs. The sheer joy Jake had displayed. Was this just anticipation? Nervous energy? Last minute stage fright before going out and performing to her adoring crowd? She had visions of a baying mob ready for a heckle.
‘Boo.’
‘Get off.’
‘You’re crap.’
‘Don’t give up your day job love.’
She had to fight this. Couldn’t show Jake how she felt. It would pass. She knew it. This is what they wanted more than anything.
Their dream for so long now.
Here.
Today.
Finally.
The house in the woods is going to be amazing; she kept saying to herself. Their dream place. She knew it. She hoped.
∞∞∞∞ Kate went down to the kitchen where Jake was busy making
toast and getting Sean’s breakfast ready. Sean was already sat in his chair, dressed and waiting impatiently for his food. Kate sat beside him and kissed him on the head, ruffling his hair and making it drop over his face. A couple of minutes later, the doorbell rang. Jake glanced at Kate as he moved towards it, they weren’t expecting anyone.
‘Morning, sir, all set?’
Jake glanced at his watch.
‘I thought you weren’t coming until 10.30?’
There were two removal men stood at the door watching him expectantly. Another two waited in the lorry which was like something from a film set. He couldn’t believe the size of this thing; it seemed to take up half the street.
‘Yeah, well, the roads were quiet this morning. We can wait if you’d prefer?’ ‘No, no, let’s get on with it.’ Jake opened the door wider, and the other two guys jumped out of the lorry. Luckily, everything was already boxed and ready to be packed off. Containers were scattered all over the place, and white labels, marked with black felt tip pen, proclaimed where everything should go.
Books.
Kitchen utensils.
Cutlery.
Pictures.
Loft junk.
Office stuff.
Odds and sods.
Kitchen essentials.
There was a box and label for everything. Kate had made sure of it. When it was all packed, and the removal van pulled away, the family stood in the hallway. ‘This is it, our new adventure,’ stated Jake, looking at Kate. They walked out of the house linking arms; Sean riding on his dad’s shoulders.
They shut the door behind them and set off to their new life.
Chapter Five They arrived, mid-afternoon, in the small village of Ramsbury. They stopped off a couple of times on the way due to Sean needing to pee. Jake filled up with petrol and kept the supplies going, coffee, crisps, and chocolate were the main choices. When they arrived at the house, Jake was pleasantly surprised to see the removal guys already parked up in the drive and had most of the boxes waiting at the door.
