The Units
Page 5
Chapter 2
Tatum awoke early the day after she'd arrived in Wainwright. She thought that, without the noise and sirens of Chicago, sleep would be difficult. She had found quite the opposite; she couldn't remember a time when she's slept so soundly. She had a full day before she needed to report at the hospital to begin her internship, and she was bursting with energy to start on her renovations.
Before going to bed the night before, Tatum had made herself a promise. She would be positive about her new opportunity, even if there was not one single Starbucks in Wainwright.
Tatum got up, showered and dressed in her 'uptown casuals'. She referred to her cut-offs and t-shirts as uptown casuals because, in Chicago, even a pair of cut-offs seemed to require a brand-name and an exorbitant price-tag. She pulled her shoulder-length blond hair into a pony tail and put on a small amount of make-up; she didn't need much. She wore her thirty-one years well.
Even though she knew she was heading to the hard-ware store and reasonable shoes would be much more appropriate, Tatum slipped her perfectly manicured feet back into the flip-flops she'd worn the day before. She remembered how hot she had been, and could not imagine wearing shoes and socks in that heat.
She took the stairs down two at a time and headed for the main entrance. Instead of only the few people she'd seen yesterday in the heat of the afternoon, early morning seemed to bring them out. The apartment entrance had people coming and going, most with a smile and a friendly "Good Morning," all with an extra glance for the pretty stranger who had joined their midst.
In deepest amongst the commotion was Milligan, smiling and sitting in what appeared to be his dedicated rocker at the front door. He had a small TV table beside him, one like Tatum could remember her grandma using to eat dinner once her grandpa had died and grandma had no one to dine with. Milligan's table had a much happier purpose, he used it to house the coffee pot, cups and condiments he kept fresh for his apartment patrons.
"Cup of Jo?" he asked Tatum with a smile.
"Thanks, yes; black," Tatum responded appreciatively.
If there was no Starbucks, Milligan's would have to do. She took one sip and coughed, just a little. And people say Starbucks is bitter, she thought to herself. The coffee was going to take some getting used to. How does the saying go? You can stand a spoon up in it?
"Sit and relax for a bit," Milligan invited, hoping his newest resident would share some time. Despite her desire to get started right away on her apartment renovations, Tatum agreed. She knew that she needed someone on her side right now.
"What are you up to today?" Milligan inquired, trying to initiate conversation.
"I'm heading to the home building store. Gonna fix up my apartment. New paint, maybe some new carpet; just a little face lift," Tatum smiled.
"Beautiful room you got there, one of my best. Don't know why it needs a face-lift; but, you kids know what you like. Got any experience with renos? Need some help?"
Tatum knew that Milligan's offer was genuine. Funny, she got offers for help all the time in Chicago, but she understood that the offers were for show, not for real. This one was for real. Milligan broke her train of thought.
"What store are you gonna go to? We haven't got a Home Depot, you know."
Tatum shrugged. She had to admit, she hadn't given that any thought. She guessed she kind of was expecting just to waltz into the local Home Depot as she'd always done back home.
"How about I go with you? I know the owner of the Home Hardware. He's an old buddy of mine and I happen to know that he's a sucker for a pretty face, which you, my dear, can offer."
The trip to the building store was short - like three or four minutes short. Tatum hadn't considered how she was going to get her purchases back to her apartment and was all-at-once thankful for Milligan's kind offer to accompany her and bring his truck.
"Good morning Walt!" Milligan crowed in his usual friendly manner to the man behind the main desk. "Is Pete in?"
"In the back," Walt called back obviously familiar with the ritual.
In the back was a man of about seventy-five who smelled of old smoke and too much whiskey. Milligan had told Tatum that Pete had inherited the business from his father who had owned the hardware store since the day it opened in Wainwright, more than 100 years earlier. It was Pete's decision a few years back to agree to join the Home Hardware franchise, a decision he still wasn't sure about.
As Milligan predicted, Pete gave Tatum a once over and then let out a low loud wolf whistle.
"Wow, you sure know how to pick 'em, Mill," he said to his old friend.
"Pete, this is Tatum. She's a student doctor. Gonna be working on the units. She's moved into my building and, against my advice, thinks she needs to spruce up her place a bit." Milligan was teasing Tatum and she knew it. "Can you cut her a student deal?"
Pete smiled a sly smile and said "For the likes of her, I'll give her any damn deal she wants."
.
Tatum started by wandering aimlessly around the store. She really hadn't had enough time to plan out what exactly it was she wanted to do. But, as she browsed and loitered, her plan started to come together. She wouldn't replace or cover the old hardwood, she would restore it. In fact, she wouldn't change any of the original items in the apartment; she would just make them look fresh and new.
She told Milligan her plan with a smug smile and an "Are you happy now?"
He did, in fact, seem pleased that his room would stay intact.
With her new plan in place, Tatum went about purchasing cleaners for restoring brick, cleaners for restoring bathroom fixtures, cleaners for restoring sinks, basically any cleaners for restoring anything, and paint. She also made arrangements for some of Pete's guys to come and strip and refinish her hardwood floors.
"I suppose you're going to want a break on the rent now, with doing all this work, hey?" Milligan teased again. She knew full well he would give her a break in exchange if she wanted.
.
When they were finished at the building store, Tatum asked Milligan if they could take a quick trip by the furniture store. He complied willingly, and she suspected he loved the company, even if it was costing him some gas in his one-tonne gas-guzzling pick-up.
Tatum's apartment came 'furnished', if you could call an old futon, a worn-out arm-chair with ottoman, and a dining room suite from the seventies, furnished.
"Got an empty apartment in the building in need of some furniture?" Tatum taunted Milligan in fun.
"Oh sure," he retorted, "My best furniture, not good enough for the big city girl".
From anyone else, Tatum may have been offended at the comment, but from her kind friend, she knew everything came with a grin.
.
Tatum spent more than she intended. Although she wasn't in dire straits, she was still a student after all. 'Lowett's Furniture', the only furniture store in Wainwright, had a couch, loveseat and accent chair combination that suited Tatum just fine and was within her budget.
It was a dark brown contemporary set with beige throw pillows and details intended to complement the accompanying accent chair. The chair was one of those types with a stiff back and hard wooden arms that looked nice, but no one actually sat in. Tatum thought it would be a perfect match for the turn of the century motif she was trying to re-create.
Despite her better judgment, she also sprang for a simple bedroom suite and a basic dining room set, both consistent with her old world theme. Then, just for good measure, she picked up some wrought iron wall hangings and a few decorative mirrors to round out her look.
Once again with his perpetual chuckle, Milligan asked, "Are you sure you need all this stuff? The apartment comes furnished you know."
With his truck box bursting at the seams holding all of Tatum's recent purchases, Milligan smiled and pulled away from the furniture store. Six and a half minutes later, they pulled up to Regency Apartments.
.
Milligan and Tatum started with the cleaning and reno materials, t
hen they moved the furniture. They had to enlist the help of some other apartment dwellers to get the couch and love seat up the stairs.
Assistance of a similar sort was not to be found in Chicago. Passers-by would simply gawk at you struggling and keep on walking.
The old furniture was easy enough to move out. They just dumped it off the balcony and watched it fall.
"Your best furniture, hey Milligan?" Tatum quipped as they laughed when the old stained couch finally hit bottom.
.
After all the furniture was moved and the commotion finished, only Milligan and Tatum remained amongst the piles of building supplies and new furniture.
"Thanks for all your help today," she said to her new friend. "I didn't even know how much I needed it and there you were".
"Always willing to help a damsel in distress," Milligan chimed cheerfully as he strolled out her door still working on his last bites of the pizza Tatum had ordered to thank her helpers.
.
Once she was alone, Tatum stared around the room at the seemingly endless piles of things for her to clean, put together, take apart, organize, or paint. She didn't even know where to start, so she lied down on her new mattress, that hadn't yet been moved from the living room floor, and had a nap.