“You need to stop driving like a crazy person.”
Scott sighed, leaning against the dashboard as his brother Kevin skidded the truck to a stop in front of Grandma Rachel’s house.
“We’re on edge with all the debts, Scott,” Kevin replied, slamming the truck door shut. “We have things to do, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the investors demand their money back!”.
“No!” exclaimed Scott, grabbing a shopping bag. “Selling a service to people when it costs more than they can afford is hard, Kev. I told you the rubberized foot paint thing was a mistake.”
“I told you it’s all about quality!” argued Kevin as he grabbed another bag of groceries.
The two brothers marched toward Grandma’s house and were about to knock when the door burst open.
Kevin and Scott exchanged a glance, observing the strange young man in a suit standing in the doorway.
“You should take your time to consider the offer, ma’am,” the young man insisted.
“Thank you, but no!” the grandmother said, then turned to one of her grandsons. “Kevin, will you be so kind as to escort this insistent young man off my property?”.
“That won’t be necessary.”
The man left the card on the table in the lobby and walked away.
“What was that about, Grandma?” asked Kevin.
“Some developers want to buy my house,” Grandma shook her head and went inside, Kevin and Scott followed her.
“What have they offered,” Kevin asked, glancing at the old house.
“About eighty thousand,” Grandma replied.
“What, no offense, Grandma, but this house isn’t worth that much,” Kevin said, looking at the faded wallpaper, rough wooden beam, and bowed floorboards.
“Those developers are paying for the plot of land, son. They want to build an exclusive development here.”
“Well, that’s a great deal!”.
Kevin set his shopping bag down on the kitchen counter.
“Yeah! Why don’t you sell it,” Scott added.
Grandma snorted and shook her head.
“This house is worth more than that measly amount, guys! See this?” Grandma rested her palm on the stone mantel. “Your great-grandfather built this mantel with his hands, your great-grandmother gave birth in that bedroom, and that detached piece of the beam over there…”.
“Great Aunt Susi defended herself from a burglar!”. Kevin sighed. “We’ve heard these stories before, Grandma.”
“And you’ll hear them again! I hope someday you’ll tell them to your children, because that’s what makes this house so valuable, boys. Our family has lived here, and that’s priceless.”
”You should be practical about this, Grandma,” Scott said. ”I know this place has sentimental value, but it also costs a lot in maintenance, and these people are willing…”
“Don’t you dare suggest that I sell! I intend to live out the rest of my days here, Scott. If the history of our ancestral home means so little to the two of you, then you can sell it when I am no longer in this world!”
***
“I can’t believe Grandma would be so dumb about this,” Scott said as he and Kevin walked back to their truck.
They had tried to convince Grandma to sell the house, but she wouldn’t budge.
“It’s more than silly, Scott! That money is the solution to all our problems,” Kevin said, climbing into the vehicle. “And we won’t see a dime of the money until Grandma passes away.”
“So what do you suggest?” asked Scott as Kevin started up with a thunderous roar.
Kevin grinned.
“I have a plan, brother, and it’s not going to hurt anyone.”
A week later, Scott and Kevin were at Grandma’s house for lunch, but Scott couldn’t bring himself to even take a bite of the delicious roast.
“Is something wrong, honey?” grandma asked Scott, resting her hand on his forehead. “You don’t have a fever, but you don’t look well.”
“I think I’ll lie down for a while.”
But before Scott took two steps, his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed to the floor.
Grandma ran into the kitchen and splashed some water on Scott’s face, but he didn’t respond.
“This way, please, hurry!”.
Kevin had waited outside for the ambulance to arrive and ran inside to show them where his brother lay on the floor. It was hard to see precisely what the paramedic was doing, but he was confident he was in good hands.
”Your brother’s condition is stable for now,” the paramedic finally said. ”But we’ll have to move him to the hospital.
”Then let’s get going!” the grandmother urged them. ”You must do everything you can for my grandson!”
Kevin stayed by Scott’s side as the paramedics transferred him to a stretcher and carried him to the ambulance. He then climbed into the back with his brother.
“The coast is clear?” Scott lifted his head as the ambulance door closed.
“Everything worked out perfectly,” Kevin smiled, slipping the paramedic a hundred dollar bill and patting him on the shoulder.
“It’s been a pleasure doing business with you,” smiled the paramedic, stuffing the money in his pocket as the ambulance pulled away.
A few hours later, Kevin returned to Grandma’s house and passed Scott’s doctor’s note to her.
“I don’t know what to do, Grandma. Scott’s situation is bad – how are we going to get money for his treatment?”
Kevin watched Grandma flip through the page.
“I didn’t want to do it for me, but for Scott…”.
“What do you mean, what’s wrong with you, Grandma?” asked Kevin.
“I’m sick too, Kevin. The doctor told me to have surgery before it’s too late.”
At that moment, Kevin felt terrible. He could either tell Grandma the truth or get another note from the doctor, saying Scott was miraculously cured. But then, he remembered how much the crooked doctor had charged him for the first letter, the money he owed the participants in the scheme, and all the business debts he had incurred over the past year.
“But I wasn’t going to have surgery anyway. I’ll call those developers and let them know I’ve decided to sell the house,” Grandma’s tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at the fireplace.
“I’m so sorry, Grandma. I don’t want to see you suffer, but if that’s what you want, let’s do it.” Kevin wrapped his arms around her shoulder. “It’s going to be all right. You’ll see.”
A week later, Kevin returned to Grandma’s house and told her that everything had been taken care of.
“I’ve found a nursing home that will provide you with all the care you need. They are expecting you and we need to leave right away.”
“Oh,” Grandma hunched her shoulders and lowered her head. “If you and Scott think it’s for the best, I’ll go along with your plan. And I’ve thought about transferring ownership of this house. I’ve already talked to my lawyer. It’s best if you guys handle the sale.”
“Don’t worry, Grandma,” Kevin comforted her. “This has been an emotional time for you, and I don’t want you to go through the stress of dealing with the paperwork. We’ll take care of it.”
Kevin helped Rachel pack her things and took her to her new home. Then he went to the hospital and told Scott that Grandma was out of the house.
“Finally!” Scott ripped off the wires and tubes connected to her body and tossed them aside. “Let’s go get our money!”.
A bulldozer, dump truck and drill were crowding the road in front of Grandma’s house. Kevin and Scott smiled at each other as they passed and found a parking spot a little farther down the road.
“Good morning, folks! When do we start demolition?” asked Kevin to the foreman.
“As soon as the property is vacant, sir,” the man said, pointing to the yard. “I thought you said the house would be vacant.”
Kevin looked into Grandma’s yard, where he found a man mowing the long-neglected lawn and three children playing at the base of the old tree that shaded the porch.
Kevin marched over to the man, who turned off the lawnmower to talk to him.
“We live here, young man. The kind old lady who lived here sold it to us for a token price and a promise that we would treasure this place.”
“You are trespassing and squatting here! We are her grandchildren and this place belongs to us!” Kevin demanded.
“Oh, now I understand. Mrs. Rachel informed me that they might be back, needing clarification on their arrangements. I have something. Wait here while I bring it in.”
El hombre volvió con una carta para los dos. Kevin la abrió y empezó a leer, Scott se apretó contra el costado de su hermano y leyó por encima de su hombro.
“Dear Scott and Kevin,
You can’t imagine how scared I was when Scott collapsed at my house. I was worried and couldn’t just sit idly by after he was rushed to the hospital, so I followed you.
I could never have imagined the deception I would discover that day. I was heartbroken and forced to make a painful decision. Part of me couldn’t believe you would go through with this deception, so I came up with a plan.
I wanted to see how far you would go for your greed and worldly desires, so I told Kevin that I was sick. I know you guys too well to think you would admit to your lie, but I was hoping this news would change your mind. But I was disappointed.
So I sold my house to a young family who appreciates the true value of the place. Can you believe they took a video of me telling the stories of every scratch and imperfection so they could keep it for their kids?
And yes, I don’t need the stupid care in a nursing home, so I’ve made my own arrangements. However, I won’t disclose the information here, because I don’t want to see you traitors again!”.
