Re-Entry


Yesterday I went back into the house.


The day before I'd stopped by to get a garden wagon that I'd abandoned in the shed on the side of the house.  I thought that I could use it at the campground to transport laundry to the washing machines here.  We'd left stuff on the driveway, with the plan to call for Habitat to pick it up, but the pouring rain that night made that unreasonable.  All of that was gone, the driveway was completely clear.  The wagon had been taken from the shed.  I went around back to see about another wagon that was in the backyard shed.  The scene in the backyard was truly bizarre.  I'd put a garden fence up to make two yards, one for the garden and one for the dogs.  There had been a double chain link gate in it.  This gate was pushed over, completely on the ground, like someone had driven over it.  There was no access to that side of the yard, except through those gates.  I have no idea how it happened.  And, there was nothing in that area to drag over those gates.  Also, a screen was pulled off of one of the windows.  A friend told me that there had been really strong winds, and I guess that's possible, but I just can't quite wrap my brain around it, even with the thought that someone was trying to break into the house.  


Yesterday I was talking with our insurance company when they suggested renter's insurance.  I was asked if I had any jewelry.  I told her no, which I don't, put it made me think about my old jewelry box, which housed personal treasures.  I had no recollection of packing it up.  I decided I needed to go back into the house.  I still have a key.  


I arrived and looked nervously around.  I have a real aversion to breaking the rules.  And, while I've never received anything from the bank, the lawyers or the county telling me that I couldn't go into the house after June 8, the bank now owns it and I have no idea when it's sale will actually happen.


My neighbors were having a garage sale.  That made my car less obvious.  (Though a screaming yellow Xterra is obvious no matter what.)  As I entered I noticed a slight smell.  Nothing terrible yet, but it will be soon.  I've had the power turned off.  We didn't empty the fridge.  At some point, it will begin to really stink.  I debated emptying all of the food into one of the garbage cans we'd left in the garage, but decided that I wanted to spend as little time as possible in the house.  So, upstairs I went.  My jewelry box was not there.  I'm certain no one has been in the house.  So, I must have packed it.  I have absolutely no memory of it.  


What I did find, however, was my portfolio for work!  I went looking for it in my office stuff for my interviews.  (More on that later.)  I couldn't believe that I didn't grab it, but there it was, sitting on a shelf.  That came with me.  As did a few other items that we'd overlooked.  


Now I've walked away.  I plan never to go back to that house save one more time, in August, when the small Gambels Oak that I grew from an acorn, should have acorns of it's own.  I plan on collecting as many as I can and starting a new generation of trees.