“Oh, my aching back!” LeAnn complained, putting down the last of many boxes, and stretched her back. She was moving into the house of her childhood dreams.
“Your aching back?” LeAnn’s brother Adam emphasized angrily? “Pete and I have lugged all of your heavy furniture up those ancient stairs, and you’re complaining about a few boxes and your back? Are you kidding me?”
Adam was LeAnn’s twin brother, but instead of having the dark hair like his sister, his hair was brown. He was about four inches taller, which made him close to six feet. Despite the height and hair color difference, they had the same nose, blue eyes, and smile.
“Sorry, I know,” said LeAnn. “And I do appreciate you’re help, but come on, I did move most of the boxes off the boat before you two got here.”
“Yeah, but LeAnn, boxes compared to furniture? Get real! Plus, don’t forget, we flew out from Colorado just to help you move!” He continued to complain.
“Okay, okay.” She giggled. “Yes, Adam, you two worked the hardest and again, I humbly thank you.” She bowed. “Honestly,” her voice softening, “I’m really glad you’re here. Not just to help, but because I’ve missed you.”
“That’s more like it.” Her brother gloated. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” LeAnn replied.
“Why in the world did you buy this island and this broken-down old place? I mean, it’s a great island and all, but this house needs a lot of work, and what about that boathouse? I’m sure no one has gone in it for years. Even if the house was new, what a hassle! You can only get to this place by boat.”
LeAnn turned and looked up at the house. “I know but I’ve dreamt of owning this house since we were kids. I’m not sure why, but I just had to have it. It totally doesn’t make sense even to me, but for years this house has been in my mind.” She stared at the house and responded with a very faraway look in her eyes, as if she were hearing some soft romantic music in the background.
“Besides, you know I like refinishing stuff, and this house isn’t in that bad a shape. It’s just old and needs a lot of cleanup.” Turning to look back at her brother, “I promise I won’t pester you for help. Lucky for you you’re living in Denver and I can’t call you up to volunteer a weekend or two. I’m sure there are handymen in town that are looking for work since the economy went bad.”
LeAnn and Adam had practically grown up on the Namakagon Lake in upper northern Wisconsin. Because they had vacationed with their parents for six weeks every summer, it was like a second home. The Klein’s always rented a condo at the Ridgewood Resort, which was built right on the beach. Sometimes when their father got extra time off from his job, they would come more often during the year. They would spend all their Christmas vacations here, snowmobiling and ice fishing.
On one of those vacations, while fishing, LeAnn had noticed the boathouse on the lake, and the large beautiful house nestled in the birch tree forest. For as long as she could remember, LeAnn had always loved the big house on the island in the middle of the lake. Something about the house intrigued her. She remembered several times taking her Dad’s boat out to the island, dropping the anchor and floating so she could stare at the house and the mysterious boathouse.
At twenty-eight years old, she had recently bought Tabor Island a fabulous one hundred and fifty acre island which included a two-story house built in the late 1800s out of wood and river rock. Yes, it was a whole island and all hers. The house was built on an incline, land looked down at the lake. The view standing on the front of the wraparound porch was of Namakagon Lake with forty miles of shore line. The back yard was thick, green, lush forest. There where deer, bears, weasels, minks, and bald eagles. But this was just a few of the wildlife living on the lake. Her island was as close to a definition of the Garden of Eden as one could imagine—well her Garden of Eden anyway. Lake Namakagon was a calming blue in color, and unless there were boats or wind, the lake water was like glass.
Standing on the walkway and looking up at Tabor House, she saw a grand old house with a dull red roof that held a large chimney built with river rock. The three foot high foundation, too, was built with large river rocks. She guessed the rocks came from the river that fed into the lake. She couldn’t imagine how the builder got the rocks to the island except by boat or some kind of sturdy raft.
The second story and the wraparound porch were built with wood and painted white.
The four very large front windows were like two sets of eyes leering and daring her to come in. She loved how the porch went all around the house. Contrary to her brother’s belief, the house was in excellent condition, considering it had been vacant for so many years. Luckily, it had rained the day she had her walk-through before the final papers were drawn and signed, and she had been happy to see the roof did not leaked. When she looked at the building now, she saw a house that was beautiful and wanted to come alive again. She felt the romance of the house. But she really believed the heart of the island was the boathouse.
Down on the shore was the two-story boathouse. There were two large garage-type doors on the water side. The building was rather large and the top floor, which formerly was used for storage, had been converted by the Tabor’s into a large ballroom. The mystery of the dark windows and the local rumors of hauntings intrigued her, even though she wasn’t sure she believed the stories. Did she believe in ghosts? She wasn’t sure.
The boathouse had an enclosed exterior stair tower. At the top of the stairs was the door to the ballroom, and LeAnn was amazed to see the door was covered in carved wooden roses, with a beautiful lead glass window in the middle. She had never seen anything so intricate before. It was incredible workmanship.
When LeAnn entered the ballroom for the first time, she instantly fell in love with the room. She marveled at the fifteen foot French style doors with beveled glass which formed the walls around the ballroom. LeAnn had been surprised that the inside was in such good condition after being locked up for many years. Between the French doors were mirrors that reached up twenty-five feet to the ceiling. Opening one of the French doors, LeAnn had stepped out onto the walkway that surrounded the upper level. There she saw a spectacular three hundred and sixty degree view of the lake and forest.
How romantic it must have been for young couples at the ball, she thought as she gazed at the view and back at the ballroom. She imagined all the doors being open and the music filling the night air. She could almost see beautiful, elegantly dressed men and woman dancing the night away.
Her brother interrupted her thoughts, “Whatever. I just hope you didn’t waste your money on this place.”
Just then they heard the screen door on the front porch slam shut. Pete, a few inches taller than Adam, with an olive complexion under dark curly hair, stood with three bottles of beer in his hands. “Break time!” He smiled. Pete had been Adams’ best friend since grade school. Adam and LeAnn had grown up next door to the Connors in Denver. Adam and Pete had even attended Colorado University in Boulder together. Both sets of parents were skeptical about whether the boys would succeed in college together, but all worked out well. As with some first-year students, they partied a lot and received some bad grades, but lectures from their moms and dads, as well as threats to send the boys to different schools, soon straightened them out.
“Oh yeah! Good man.” Adam grinned as he reached for one of the bottles. Pete held out one of the remaining two bottles to LeAnn.
“Thanks. I guess we have earned a break,” reaching for it.
Sitting on the porch steps they all took a long drink of the ice-cold beer.
“Boy, does this taste good.” Adam said.
The three were silent for awhile staring out at the open water, sipping their beer. They watched a jet skier speed by spraying water in a high arch behind him.
LeAnn broke the silence. “Hey guys. I really do want to thank you for all your help. I know this wasn’t an easy move—putting boxes on the boat at the Ridgewood Resort pier, boating over, and then unloading them here. Thank goodness I bought the furniture left in the house so we only had to bring over a few pieces of my own, or we would be in real trouble.”
“You’re welcome, LeAnn,” Pete said. “It’s not easy moving stuff to an island. You were smart to rent a pontoon. Otherwise we wouldn’t have gotten everything over here in just a few trips.”
“Yeah, smart thinking sis!” exclaimed Adam.
Leann smiled at her brother and his best friend, “So, you two are going to spend the whole week with me, right? I’ll treat you to dinner at the resort tonight in appreciation. After that, you’ll have to put up with my cooking. I know we can get you rooms at the resort, but I would really like the company especially tonight. You know, first night jitters and all. Besides, why pay for rooms when it’s free here.”
LeAnn had been staying at the resort until her brother and moving truck had arrived in Wisconsin. She had bought most of the furniture in the house, which the realtor said was used by the Tabor family.
“Hey, I’m all about free meals, count me in!” Adam smiled.
“Me too.” Chimed in Pete.
“Actually, LeAnn, I have to admit, I didn’t know how to ask if it was okay to stay here with you. Kind of thought you wanted your privacy in your new home and all.” Adam said.
“Great! It’s settled. You’re staying here,” she said. “Let’s have another beer and then I’ll go up and take a shower then you guys can clean up.” Adam went in the house to get them all another beer.
After about forty-five minutes of small talk and reminiscing, LeAnn stood up and stretched. “I guess it’s time to get ready for dinner. I’ll see you guys in a few. You two can use the hall bathroom and also use the two guest rooms. You’ll have to sleep on the couches until we unpack boxes and find the sheets. Hint, hint.” She chuckled.
Pretending he didn’t hear her “hint, hint” comment, Adam announced, “I think I’ll take a swim instead.”
“Me too!” Pete said. “That’s a great idea.”
“Whatever you guys want, but I can’t wait to feel the warm water on my achy body!” She smiled, turned and walked into the house. She stood in the doorway and looked at all the boxes. What a mess! she thought to herself. Oh, well, I have all the time in the world to unpack and get my new house in order. There was something very comforting about those words “my house”. She grinned as she climbed the stairs to the bathroom. She stopped at the top of the stairs on the large landing and looked around still grinning. To her right was the large master bedroom and bathroom. The bedroom was quite large, almost the width of the house, and had three big windows all with views of the lake. There was even a small window in the bathroom with a lake view. To her left were two bedrooms and a small bathroom. The front bedroom was a big spacious room with two windows. One window faced the lake and the other the forest. The other bedroom was smaller and it too had two windows but not of the lake, its views were of the dense green forest. The small bathroom separated the two bedrooms. She looked at all the boxes, shook her head then continued to her waiting shower.
She had already unpacked a few of her toiletries and was happy to find the box with the towels clearly labeled.
The 1920s bathroom, with the small black and white tiles, was great and she loved it. There was a pedestal sink, a toilet, of course, and the best bathtub ever, her favorite part of the bathroom. The large tub with claw feet reminded her of when she was a little girl and the tub at her grandmother’s. LeAnn remembered spending the night at Grammy’s and taking bubble baths in a tub just like this one.
After she found her robe in her suitcase on the bed, she went back to the bathroom and started the shower. She had forgotten to bring a shower curtain so she laid towels on the floor around the tub. She hoped that if she didn’t turn the water on full blast the water wouldn’t hit the floor. She’d have to remember to pick up a new shower curtain at the store when she went back into Cable, which was the nearest town to the island and was approximately twenty-five minutes away.
“One more thing for the list,” she said out loud climbing into the tub.