Page 25 of Believe

“What’s his occupation?” asked Vince.

“I think he’s worked all sorts of jobs, mostly construction, oil fields, that sort of thing. We’re talking to Matthew to see what we can find permanent for him. In the meantime, they’re just trying to keep the trailer sealed and safe for the kids.”

“We can do that,” said Titus.

“Well, it’s not quite that easy. John’s a proud man and doesn’t accept charity from anyone. The old man is getting them out for the day, helping them to find a Christmas tree but he doesn’t think they’ll have much luck considering the weather we’ve had.”

“As long as they’re gone, we’ll get some work done,” said Rory. “Let’s go.”

They’d seen worse than the condition of the trailer. But not much. You could tell that the wife had tried to make it feel homey on a budget and she’d done a nice job. But cute curtains and clean floors didn’t make leaking roofs go away or leaking pipes for that matter.

With a guarantee that the family would be gone for several hours, the team got to work on the trailer. The first task was the roof. With eight men working fast and furious, the old roof was removed, the leaks fixed and sealed, the new roof put in place and secured against any potential storms.

On the outside, they repaired loose panels and put a new door on the front of the trailer. Noticing that the porch boards were rotted and loose, they immediately got those replaced while Titus and Vince attacked the inside issues.

Replacing the panels damaged from the leaking roof, they then replaced what was needed for the plumbing. Flip, Adam, Hannu, and Pork painted the bedrooms, while Dex, Clay, and Sly replaced the bedroom furniture and bedding.

It looked like an entirely new home.

“There aren’t any holiday decorations,” frowned Rory. His phone pinged signaling that the they were returning with the elderly next door neighbor.

“We’ve got the essentials fixed and we’ll find some work for him,” said Titus. “We can make a plan to come back with the rest.”

“Let’s go,” said Rory, as they loaded into the trucks and disappeared. A few minutes later, the family pulled into their driveway with Mr. Cartwright.

“We’ll find a tree, John. Don’t worry,” said Cartwright.

“I can’t believe all those trees were damaged and had beetles. The kids just want a tree.”

“Honey,” whispered Ruth. “Honey, look at the trailer.”

John stared at the trailer, slowly walking toward it and circling the structure. It was nearly unrecognizable. The roof was shiny and knew, the panels on the side were secured and clean. But it was the covered front porch with new, solid boards that had him in awe. He turned staring at his neighbor.

“Don’t look at me. I was with you,” he said smiling. “I’ll see you folks later.”

Ruth opened the front door and stepped inside, the smell of fresh paint assaulting her nostrils.

“Oh. My. God,” she whispered.

“Wow!” yelled Allison. “I have a new bedroom!”

“What?” gasped John walking down the hallway.

Sure enough, his daughter and son’s rooms were completely renovated, painted, and fresh, warm bedding on their beds. His wife squealed and he turned and ran toward her. Inside the laundry room she’s was jumping up and down.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“A new washer and dryer! It’s a new washer and dryer,” she laughed.

“Who did this? How did they do this? How did they get inside?”

“I-I don’t know,” said Ruth. “But it was so nice of them. So wonderful, John. Now we can worry about other things. The house is safe, secure, warm, and the kids have what they truly need.”

John wanted to protest. He wanted to say that he couldn’t accept charity but he swallowed his pride and nodded. His wife was right. With the critical needs of his family taken care of, their warmth and security assured, he and Ruth would focus on jobs and food.

“John! Come look!” his wife yelled. Standing at the refrigerator, the door wide open, John gasped at the stocked shelves.

“Who did this mommy?” asked J.J.