"It looks soooo nice," my mother coos as we turn into the driveway of the cottage. It stands 3 storeys high. Floor to ceiling windows welcome us as we pull closer.
A man opens the front entrance to water some of the plants in the large buckets that decorate the pathway leading up to the cottage.
I step outside. It must have just rained recently. There is a dampness in the air; it's fresh. Not hot and sticky like LA. I walk around to the back of the car to grab my suitcase, but Uncle Hank shoos me away. The man that was about to water the plants has come over to us to help us with our bags.
I'm thinking he's the custodian.
" [garble, chuckle] Benny [garble, giggle, rumble] ...for not givin' yer more notice and we's appreciating it none-the-less." says Uncle Hank with a big smile as the man walks towards us.
"Don't mention it. I've put staff on rotation from the hotel. Just bear with us for the first day or so while we get the place in order -- but after that it should be fine."
Aunt Nancy introduces Benny to us. He works for them over at the resort that they own, which is adjacent to this cottage. He's Native. Tall. Kind face with a kinder smile. I think he takes care of this place when they don't use it -- and probably oversees them renting it out.
We say our hellos. I know that I'm not being as friendly as I want to, but I allow myself to not be hypercritical. I just need to get inside and get some more sleep.
Cottage season hasn't officially begun, so I suppose that most of the staff are just returning to work at the resort to get it set up for the swarms of visitors about to embark on it. I walk towards the door and follow Aunt Nancy into the place.
"Whad'ya think?" she says and raises her eyebrows with a big smile. My mother is able to vocalize the emotions that I don't have the energy to tap into.
"Fantastic! OH....I just LOVE the floor to ceiling windows. It's gorgeous Nancy! GORGEOUS!"
Benny brings my bags up stairs. He tells us to take a seat in the main room and he'll bring us something to drink in a second. Aunt Nancy heads into the open kitchen to put on a kettle. These people drink tea like it's going out of style.
I walk over to windows which over look a three tiered deck that leads down to the waterfront. It really is beautiful. Tall fir trees line the property and offer it some shade and privacy. There's an immaculate outdoor kitchen on the second deck with the most gorgeous patio furniture I've ever seen. It's the kind that has pillows that you can leave out in the rain because they won't get moldy. Beyond the second deck on the floor below is a jaw dropping fire pit built into the bottom deck area and encrusted with gorgeous stones. There's a wet bar near by. Past that down the rolling hills is the deck on the water; equipped with a boathouse. The top of the boathouse has a sun deck, as does most of the waterfront.
But beyond the aesthetics, it's peaceful. It's early evening and the sun is still high. It won't be setting for another half hour or so. I think I will have a cup of tea before I hit the sack.
I feel like I'm walking through the pages of an Architectural Digest. I catch myself because for an instant, I start to think that Charlie would love this place, before remembering that he can't see it. I quickly swipe the thought from my mind. I don't want to cry anymore. Not here. This is suppose to be a place for rejuvenation. Where I can escape all the haunting thoughts that are trying to poison my mind.
A young girl enters. She's looks about 18. She smiles, kicks off her shoes, and runs upstairs. She's probably here to help Benny dress the beds.
"How many bedrooms are there Nancy?" my mother asks as she readjusts her sweater while taking a seat on one of the stools near the island in the kitchen.
"Uh...eight, I think. Right Hank?" says Aunt Nancy. "Hank?!"
He's nowhere to be found.
"Probably went to get more bags from the car," my mother says.
Aunt Nancy pulls some mugs out from the cupboards and digs around to look for some tea. It takes her a moment, but she eventually starts pulling out boxes of different flavours so we can pick one. I choose peppermint, and slide onto one of the stools beside my mother. A moment later Uncle Hank walks back in with more bags and drops them in the hallway before heading over to us."
"[garble, chuckle] down there by the lake. So I'll go check in the boathouse and make sure it's all fine." he says, and then heads out.
Aunt Nancy begins to tell my mother about what's on the other floors. There's a games room downstairs, along with a sauna. Off the master suite is a private deck with a hot tub if any of us want to use it -- although she thinks that Benny will have to get someone to clean it first.
I tell them that I'll hold off on the tour, and so we head towards the solarium room that is off to the side of the kitchen -- to sit on lavish couches and watch the sunset. And as it begins to bob lower and lower behind the trees, my tea is finally cool enough to take a sip. I nestle up to my mother who is having a very detailed conversation with Aunt Nancy about the resort and the renovations they just did this past winter.
I think they were right to bring me here. I'm starting to relax.
