Foreclosure

Writing Prompt: Foreclosure

Her 3rd grade class called her Ms. B, and she called them her kids. Her kids could always make her laugh. They tested her sometimes, but mostly they just loved her, and she loved them. But there weren’t kids here to make her laugh. Today, the space the laughter filled inside her heart was full of remorse.

This was the last day Ms. B could call this house her home. She walked through the hall and felt the floorboards creak beneath her feet, like the bones creaking inside her body. They were the same. Ms. B grew up inside this house, and so had her father. She knew every crack in the walls, every stain, the trick to opening the bedroom window that was always stuck, and the sweet spot on the bathroom faucet that would keep the pipes from squealing. This house was a part of her, and a part of her family.

She stopped in the kitchen entryway, and ran her fingers along the doorframe, where the markings of the heights of her father and uncles were on one side, and her and her brother’s on the other. Ms. B closed her eyes and saw herself running down that old hallway as a child, racing her brother to the dining table where their parents were waiting with dinner. She sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes.

She walked into the living room, and the sun was streaming in through the large front window, highlighting a large patch of carpet in the center. All the furniture was cleared out already, and it sounded strange and hollow as she walked. Ms. B sat in the sunlight and rubbed her hands across the carpet, watching little motes of dust that swirled up in the sunbeam. Then she lay down on her side, curled up in the sun, and felt hot tears stream across the bridge of her nose and down her cheeks as they plopped onto the carpet.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered into the empty room. Though her voice didn’t crack or catch in her throat, it sounded as empty as the room she occupied.

She lay there for a long time, and drifted to sleep. When she opened her eyes, the patch of sun had moved and she was no longer in it. She sat up stiffly and slowly got to her feet. There was a knock at the door. It echoed through her mind like it did through the empty house. Had they already knocked once before? Was that what had woken her up?

“I’ll be right there!” She called out as she shuffled to the door. She placed her hand on the cool brass doorknob, but instead of unlocking it, she placed her forehead against the wooden door for a moment, as if catching her balance. “Goodbye...” The word lingered in the air as if she had more to say, but the words didn’t come. Ms. B then stepped back to open the door for the last time.