The Old Farmhouse

Josie looks to her Mother with a long expression on her face. " Mom why did we have to move from Ladoga? All my friends are there." Josie's Mom just looked straight out the front of the van as she drove. She took a deep breath in and out and replied " Well me and your Daddy didn't have any life insurance and after he died it took almost all our savings to bury him. We just didn't have enough money left to live in our house anymore. I was able to find another house to live in with what we had left. It wasn't easy for me to make this decision, I so wish we could have stayed in our home. I just can't afford it on my own. Just wait we will be happy in no time here, Think of it as a new adventure for all of us." Josie looked out her window as her Mom pulled on a gravel drive at the end of it she saw an old farm house with no paint and looks like it needed a lot of work. All Josie knew she felt homesick.

Anna pulled up to the house and shut off the van. She open her door, looked over it at the house. Her mind was racing, and inside she felt overwhelmed. Her mind has been so clutter every since she lost her best friend and lover. Now she is a single Mom raising two child on her own. She has always felt like a strong woman but she not so sure of that anymore.

She went to the side of the van and opened it she looked down at her son. She took him out of his seat. "Josie go grab your brother playpen for me. While I go see if the heat is on in the house."Josie rolled her eyes at her Mom and got out of the van. She walked to the back of the van and open the hatch as the door went up boxes fell out on her foot. "Ouch!" Anna walks around to check on her "Are you okay?" Josie nodded she was okay, she picked up the boxes, grab the playpen and shut the hatch. They all walked together up to the house and went inside. Josie dropped the playpen on the floor and the sound echoed throw the house. There was dust and spiderwebs everywhere. Her Mom went to the kitchen to find the theremastate she went to the back of the kitchen a check the temp in the house. She hit the button to turn it on and it didn't kick on. In her mind she felt every overwhelmed. She walked back in the living room " Can you set the playpen up for me?" Josie did as her Mother asked an as she got done she look at the stairs. "If you want you can go up and pick the room you want there two of them." Josie went to the stairs and started up them. As she walked up the stairs she slide her hand up the railing. As she got to the top she looked at her hand it was covered in dust. She took her hand an wiped it on her pant leg. She then looked around, she walked into the larger room. She stood there looking out the large window she could see everything from the trees to the road. Her Mom came in the room with a box. "I see you found your room here is one of your boxes. I heard from the moving truck they should be here in a couple hours. So we will be able to set your bed up. So while we wait lets sweep and dust okay." Josie shrugged her shoulders and did as her Mom asked. Anna knew it was going to be hard for all of them, but she knew it be hardest for Josie. She lost her Daddy, her friends, and her home she knew since the day she was born.

The hours went by and the moving truck arrived, they got their beds set up. Her Mom made supper and they eat on the couch together. "Mom why is it so cold in here?" Her Mom sat her plat on her lap " Our heat is broken. I have to hire a repairman. I first have to find the money."

"This sucks! We lose Daddy, have to move, and now we live in a house that is falling apart around us! Hopefully my new school will be better." Josie goes up to her and slams the door. As she walk over to her bed she notice a small door out the corner of her eye. She went to the the door and tried to open it, it wouldn't budge. So she look to see if there was a key hole or a lock but there was nothing. Josie scratch her head with a puzzled look. She looked at the door studying it trying to find a way to open it. As she look at the door she jumped at the sound of her door opening. "Hey I just wanted to say goodnight and I love you. An I brought you an extra blanket." Josie looked at her Mom "Mom what do you think this is?" She point to the door. Her Mom looked at the old little door and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe an old hiding place that they closed off. I wouldn't worry about it go to bed you start your first day of school tomorrow." Josie look at the door one more time then got up and climb up in her bed.

The next morning Josie came down went to the kitchen. Where she found her Mom making breakfast. She walked around the counter "Mom can I please stay home? Just for today, I just want to settle in more before i have to go meet more people and tell my life story as to why we moved here. Please?" Her Mom looked at her studying her daughters face. "I guess, I have to take Bubby to daycare. Then I will be on my way to work. The number is on the fridge if you need me." Josie nodded her head in agreement. She watch out the window to make sure her Mom was gone. As she pulled out the drive Josie went to storage closet to see if there was anything she could use to pry the door open. She swing the closet door open and started to shuffle things around. When a crowbar fell on the floor like something push it towards her. She look around her and grab the bar. She shook her head then closed the door. She ran up the stairs an to her room she look around her to see what she can use to cover the wall if she manages to open it. She knew her Mom will be furious if she knew she broke open the door. She looked at her desk that she hasn't decided where to put it yet and it was the right size to hide the door. Once she made the choice as what to use she got to work. She took the crowbar an slipped it in a crack next to the door. She began to push as hard as she could until she heard a cracking noise. She then moved the crowbar up a little and did it again. Finally she heard a louder noise and it opened. She throw the crowbar to the side and finished opening the door. She grabbed the flash light off her night stand and shined it the the little closet. She got back down on her knees an to her surprise she found a little black book. She picked it up an felt it was made of leather and tied too keep it shut. She sat the book down and closed the door. She moved her desk in front of it so she knew her Mom couldn't see. She then stood there looking at the black book wondering what she would find.

She sat on on her bed, and began to untie the strings on the book. She flipped the cover open to find a name in the front, it read Sir Benjamin Franklin Jones. She then turned the page once more where she found direction an it had to do with this little door. She looked back at the door, she got up to move her desk out of the way. She open the door before she decided to go in she grabbed a few things. She went back to the storage closet grab a screwdriver, rope, and her Dads old head flashlight. She then went back to her room and tied her rope to her desk then around her waist. She got down on her hands and knees, turned her flashlight on,put the little black book in her sweater pocket, and started in the tunnel. There was spiders and dust everywhere and it kind of scared her but she kept going there was a reason this was left and she wanted to find out. As she got to the end of the tunnel she notice it came in too a little room with a small window she had notice when walking up to the house. She got up and shook the dust off her, she then began to look around the room. She grabbed the black book and turned the page. It told her to go seven steps to the right so she did very slowly. She counted carefully and when she got the to seventh step it like she step on a button. Next thing she knows she see the wall go up and there sat a chest, a very old chest. She then went back to the book to see if there was anything else that could be of us to her. Unfortunately there was not a single thing written that could help. She looked at the chest puzzled, she had noticed there was a number lock on the chest. So she began to play with it in hope to open it. She tried, and tired, but nothing worked. Finally she went back to the little black book and read it again. Where she notice this man had circled one number on each page. The first was 7, then 4, 2, 3, 9, 1, 5. She slowly put each number in and when she put the last number in it popped open. She open and gasped for there was a letter and dollar bills in the chest. She slammed the chest shut grabbed the book an brought it back throw the tunnel into her room. With dirt all over her she ran down stairs to the phone to call her Mom. Dialed the phone and her Mom answered "Come home right now!" that all she said and hung up. Her Mom was puzzled and worried so she went home after picking up her son.

She walked in the house to find her daughter dirty and sitting on the couch. "What is all the fuss about? Why on earth did you call me at work. This better be good." Josie went over to the chest and open it. Her Mom mouth dropped open at the sight. "Where did you find this?" Josie explained everything from the black book, to finding the chest. Her Mom opened the letter that was inside it was a contract stating if Whom ever open this chest is the rightful owner of all the money inside. Stating it was 20,000 dollars it was singed by Benjamin Franklin Jones. Her Mom was not sure if this was legal and binding so she called a lawyer and read the contract. The lawyer asked her to look for a notary on the paper and date as to when it was singed. Anna said yes there was both with a name. The lawyer found no reason as to why they couldn't keep the money.

The next day Josie Mom called all the repairmen she could ever need to get there new house looking nice as can be. Josie was happy to because her Mom was not as stressed anymore. The Money help them in so many ways. From fixing the house and the heater. It didn't bring her Daddy back but it help her Mom and that in itself was all that matter. All Josie knows she can thank this Benjamin Franklin Jones for all his help.